Judd, for the Defense

Infobox Television
show_name = Judd, for the Defense


caption =
aka =
genre = Legal drama
creator =
writer =
director =
starring = Carl Betz
Stephen Young
composer = Alexander Courage
country = USA
language = English
num_seasons = 2
num_episodes = 53
list_episodes =
executive_producer = Paul Monash
co_exec =
producer = Harold Gast
Charles Russell
sup_producer =
asst_producer = Stanford Tischler
runtime = 60 mins.
channel = ABC
first_aired = September 8, 1967
last_aired = September 19, 1969

"Judd, for the Defense" is an American hour-long legal drama that was originally broadcast on the ABC network on Friday nights from September 8, 1967 to September 19, 1969, comprising 52 episodes.

ynopsis

The show starred Carl Betz, who had previously spent eight years in the role of the bland Dr. Stone, husband of Donna Reed in "The Donna Reed Show". In his new role, reportedly based on high-profile lawyers such as F. Lee Bailey and Percy Foreman, [Jamail Center for Legal Research, Tarlton Law Library, University of Texas Law School. [http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/tv/tvlawyers-alpha.html] ] Betz played Clinton Judd, a flamboyant attorney based in Houston, Texas, who often took on controversial cases across the country. Playing his top assistant, Ben Caldwell, was Stephen Young.

Even before the show premiered, Foreman threatened a lawsuit by saying that the program was "appropriating for commercial purposes my career as a lawyer." Throughout the course of the two-year run of the show, there were never enough viewers to establish Foreman's claim, although critics gave it positive reviews. Undoubtedly the skittishness of viewers was a result of the program's dealing with then-taboo (though contemporary) subjects such as homosexuality, blacklisting and draft dodgers, as well as the open-ended conclusions in many episodes.

The show's producer, Harold Gast, sought to break new ground with the program, using a number of new writers for scripts that veered away from previous television conventions. In addition, one personal experience involving credit card problems caused by computers became the basis for an episode entitled, "Epitaph on a Computer Card." In 1968, Gast and writer Leon Tokatyan won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for the episode "Tempest in a Texas Town".

In an attempt to boost the low ratings of the show, the January 31, 1969 episode combined the "Judd" cast with that of another ABC show, "Felony Squad". The move proved to be of no help for either show, with both soon being cancelled.

Betz's portrayal of a lawyer was enough to provide him paid opportunities to speak before groups of attorneys, and also helped him win both Golden Globe and Emmy Awards after the show's final season. Additionally, screenwriter Robert Lewin won a Writer's Guild award for the episode, "To Kill a Madman."

Other actors appearing on episodes of the show included Ed Asner, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Duvall, Lee Grant, Ida Lupino, Jessica Tandy and William Windom. [Id.]

In the early 1970's, a short run remake of the series was done, with Judd Hirsch playing the lead characther Judd.

Notes

External links

*imdb title|id=0061271
*Tv.com show|id=6245