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''Night Court'' is an American television
sitcom A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...
that aired on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters a ...
from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
municipal court City court or municipal court is a court of law with jurisdiction limited to a city or other municipality. It typically addresses "violations of city ordinances and may also have jurisdiction over minor criminal cases...and over certain civil cases ...
presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portrayed by Harry Anderson). The series was created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, who had previously worked on ''
Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was create ...
'' in the 1970s and early 1980s.


Cast


Main

*The judge: ** Harry Anderson, as Judge Harold "Harry" T. Stone, is a young, good-humored jurist and amateur magician whose parents were former patients of a mental health institution. He was the youngest judge on the bench at the time, being only 34 when he took the bench. He got his assignment because the outgoing mayor made a huge number of appointments on his last day, and Harry was the only person on the judges' list who answered the call (as it was a Sunday) and accepted the nomination. He loved old movies, was vocal in his disdain for modern music (especially
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include " Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", " I Write the Songs", " C ...
), and idolized actress
Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...
and
crooner Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...
Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for " The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an ...
, both of whose photographs adorned Stone's chambers. *The public defenders: **
Gail Strickland Gail Strickland is an American actress who had prominent supporting roles in such films as ' (1975), '' Bound for Glory'' (1976), '' Who'll Stop the Rain'' (1978), ''Norma Rae'' (1979), and '' Protocol'' (1984), and appeared regularly on variou ...
as public defender Sheila Gardner (pilot episode only). ** Paula Kelly as Liz Williams (season 1). **
Ellen Foley Ellen Foley (born 1951) is an American singer and actress who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom ''Night Court'' for one season. In music, she has released five solo albums but is best known for her collab ...
as Billie Young (season 2), a public defender and potential romantic interest for Stone during season 2. **
Markie Post Marky or Markie may refer to: Nickname * Marky Cielo (1988–2008), Filipino actor and dancer * Marky Delgado (born 1995), American soccer player * Markie Mark (born 1974), BBC Radio director * Marky Markowitz (1923–1986), American jazz trump ...
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 did not become a regular until the third season. (Post was a regular in a supporting role in ''
The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who m ...
'' at the time.) The character was honest to a fault and somewhat naïve. She was the primary romantic interest for Stone and a regular target for Dan Fielding's lechery throughout the series' run. A huge fan of the British Royal family, she had various
Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, Prince of Wales, ...
memorabilia collections such as a set of porcelain thimbles. *The
prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal ...
: **
John Larroquette John Bernard Larroquette (; born November 25, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in the NBC military drama series '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (1976–1978), the NBC sitcom '' Night Court'' (1984–1992; for which he rece ...
, as Reinhold Daniel Fielding Elmore, using the name Daniel R. "Dan" Fielding, (although in the season-2 episode "Harry on Trial", he is referred to as Daniel K. Fielding), is a sex-obsessed narcissistic prosecutor, who would do almost anything to get a woman to sleep with him. It was hinted that he frequented dominatrices. He was the source of many witty and sometimes cruel remarks regarding almost every other character, although he occasionally showed compassion. When his homeless lackey Phil died, the ever-greedy Dan was excited to discover that Phil was in fact wealthy and expected to be the beneficiary of his millions, only to learn that Phil's will put Dan in charge of the Phil Foundation, tasked to give away Phil's entire fortune to worthy causes. Dan revealed near the end of the third-season episode number 22 "Hurricane (Part 2)" that his real first name was Reinhold (an obvious joke about the show's writer and producer of the same name), and that he began using the name Dan out of embarrassment when he started school. The other characters did not discover Dan's true name until the fifth-season episode "Dan, The Walking Time Bomb". It was earlier discovered, in the second-season episode "Dan's Parents", from Dan's parents Daddy-Bob (
John McIntire John Herrick McIntire (June 27, 1907 – January 30, 1991) was an American character actor who appeared in 65 theatrical films and many television series. McIntire is well known for having replaced Ward Bond, upon Bond's sudden death in Nove ...
) and Mucette (
Jeanette Nolan Jeanette Nolan (December 30, 1911 – June 5, 1998) was an American actress. Nominated for four Emmy Awards, she had roles in the television series '' The Virginian'' (1962–1971) and '' Dirty Sally'' (1974), and in films such as ''Macbeth'' ...
), that he began using his middle name Fielding as a last name when he went to college because he thought it sounded better for a lawyer and because he was embarrassed of his impoverished childhood. During the eighth season, he was revealed to have a successful younger sister named Donna, whose morals and life goals were similar to his own. *The
bailiff A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their of ...
s: **
Richard Moll Charles Richard Moll (born January 13, 1943) is an American actor. He played the role of Aristotle Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, a bailiff on the NBC sitcom ''Night Court'' from 1984 to 1992. He has also done extensive work as a voice actor, typi ...
, as Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, is a seemingly dim-witted hulk of a figure, who was actually patient, gentle, and childlike. Although he was portrayed as dull and unintelligent, it is later revealed that he is a highly intelligent person who had an IQ of 181. He was fiercely protective of Harry. Bull was known for his
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
, "Ooo-kay", and clapping a hand loudly to his forehead when he realized he had made a mistake. Moll had been filming a sci-fi movie ('' Metalstorm'') and had shaved his head for the role. The producers loved the look and Moll kept his head shaven for the entire run of the series. **
Selma Diamond Selma Diamond (August 5, 1920 – May 13, 1985) was a Canadian-born American comedian, actress, and radio and television writer, known for her high-range, raspy voice and her portrayal of Selma Hacker on the first two seasons of the NBC televisi ...
, as Selma Hacker (seasons 1–2), is a chain-smoking (like the actress who played her) older bailiff. In one episode, she admitted to having had as many as six husbands, one of whom was a contortionist. Diamond died of cancer shortly after season 2, and the character's death was acknowledged on a subsequent episode. ** Florence Halop, as Florence "Flo" Kleiner (née Nightingale) (season 3), is Selma's replacement. She was similar in age and personality to Selma, but loved motorcycles and heavy metal music. Halop died shortly after season 3, also of cancer like Diamond. In the opening episode of season 4, Harry Stone acknowledged that Florence Kleiner had also died. ** Marsha Warfield, as Rosalind "Roz" Russell (seasons 4–9), the third bailiff, a tall, tough, taciturn, no-nonsense African-American woman. She usually projected a fearsome, standoffish image. Sharp-tongued, in time she became close to her coworkers. Warfield stayed on the show for the rest of its run. *The court clerks: **
Karen Austin Karen Austin is an American actress. She played Lana Wagner on the sitcom ''Night Court'' in 1984. Her film appearances include '' Summer Rental'' (1985), '' Jagged Edge'' (1985), and ''The Ladies Club'' (1986). Career Austin first gained notabi ...
, as Lana Wagner (season 1), was the original romantic interest for Harry Stone, although she was engaged. Although Austin was asked to leave the show after 10 episodes, she was seen in the opening credits of all 13 first-season episodes. ** Charles Robinson, as Macintosh "Mac" Robinson (seasons 2–9), is a
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietna ...
veteran. Easy-going and pragmatic, he was probably the most "sober" character. He had a good sense of humor, frequently having the last laugh at Dan, and was a loyal friend to his coworkers. He always wore a cardigan, plaid shirt, and knit tie. By the end of the series, he left his job to pursue his dream of going to film school and becoming a director.


Supporting

*Mike Finneran, as Art Fensterman, is a bumbling "fix-it man" attached to the courthouse. His attempts to fix the courthouse often disrupted Harry's proceedings in the courtroom. * Martin Garner, as Bernie (seasons 1–3), is the operator of the concession stand in the cafeteria, who had a crush on Selma and was often seen trying to persuade her to stop 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 Rosen, best known as "Al" on ''
Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
''.) * Terry Kiser, as Al Craven (seasons 1–2), is an obnoxious, pushy tabloid reporter who sometimes hung around the courtroom in hopes of discovering a scandalous story. * Jason Bernard, as Judge Willard (seasons 1–2), is an arrogant, humorless judge who did not approve of Harry's antics and tried to have him removed from the bench. * Rita Taggart, as Carla Bouvier (seasons 1–2), is more commonly known as "Carla B", a prostitute who frequently appeared as a defendant and who had a crush on Harry. *Ron Ross, as Dirk, is a wimpy bailiff. *Denice Kumagai, as Quon Le Duc Robinson (seasons 2–9), is Mac's wife, a refugee from Vietnam, where she met Mac during his service in the Vietnam War when her family let Mac stay at their home while injured. Quon Le was naïve about America and its customs, but was loving and devoted to Mac. Mac originally married her to keep her in the country, claiming he was not in love with her, but that quickly changed. She did not 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 daughter Renee Flicka Robinson, who was named after Quon Le's favorite television show as a child, ''
My Friend Flicka ''My Friend Flicka'' is a 1941 novel by Mary O'Hara, about Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, and his mustang horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by ''Thunderhead'' (1943) and ''Green Grass of Wyoming'' (1946). Th ...
''. *
John Astin John Allen Astin (born March 30, 1930) is an American actor and director who has appeared in numerous stage, television and film roles. He is best known for starring in ''The Addams Family (1964 TV series), The Addams Family'' (1964–1966), as ...
, as Buddy Ryan (seasons 3–9), is Harry's eccentric stepfather and a former patient in a
psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociati ...
. 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 had kept it a secret for fear that the truth would bring Harry's judicial ability into question. *
Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for " The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an ...
, as himself in the first episode, was revealed as almost fanatically admired by Judge Stone. The two crossed paths, but Tormé grew to dislike the judge because Harry almost always ended up somehow causing misfortune or problems for his idol. Tormé once played Harry's
guardian angel A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in ...
in an episode modeled after the film ''
It's A Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn lo ...
'', where the angel shows Harry how his colleagues could have ended up had he never become a judge. * William Utay, as Phil Sanders, is Dan's homeless lackey. Later in the series, Phil was killed in an accident involving a piano; "...the rope broke. The key was sharp, and Phil was flat." (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, Phil was revealed as actually extremely wealthy, but chose to live among the poor (a former stockbroker suffering from
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
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. Utay later played Phil's evil twin brother Will, who befriended Dan to steal all of the Phil Foundation's money. Will later returned what he had stolen along with additional cash from successful investing, and devoted the rest of his life to doing good deeds on Dan's behalf. *
Brent Spiner Brent Jay Spiner (; born February 2, 1949) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the android Data on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', as well as four subsequent films. In 2019, he reprised the role for ...
and Annie O'Donnell as Bob and June Wheeler, a pair of down-on-their-luck stereotypical Appalachian yokels, who later reveal they are Yugoslavian, although they continue to speak the same way. Bob was a frequent defendant in Harry's courtroom, usually as the result of a series of freak disasters befalling his family. At one point, they ran a
concession stand A concession stand (American English, Canadian English), snack kiosk or snack bar (British English, Irish English) is a place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, amusement park, zoo, aquarium, circus, fair, stadium, beach, s ...
in the courthouse, for which they spent the entire inheritance ($250,000), that "Granny" (oft-mentioned but never seen) had left them, forcing them to charge astronomical prices. *
Leslie Bevis Leslie Bevis (born February 13, 1954) is an American model and actress, best known for playing Captain Rionoj on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. Career Bevis worked as a model in Europe before her work in film and television. Besides making sev ...
, as Sheila, is an exotic nymphomaniac who often appeared to entice Dan into a sexual liaison during or after court to his detriment, causing him to suffer a coma in one episode. In her final appearance, Sheila rejected Dan for a man who talked very, very slowly. She tells Dan she needs someone who "knows how to take his time." Sheila appeared in four episodes. *
Yakov Smirnoff Yakov Naumovich Pokhis (russian: Яков Наумович Похис; born 24 January 1951), better known as Yakov Smirnoff (russian: Яков Смирнов; ), is a Ukrainian-American comedian, actor and writer. He began his career as a stand ...
, as Russian immigrant Yakov Korolenko, is another frequent visitor to the courtroom. In the first season, Harry saved a distraught Yakov from a suicide attempt, and they became friends. 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 series 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!" Although Yakov's role was largely humorous, a few episodes were more serious, such as fighting the
refusenik Refusenik (russian: отказник, otkaznik, ; alternatively spelt refusnik) was an unofficial term for individuals—typically, but not exclusively, Soviet Jews—who were denied permission to emigrate, primarily to Israel, by the author ...
status of his wife and children, or where Yakov's father argued with Yakov about forgetting his roots. Judge Stone sided with the father, telling Yakov the American Dream is about liberty, not materialism. *
Eugene Roche Eugene Harrison Roche (September 22, 1928 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor and the original " Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials. Personal life Roche was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Mary M. (née Finnegan ...
, as Jack Sullivan, is Christine's overbearing, blue-collar father. He referred to Harry as "that nut". *Dan Frishman played Dan's boss, District Attorney Vincent Daniels, in several episodes. Though initially underestimated because he was a little person, he had an extremely tough personality and often had it in for Dan. *
Bumper Robinson Larry C. "Bumper" Robinson II is an American film, television and voice actor. He is known for his roles as Bumblebee and Blitzwing on '' Transformers: Animated'', Falcon on '' Avengers Assemble'' and Cyborg in '' Justice League: Doom''. Career R ...
, as Leon, is an orphan who becomes close to Harry. He first appears in season 2 as a shoeshine boy, who is always after Dan to pay for the shine. In season 3, he becomes Harry's temporary foster son before getting adoptive parents, whom he sees as geeks. Unsatisfied with the parents, he runs away after a confrontation with Harry, where he says that he wished Harry was his father from the start. He returns for one episode in season 4, in which Harry scares Leon into rejoining the foster program. * Ray Abruzzo, as Tony Giuliano, is a police detective and Christine's fiancé, husband, and then ex-husband. * Mary Cadorette, as Margaret Turner, is Harry's girlfriend/fiancée during season 8. *S. Marc Jordan, as Jack Griffin (seasons 8–9), is the blind operator of the concession stand in the cafeteria. *Joleen Lutz, as Lisette Hocheiser (seasons 8–9), is the ditzy court stenographer. *
Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous ro ...
, as Oscar Brown (season 9), is an attorney who filled in for Dan when he was missing. * Florence Stanley, as Judge Margaret Wilbur, occasionally filled in for Harry; she did not tolerate the staff's usual eccentricities. (Wilbur was a cross-over character from the NBC situation comedy, ''
My Two Dads ''My Two Dads'' is an American sitcom television series that was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions in association with Tri-Star Television (later Columbia Pictures Television) and distributed by TeleVentures. It starred Paul Reiser, Gre ...
'', where Bull Shannon had made guest appearances in two episodes.) The only actors to appear consistently throughout the show's run were Anderson, Larroquette, and Moll.


Theme music

Every episode of ''Night Court'' opens and closes with a jazz-influenced, bass-heavy theme tune composed by Jack Elliott, featuring
Ernie Watts Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's ...
on
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to ...
while featuring video footage of prominent New York City landmarks such as the
Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. ...
and the
New York County Courthouse The New York State Supreme Court Building, originally known as the New York County Courthouse, at 60 Centre Street on Foley Square in the Civic Center neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, houses the Civil and Appellate Terms of the New Y ...
. ''Night Court''s theme was used in the season-5 ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their c ...
'' episode " Bill & Peter's Bogus Journey", featuring animations of former US President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
playing saxophone along with
Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...
musicians playing backup. ''Night Court''s theme was sampled for the remix to
Cam'Ron Cameron Ezike Giles (born February 4, 1976), better known by his stage name Cam'ron, is an American rapper, record executive, and actor from Harlem, New York City. Beginning his career in the mid-1990s as Killa Cam, Giles signed to Lance "Un" ...
's 1998 single " Horse & Carriage". It was produced by Darrell "Digga" Branch and featured
Big Pun Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx borough of New York City in the e ...
,
Charli Baltimore Tiffany Lane (born August 16, 1974), better known as Charli Baltimore, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Her stage name is taken from Geena Davis's character in the film ''The Long Kiss Goodnight''. Career Charli Balti ...
,
Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...
, 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 Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...
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.


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 The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
nominations, but lost to
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France made ...
and
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
, respectively. Paula Kelly was nominated for an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
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 cable's
A&E Network A&E is an American basic cable network, the flagship television property of A&E Networks. The network was originally founded in 1984 as the Arts & Entertainment Network, initially focusing on fine arts, documentaries, dramas, and educational ent ...
for many years. It then aired on
TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...
from 2005 to 2008, then began airing on Encore Classic on December 2, 2013. Beginning at the end of 2015, the show airs nationally on the Laff digital multicast subchannel.


Australia

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of fiv ...
first broadcast the series in the 1980s and 1990s. 7TWO began showing reruns in June 2011.


Canada

Aired weekdays on both Comedy Gold and JoyTV.


Germany

Sat.1 Sat.1 is a German free-to-air television channel that is a part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group. It is considered the first privately owned television network in Germany, having been launched in January 1984 as ''PKS'' ''(Programmgesellscha ...
aired the series as '' Harry's wundersames Strafgericht'' (''Harry's Miraculous Criminal Court'') in 1988.


Italy

Italia 1 Italia 1 (Italian pronunciation ) is an Italian free-to-air television channel on the Mediaset network, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It is oriented at both young and adult people. Italia 1 was launched on 3 January 1982 and, originally, was ...
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 TVNZ 1 ( mi, Te Reo Tātaki Tahi) is the first national television channel owned and operated by the state-owned broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ). It is the oldest television broadcaster in New Zealand, starting out from 1960 as indep ...
in the 1980s and 1990s, and was rerun in the late 1990s.


Home media

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI 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 The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the int ...
. 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 ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', take ...
'' episode, "
The One with the Cast of Night Court "The One with the Cast of ''Night Court''" is the third episode of the third season of the American television comedy series ''30 Rock''. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Gail Mancuso. The episode originall ...
". 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 will be executive produced by
Melissa Rauch Melissa Ivy Rauch (born June 23, 1980) is an American actress, model and comedian. She is known for playing Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'', for which she was nominated for the Critics' Choice Telev ...
and Winston Rauch, with Dan Rubin to write. Larroquette is set to return as Fielding, while the show's central character will be Abby Stone, a judge and the daughter of Harry Stone. The show is expected to be produced by Warner Bros. Television for NBC. In April 2021, it was reported that Rauch will also lead 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 In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...
and Lacretta will play a bailiff Donna "Gurgs" Gurganous. In July 2021, Kapil Talwalkar joined the cast for the pilot, will play a court's clerk Neil. In September 2021, it was announced that NBC had given the production a series order.


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* * {{Ellen Foley 1980s American legal television series 1980s American sitcoms 1980s American workplace comedy television series 1984 American television series debuts 1990s American legal television series 1990s American sitcoms 1990s American workplace comedy television series 1992 American television series endings English-language television shows NBC original programming Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios Television shows set in Manhattan