CBS is marking 30 years of "Judge Judy" with a 90-minute primetime special, "Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable," airing on 22 September to coincide with the anniversary of the show's autumn 1996 debut. The programme charts how host Judy Sheindlin became one of America's most recognisable television personalities over three decades, featuring interviews with high-profile figures including Steven Spielberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Amy Poehler and RuPaul, alongside family, friends, former colleagues and litigants whose lives she affected.

The special will air on CBS from 8-9:30pm ET/PT and stream live on Paramount+ (Premium), with next-day availability. Sheindlin narrates her own story, from her childhood in Brooklyn to her time as a tough-minded judge in New York City Family Court. Although the original "Judge Judy" series ended production in 2021 after 25 seasons, it remains widely syndicated and available on platforms such as Pluto TV; the anniversary special is produced by See It Now Studios, with John R. Green, Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong as executive producers.