# Night Court reboot (potential spoilers once the series is launched) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [November 21, 2022, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297 "2022-11-21T05:56:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/41 "2023-01-18T03:44:39Z")
I’m watching it right now, and the laugh track is really bugging me. Do we still need to be told when something’s funny? No. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/42 "2023-01-18T04:00:24Z")
Found this Guests stars slated to make appearances include former [Saturday Night Live](https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live) star Melissa Villasenor, comedian Pete Holmes, professional figure skaters Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, A.P Bio star Lyric Lewis, and actors Kurt Fuller and Stephnie Weir. Meanwhile, Murphy Brown star Faith Ford is set to play Judge Abby Stone’s mother. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/43 "2023-01-18T05:18:42Z")
Just finished watching the pilot and the first episode. Not great, but not bad either. It had its moments. I guess it, like many series, will need a few more episodes to find its footing. I’m guessing here, but while the original series mostly revolved around Harry, I think this one may revolve around Dan. Former prosecutor, now in the unfamiliar role of public defender, but still capable of being a lawyer; he’s going to be the centre of the action. Think of “MASH”: Colonels Blake and Potter were in charge, and necessary to the unit, but the antics of Hawkeye, Trapper, and BJ were the show. Similarly, Abby Stone may be the judge, and she is necessary in such a show, but I think Dan Fielding will become the show. Guess we’ll find out. I’m intrigued enough to tune in next week, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/44 "2023-01-18T05:30:36Z")
Thinking further about what I saw in the first two episodes, I think that part of it is that Abby hasn’t been defined particularly well yet. We know she’s Harry’s daughter, and that she gained from her father both an interest in law, and a belief in the good of humanity. But, other than being a little overly perky, she doesn’t yet have much of a personality. Part of what defined Harry was his quirkiness and interests: he (like Anderson) was a magician, he had a goofy sense of humor, he loved 1940s movies and clothing, crooner Mel Torme was his idol, and he hated Barry Manilow. We don’t really have anything like that defining Abby yet. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/45 "2023-01-18T05:43:20Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > As I understand it, Moll does not look back at his experience on Night Court with a great deal of fondness. Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I loved Bull. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/46 "2023-01-18T06:08:11Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I loved Bull. I’d been unaware of that, as well, until reading this thread. The [TV Tropes page](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Trivia/NightCourt) on the original _Night Court_ indicates that Moll and Larroquette hated each other, and that Moll didn’t get along well with Anderson, either. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/47 "2023-01-18T10:13:26Z")
It wasn’t great, it wasn’t horrible. I’ll keep watching for at least a few more episodes. I was hoping for Brent Spiner, but I like Faith Ford so that works. From cursory glances at the trailer, I thought Abby was played by Anna Faris. I’m not crazy about her, so Melissa Rauch improved the show before I even watched it. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/48 "2023-01-18T10:24:56Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Bowing to peer pressure in the recent discussion about cat avatars, I did an image search for “Obi-Wan Kenobi Cat,” and found a picture of that good boy. I wondered if that was the reason behind the change. Still a great avatar. > [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > It could be Quon Lee, or Billie Young, I never saw/knew about Quon Lee. Ellen Foley would be cool, but I’m not sure anyone would recognize her. > [@Zyada](#): > > Anyone trying to watch it live online? I’m having problems I didn’t try live, but I couldn’t get it to show at all later on NBC, not even with a search. Peacock wants you to pony up cash to watch anything, no way I’m going to pay $5 per episode for a show I’m not sure I’ll like. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Some funny moments, particularly from Larroquette I’ve seen him in three series since _Night Court_, one comedy and two light mystery shows. Let’s just say I was hoping he would go back to comedy. Drama is not his thing. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Guests stars slated to make appearances include former [Saturday Night Live](https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live) star Melissa Villasenor, comedian Pete Holmes, professional figure skaters Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, A.P Bio star Lyric Lewis, and actors Kurt Fuller and Stephnie Weir. Meanwhile, Murphy Brown star Faith Ford is set to play Judge Abby Stone’s mother. I knew about Faith Ford, not exactly an A-lister herself, but the others in the list seem pretty low on the B-list. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/49 "2023-01-18T11:51:56Z")
My initial reaction was disappointment. I felt like they tried too hard to create quirky characters, and the bailiff especially was _waaaaaay_ over the top. If they tone her down just a tad… But then I got to thinking about the original premier episode, which I happened to have rewatched recently, and I’d probably say the same about it. Which makes me think that’s just one of those things about introducing a new show - trying to grab the audience right away. So I’ll keep watching, hoping it finds its rhythm and the over-acting settles to a more believable level. I was disappointed nothing was said about Mel Torme (or if it was, I missed it.) ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/50 "2023-01-18T13:40:22Z")
I got some laughs out of it, but so far the show is coasting on fond memories of the original. I enjoyed it enough to stick with it, and hope that it develops its own cast of characters. I agree that in particular, Abby needs some definition beyond “Harry Stone’s devoted daughter.” I wonder if we will meet/find out about her mother. To me the most affecting scene was when Abby came to Dan’s apartment, and Dan was reminiscing fondly about Harry Stone. I’m sure that at least some of the emotion there was Larroquette genuinely reminiscing fondly about Harry Anderson. I’m probably the only person geeky enough to worry about this, but I wonder how old Abby is supposed to be, and how many years are supposed to have gone by since the original series ended. Melissa Rauch was born in 1980. The original series aired from 1984 to 1992. If she is playing her true age, Abby should have already been born during Harry’s time on the bench. Odd that he never mentioned having a kid. Probably just one of those TV things that we shouldn’t worry about. It’s my curse that I notice things like that. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/51 "2023-01-18T13:56:19Z")
My thoughts before reading the whole thread: I saw most of the second episode last night. It wasn’t very funny, but the sets at least were right. There was a black female bailiff who would have fit right in to the old show. And of course Dan Fielding. He still has that contempt for his low-life clients, though I’m not sure if he’s going to be allowed to be a pervert anymore. Also, with the beard and the extra weight, he’s got a bit of a Santa Claus vibe. Overall, the show was better than I thought, if they could find some jokes they might make it. > [@Spoons](#): > > Similarly, Abby Stone may be the judge, and she is necessary in such a show, but I think Dan Fielding will become the show. Yes. That could work. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/52 "2023-01-18T14:52:43Z")
Comedy pilots are almost always kind of bad… I think it’s because early on, they’re trying to establish so much, as well as throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and see what sticks for that particular cast and setting. Once it gets 5-6 episodes in, I think we’ll have a much better feeling of the show. Even the second episode which aired after the pilot was better, IMO. I will say that personally, I think they should have drawn out the whole getting Fielding on board / Dan as a project for the entire first season- maybe had him sub in or something for missing defenders or even prosecutors, but remain some sort of weirdo hermit (I felt like there was a LOT of untapped comedic potential there), and gradually re-humanize him and bring him back onto the team. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > There was a black female bailiff who would have fit right in to the old show. And of course Dan Fielding. He still has that contempt for his low-life clients, though I’m not sure if he’s going to be allowed to be a pervert anymore. Absolutely… I remember thinking the same thing myself about the bailiff. I kind of hope that Dan Fielding isn’t done with his womanizing ways; that was some of the funniest stuff in the old show. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/53 "2023-01-18T15:45:29Z")
Maybe Yakov Smirnoff? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/54 "2023-01-18T15:46:14Z")
I hope not. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/55 "2023-01-18T15:57:14Z")
He had some really great lines in the original series. Of course, Cold War jokes that worked then would be very dated now. Or…maybe not so much anymore? (Heck, I just watched an old episode of “2 Broke Girls” in which Oleg, a character who is supposed to be Ukrainian, wants to hand a picture of shirtless Putin on his fiancee’s wall. I don’t know if Putin was popular in Ukraine back when that aired, but it’s sure as hell dated now. Though I doubt the show’s writers ever meant his “Ukrainian” ethnicity to mean anything more than “generically Eastern European former communist country”.) ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/56 "2023-01-18T18:15:21Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Murphy Brown star Faith Ford is set to play Judge Abby Stone’s mother. So instead of Christine Sullivan Harry ended up with Corky Sherwood? Guess he had a type. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/57 "2023-01-18T21:50:57Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > I’ve seen him in three series since _Night Court_, one comedy and two light mystery shows. Let’s just say I was hoping he would go back to comedy. Drama is not his thing. It amazed me to see JL in Black Sheep Squadron. He was featured in a couple of episodes (left the show after the 6th episode of the 2nd season) Brian ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/58 "2023-01-18T21:54:21Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > It amazed me to see JL in Black Sheep Squadron. He was featured in a couple of episodes (left the show after the 6th episode of the 2nd season) And, he also had a small role in _Star Trek III: The Search for Spock_, as a Klingon officer, Maltz, the only Klingon left on the Bird of Prey ship that the Enterprise crew commandeered at the end of the film. [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjAwZjY2YjgtZjhjZC00YzE2LWFkM2MtNzE2YzhkYTM5NDhmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTIwODk1NTQ@._V1_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjAwZjY2YjgtZjhjZC00YzE2LWFkM2MtNzE2YzhkYTM5NDhmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTIwODk1NTQ@._V1_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/59 "2023-01-18T22:33:28Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > It amazed me to see JL in Black Sheep Squadron. I’d forgotten that. My wife watches those sometimes. Boy, does he look like a awkward hick kid on that show. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > he also had a small role in _Star Trek III: The Search for Spock_, as a Klingon officer, Maltz I never would have recognized him from that photo. It seems the more famous you are, the less elaborate makeup they put on the lower face for Klingons. Christopher Lloyd was instantly recognizable. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297/60 "2023-01-18T23:35:14Z")
John Laroquette gave a good performance in the miniseries _The Tenth Kindom_. Though it was more comedic than dramatic and wasn’t exactly the most demanding role. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-court-reboot-potential-spoilers-once-the-series-is-launched/975297.md?page=4)