Accused (1958 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Accused is 1958 drama series consisting of filmed re-enactments of actual court cases. The show was cancelled at the end of its first season.
began broadcasting Traffic Court, presenting re-enactments of traffic court cases and arraignments. The format proved popular and the show moved to ABC's national daytime schedule. It was soon followed by the syndicated Divorce Court
and Day in Court. In December 1958, Accused debuted as the prime time version of Day in Court.
and Robert Culp
). However, the defense and prosecution attorneys were real-life lawyers. The court was presided over by Edgar Allan Jones, Jr. Jones had a law degree from the University of Virginia
, was a member of the UCLA law faculty and a labor arbitrator.
. He later became an ABC Vice President as well as executive producer of Combat
and Garrison's Gorillas
.
Background
In the summer of 1957, local television station KABC-TVKABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
began broadcasting Traffic Court, presenting re-enactments of traffic court cases and arraignments. The format proved popular and the show moved to ABC's national daytime schedule. It was soon followed by the syndicated Divorce Court
Divorce Court
Divorce Court is a judge show about cases which only involve divorcing couples. Out of the shows currently airing in the court-themed genre, Divorce Court is the oldest...
and Day in Court. In December 1958, Accused debuted as the prime time version of Day in Court.
Casting
Similar to other courtroom dramas of the time, the defendants and witnesses were actors (including, for example, Pamela MasonPamela Mason
Pamela Mason was a British actress, author, and screenwriter who appeared in a number of British films.-Early life and career:...
and Robert Culp
Robert Culp
Robert Martin Culp was an American actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and director, widely known for his work in television. Culp first earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy , the espionage series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played a pair of secret agents...
). However, the defense and prosecution attorneys were real-life lawyers. The court was presided over by Edgar Allan Jones, Jr. Jones had a law degree from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, was a member of the UCLA law faculty and a labor arbitrator.
- Edgar Allan Jones, Jr. as the Judge
- William Gwinn as the Substitue Judge
- Jim Hodson as the Clerk
- Tim Farrell as the Bailiff
- Violet Gillmore as the Court Report (and Announcer)
Production
The show was produced by Selig J. Seligman, a former U.S. Army lawyer who served at the Nuremberg TrialsNuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
. He later became an ABC Vice President as well as executive producer of Combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
and Garrison's Gorillas
Garrison's Gorillas
Garrison's Gorillas was an ABC TV series broadcast from 1967 to 1968; a total of 26 hour-long episodes were produced. It was inspired by the 1967 film The Dirty Dozen, which featured a similar scenario of training Allied prisoners for World War II military missions.The Garrison's Gorillas pilot...
.