"Night Court" (1984) TV series 1984-1992

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Creator:

Reinhold Weege

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Release Date:

4 January 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An eccentric fun-loving judge presides over an urban night court and all the silliness going on there.

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Clerk | Attorney | Criminal | Cafe

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 26 nominations

Cast

Harry Anderson	...	Judge Harry T. Stone (193 episodes, 1984-1992)
John Larroquette	...	Asst. D.A. Dan Fielding (192 episodes, 1984-1992)
Richard Moll	...	Nostradamus 'Bull' Shannon (185 episodes, 1984-1992)
Charles Robinson	...	Mac Robinson (182 episodes, 1984-1992)
Markie Post	...	Christine Sullivan (152 episodes, 1984-1992)
Marsha Warfield	...	Rosalind 'Roz' Russell (131 episodes, 1986-1992)

Also Known As:

"The Harry Anderson Show" (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (193 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Stage 9, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Starry Night Productions

Trivia:

Before Harry Anderson was ever cast, the character of the judge was written as a guy named Harry, who loved magic, and worshipped Mel Tormé.

Quotes:

Christine Sullivan: Oh I got married in a pancake house! What could be more idiotic?
Dan Fielding: A chicken and waffle joint comes to mind.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "30 Rock: The One with the Cast of 'Night Court' (#3.3)" (2008)

Sleaze done correctly. Great show.

Night Court was one of a series of great sitcoms that aired during NBC's dominance in the late 80's. The ongoing careers and lives of a judge, his lawyers, and other officials was probably the best sitcom in the line-up along with The Golden Girls.

Unlike today's sitcoms where everyone portrays Woody Allen and has "sex on the brain", only one man, ONE MAN, in the cast was thinking non-stop about sexing. John Laroquette, as Dan Fielding; Assistant DA of New York, was brilliant in portraying the sleazy, sexually-addicted hunk. He won 4 Emmys for his portrayal (more then anyone else currently in T.V. comedy will ever hope to win). There were episodes where he alone made the show a gas. But you also have Harry Anderson's Judge Harold T. Stone; who's flair for magic and Mel Torme made him a much-loved star and 6'9 bailiff Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon helped make a name for Richard Moll as he played the simple-minded Forrest Gump-type lug that people would want to know. The other cast members were superb as well, especially as soon as they brought in Markie Post as the permanent Public Defender and deadpan comic Marsha Warfield as Bailiff Roz Russell in 1986. The cast stayed together until 1992 and it gelled beautifully.

With great stories and lots of hilarity, the show ruled, and although it was adult in nature because of Larroquette's character, it did it in a classy way. You couldn't hate Dan, he just had charm and flair, and wasn't something from "Friends". I believe this show is still running on A&E so if you've never seen this classic sit-com, give it a try and see what a sit-com is supposed to be like.