Producing in a pandemic can be difficult, even for the most seasoned professionals. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it took its toll on production. Many networks postponed production, and even those that did not were forced to adjust their shooting schedules and rethink their health policies.

But Randy Douthit, a successful producer of over 25 years, has acquitted himself beautifully in the new world. As an executive producer for Judge Judy for more than two decades, Douthit is no stranger to crisis management or pandemic preparedness. Judge Judy’s unusually long run on television was largely due to his keen instinct for what works on screen and what doesn’t. The show’s popularity proved that viewers loved the program’s focus on actionable solutions and its active judges. The success is largely due to Douthit’s interest in what works and what doesn’t.

Douthit admits that learning to shoot under the new guidelines was difficult while they were being implemented, but crucial skill sets learned in the old world were still necessary in the new world. The production cost increased as they replaced older equipment and implemented new safety measures. Shooting schedules needed to be adjusted on the fly, but they still had to keep up with production guidelines.

A new approach was necessary because of mandatory vaccination and testing. This, combined with the production changes, caused shooting schedules to delay and added to the cost of production.

Randy Douthit says they also had to adapt to the new rules and standards of conduct. In the end, nearly all the production assets were preserved, and the finished product was still impeccable. Douthit’s legacy as a producer lives on, even in a pandemic world. At some point, they had to work remotely under the new guidelines to maintain their quality of work.

Shooting a television show in the middle of a pandemic would have been difficult for anyone, but that’s the point. It was not about surviving a pandemic but about surviving the shift in production guidelines and the consequences of their non-compliance. Douthit has managed to maintain his efforts on behalf of his producer clients, even in these changed circumstances.