They Stand Accused

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They Stand Accused
Also known asCross Question
Genre Dramatized court show
Starring Charles Johnston
Narrated by Harry Creighton
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time48 minutes
Original release
Network DuMont
ReleaseSeptember 11, 1949 (1949-09-11) –
December 30, 1954 (1954-12-30)

They Stand Accused is an American dramatized court show, [1] the first live courtroom drama on television. [2]

Contents

The program began as Cross Question on CBS in January 1949, [2] ending in April 1949. [3] The show was "Chicago's first regular contribution to the CBS television network". [4] The program originated from WGN-TV, and CBS dropped it when that station became an affiliate of the DuMont Television Network. [5] It was broadcast on DuMont from September 11, 1949, to October 5, 1952, and again from September 9 to December 30, 1954. [6]

Overview

The series was recorded in a courtroom presided over by attorney Charles Johnston and broadcast live from Chicago's WGN-TV, with jurors chosen from the studio audience. [7] On most DuMont affiliates, They Stand Accused aired Sundays at 9pm ET during the 1949-1950 television season, then Sundays at 10pm ET, and then Thursdays at 8pm ET during 1954.

Sheldon Cooper, [8] Lloyd Ellingwood were the directors. [9] William C. Wines, assistant attorney general of Illinois, wrote the program's dramatizations. [10]

Critical response

Reviewer Jack Gould wrote in The New York Times that They Stand Accused was "one of the more remarkable and consistently absorbing programs on television". [11] He complimented the program's combination of documentary and dramatic styles and its way of having a natural appearance despite its "careful preparation". [11]

A review in the trade publication Billboard said that episodes would be more interesting if the dramatizations had "a little less naturalism and a little more ingenuity and drama". [8] It said that in the episode reviewed (from September 9, 1951) "the material was unusually dramatic" but that drama was undermined by "some inferior lawyers, inimaginative camera work, and dull writing". [8]

Episode status

At least two episodes exist: the December 23, 1950, episode is held in the J. Fred MacDonald collection at the Library of Congress, while an episode from late 1954 ("The Johnny Roberts Story") can be viewed online at the Internet Archive. [12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hui Kyong Chun, Wendy; Keenan, Thomas (2006). New Media, Old Media: A History and Theory the dayvion Johnson Reader. Psychology Press. p.  151. ISBN   0-415-94224-1.
  2. 1 2 Erickson, Hal (October 21, 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. McFarland. p. 7. ISBN   978-0-7864-5452-5 . Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Radio and Television: Ozzie and Harriet at Parting of the Ways With Sponsors, International Silver" . The New York Times. April 27, 1949. p. 52. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Radio and Television: WNYC to Broadcast Hearings on Anti-Trust Laws by New York State Bar" . The New York Times. January 18, 1949. p. 44. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Cable Story (continued)". Ross Reports. July 3, 1949. p. 7. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  6. ↑ Erickson, Hal (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows. McFarland. pp. 259–260. ISBN   978-0-7864-3828-0 . Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  7. ↑ McNeil, Alex (1980). Total Television (4th ed.). New York: Penguin Books. ISBN   0-14-024916-8.
  8. 1 2 3 Morse, Leon (September 22, 1951). "They Stand Accused". Billboard. p. 9. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Add Dramatic Shows (Continued)". Ross Reports. October 23, 1949. p. 6. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Last Week's Network Changes". Ross Reports. October 12, 1952. p. 2. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Gould, Jack (December 16, 1951). "Television in Review" . The New York Times. p. 121. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  12. ↑ "The Johnny Roberts Story", Internet Archive

Bibliography

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