Call it “The Father of All Reality Shows.”
Orion TV, a division of MGM, has begun production in LA on “Paternity Court,” a new syndicated series premiering this fall — and devoted exclusively to paternity tests and, often, to their emotional ramifications.
Hosted by “judge” Laura Lake — an attorney and “relationship expert” who’s appeared as a talking head on shows including “Dr. Phil” and “The Today Show” — “Paternity Court” will tackle all sorts of paternity cases, with the results revealed on-air at the end of every show.
Producers say the seriehow will differ from the “Who’s Your Daddy?” paternity episodes of “Maury” — a popular, highly rated feature of Maury Povich’s daytime talk show that are sometimes combative — in that “Paternity Court” is all-about building relationships once the paternity results are revealed.
On the show — the plan is to feature one case every episode — Lake will hear both sides of the case, present the results and then offer advice to the people effected.
“Our hope is that Lauren Lake’s verdict will inspire litigants to take responsibility for the outcome and provide resolution,” John Bryan, president of MGM TV, said in a statement. “ ‘Paternity Court will tell the stories of emotionally life-changing issues beyond the parent/child relationship.”
The show will air locally on CBS-owned Ch. 55.