6 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Night Court,’ the Original 1984 Series

Gerry Strauss Yesterday, 3:09 pm

NIGHT COURT, John Larroquette, Markie Post, Richard Moll, Harry Anderson, Charles Robinson, Marsha Warfield, from 1990 season. 1984-92. (c)Warner Bros. Courtesy: Everett Collection. — Everett Collection

There have been plenty of workplace comedies in television history, but none have been sillier, more off-the-wall, or more downright lovable than Night Court. Though it never truly ruled the ratings after premiering in 1984, the classic sitcom earned enough of a following to keep it on the air for nine seasons and 193 hilarious episodes, and even spent a few years among America’s top 10 most-watched shows.

A vehicle for comedian Harry Anderson, Night Court told the story of Harry T. Stone, a younger-than-usual judge whose unorthodox methods, dedication to helping others, and unlikely passions for magic and Mel Torme made him the perfect oddball to sit on the bench and attend to the daily circus that was a Municipal Night Court in New York City. The wacky cast of would-be criminals who cycled in and out of the courtroom were matched only by Stone’s fellow employees, such as the sweet-yet-ogre-like “Bull” Shannon (played by Richard Moll), the willful Christine Sullivan (Markie Post), and the conniving prosecutor Dan Fielding (played with award-winning glee by John Larroquette).

Of course, Night Court’s spirit is alive and well in NBC/Peacock’s current reboot of the show headlined by Melissa Rauch, who plays Harry’s daughter, Abby Stone; season 3 of the show will be wrapping up in the next few weeks. But nothing will ever beat the original. All rise — court is now in session, as we present seven little-known facts about Night Court!

1The show was inspired by real New York City courts

NIGHT COURT, Harry Anderson, John Larroquette, 1984-92

(c)Warner Bros. Television/courtesy Everett Collection

The late Reinhold Weege (who also helped bring another workplace classic, Barney Miller, to life) honed in on the idea for Night Court after closely observing a handful of actual night courts and witnessing the craziness of not only the defendants but the judges themselves. At the time, there were several major news stories about eccentric judges who the state was struggling to get rid of, so he decided to base his show around a similar character — albeit a kind one whose heart was always in the right place.

2Harry Anderson’s gigs on Saturday Night Live and Cheers put him on the map

An accomplished magician who incorporated his tricks into his comedy act, Anderson had already earned plenty of exposure on NBC by popping onto both SNL and Cheers as an occasional guest star. Fortuitously, future Night Court producer Jeff Melman watched Anderson stick a needle through his own arm live on a Saturday Night and immediately shortlisted him for the Night Court lead role. Amazingly, the fact that his real name was “Harry” was not a deciding factor, just a happy coincidence.

3The show battled a “Bailiff Curse” until Marsha Warfield came along

Selma Diamond played bailiff Selma Hacker for the show’s initial two seasons. Sadly, the actress died of lung cancer at the age of 64. Her replacement, Florence Halop, lasted 22 episodes as new Bailiff Florence Kleiner before tragically passing away from the very same disease.

Thankfully, 33-year old Marsha Warfield was then brought onto the show to play non-nonsense replacement Roz Russell. Not only did Warfield remain with the cast for the rest of the series, but she’s still acting today and has made several appearances on the reboot!

4Night Court‘s creator wrote some crazy shout-outs into the show

If Reinhold Weege loved his friends, he sure had a funny way of showing it. Throughout the series, plenty of pimps and sex workers were tried in Judge Stone’s courtroom (usually with hilarious results), and most of them had something very unique in common – they were named after Reinhold’s closest buddies (a dubious distinction for sure!)

5John Larroquette ruled the Emmys — then asked to not be nominated

Warner Bros./Everett Collection

The evolution of the Dan Fielding character from conservative snob to womanizing philanderer made him one of Night Court’s consistent highlights, largely thanks to Larroquette’s hilarious performances. The Television Academy was enamored with Larroquette’s work on the show, awarding him four consecutive Emmys between 1985 and 1988. The following year, Larroquette removed himself from contention for award consideration, citing a desire to avoid becoming synonymous with the sleazy character so he could more easily score different types of roles once the show concluded.

6The show finally got a proper ending – on 30 Rock

Famously, Night Court’s ending came amidst a flurry of disorganization. Originally intended to finish up after season eight, NBC came through with a big money offer at the last minute to keep things going, despite the departures of key showrunners and writers. A jumbled season nine predictably caused ratings to tank, leading to an abrupt cancellation, even as the show was being pitched around for syndication. This led to a very weird cliffhanger-like finale where Dan went running off to pursue longtime rival Christine, whom he’d suddenly realized he loved — this despite fans largely believing that Harry and Christine were eventually supposed to end up together.

16 long years later, Tina Fey-starrer 30 Rock finally gave fans the conclusion they’d missed out on back in ’92 by orchestrating a mini Night Court reunion episode entitled “The One With The Cast of Night Court.” Post, Anderson, and series regular Charles Robinson show up in the episode, which features Tracy Jordan (played by Tracy Morgan) cheering up studio page Kenneth by recruiting Post and Anderson to come to 30 Rock and stage a wedding for their old characters — only to get in a big fight during rehearsals. It was utterly ridiculous in the best possible way – a perfect tribute to the spirit of the original series.