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Everything to Know About the New Night Court on NBC
Catch up on the Season 1 antics and guest stars ahead of Season 2's premiere in 2024.
All rise: The first season of the new Night Court on NBC has carried on the legacy of the beloved original in the best way, and with the second season airing in 2024, here's a refresher of everything you should know.
The original Night Court had a nine-season run from 1984 to 1992, focusing on the night shift of the Manhattan municipal court. The series centers around the court's eccentric staff, wacky court cases, and the endlessly hilarious legal practices of Judge Harry T. Stone (late Harry Anderson). Night Court was a critical success, scoring 31 Emmy nominations and seven wins throughout its nine seasons.
With Night Court's revival, we saw a continuation of the original story. Harry Stone’s daughter, Abby (Melissa Rauch), took the reins of Judge at the Manhattan municipal court, the same position that her late father once famously had. Throughout the first season, we saw the return of Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) to the night court, thanks to Abby’s persistence. We’ve seen the cast tackle lots of kooky cases, and the heartwarming connections between the main characters tied everything in the show together.
How can I watch episodes of the new Night Court?
You can catch up on the Season 1 antics by streaming Night Court on NBC and Peacock.
Night Court Season 2 premieres January 2, 2024 at 8/7c. Episodes will be available next day on Peacock. After January 2, Night Court will airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and stream next day on Peacock.
Who is in the cast of the new Night Court?
Night Court stars John Larroquette (reprising his role of Dan Fielding from the original series) and Melissa Rauch as Judge Abby Stone.
The Season 1 cast includes Kapil Talwalkar as Neil, Lacretta as bailiff Donna "Gurgs" Gurganous, and India de Beaufort as Olivia.
Season 1 saw various guest stars, including: Faith Forth (as Abby's mom), Wendie Malick, Melissa Villaseñor, Pete Holmes, Stephanie Weir, Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski, Kurt Fuller, and Lyric Lewis.
Was the original Night Court a spin-off of Cheers?
Because of their critical acclaim and popularity at the same time of release, many confuse Night Court as a spin-off to the hit NBC comedy Cheers. However, Night Court is not a spin-off but an original series that also aired on NBC during its original run.
Here are some of the highlights of the new Night Court:
The return of original Night Court character, Dan Fielding
While former prosecutor Dan Fielding became a recluse after the death of his wife, the always-compassionate Abby used her people skills to convince him to come out of his shell and return to the night court. This time, he's on the other end of the spectrum as a public defender.
Although he was known in the original Night Court to be an arrogant womanizer, his commitment to his wife, Sarah, taught him how to be more considerate of others. Nonetheless, Dan’s signature biting sarcasm remained in his character.
Abby got arrested
Here's what happened: An elderly woman came to the court, charged with arson after visiting her husband in a nursing home for his birthday. During the visit, the birthday candles she brought accidentally started a fire. Abby realized that the arson charges were too harsh, and dismissed the case.
However, the woman had since been banned from visiting the nursing home. She came to Abby distraught because she wanted to be with her husband during his birthday, claiming they might not have much time left together. Abby then hatched a plan to break the woman’s husband out of the nursing home.
But during their heist, they were caught by the police. Abby was imprisoned for a night and put on trial after she confessed her felony to the older woman while the woman was wearing a wire. The entire team came together to defend Abby during her trial, and she was finally dismissed due to the revelation that a man had blackmailed the older woman into getting Abby's confession.
Original Night Court's bailiff Roz made a comeback
To the surprise of fans, Marsha Warfield reprised her role as Roz Russell in a last-minute scene during the Season 1 finale. She appeared at a court in Louisiana where Dan Fielding was Judge after being arrested during a bachelorette party gone awry. So funny! She also will appear in the Season 2 premiere. Watch a preview, below:
Originally published May 10, 2023.
