Who remembers “Judd, For the Defense”?

[Cbalducc]

It starred Carl Betz as defense attorney Clinton Judd and ran on ABC from 1967 to 1969. Betz won an Emmy for his performance after the series was cancelled.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judd,_for_the_Defense
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQfMXgiGWHM

The Wikipedia article implies the series was ahead of its time. Could that be why it’s ratings were mediocre?

[Hazel Anyday]

I do. I was a young teenager at the time it was originally on and I used to watch it just about every week, it was on ABC as I remember. Anyway, I liked it. I watched this series long before I ever watched Donna Reed show, in fact. When I saw Donna Reed on Nick At Nite I said, oh, look, Judd's Donna's husband.

[stevea]

Yep, Judd gave Carl Betz a starring role, instead of playing second banana to Donna Reed.

JFTD would have been a good candidate for a DVD release--other than a few 16mms someone got and put on Youtube, that show is probably unavailable anywhere.

[merlinjones]

My parents really liked it and so did I as a kid -- I love Carl Betz and would like to rediscover it. But who has syndication rights?

Would be perfect for a Decades Binge weekend.

(Oh, I just searched -- it was 20th Century Fox which means we'll likely never see it again...).

[GentlemanJim]

I remember Judd FTD. I was my first real exposure to Betz, although I'm sure my parents remembered him from Donna Reed.

There were a few other stars like that....Robert Young (my first recall was as Marcus Welby) Dennis Weaver (Gentle Ben) that I am sure to my parents looked "recycled", in view of their prior familiarity.

Now one of my favorite hobbies is identifying stars in prior works before they got their signature roles.

Like those old episodes of Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, and Alfred Hitchcock

[merlinjones]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Now one of my favorite hobbies is identifying stars in prior works before they got their signature roles. Like those old episodes of Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, and Alfred Hitchcock

I'm finding that Hawaiian Eye is great for that... not only do you get Robert Conrad and Connie Stevens, but I've spotted many young up-and-comers like Adam West, Max Baer, and Mary Tyler Moore just to name a few!

[biffbronson]

Carl Betz (1921-1978): Gone at age 56.

[biffbronson]

There are now quite a few episodes on YouTube. I've recently watched the ones with beautiful guests Ida Lupino, Vera Miles, Ruta Lee, Beverly Garland, and Collin Wilcox Paxton. Several appear to have been originally recorded off of TV Land broadcasts.