Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character is a judge who serves in a family court, and in addition to the family-related cases that she adjudicates, many episodes of the show focus on her own experiences as a divorced mother, and on the experiences of her mother, a social worker who works in the field of child welfare. This series was based on the life experiences of Brenneman's mother.
The peaks and the valleys. Find the essential episodes — and the ones to skip.
Judge Grays last day on the bench. She is approached to run for senator. Maxine talks with Ignacio. There is bill in the senate to incarcerate 13 year olds as adults. Maxine tries to be a foster mother.
Amy must decide if a student raped his teacher or was seduced by her; Kyle is unhappy about his non-medical duties at St. Michael's; Maxine tries to locate the mother of an abandoned newborn; after Jason menaces Amy while she's driving Lauren and Eric home, Bruce suggests getting a restraining order; fearing the worst about her health, Gillian gets the diagnosis she's dreamed of for years.
Vincent accepts an English writing teaching position for the income, but doubts if it fits his vocation as an author. He wonders what made his dad - whom he lost very young- work in the insurance field, as brother Peter now does enthusiastically, despite their father's acceptance for medical school. Maxine fights a deaf supervisor's claim to end the guardianship of big brother Paul Dexter, who alas never learned sign language, over young Kevin, who refuses to learn any more after systematic peer abuse at school, neglected by DCS till then. Amy hears a claim by an old black grandmother for custody over her 2 year-old grandson Eryk, who is in foster care with the devoted white Chase couple, which adopted his older sister.
Teen Eric Oldham, who has a violent bully record, seems likely to be tried as an adult for beating up and abandoning his single mother, but his day in court shows she's the bad example. Peter commits to fully restoring his marriage but hits a confidence problem. Maxine's autistic ward Adam Diehl's separated parents seem unable to care for the out of control boy properly, but working on its bedtime ritual reveals alternative prospects.
Each point is an episode, plotted in order. Colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for the rise, the plateau, or the decline.
High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.
One point per season. Smooths out the episode-to-episode noise to reveal the bigger arc.
Did each season build or fizzle? Green means the finale outscored the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows, bigger swings.
How steady is each season? Tightly clustered dots mean reliable quality. Scattered dots mean a wild ride.
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