September 29, 1963 - The Judy Garland Show debuts on CBS. Judy is slimmed down and cheerful, and the first six weeks have been great. Then, to Judy's surprise, CBS switches directors. The new guy, Norman Jewison, makes Judy the butt of jokes ("What's a nice little old lady like you doing on television?" asks comedian Jerry Van Dyke). Then the network offers her confusing criticism: she's unapproachable, and at the same time, too friendly. To make things worse, the show is up against Bonanza. The last episode airs March 29, 1964. Judy's heartbroken.
May 20, 1964 - Judy takes her act to Australia, and customs officials confiscate her pills. A shady Sydney doctor rushes her a new supply, but she's not familiar with the dosages. Her first two shows are great, but the night of her Melbourne concert, she accidentally overdoses. She arrives late and stumbles through her first few numbers, forgetting words and tripping over the microphone cord. Fans yell rude comments; some leave in disgust.
May 28, 1964 - While in Hong Kong, Judy reads an account of the Melbourne disaster in Time. She overdoses, on purpose this time, and spends 15 hours in a coma. She's pronounced dead, but makes an amazing recovery.
November 8, 1964 - Judy and Liza collaborate on a two-hour show at London's Palladium.
Spring, 1965 - Judy begins a 15-month string of concerts and TV appearances, some brilliant, some good, some not so good. Audiences start to notice that her voice, body, and mind are deteriorating.
May 19, 1965 - Judy and Sid finally divorce.
November 14, 1965 - Judy weds Mark Herron in Las Vegas. The marriage lasts five months.
Fall, 1966 - By now, Judy's been taking pills for more than 30 years and simply can't function without them. There's no Betty Ford Center, no true understanding of addiction. Her nervous system has begun to deteriorate. She rages and hallucinates; she never sleeps. She begins making angry tape recordings in the middle of the night. "I wanted to believe," she screams, "and I tried my damnedest to believe in that rainbow that I tried to get over - and I couldn't! So what! Lots of people can't!"
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