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Q: Is Bailiff Douglas McIntosh from "The People's Court" actually in law enforcement or anything? On the show he acts more like a director.

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Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

For obvious reasons, the TV court shows try to avoid owning up to the parts of their productions that are fabricated for television. So while Douglas McIntosh's duties on "The People's Court" are quite different than they would be for a bailiff in a normal, un-filmed court of law, he's still just credited as a "court officer" (which is a real title).

That said, Judge Marilyn Milian admitted in an interview with a fan (posted on YouTube) that McIntosh got his job through an audition, like an actor would, rather than through a job interview, like a normal courtroom staffer.

However, she said that she, too, got the job through an audition, and she's an actual judge. It stands to reason that the producers would want to make sure that their on-screen personalities can perform well on screen.

McIntosh had no screen experience prior to joining "The People's Court," but he's gotten some more since. His official biography on the show's website says that, "McIntosh's popularity with 'The People's Court' audience has led to recurring roles as police officers on the acclaimed daytime dramas 'One Life to Live' and 'All My Children.'"

It's possible, then, that the show chose McIntosh the same way it chose Milian: from a pool of actual court staff, but selecting for people who can be charming and comfortable on camera.

It also helps that, as Milian says in the interview, McIntosh is "mighty fine."

 

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