Night Court (1984)

This hilarious show from the 1980s, about a court room that took care of cases at night, has just been remade. The series debut aired last night; I, for one, can say that I'm not impressed. The new version is not all that funny. It's kind of ignorant. I prefer the original because it's funnier and just better. 

Supposedly, in the new remake of the show, Melissa Rauch, who is best known for playing Bernadette Wolowitz on The Big Bang Theory, is the daughter of former judge Harry Stone and she's just been appointed to his bench. And she wants former attorney Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) working in her courtroom because he worked with her dad.

Summary

-A fun loving judge and his crew of odd employees preside over a night court and the misadventures that go on there

Cast

-Harry Anderson: Judge Harry Stone

-John Larroquette: Dan Fielding

-Richard Moll: Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon

-Charles Robinson: Mac Robinson

-Markie Post: Christine Sullivan

-Marsha Warfield: Rosalind "Roz" Russell

-Selma Diamond: Bailiff Selma Hacker

-Paula Kelly: Public Defender Liz Williams

-Florence Halop: Florence Kleiner

Did You Know?

-According to commentary on the season 1 DVD, it is mentioned in the first episode that Harry Stone is a big fan of Mel Torme. Friends and relatives of the legendary jazz/pop singer called Torme and let him know he was referenced on a TV show. He was so flattered that when the show contacted him about appearing on an episode or two, he didn't hesitate to do so. He gladly accepted. Torme also stated that with his appearance on Night Court, his audience was getting steadily younger and younger. He could state that his newfound popularity was because of the show.

-There's one episode where Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) is stuck in a motel with a woman with mental problems who acts out movie scenes. On the TV, an announcer states, "We'll return to 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'". He responds, "Seen that already." He was the narrator in both the 1974 and 2003 remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

-After Selma Diamond, who played Selma Hacker, passed away after season 2 finished up, she was replaced by Florence Halop, who played Florence Kleiner. She was hired because of her very similar mannerisms to Selma. But Florence passed away after completing season 3. Producers decided to hire a younger actress and thus, they brought in Marsha Warfield, who plays Roz.

-When Richard Moll, who plays Bull, auditioned for the show, he had a shaved head because of his role in Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983). Producers liked the look, so they asked him to keep it.

-According to producer Reinhold Weege, when Harry Stone is appointed to the bench as a judge, it's loosely based on a real-life incident in Los Angeles. The then mayor of the city filled the remaining judicial posts with under qualified candidates in order to hurt his replacement, who was a bitter political rival. It was decided on the show that Harry would be appointed to the bench, despite having barely the required amount of experience practicing law

-When the final episode was completed on a Friday, the cast were sent telegrams telling them to have their dressing rooms cleared out by Monday or else their belongings would be thrown out

-Bull Shannon was said to have an IQ of 181

-Prior to the start of season 7, Markie Post discovered that she was pregnant. Rather than hide it like some TV shows, producers wrote her pregnancy into the script. It was a story involving Christine falling in love with and getting married to Det. Tony Giuliano (Ray Abruzzo)

-Series creator Reinhold Weenge named the hookers and pimps after his friends

-Prior to Harry Anderson being cast as Judge Harry Stone, the character was a huge fan of Mel Torme and loved magic and whose name was Harry

-The picture on the wall in Harry's office is actress Jean Harlow

-When Charles Robinson and Markie Post died, they both passed nearly a month apart. Charles Robinson was 75 when he died on 7/11/2021 and Markie Post was 70 when she died on 8/7/2021

-Prior to having occurring roles as Buddy Ryan (Harry's dad) and bum Phil Sanders, John Astin and William Utay often appeared playing different characters

-There were a lot of Star Trek references on the show due to Brent Spiner, who appeared on Night Court playing Bob Wheeler, the leader of a hillbilly family who was routinely brought in for the strangest reasons and on Star Trek: The Next Generation, playing Lt. Commander Data. The best-known reference to Star Trek is when a group of people attending a Star Trek convention get into a fight simply over what series is better: Star Trek or Star Trek: TNG. There is even one person in the group of people dressed like Data. Ironically, John Larroquette was also affiliated with Star Trek. He appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. He played a Klingon who Capt. Kirk promises to kill later, but doesn't

-Initially, Bull was supposed to be a man who was intimidating because of his immense height and high intellect. As time went on, Bull became more of a dim witted, kindhearted soul whose IQ was limited to useless information

-Four of the characters had names shared with the actor or actress who played them. The first two female bailiffs were Selma Hacker and Florence Kleiner. The actresses who played them were Selma Diamond and Florence Halop. Judge Harry Stone was played by Harry Anderson. Court clerk Mac Robinson was played by Charles Robinson

-During the entire run of the show, Dan Fielding, played by John Larroquette, was supposed to be a real ladies' man whose broom closet was used for a bachelor's pad. He even had a nickname: Ever Ready. In reality, John Larroquette was married, only once, to a woman named Elizabeth Ann Cookson. He's been married to her since 1975

-Marsha Warfield, who played bailiff Roz, outlived Selma Diamond and Florence Halop. 3/5/2019 was Marsha Warfield's 65th birthday. Selma Diamond died at age 64 and Florence Halop died at age 63

Marsha Warfield

Florence Halop

Selma Diamond

-In the opening credits, the subway train seen is an R40 Slant A Train. This is the most common and, thus, iconic of all subway trains in New York

R40 Slant A Train

-The City Courts Building on the eighteenth floor, where Harry holds his court, is not a real building. The building fitting that description most closely is the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan

-There have been many cases where groups of school children have come before Judge Stone. As the New York Night Court typically operates from 5pm-1am, children seen in court would not be out of the ordinary, at least for the first few hours

-During the opening credits, there is a brief view of the World Trade Center prior to the destruction of them on 9/11

-As of January 2023, the only remaining cast members who are still alive are Richard Moll, who played Bull Shannon, John Larroquette, who played Dan Fielding and Marsha Warfield, who played bailiff Roz

-In season 2, Selma and Bernie (Selma Diamond and Martin Garner) had a light romantic relationship. They both also appeared in Twilight Zone: The Movie. They appeared as Mr. & Mrs. Weinstein in the second segment, "Kick the Can", where an old man gives a group of elderly seniors the chance to be young again for a short time