People's Court (ITV1): THE centrepiece of ITV1's new daytime schedule gives viewers the power to decide who's right and who's wrong in a court case.

My vote would come down on the side of those who say this programme is guilty - of being trivial and boring.

What presenter Carol Smillie called "a variety of disagreements between friends, neighbours and families" is aired in a studio court with real life legal eagles presiding. Viewers are the jury.

As defendants and claimants put their side of things without the benefit of professional help, the programme soon descends into a slanging match.

This makes me want to reach for the off button on the remote, not the telephone so I can vote. Smillie tells us that we can vote more than once which, of course, helps increase ITV's revenue from calls and ensures her pay cheque doesn't bounce.

She drifts into shot from time to time to plug the gaps while the votes are counted. Mostly her presence is superfluous to this already dreary experience.

If a new show must grab you by the privates and retain your attention with the very first edition, People's Court failed dismally. It wasn't helped by having as a defendant a familiar face from another reality show, the C4 one in which common folk lived like toffs in a stately home.

Shamus Callaghan had been chucked out by his partner of eight-and-a-half-years, Sylvia Guner, and had taken the car with him. She was claiming £2,500, her half of the vehicle.

This developed into a shouting match in which he said she was off her rocker for wanting the money, while she responded to his overtures to move back in by saying he was past his sell-by date. Quite honestly, they deserved each other.

The vote was 86 per cent in his favour and a mere 14 per cent for her. Sylvia was a sore loser, telling Smillie: "I think Shamus is a loser because he lost me". Sounds to me more like he had a lucky escape.

The second case was a Trisha family feud wrapped up in a People's Court claim. A mother was claiming back £450 she paid for a college course for her estranged daughter Nikki.

Mum Tracey maintained it was more about their relationship than the money. Nikki refused to give her mum a hug, despite prodding from Judge Jerome Lynch.

He showed more patience than I would have done with the warring mother and daughter. "This is crazy, isn't it?," suggested the judge. I agreed, I was mad for watching this rubbish.

Viewers found in favour of the daughter. The judge had a final attempt at bringing them together, awarding them £100 for mother and daughter to go out for a meal.

"And give her a hug," he ordered Nikki, who was still refusing body contact with her mother.

Published: ??/??/2004