‘Judge Joe Brown' Show Canceled After 15 Years On-Air; Brown Calls Network 'Difficult'

Daytime TV viewers are mourning the loss of the courtroom show “Judge Joe Brown” after Broadcasting & Cable announced the show’s cancellation after 15 years on-air Tuesday.

“’Judge Joe Brown’ will not be returning for another season,” said a spokesperson for CBS Television Distribution. “We would like to thank Joe for 15 great years as well as executive producer John Terenzio and the entire staff for all their hard work and dedication to the show.”

The cancellation came after the network and Brown could not agree on contract stipulations. The Hollywood Reporter said CBS allegedly wanted to cut Brown’s $20 million salary due to a decline in ratings. Brown, for his part, called the network “difficult to deal with."

“It was time to move out on my own since I had some ideas that I had been having to pull teeth with no Novocain to get adopted,” said Brown, who also made claims that the network made no attempts to advertise the program.

CBS is already looking for a replacement judge, but other networks, such as Fox, which licensed the program, are reportedly refusing to switch stars. Original and repeat episodes of the series will continue to run on the Fox-owned stations until September. It is unknown if the show will be picked up by another distributor.

Fans shared their thoughts on the cancellation on Brown's official Facebook fan page Wednesday.

“I’ve enjoyed the integrity of your show,” said commenter Diane Lahey. “You have been a great example to both men and women. Thank you for sharing the past 15 years with me.”

“I think it would be a tragic loss if Judge Joe Brown’s program is canceled. I admire his sense of justice and his penchant for protecting womanhood and promoting manhood. I also appreciate his sense of humor and his uncanny wisdom. I hope CBS reconsiders or another media will pick up the show,” said Mary Zimmerman.

“I HATE THIS NEWS!!! I LIVE for my Judge shows!!!! Entertainment AND Education!!! [sic]” said Tessie Trejo.

Brown, 65, already has career plans in place. He is launching the production company Celebritunity, which is shopping a new court show featuring Judge Deann Salcido and a daily radio show featuring Brown. The untitled radio program is already planned to air on 30 markets.

“Judge Joe Brown” is the second highest-rated court show behind “Judge Judy.” According to CBS, Brown’s ratings have been slipping only raking in 3.4 million daily viewers in comparison to the average 4.1 million.

A clip from the Feb. 23 episode of "Judge Joe Brown":