[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'May 2 2004, 07:08 PM\'] [quote name=\'Terry K\' date=\'May 2 2004, 05:39 PM\'] [quote name=\'sshuffield70\' date=\'May 2 2004, 02:55 PM\'] There had been one or two other DC's before Jim's. I believe his DC gig ran from 1982-87. It was then taken over by Martha Smith for about another year. For the younger folks, while the current DC uses real cases, the older DC used dramatizations with a twist....no one knew the outcome of the case in advance (only Judge William B. Keene did). [/quote]
That would explain why Jim wasn't offered TJW when Barry died. He was already committed to DC for a long term. I can only *guess* that if Jim Peck was available full time they'd have given him the job. TJW though, was a show they could have somewhat worked around his DC schedule, but I doubt that the producers wanted him potentially competing with himself.
[/quote]
Good theory, but based on the evidence I have,
Divorce Court started later than that -- 1984 according to
The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television, 1986 according to
Total Television and
IMDB.com (Jim's made a few movies, apparently).
Time to dig up the old
TV Guides... [/quote]
At least 1985...I remember reading a "Broadcasting" magazine, talking about the high ratings Divorce Court got in Feb. 1985 sweeps.