They Stand Accused

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

They Stand Accused
Also known as	Cross Question
Genre	Dramatized court show
Starring	Charles Johnston
Narrated by	Harry Creighton
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	48 minutes
Original release
Network	DuMont
Release	September 11, 1949 (1949-09-11) – December 30, 1954 (1954-12-30)

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.

Lloyd Ellingwood was the director.^[8] William C. Wines, assistant attorney general of Illinois, wrote the program's dramatizations.^[9]

Reception

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".^[10] He complimented the program's combination of documentary and dramatic styles and its way of having a natural appearance despite its "careful preparation".^[10]

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.^[11]

See also

• List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
• List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
• 1949-50 United States network television schedule
• 1950-51 United States network television schedule
• 1951-52 United States network television schedule
• 1954-55 United States network television schedule