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Night Court
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Reinhold Weege
Showrunners	Reinhold Weege (seasons 1-6) Gary Murphy Larry Strawther (both; season 7) Chris Cluess Stu Kreisman (both; seasons 8-9)
Starring	Harry Anderson Karen Austin Gail Strickland John Larroquette Paula Kelly Richard Moll Selma Diamond Ellen Foley Charlie Robinson Markie Post Florence Halop Marsha Warfield
Opening theme	Jack Elliott
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	9
No. of episodes	193 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Reinhold Weege Larry Strawther Gary Murphy Chris Cluess Stu Kreisman
Producers	Bob Stevens Nat Mauldin Linwood Boomer Tom Straw Kevin Kelton
Camera setup	Videotape; Multi-camera
Running time	23–24 minutes
Production companies	Starry Night Productions (1984–1989) (seasons 1–6) Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	January 4, 1984 (1984-01-04) – May 31, 1992 (1992-05-31)
Related
Night Court (2023 TV series)

Night Court is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 4, 1984, and ended on May 31, 1992, after nine seasons consisting of 193 episodes. The show is set in the night shift of a Manhattan Criminal Court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portrayed by Harry Anderson), and was created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, who had previously worked on Barney Miller in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Cast

Main

• Harry Anderson as Judge Harold "Harry" T. Stone
• Karen Austin as court clerk Lana Wagner (season 1)
• Gail Strickland as public defender Sheila Gardner (pilot episode only)
• John Larroquette as assistant district attorney Reinhold Daniel "Dan" Fielding Elmore
• Paula Kelly as public defender Liz Williams (season 1)
• Richard Moll as bailiff Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon
• Selma Diamond as bailiff Selma Hacker (seasons 1–2)
• Ellen Foley as public defender Billie Young (season 2)
• Charlie Robinson as court clerk Macintosh "Mac" Robinson (seasons 2–9)
• Markie Post as public defender Christine Sullivan (guest season 2, full time seasons 3–9)
• Florence Halop as bailiff Florence "Flo" Kleiner (née Nightingale) (season 3)
• Marsha Warfield as bailiff Rosalind "Roz" Russell (seasons 4–9)

Recurring

• Mike Finneran, as building superintendent/repairman Art Fensterman
• Martin Garner, as newsstand owner Bernie (seasons 1–3)
• Terry Kiser, as tabloid courtroom reporter Al Craven (seasons 1–2)
• Jason Bernard, as Judge Willard
• Rita Taggart, as prostitute/frequent defendant Carla Bouvier (seasons 1–2)
• Denice Kumagai, as Mac's wife Quon Le Duc Robinson (seasons 2–9)
• John Astin, as Harry's step (later revealed to be birth) father Buddy Ryan (seasons 3–9)
• Mel Tormé, as himself
• William Utay, as vagrant/Dan's errand boy Phil Sanders (seasons 3–7), and Phil's corrupt twin brother Will (seasons 8–9 after the character of Phil was killed off)
• Brent Spiner and Annie O'Donnell as frequent defendants Bob and June Wheeler
• Leslie Bevis, as Dan's periodic lover Sheila
• Yakov Smirnoff, as Russian immigrant Yakov Korolenko
• Eugene Roche, as Christine's father Jack Sullivan
• Daniel Frishman as District Attorney Vincent Daniels, Dan's tyrannical dwarf boss
• Bumper Robinson, as shoeshine boy Leon (season 5)
• Ray Abruzzo, as NYPD detective/Christine's husband Tony Giuliano (seasons 7–8)
• Mary Cadorette, as reporter/Harry's girlfriend Margaret Turner (season 8)
• S. Marc Jordan, as newsstand owner Jack Griffin (seasons 8–9)
• Joleen Lutz, as court stenographer Lisette Hocheiser (seasons 8–9)
• Gilbert Gottfried, as prosecutor Oscar Brown (season 9)
• Florence Stanley, as Judge Margaret Wilbur

Theme music

Every episode of Night Court opens (after a cold open) and closes with a jazz-influenced, bass-heavy theme tune composed by Jack Elliott, featuring Ernie Watts on saxophone while featuring video footage of prominent New York City landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the New York County Courthouse.

Night Court's theme was used in the season-5 Family Guy episode "Bill & Peter's Bogus Journey", featuring animations of former US President Bill Clinton playing saxophone along with Secret Service musicians playing backup.

Night Court's theme was sampled for the remix to Cam'Ron's 1998 single "Horse & Carriage". It was produced by Darrell "Digga" Branch and featured Big Pun, Charli Baltimore, Wyclef Jean, and Silkk the Shocker.

Following the end credits theme music, a distinctive laugh can be heard dubbed over the vanity logo displaying producer Reinhold Weege's "Starry Night Productions". This same laugh can be heard coming from the studio audience throughout numerous seasons of Night Court. At first it was thought to be the canned laugh of voice actor Mel Blanc or even star Harry Anderson; but in fact, it was the laugh of Chuck Weege, Reinhold's father, who attended nearly all of the tapings in person (until Reinhold left the show after the sixth season).

Episodes

Awards and honors

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 Dunaway and Rutger Hauer, respectively. Paula Kelly was nominated for an Emmy after the first season. Larroquette won four consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series from 1985 to 1988, before he withdrew his name from the ballot in 1989. Selma Diamond was nominated in 1985, and Anderson received three nominations in 1985, 1986, and 1987. The series received three nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1985, 1987, and 1988. The series also received many awards and nominations in the areas of lighting, editing, sound mixing, and technical direction. The show was nominated for 31 Emmys, winning seven.

Syndication

United States

After its primary run in broadcast syndication, the series aired on A&E Network for many years. It then aired on TV Land from 2005 to 2008, then began airing on Encore Classic on December 2, 2013. From 2016 to 2022, the show aired on Laff.

As of March 2023, the series airs on the Weigel Broadcasting owned Catchy Comedy network weeknights. The series was also the subject of Catchy Comedy's inaugural weekend "Catchy Binge" on April 1–2, 2023. Since June 2024, it is now also broadcast on IFC, usually airing in marathons on Mondays and Tuesdays, and sometimes an episode or two is shown in the early mornings on weekends.

Australia

Network Ten first broadcast the series in the 1980s and 1990s. 7TWO began showing reruns in June 2011. Reruns are currently being shown on Foxtel Comedy Channel.

Canada

Aired weekdays on both Comedy Gold and JoyTV.

Germany

Sat.1 aired the series as Harry's wundersames Strafgericht (Harry's Miraculous Criminal Court) in 1988.

Italy

Italia 1 aired the show as Giudice di notte (Night Judge) from 1986 until 1988.

Spain

TVE aired the show as Juzgado de Guardia (Court on Duty/Call).

New Zealand

The show screened weekly on TVNZ 1 in the 1980s and 1990s, and was rerun in the late 1990s.

Home media

Warner Home Video released the first three seasons on DVD in Region 1. Seasons 4–9 were released as Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) DVDs as part of the Warner Archive Collection.

On June 13, 2023, Warner Bros. (through Studio Distribution Services) released Night Court: The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.

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 has not had recent contact with her absent former co-star) and begins an argument between them that lasts for most of the story.

Sequel series

In December 2020, NBC announced it was working on a sequel series to Night Court. The show is executive produced by Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch, with Dan Rubin writing. Larroquette returned as Fielding, while the show's central character is Abby Stone, a judge and the daughter of Harry Stone. The show is produced by Warner Bros. Television Studios for NBC. In April 2021, it was reported that Rauch would also star in the series as Abby Stone. In May 2021, it was announced that NBC had given a pilot order to a sequel series. In June 2021, Ana Villafañe joined the cast for the pilot, portraying an Assistant District Attorney and Lacretta plays a bailiff Donna "Gurgs" Gurganous. In July 2021, Kapil Talwalkar joined the cast for the pilot, playing a court's clerk Neil. In September 2021, it was announced that NBC had given the production a series order. In February 2023, it was announced that following the strong reception of the first four episodes, NBC had ordered a full second season of the show. A third season of the revival series would then premiere on November 19, 2024.

Notes

1. Tied with The Simpsons and Doogie Howser, M.D..

References

1. Night Court. End Credit Theme. TRshow. "Starry Night Productions".
2. "American Comedy Awards, USA (1990)". IMDb. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
3. "1985 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
4. "1986 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
5. "1987 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
6. ^ "NIGHT COURT". Television Academy. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
7. "Night Court". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
8. "Online Film & Television Association (2013)". IMDb. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
9. "Writers Guild of America, USA (1985)". IMDb. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
10. "Writers Guild of America, USA (1987)". IMDb. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
11. "Writers Guild of America, USA (1988)". IMDb. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
12. "Writers Guild of America, USA (1989)". IMDb. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
13. Night Court is Back in Session: LAFF - The Nation's First Comedy-Driven Broadcast Television Network - To Add Popular Series on Jan 4, 2016 - PR Newswire.com
14. Weigel Broadcasting‘s Decades Network Will Flip to Sitcom-Centric ‘Catchy Comedy’ in March, Led by Original ‘Night Court’ - Variety.com
15. "TV Schedule Lineup | Listing of Shows & Movies for Today | IFC". www.ifc.com. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
16. "Night Court DVD news: Announcement for Night Court – The Complete 9th Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013.
17. Night Court: The Complete Series
18. "Night Court: The Complete First Season". DVDEmpire.
19. "Night Court: The Complete Second Season". DVDEmpire.
20. "Night Court: The Complete Third Season". DVDEmpire.
21. "Night Court: The Complete Fourth Season". www.WBShop.com.
22. "Night Court: The Complete Fifth Season". www.WBShop.com.
23. "Night Court: The Complete Sixth Season". www.WBShop.com.
24. "Night Court: The Complete Seventh Season". www.WBShop.com.
25. "Night Court: The Complete Eighth Season (MOD) |". www.WBShop.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
26. "Night Court: The Complete Ninth Season (MOD) |". www.WBShop.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
27. "Night Court: The Complete Ninth Season (MOD) |". www.amazon.com. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
28. Andreeva, Nellie (December 16, 2020). "'Night Court' Sequel In Works At NBC With John Larroquette As Dan Fielding, Harry Stone's Daughter As Focus & Melissa Rauch As EP". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
29. Andreeva, Nellie (April 30, 2021). "'Night Court': EP Melissa Rauch Set To Star With John Larroquette In Sequel At NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
30. Andreeva, Nellie (May 3, 2021). "'Night Court' Sequel Starring Melissa Rauch & John Larroquette Gets NBC Pilot Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
31. Andreeva, Nellie (June 8, 2021). "'Night Court': Ana Villafañe Joins NBC Sequel Pilot". Deadline Hollywood.
32. Andreeva, Nellie (June 16, 2021). "'Night Court': Lacretta Joins NBC Sequel Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
33. Andreeva, Nellie (July 7, 2021). "'Night Court': Kapil Talwalkar Joins NBC Sequel Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
34. White, Peter (September 24, 2021). "'Night Court' Sequel Starring Melissa Rauch & John Larroquette Lands Series Order At NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
35. Cordero, Rosy (February 2, 2023). "'Night Court' Renewed For Season 2 At NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
36. Omotade, Lade (November 20, 2024). "'Night Court's Wendie Malick Teases Season 3 Will Explore Julianne's Background". Collider. Retrieved November 20, 2024.

External links

• Night Court at IMDb

• Night Court
• 1980s American legal television series
• 1980s American multi-camera sitcoms
• 1980s American workplace comedy television series
• 1984 American television series debuts
• 1990s American legal television series
• 1990s American multi-camera sitcoms
• 1990s American workplace comedy television series
• 1992 American television series endings
• American English-language television shows
• Legal comedies
• Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series
• Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
• Television shows set in Manhattan
• NBC sitcoms
• Works set in courtrooms