The Judge debuted in the fall of 1986 in syndication staring Bob Shield as Judge Robert J. Franklin. It originally ran for a dozen years as a local TV show (under the name "Custody Court") in Columbus, Ohio. Then the show was picked up and syndicated nationally by CBS. Every episode is a dramazation of an actual case. The show primarily focussed on family court situations and involved children and adolescents in custody, paternity, delinquency and adoption hearings. Judge Robert Franklin was played by actor Bob Shield who passed away in late 1996. The show was canceled in 1989 due to low ratings, but came back on the USA Network in the early 1990s. The show was taped in Columbus, Ohio and licensed by WBNS-TV and Gennesis Entertainment.
Actors: Bob Shield
