Randy Douthit started in the TV news business in his 20s at a Portland, Oregon station, and has made a name for himself with iconic news/entertainment programs including “Crossfire,” “Larry King Live” and “Judge Judy.”

He parlayed his experience with Judge Judy, which debuted in September, 1996, into “Judy Justice,” the streaming show that’s a huge success on Amazon’s IMDb TV. According to industry reports, the first episodes of the show attracted 25 million viewing hours and the show won a second season.

Douthit’s 25-year-association with Judy Scheindlin was wildly successful before he started “Judy Justice” as executive producer and director. In fact, “Judge Judy,” in which Randy Douthit was executive director, can still be seen in syndication 25 years after it was first launched.

An additional complication with “Judy Justice” was the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with “Bit Rebels,” Douthit explained that ensuring all involved in making the show were vaccinated added costs and time. He said he relied on his considerable TV experience to overcome those hurdles to manage both time and budget restrictions.

That experience has earned Douthit a long list of industry awards, including six Grammy’s. He has also received six CableAce awards and two Peabody Awards.

While there are similarities between “Judy Justice” and “Judge Judy” – both shows involve real legal claims between real people – Douthit told “Variety” the two shows couldn’t be more different.

That includes how the episodes are structured and a different legal location for the judge, so there is no comparison to the set used for more than decades in “Judge Judy.”

What won’t change, according to Douthit and other show executives, is the basic message that is delivered with each streaming episode: Education about the legal process and how it can affect all of us in our daily lives.