Q: When the judge made a ruling on "Judge Judy," who paid? My wife read years ago that the maximum amount she could award is $5,000 and the money came from the show's production company. Does that sound correct, or did the losing party have to pay the winner?
A: "Judge Judy" operated as a small-claims court, which limits awards to no more than $5,000. Not only did the production companies pay the awards, they also covered participants' travel costs and paid them an appearance fee. The show ended production in 2021, although you can still see reruns. Judge Judy Sheindlin has gone on to "Judy Justice" on Freevee, a streaming service.

Missing 'Treasure'

Q: Do you know of a game show from I believe the 1960s or early '70s where the set looked like an island and the contestants at some point got into a boat to a small island? I know this sounds nuts, but I remember it from my childhood and no one else seems to know what I am talking about.
A: It doesn't sound nuts at all. "Treasure Isle" aired on ABC in 1967-68. John Bartholomew Tucker hosted the series. Recorded in Florida, it was "daytime television's first outdoor game show," according to "The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows." Couples played by "answering questions, solving puzzles and completing stunts in the hopes of reaching a specially constructed island to hunt for buried treasure." You can find some episodes on YouTube.

Boxing knocked out

Q: Are any networks considering carrying the boxing matches that Showtime has decided to stop showing?
A: Boxing and MMA fans were shocked in October when a memo from Showtime president Chris McCarthy said the network will end productions from its Showtime sports and event team, including boxing and MMA. One report of the memo said the decision to "dedicate a larger percentage of our resources toward premium scripted series that drive subscribers for us — isn't a reflection of the work the team and our partners have done, rather a reality of the world evolving and our shifting content priorities."

Speculation about a possible new home for the Showtime events has mentioned Amazon Prime Video and DAZN, a streaming sports service, as candidates, but I have not seen anything official so far.

' Chico' had disappeared

Q: Why has Freddie Prinze's popular TV series "Chico and the Man" never been shown on TV since it ended? Is there a chance it will ever be shown?
A: "Chico and the Man" aired on NBC from 1974 to 1978. The series starred stand-up comedian Prinze (the father of Freddie Prinze Jr.) as Chico Rodriguez, the partner in a garage with irascible, old Ed Brown ("The Man"), played by Jack Albertson. During its third season, the troubled Prinze died by suicide; the show continued for one more season with some recasting, but that was not successful.

While Prinze's death cast a shadow over the show's likelihood of being rerun, it did not disappear completely. NBC had daytime repeats in 1977, not long after Prinze's death. There was a DVD release of six episodes in 2005. But I could not find a current home, aside from episodes on YouTube.

Write to brenfels@gmail.com.