Night Court
Encyclopedia
Night Court is an American television situation comedy
that aired on NBC
from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan
court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone (played by Harry Anderson
). It was created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege
, who had previously worked on Barney Miller
in the 1970s and early 1980s.
/magician Harry Anderson in mind, but Anderson auditioned with the claim that he was Harry Stone. Anderson had developed a following with his performances on Saturday Night Live
and made several successful appearances as con man "Harry the Hat" on another NBC sitcom, Cheers
. (For the first several years of its run, Night Court aired on NBC Thursday nights after Cheers.) In later seasons, while Anderson remained the key figure, John Larroquette
became the breakout personality, winning a number of awards and many fans for his performance as the lecherous Dan Fielding.
The comedy style on Night Court changed as the series progressed. During its initial seasons, the show was often compared to Barney Miller
. In addition to being created by a writer of that show, Night Court (like Barney Miller) was set in New York City, featured quirky, often dry humor, and dealt with a staff who tried to cope with a parade of eccentric, often neurotic criminals and complainants. Furthering this comparison, these characters were routinely played by character actors who had made frequent guest appearances on Barney Miller, including Stanley Brock, Philip Sterling, and Alex Hentlehoff. But while the characters appearing in the courtroom (and the nature of their transgressions) were often whimsical, bizarre or humorously inept, in the early years of Night Court, the show still took place in the 'real world'. In fact, in an early review of the show, Time magazine called Night Court, with its emphasis on non-glamorous, non-violent petty crime, the most realistic law show on the air.
Gradually, however, Night Court abandoned its initial 'real world' setting, and changed to what could best be described as broad, almost slapstick
comedy. Logic and realism were frequently sidelined for more stylized humor, such as having the cartoon character, Wile E. Coyote, as a defendant and convicting him for harassment of the Roadrunner with an admonition to find a meal by some other means.
The show featured several defendants who appeared before the court again and again—notably the Wheelers, Bob and June (Bob was played by Brent Spiner
, later known for his role as Data
in Star Trek: The Next Generation
), who initially pretended to be stereotypical hicks
from West Virginia
but were later revealed as Yugoslavia
ns, and at one point even ran a concession stand
in the courthouse. When asked by Harry why they claimed West Virginia at first, one of the Wheelers replied, "It was the first exotic place that came to mind."
The bailiff
s:
theme song composed by Jack Elliott, featuring Ernie Watts
on saxophone
.
The series finale brought in 24.6 million viewers (26% of all Americans watching television that night)
and Rutger Hauer respectively. The show has had more success with the Emmys and the first season earned a nomination for Paula Kelly. While the second season came around, the show had more success with the fans and critics and higher recognition came from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. John Larroquette won four consecutive Emmys for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1985 to 1988, before he withdrew his name from the ballot in 1989. Selma Diamond also earned a nomination in 1985, as a tribute for her sudden death, and the show's star Harry Anderson earned three consecutive nominations (from 1985 to 1987). The show earned three nominations for best comedy series, in 1985, 1987, and 1988. The show also received many minor awards and nominations in the areas of lighting, editing, sound mixing, and technical direction. In total, the show was nominated for thirty-one Emmys, winning seven.
for many years. It was briefly seen later on TV Land
in 2007-08.
began reruns of Night Court in June
2011. Network Ten
first aired the show back in the 1980s
and 1990s
.
Warner Home Video
has released the first 4 seasons of Night Court on DVD in Region 1. Season 4 was initially released on September 28, 2010 as a Manufacture-on-demand release, available exclusively through Warner Bros. online store. However, the release was removed from the site shortly thereafter due to various technical problems. The 4th season release was plagued with audio/video sync issues and art mistakes, although no official word on the decision to pull the item was ever given by the studio.
On March 1, 2011, Season 4 was released exclusively through Amazon.com
as a Manufacture-on-demand release. On September 1, 2011, Season 4 was once again made available for sale through the Warner Bros. online store.
Season 5 will be released on October 25, 2011, via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.
Special releases
The Television Favorites compilation DVD included the pilot episode, "All You Need Is Love"; both parts of the fourth season finale, "Her Honor"; the fifth season episodes "Death of a Bailiff" and "Who Was That Mashed Man?"; and the sixth season episode "Fire", which marked the beginning of Harry's relationship with Christine.
Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charles Robinson appeared in the 30 Rock
episode, "The One With the Cast of Night Court". John Larroquette is also mentioned: Harry says he had just spoken to John, which annoys Markie (who hasn't had recent contact with her absent former co-star) and begins an argument between them that lasts for most of the story.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone (played by Harry Anderson
Harry Anderson
Harry Laverne Anderson is an American actor and magician.-Early life:Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Anderson was a street magician before becoming an actor.-Career:...
). It was created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege
Reinhold Weege
Reinhold Weege is an American television writer, producer and director. He was born in Illinois.Weege wrote for several television series, including Barney Miller and M*A*S*H. In 1981, he created the series Park Place. In 1984, he created the hit sitcom Night Court which ran for nine seasons on...
, who had previously worked on Barney Miller
Barney Miller
Barney Miller is a situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker...
in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Background
Night Court, according to the first season DVD, was created without comedianComedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
/magician Harry Anderson in mind, but Anderson auditioned with the claim that he was Harry Stone. Anderson had developed a following with his performances on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
and made several successful appearances as con man "Harry the Hat" on another NBC sitcom, Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
. (For the first several years of its run, Night Court aired on NBC Thursday nights after Cheers.) In later seasons, while Anderson remained the key figure, John Larroquette
John Larroquette
John Edgar Bernard Larroquette, Jr. is an American film, television and Broadway actor. His roles include Dan Fielding on the series Night Court, Mike McBride in the Hallmark Channel series McBride, John Hemingway on The John Larroquette Show, and Carl Sack in Boston Legal.-Personal...
became the breakout personality, winning a number of awards and many fans for his performance as the lecherous Dan Fielding.
The comedy style on Night Court changed as the series progressed. During its initial seasons, the show was often compared to Barney Miller
Barney Miller
Barney Miller is a situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker...
. In addition to being created by a writer of that show, Night Court (like Barney Miller) was set in New York City, featured quirky, often dry humor, and dealt with a staff who tried to cope with a parade of eccentric, often neurotic criminals and complainants. Furthering this comparison, these characters were routinely played by character actors who had made frequent guest appearances on Barney Miller, including Stanley Brock, Philip Sterling, and Alex Hentlehoff. But while the characters appearing in the courtroom (and the nature of their transgressions) were often whimsical, bizarre or humorously inept, in the early years of Night Court, the show still took place in the 'real world'. In fact, in an early review of the show, Time magazine called Night Court, with its emphasis on non-glamorous, non-violent petty crime, the most realistic law show on the air.
Gradually, however, Night Court abandoned its initial 'real world' setting, and changed to what could best be described as broad, almost slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy. Logic and realism were frequently sidelined for more stylized humor, such as having the cartoon character, Wile E. Coyote, as a defendant and convicting him for harassment of the Roadrunner with an admonition to find a meal by some other means.
The show featured several defendants who appeared before the court again and again—notably the Wheelers, Bob and June (Bob was played by Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
, later known for his role as Data
Data (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
in Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
), who initially pretended to be stereotypical hicks
Yokel
Yokel is a derogatory term referring to the stereotype of unsophisticated country people.-Stereotype:In the US, it is used to describe someone living in rural areas...
from West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
but were later revealed as Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
ns, and at one point even ran a concession stand
Concession stand
A concession stand , snack kiosk or snack bar is the term used to refer to a place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, fair, stadium, or other entertainment venue. Some events or venues contract out the right to sell food to third parties...
in the courthouse. When asked by Harry why they claimed West Virginia at first, one of the Wheelers replied, "It was the first exotic place that came to mind."
Primary cast
The following cast members appeared in the opening credits:- The judge:
- Harry AndersonHarry AndersonHarry Laverne Anderson is an American actor and magician.-Early life:Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Anderson was a street magician before becoming an actor.-Career:...
as Judge Harold "Harry" T. Stone, a young, good-humored jurist and an amateur magician whose parents were former mental patients. His zany antics and goofball sense of humor is tempered by infinite compassion and sincere belief that everyone has good in them. Harry can be a little self righteous at times, but more often than not is the moral compass of the show. Harry loved movies and fashions from the 1940s, was vocal in his disdain for modern music (especially Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
), and idolized croonerCroonerCrooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
.
- Harry Anderson
- The public defenders:
- Gail StricklandGail StricklandGail Strickland is an American character actress.Strickland was born in Birmingham, Alabama, the daughter of Theodosia and Lynn Strickland, who owned a tire shop...
as Sheila Gardner (pilot episode only). - Paula KellyPaula Kelly (actress/dancer)Paula Kelly is a dancer and actress in motion pictures, television and theatre.-Early life and career:...
as Liz Williams (Season 1, after the pilot). - Ellen FoleyEllen FoleyEllen Foley is an American singer and actress, who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom Night Court. In music, she has released three solo albums but is best known for her collaborations with the singer Meat Loaf.- Early life and career :Foley was born in St....
as Billie Young (Season 2). A romantic interest for Harry Stone during Season 2. Goodhearted but feisty. - Markie PostMarkie PostMarjorie Armstrong "Markie" Post is an American actress, best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine Sullivan on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on the CBS sitcom...
as Christine Sullivan (Seasons 3–9). Her first appearance on the show was an early second-season episode ("Daddy for the Defense", originally aired October 4, 1984); she didn't become a regular until the third season (Post was starring on The Fall GuyThe Fall GuyThe Fall Guy is an American action/adventure television program produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series...
at the time). The Sullivan character was attractive, honest to a fault, and somewhat naïve. She was the primary romantic interest for Harry Stone and a regular target for Dan Fielding's lechery throughout the series' run.
- Gail Strickland
- The prosecutorProsecutorThe prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
:- John LarroquetteJohn LarroquetteJohn Edgar Bernard Larroquette, Jr. is an American film, television and Broadway actor. His roles include Dan Fielding on the series Night Court, Mike McBride in the Hallmark Channel series McBride, John Hemingway on The John Larroquette Show, and Carl Sack in Boston Legal.-Personal...
as Reinhold Fielding Elmore, who used the name Daniel R. "Dan" Fielding, a sex-obsessed narcissisticNarcissismNarcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...
prosecutorProsecutorThe prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
who would do almost anything to get a woman to sleep with him. It was also hinted that he frequented prostitutes and dominatrixes. He is the source of many witty and sometimes cruel remarks regarding almost every other character, although he occasionally shows a decent sized streak of compassion when the time arises. When his homeless lackey Phil dies, the ever greedy Dan is excited to discover that Phil was in fact wealthy and expects to be the beneficiary of his millions, only to be hugely disappointed to find that Phil did leave him his wealth, but only as manager of a charitable foundation to be named for him. It is revealed in the third season episode "Hurricane (Part 2)" that his real first name is Reinhold (an obvious joke about the show's writer and producer), and he goes by Dan out of embarrassment. (This is an apparent continuity lapse, as his mother -- played by Jeanette NolanJeanette NolanJeanette Nolan was an American radio, film and television actress. Nolan was nominated for four Emmy Awards.-Early life:...
-- repeatedly calls him "Danny Boy" in an earlier episode.)
- John Larroquette
The bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
s:
-
- Richard MollRichard MollCharles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
as Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, a (seemingly) dim-witted hulk of a figure who was actually gentle and often childlike. He was fiercely protective of Harry. Bull was known for his catchphrase, "Ohh-kay," and clapping a hand loudly to his forehead when he realized he had made a mistake. - The various female bailiffs, who were acerbic and comically gruff:
- Selma DiamondSelma DiamondSelma Diamond was a Canadian-born American comic actress and radio and television writer, and is known for her high-range, raspy voice and her portrayal of Selma Hacker on the first two seasons of the NBC television comedy series Night Court.-Life and career:Diamond was born in Montreal, Quebec,...
as Selma Hacker (Seasons 1 and 2), a chain smoking, elderly bailiff. Diamond died shortly after Season 2. - Florence HalopFlorence HalopFlorence Halop was an American actress. Best known for her role as the raspy-voiced bailiff Florence Kleiner on the sitcom Night Court, Halop was the sister of Billy Halop, one of the original Dead End/East Side Kids....
as Florence Kleiner (Season 3), Selma's replacement. She was similar in age and personality to Selma, but despite her age, loved things like motorcycles and heavy metal music. Halop died shortly after Season 3. - Marsha WarfieldMarsha WarfieldMarsha Warfield is an American actress and comedienne best known for her 1986–1992 role of Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz, a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court, acted primarily as a straightwoman to the other bailiff character, Bull . She also starred in the sitcom...
as Roz Russell (Seasons 4–9), The third bailiff. Roz was considerably younger than her two previous counterparts, but had a similar relationship with the characters, especially Bull. While outwardly antisocial and unfriendly, she was inwardly shy and self conscious, and used a surly facade to keep people from getting close. In time she became close to her coworkers, including an unlikely friendship with Dan. Warfield stayed on the show for the rest of its run.
- Selma Diamond
- Richard Moll
- The court clerks:
- Karen AustinKaren AustinKaren Austin is an American actress. Austin has made many TV and film appearances since the 1980s.-Filmography:* 1983 - The Taming of the Shrew - Katherina* 1984 - "Celebrity mini-series - Ceil Shannon...
as Lana Wagner (Season 1). The original romantic interest for Harry Stone. Though Austin left the show after 10 episodes, she was seen in the opening credits of all 13 first season episodes. - Charles RobinsonCharles Robinson (actor)Charles "Charlie" Robinson is a critically acclaimed American theater and television actor. He is best known for his role as Mac Robinson in the NBC sitcom Night Court...
as Macintosh "Mac" Robinson (Seasons 2–9), a Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran. Easy going and pragmatic, he was probably the most "normal" character. He had a good sense of humor, and was a loyal friend to his coworkers. He always wore a cardiganCardigan (sweater)A cardigan is a type of machine- or hand-knitted sweater that ties, buttons or zips down the front; by contrast, a pullover does not open in front but must be "pulled over" the head to be worn. The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British military commander,...
, plaid shirt, and a knit tie (Dan stated in his will that Mac would get all his suits, so "he would stop wearing those God-awful sweaters"). His catchphrase was the lament "It was my favorite sweater!" after one of his garish cardigans got ruined.
- Karen Austin
Supporting players
- Martin Garner as Bernie (Seasons 1-3), the operator of the concession stand in the cafeteria who had a crush on Selma and was often seen trying to persuade her to give up smoking. After Selma died, he tried to court Flo. (When Bernie was not at the stand various extras could be seen running it, including Al RosenAl Rosen (actor)Albert "Al" Rosen was an American actor. He is best known for his role as "Al", in the television sitcom Cheers.-Biography:...
, best known as "Al" on CheersCheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
.) - Terry KiserTerry KiserTerry Kiser is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the dead title-character in the comedy Weekend at Bernie's, and its sequel, Weekend at Bernie's II....
as Al Craven (Seasons 1 and 2), an obnoxious, pushy tabloid reporter who sometimes would hang around the courtroom in hopes of discovering a scandalous story. - Jason BernardJason BernardJason Bernard was an American actor who starred in movies and on television.-Career:Bernard was born in Chicago, Illinois...
as Judge Willard (Seasons 1 and 2), an arrogant, humorless Judge who doesn't approve of Harry's antics and tries to have him removed from the bench. - Rita Taggart as Carla Bouvier (Seasons 1 and 2), a prostitute who frequently appeared as a defendant, and who had a crush on Harry.
- D.D. Howard as Charly Tracy. Clerk for the last two episodes of the first season after Karen Austin's departure from the show.
- Denice Kumagai as Quon Le Duc Robinson (Seasons 2–9), Mac's wife, a refugee from Vietnam who was somewhat naive about America and its customs, but was loving and very devoted to him. She didn't understand the concept of 'buy now, PAY later', very well, but became more financially responsible after opening a restaurant in Season 3. In Season 4, moments after being sworn in as an American Citizen, Quon Le gave birth to her and Mac's daughter, Renee Flicka Robinson.
- Mike Finneran as Art Fensterman, a bumbling "fix-it man" attached to the courthouse
- John AstinJohn AstinJohn Allen Astin is an American actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, and is best known for the role of Gomez Addams on The Addams Family, and other similarly eccentric comedic characters.-Early years:...
as Buddy Ryan (Seasons 3–9), Harry's eccentric stepfather and a former patient in a psychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
. His catchphrase was the capper to stories involving his hospital stay or past strange behavior: "...but I'm feeling much better now" accompanied by a huge leering grin. He was later revealed to be Harry's biological father, admitting he'd kept it a secret for fear that the truth would bring Harry's judicial ability into question. - Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
played himself in several appearances. In the first episode, it is revealed that Harry is a fanatic admirer of Mel's; this was alluded to in many, many later episodes. - William UtayWilliam UtayWilliam Utay is an American character actor known for roles as stockbroker-turned-bum Phil Sanders, and Phil's evil twin Will, on the American television series Night Court. Utay also plays Dr...
as Phil Sanders, Dan's homeless lackey. Utay also later played Phil's evil twinEvil twinThe evil twin is an antagonist found in many different fictional genres. They are physical copies of protagonists, but with radically inverted moralities. In filmed entertainment, they can have obvious physical differences with the protagonist—such as facial hair, eyepatches, scars or distinctive...
brother Will. Later in the series, Phil is killed in an accident involving a large musical instrument. (Due to his fear of musical instruments, he had a special clause in his substantial life insurance policy providing additional benefit in the event of accidental death caused by a musical instrument.) Just before his death, it was revealed that Phil was actually an extremely wealthy individual who chose to live life among the poor (a former stockbroker suffering from Howard Hughes syndrome)—in fact, the show cleverly suggested the New York Harmonic Orchestra was known as the "PHILharmonic Orchestra" because Phil was one of its greatest patrons. - Brent SpinerBrent SpinerBrent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
as Bob Wheeler, a down-on-his-luck urban hillbillyHillbillyHillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
who was a frequent defendant in Harry's courtroom, usually as the result of a series of freak disasters befalling him and his destitute family. Spiner later gained greater fame as DataData (Star Trek)Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
in Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
. - Leslie BevisLeslie BevisLeslie Bevis is an American character actress. Bevis worked as a top European model before her work in film and television...
as Sheila, an exotic nymphomaniac who often appeared to entice Dan into a sexual liaison during or after court to his detriment. Sheila places him in a coma in one episode and in her final appearance rejects Dan for a man with the fictional disorder Tortoise Nervosa, due to the man's ability to move very slowly. In total Sheila appeared in four episodes. - Yakov SmirnoffYakov SmirnoffYakov Naumovich Pokhis , better known as Yakov Smirnoff, is a Ukrainian-born American comedian, painter and teacher. He was popular in the 1980s for comedy performances in which he used irony and word play to contrast life under the Communist regime in his native Soviet Union with life in the...
as Russian immigrant Yakov Korolenko, another frequent visitor to the courtroom. In the first season Harry saved a distraught Yakov from a suicide attempt, and they have been good friends ever since. Yakov eventually tried to bring his brother to America, succeeded in getting his wife Sonja and kids out of the Soviet Union, and got his father to immigrate after the Cold War's end. A running joke on the show was when Judge Stone would mention jail, which had a completely different import to the Soviet immigrant, who would respond with obvious fear: "Jay-ul? Oh, noooo! No jay-ul!" - Eugene RocheEugene RocheEugene Harrison Roche was an American actor . He was the original "Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials.-Personal life:...
as Jack Sullivan, Christine's overbearing father. He refers to Harry as "that Nut". - Daniel Frishman played Dan's boss, District Attorney Vincent Daniels, in several episodes. Though a dwarf, he has an extremely tough personality, and often has it out for Dan.
- Joleen Lutz as Lisette Hocheiser (Seasons 8 and 9), a ditzy court stenographer.
- Gilbert GottfriedGilbert GottfriedGilbert Gottfried is an American actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his trademark comedic persona of speaking in a loud, grating tone of voice. He has played numerous roles in film and television, perhaps most notably voicing the parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin , and...
as Oscar Brown (Season 9), an attorney that filled in for Dan Fielding when he was missing. - Florence StanleyFlorence StanleyFlorence Stanley was an American actress of stage, film, and television.-Early life and career:Florence Stanley was born as Florence Schwartz in Chicago, the daughter of Hanna and Jack Schwartz. She began a long career on stage, film and TV starting in the 1940s...
as Judge Margaret Wilbur, an abusive stuffed shirt of a judge who occasionally had to fill in for Harry, tolerating no eccentricity from the rest of the staff. She later was written into the NBC sitcom My Two DadsMy Two DadsMy Two Dads is an American sitcom that starred Staci Keanan, Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan. It aired on NBC from 1987 to 1990 and was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions in association with TriStar Television and distributed by TeleVentures.-Show synopsis:The show begins when Marcy Bradford , the...
, on which Bull once made a cameo. - Ron Ross as Dirk, a puny, easily-flustered bailiff who occasionally substitutes when one of the regular bailiffs is away. He is frequently teased by Dan.
Cast changes
The first few seasons of Night Court had an unusually large number of cast changes for such a long-running series. The only actors to appear consistently throughout the show's run were Harry Anderson, John Larroquette, and Richard Moll.- When Selma Diamond, the first female bailiff, died after two seasons, Florence Halop played a replacement character, only to die one season later. Night Court scripts addressed the deaths of both characters, which was uncharacteristic for a sitcom. There were whispers and jokes that both actresses had fallen prey to some sort of "Night Court Curse"; this is said to be one of the reasons that the show decided not to bring in a third elderly actress and instead replaced Halop with Marsha Warfield, who was only 32 when she began playing Roz Russell. All three characters were written as mother-figures for Bull. Warfield's arrival marked the show's final cast change, and the ensemble remained intact for the remainder of the show's run.
- Karen Austin appeared as court clerk Lana Wagner for only the first ten episodes, after which her character was only subsequently mentioned in the eleventh episode as "out sick" by a one-time character, and never again by regular cast members. She was kept in the titles of the remaining three episodes of the first season. Charles Robinson joined the cast in Season 2 as court clerk Mac Robinson, and stayed on until the end of the series.
- Like the female bailiff role, the public defender role went through two cast changes as well. After the first season Paula Kelly was cut from the show; the public defender role was filled by Ellen Foley for the second season, after which she in turn was replaced by Markie Post, who guest starred at the beginning of season 2 as Christine Sullivan. The character of Lana Wagner had been planned to be a romantic interest for Harry Stone, but when Austin was released, that role was transferred to the new public defender characters---most notably by Markie Post.
Theme song
Every episode of Night Court opens with a jazz-influenced, bass-heavyBass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
theme song composed by Jack Elliott, featuring Ernie Watts
Ernie Watts
Ernest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
.
Nielsen ratings
The show was a Top 30 hit from Season 2 through Season 7.- 1984–1985 #20
- 1985–1986 #11
- 1986–1987 #7
- 1987–1988 #7
- 1988–1989 #21
- 1989–1990 #29
The series finale brought in 24.6 million viewers (26% of all Americans watching television that night)
Awards and honors
During its nine season run, Night Court received a number of awards and nominations. Both Selma Diamond (in 1985) and John Larroquette (in 1988) earned Golden Globe nominations, but lost to Faye DunawayFaye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway is an American actress.Dunaway won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Network after receiving previous nominations for the critically acclaimed films Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown...
and Rutger Hauer respectively. The show has had more success with the Emmys and the first season earned a nomination for Paula Kelly. While the second season came around, the show had more success with the fans and critics and higher recognition came from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. John Larroquette won four consecutive Emmys for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1985 to 1988, before he withdrew his name from the ballot in 1989. Selma Diamond also earned a nomination in 1985, as a tribute for her sudden death, and the show's star Harry Anderson earned three consecutive nominations (from 1985 to 1987). The show earned three nominations for best comedy series, in 1985, 1987, and 1988. The show also received many minor awards and nominations in the areas of lighting, editing, sound mixing, and technical direction. In total, the show was nominated for thirty-one Emmys, winning seven.
United States
After its primary run on broadcast syndication, the series aired on cable on A&E NetworkA&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
for many years. It was briefly seen later on TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
in 2007-08.
Australia
Digital free-to-air channel 7TWO7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
began reruns of Night Court in June
June
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days. Ovid provides two etymologies for June's name in his poem concerning the months entitled the Fasti...
2011. Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
first aired the show back in the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
.
DVD releases
Season releasesWarner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
has released the first 4 seasons of Night Court on DVD in Region 1. Season 4 was initially released on September 28, 2010 as a Manufacture-on-demand release, available exclusively through Warner Bros. online store. However, the release was removed from the site shortly thereafter due to various technical problems. The 4th season release was plagued with audio/video sync issues and art mistakes, although no official word on the decision to pull the item was ever given by the studio.
On March 1, 2011, Season 4 was released exclusively through Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
as a Manufacture-on-demand release. On September 1, 2011, Season 4 was once again made available for sale through the Warner Bros. online store.
Season 5 will be released on October 25, 2011, via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.
| DVD Name | Ep. # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 13 | February 8, 2005 |
| The Complete Second Season | 22 | February 3, 2009 |
| The Complete Third Season | 22 | February 23, 2010 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 22 | March 1, 2011 (Amazon.com) September 1, 2011 (Warner Archive) |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 22 | October 25, 2011 |
Special releases
| DVD Name | Release Date | Ep. # |
|---|---|---|
| Television Favorites | February 28, 2006 | 6 |
The Television Favorites compilation DVD included the pilot episode, "All You Need Is Love"; both parts of the fourth season finale, "Her Honor"; the fifth season episodes "Death of a Bailiff" and "Who Was That Mashed Man?"; and the sixth season episode "Fire", which marked the beginning of Harry's relationship with Christine.
Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charles Robinson appeared in the 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
episode, "The One With the Cast of Night Court". John Larroquette is also mentioned: Harry says he had just spoken to John, which annoys Markie (who hasn't had recent contact with her absent former co-star) and begins an argument between them that lasts for most of the story.