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Night Court (2023 TV series)

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Night Court
Season 1 promotional poster
GenreSitcom
Created byReinhold Weege
Developed byDan Rubin
Starring
Theme music composerJack Elliott
ComposerBenjamin Sword Larroquette
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes30
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • John Larroquette (season 1)
  • Suzy Mamann Greenberg
  • Josh Corey & Brian Kratz
  • Pixie Wespiser
  • Julie Mandel-Folly
  • Caroline Fox
Cinematography
  • Christian La Fountaine
  • Wayne Kennan
Editors
  • Kirk Benson
  • Chris Poulos
  • Stephen Prime
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time21–23 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJanuary 17, 2023 (2023-01-17) –
present (present)
Related
Night Court (1984–1992)

Night Court is an American sitcom, a revival of the series of the same name that originally aired from 1984 to 1992. It premiered on NBC on January 17, 2023. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Melissa Rauch's performance.[1] In February 2023, the series was renewed for a second season which then premiered on December 23, 2023.[2][3][4] In May 2024, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on November 19, 2024.[5][6][7]

Premise

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Judge Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch) comes to New York City to take a job as magistrate for Manhattan Criminal Court's night shift – a position once held by her late father Harry Stone. Also part of the night shift are ambitious prosecutor Olivia Moore (India de Beaufort), cheerful and eccentric bailiff Donna "Gurgs" Gurganous (Lacretta), and public defender Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) – who had served as a prosecutor in Harry's court, and was convinced by Abby to join her court when the assigned public defender quit on Abby's first day. Dan briefly left to become a judge in his home state of Louisiana, though would later come back as public defender.

Cast

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Main

[edit]
  • Melissa Rauch as Abby Stone,[8] the daughter of the late Harry Stone, who fills her father's former position as judge on the night shift at the Manhattan Criminal Court. In "Blood Moon Binga", she learns her full name is Abracadabra Stone, though she believed it was Abigail, the name she uses.
  • India de Beaufort as Olivia (seasons 1–2),[8][9] the assistant district attorney assigned to Abby's court; at the beginning of season 3, it is explained that Olivia has left to join a high-powered law firm
  • Kapil Talwalkar as Neil[8] (season 1),[10] Abby's clerk
  • Lacretta as Donna "Gurgs" Gurganous,[8] the bailiff for Abby's court
  • John Larroquette as Dan Fielding,[8] the former assistant district attorney for Harry's court and his best friend, who comes back to serve as the public defender in Abby's court. Formerly a sex-obsessed "ladies' man", Dan settled down in the mid 1990s marrying a woman named Sarah, who died shortly before the revival series began. Though giving up his skirt chasing ways, he does retain his sarcastic wit. Dan briefly left Abby's court to become a judge in his home state of Louisiana, though returned both to New York and his public defender job at the start of the second season.
  • Nyambi Nyambi as Wyatt Shaw (season 2-present),[a][11] court clerk
  • Wendie Malick as Julianne Walters (season 3;[12] recurring seasons 1–2), the new district attorney who is also a former career criminal intent on ruining Dan's life as revenge for prosecuting her years ago

Recurring

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Guest stars

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Episodes

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Series overview

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedRankAverage viewership
(in millions)		Ref
First airedLast aired
116January 17, 2023 (2023-01-17)May 9, 2023 (2023-05-09)385.46[14]
213December 23, 2023 (2023-12-23)March 26, 2024 (2024-03-26)583.85[15]
318[16]November 19, 2024 (2024-11-19)TBATBATBATBA

Season 1 (2023)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
11"Pilot"Pamela FrymanDan RubinJanuary 17, 2023 (2023-01-17)T11.101527.55[17]
Abby Stone, daughter of late Judge Harry Stone, takes over the night court. Like her father, she is interested in the defendants as people and wants to take time to administer justice, much to the annoyance of the overworked courthouse staff. When the public defender quits, Abby recruits Dan Fielding, the former assistant district attorney and her father's friend, to fill the role. Dan, who has been working as a process server after losing his wife, is reluctant, but agrees to fill in for a few weeks. Meanwhile, Gurgs tries to track down a courthouse vandal.
22"The Nighthawks"Pamela FrymanDan RubinJanuary 17, 2023 (2023-01-17)T12.175026.94[17]
Dan, who is used to being a prosecutor, has difficulty caring about his clients. When Abby insists he try harder, Dan bribes Gurgs to interview his clients for him. Only after connecting with a mentally ill defendant does Dan begin to take his work seriously, leading Abby to predict he will stay on for a long time. Meanwhile, Abby encourages the staff to bring their own touches to the courtroom with somewhat disastrous results, Olivia is stalked by a stenographer determined to be her best friend, and the custodian deals with a pigeon infestation.
33"Just Tuesday"Anthony RichMathew HarawitzJanuary 24, 2023 (2023-01-24)T12.175055.17[18]
In her efforts to remedy a defendant's newly chronic criminality, Abby accidentally outs him as an undercover cop. Fearing her personal approach is doing more harm than good, she becomes unrelentingly businesslike in the courtroom. When Dan tries to remedy this overcorrection, Abby holds him in contempt. Dan realizes that Abby's sensitivity to being of service stems from the fact that, like Dan's late wife, Abby is a recovering alcoholic. She confides that her drinking cost her a lot of time with her father, though he lived long enough to see her thrive in recovery. Dan tells her that Harry would never have felt let down by her. She returns to her previous demeanor. Meanwhile, Olivia struggles to adapt when the police officers withdraw the perks she had been enjoying. Believing this is an unreasonable response to the courtroom incident, she confronts the officers, only to inadvertently reveal the ethically questionable perks to an Internal Affairs representative, whose presence was the actual reason for the change.
44"Dan v. Dating"Anthony RichLon ZimmetJanuary 31, 2023 (2023-01-31)T12.175044.77[19]
When Abby learns that Dan is being hit on by multiple women, including his client, she suggests to Dan that he start dating again. He then hits it off with a woman named Julianne (Wendie Malick) who gives him her number. Dan arranges a date. Abby and Neil then go to spy on them, finding Dan alone at the restaurant. Upon learning that Dan didn't even text the woman, Neil sends the message he wrote but didn't send. Upon learning that Julianne is only interested in sex, Dan takes her home, but is only able to talk about his late wife. Julianne admits that she is a career criminal who wanted to ruin Dan's life for prosecuting her years ago, but finds him too pathetic for revenge. Meanwhile Gurgs and Olivia move into an abandoned office, but Olivia has trouble dealing with Gurgs' outgoing personality.
55"The Apartment"Mark CendrowskiLeila StrachanFebruary 7, 2023 (2023-02-07)T12.175034.22[20]
Frustrated by her less-than-ideal living situation, Abby enlists Gurgs to help her use the court system to find a vacant apartment. They locate an ideal place, but the landlord refuses to rent to Abby when he realizes that she is a judge. Abby, increasingly frustrated by her life and not being able to spend time with her long-distance fiancé, takes Dan's advice to stop bottling up her anger and destroys her office. Meanwhile, Olivia runs into a lawyer who almost hired her for a prestigious job until she made a fool out of herself after the interview. Dan, who has memories of an embarrassing interview of his own, encourages Olivia to prove herself in court, which proves a moot point when the lawyer sends someone else to court in her stead.
66"Justice Buddies"Anthony RichAzie DungeyFebruary 14, 2023 (2023-02-14)T12.175063.78[21]
Gurgs' 12-year-old nephew Xavier and some classmates visit the court. Gurgs is hoping to bond with her nephew, but realizes the children only want to protest the arrest of a social justice activist who was arrested for vandalizing a statue of Christopher Columbus. Abby asks Gurgs to convince the children to stop their protest chants; instead, Gurgs joins them. In the end, Abby conspires with Dan to allow the children to legally protest, and Xavier decides the justice system isn't totally flawed, especially with Gurgs as a part of it. Meanwhile, Olivia spars with a middle school girl who is after her job, Neil takes romantic advice from one of the students, and Dan enjoys having one of the kids as a flunky.
77"Train Court"Leonard R. Garner Jr.Lon Zimmet & Julianne TurkelFebruary 21, 2023 (2023-02-21)T12.175153.69[22]
When Abby discovers she and Olivia take the same subway, she's determined to buddy up, so Olivia can teach her to be a 'true New Yorker'. When the train is delayed, Olivia begins to panic. In order to distract her, Abby holds an impromptu trial on the train over a stolen seat. Meanwhile, a substitute judge takes over the court. When Gurgs realizes Abby's heroes Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir are witnesses in a case, she's determined to delay the case until Abby can arrive, while Dan tries to expedite court to make a dinner reservation. Dan ultimately sides with Gurgs and draws out the hearing until Abby can arrive, only to realize she already knows the pair. As a peace offering, Gurgs fixes Dan a meal of the Louisiana Bayou food of his youth.
88"Blood Moon Binga"Pamela FrymanRebecca Delgado Smith & Jessica Elaina EasonFebruary 28, 2023 (2023-02-28)T12.175073.56[23]
On a blood moon night with weird cases, Abby's mother Gina shows up for a surprise visit. After introducing herself to Abby's staff, it is revealed that she and Dan know each other. Olivia and Neil stumble onto the truth, which was that Gina was arrested years ago for running an illegal gambling ring, and was brought in front of Harry's court with Dan prosecuting. After serving her sentence, Harry and Gina reconnected, fell in love, married, and moved to upstate New York, where Abby (revealed to be short for Abracadabra per Harry's wishes) was born. Abby was unaware of any of this, but forgives her mother for the deception.
99"Two Peas on a Pod"Kelly ParkMathew Harawitz & Lon ZimmetMarch 7, 2023 (2023-03-07)T12.175103.93[24]
Remecca, a podcaster Abby admires, appears in the court as a witness and Abby convinces her to do an episode about the court. When Dan admits to malfeasance during his 1980s run for city council, his career is put in jeopardy. Abby's attempts to smooth things over backfire when she admits that Dan was a friend of her father's, and Remecca threatens to call Abby out for cronyism. Dan agrees to a tell-all interview if Remecca leaves Abby alone. Meanwhile, Olivia convinces Neil to pose as her boyfriend in hopes that Remecca would cover the story of their illicit workplace romance. Remecca's podcast is ultimately cancelled when her sound man exposes her past as an obnoxious shock jock.
1010"Marathon-Thon-Thon-Thon-Thon"Joanna KernsTeleplay by : Jessica Elaina Eason & Rebecca Delgado Smith
Story by : Shawn Parikh		March 14, 2023 (2023-03-14)T12.175143.55[25]
Abby's fiance, Rand, shows up to help her train for a marathon. When Abby tries to get Olivia to join her, Rand takes it upon himself to cultivate a friendship between them. Abby and Olivia both overdo their training, causing them to drop out of the race before the first mile. Meanwhile, Dan is furious when the courthouse plans to remove his favorite bench. He eventually admits to Gurgs that it's because he carved his initials in it the day he won his first court case, and it's been an island of stability in his life.
1111"Ready or Knot"Robbie CountrymanShawn ParikhMarch 28, 2023 (2023-03-28)T12.175093.39[26]
A riot at a bridal expo brings a number of wedding businesspeople to the courthouse, causing Abby to start thinking about her own wedding, which was delayed by her father's death. Olivia and Gurgs vie to be Abby's maid of honor, while a wedding planner becomes obsessed with planning Dan's theoretical wedding. Abby trades a reservation at her dream venue in exchange for performing a wedding that night in the courtroom, but breaks down upon realizing her father will not be at her own wedding. Dan suggests they hold the wedding on the courthouse roof, where he and Abby's father had a lot of good times.
1212"DA Club"Lynda TarrykBennett WebberApril 4, 2023 (2023-04-04)T12.175083.29[27]
Abby meets district attorney Jeff Dewitt at his exclusive lawyers club to discuss how his tough-on-crime stance is hurting society. Dan - his old associate and fellow club member - shows up to watch out for Abby and realizes Dewitt is planning on using Abby as a soft-on-crime scapegoat for his next election. Abby threatens to expose Dewitt's extramarital affair unless he takes her crime proposals seriously. Meanwhile Olivia (aided by Gurgs and Neil) attempts to gain membership in the club.
1313"Past Apps"Betsy ThomasJosh Corey & Brian KratzApril 11, 2023 (2023-04-11)T12.175112.77[28]
An app developer named Brock appears as a witness in court and pitches his new dating app. Dan tries to get the gang to invest, but Abby accidentally reads Brock's sealed file and discovers he was once convicted of fraud. Dan worms the information out of Abby, but still wants to invest (as years ago he missed out on a chance to be a ground floor investor in what would become Facebook), and actually brings one of Brock's old victims on board. Abby gets Brock's records unsealed and reveals his criminal record at the investors' party, but Brock announces he's already cut his past victims in on the profits of his new venture. Brock kicks the courtroom crew out, including Olivia, who was attempting to seduce Brock, and Gurgs, who was pitching her own app. Mark Zuckerberg then buys the app for $2 billion, costing everyone a fortune. Gurgs lets it slip to Abby about Neil's secret crush on her.
1414"When Abby Met Gabby"Joanna KernsAzie Dungey & Stacy AdelmanApril 25, 2023 (2023-04-25)T12.175122.86[29]
Now aware of Neil's crush on her, Abby (with Olivia's help) tries to find a way to tell him she isn't interested without hurting his feelings. They run into Gabby - Neil's high school crush who has similar interests and personality traits as Abby and is coming off a divorce - and attempt to set Neil and Gabby up on a date. The date is successful, but it leaves Abby questioning whether her and Rand will wind up the same way as Gabby and her ex-husband. Meanwhile, Gurgs blames herself after someone in the courtroom throws a drink at Dan, and becomes overly protective of him.
1515"The Honorable Dan Fielding, Part 1"Pamela FrymanLeila Strachan & Marc CarusielloMay 2, 2023 (2023-05-02)T12.175133.02[30]
Dan accepts an offer to be a judge in his native Louisiana. He (reluctantly) attends his going away party arranged by Abby and Rand, who are having their own issues - namely Abby getting distracted by work matters, thus neglecting Rand. Among the work matters is an elderly lady who appeared in court on charges she set fire to a nursing home when she lit the candles on her boyfriend's birthday cake. After letting her off with a small fine to pay the damages, Abby is then asked by the lady to help spring her boyfriend from the nursing home. The errant escape attempt results in Abby getting arrested, and calling Dan to bail her out. Meanwhile, Olivia attempts to assist Gurgs to pass the bailiff's supervisor test, and winds up getting her a job at Scotland Yard.
1616"The Honorable Dan Fielding, Part 2"Joanna KernsCaroline Fox & Bennett WebberMay 9, 2023 (2023-05-09)T12.175162.42[31]
Dan bails Abby out of jail, and prepares to defend her in court, with the case prosecuted by Abby's nemesis Jeff Dewitt, who pressures Olivia to assist him or else lose her job. Even with all that is working against her, Abby resists resorting to Dan's hardball defense tactics, including implicating Louise - the lady from the nursing home to got Abby into the mess to start with - even after Louise wore a wire (at Dewitt's insistence) to implicate Abby. On top of her legal issues, Abby has a heart to heart talk with Rand, and they mutually agree to break off their engagement, as Abby loves her job in NYC, and Rand wants to remain upstate. During Abby's trial, Rand convinces numerous people - including Abby's co-workers and people who appeared before Abby in court - to be character witnesses on her behalf, including Olivia. who puts her friendship with Abby above her own job. Louise testifies that Dewitt had threatened to blackmail her unless she wore the wire to try to implicate Abby. The judge dismisses the charges against Abby. Dan - though having some second thoughts - bids farewell to NYC and goes back to Louisiana to become a judge, where one of the first cases in front of him involves Roz Russell, a former co-worker who served as a bailiff in Harry's court.

Season 2 (2023–24)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
171"A Night Court Before Christmas"Anthony RichBennett WebberDecember 23, 2023 (2023-12-23)T12.179082.58[32]
Dan and Abby pretend to be Santa and an elf for a girl named Virginia who still believes. Olivia is tormented by a witness who believes she is the Ghost of Christmas Present. Gurgs arranges a video greeting to Dan from his hero, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and is shocked when he shows up in person.
182"The Roz Affair"Pamela FrymanDan RubinJanuary 2, 2024 (2024-01-02)T12.179013.77[33]
Dan catches up with Roz - who became a private investigator after leaving Harry's court years ago - during her imprisonment in New Orleans (for getting into a fight at her bachelorette party). Roz then asks Dan to come back to New York to assist her in an investigation to see if her fiance was cheating on her. Dan bungles the investigation, leading to him and Roz pleading their case in front of Abby. After paying a fine for damages and having heart-to-heart talks with Roz and Abby, Dan moves back to NYC to resume his role as the defense attorney in Abby's court. Meanwhile, Neil left NYC to move with his girlfriend to Lake Tahoe, leaving Flobert to serve as court clerk, Gurgs regales the court with stories of her London adventures and Olivia tries to establish a side gig as a sports agent.
193"Form Fetish"Anthony RichMathew HarawitzJanuary 9, 2024 (2024-01-09)T12.179023.38[34]
A city hall bureaucrat named Linda takes delight in denying the court needed amenities following budget cuts. Dan tries sucking up to her by hiring her slacker/gamer son as the new court clerk. Meanwhile, Olivia and Gurgs find a cache of a discontinued, high-caffeine soda in a storeroom, and then sell it at a markup. After Linda's son fails as clerk, Abby and Dan (after chugging several cans of Olivia and Gurgs' soda) then fill out the hundreds of forms Linda forced upon them, giving her no choice but to approve their requests.
204"Just the Fax, Dan"Pamela FrymanLon ZimmetJanuary 16, 2024 (2024-01-16)T12.179033.43[35]
A hacker seizes control of the court's computers and the staff's personal devices, threatening via fax (as there was an old fax machine left over in Abby's chamber from her father's time as judge), to expose their secrets unless a certain defendant is found guilty. Dan tries to negotiate with the hacker, Abby tries to delay court, and Gurgs suspects Wyatt, the new court clerk (who turns out just to be a harried single father). The hacker is revealed to be the defendant's teenage son, who wants revenge for his father's philandering.
215"Hold the Pickles, Keep the Change"Pamela FrymanChuck TathamJanuary 23, 2024 (2024-01-23)T12.179042.95[36]
Upon learning her ex-fiance has a girlfriend, Abby ignores Wyatt's advice to start dating again and instead throws her efforts into creating the perfect pickle. Olivia attempts to date an ambulance-chasing attorney, but is thwarted by his legal partner, who wants him to focus on business. Gurgs is concerned about Dan and Flobert's less than healthy eating habits.
226"Wrath of Comic-Con"Anthony RichLeila StrachanJanuary 30, 2024 (2024-01-30)T12.179053.02[37]
As various cosplaying defendants appear in court stemming from incidents at the NYC Comic-Con, Abby's childhood friend Heather comes to visit, and is forced to confront the fact that she might actually dislike Heather due to her annoying habits. Julianne returns to torment Dan, and he takes advantage of having the numerous costumed Comic-Con attendees around the courtroom to disguise himself as a Klingon from Star Trek to hide from her. But when Julianne (herself dressed as Catwoman) runs into the disguised Dan, they have a conversation where they actually hit it off until she realizes it's Dan, and gets taken away by the police due to starting a fire earlier in the day. Wyatt wants to go to Comic-Con as Morpheus from The Matrix to try to meet women, but instead goes as a character from Paw Patrol as he is forced to take his kids when he could not find a babysitter, and Gurgs instead goes as Morpheus.
237"A Crime of Fashion"Lynda TarrykLindsey ShockleyFebruary 6, 2024 (2024-02-06)T12.179063.31[38]
Various fashionistas are appearing in court stemming from incidents during New York Fashion Week. Among them is designer Martini Toddwalls, who is hiding in Abby's chambers to avoid the paparazzi. Abby finds him, they hit it off, go on a date, and spend the night together. But after the garish feathered robe Toddwalls designs for her causes Abby to be attacked by a peacock in the courtroom, Abby breaks it off with him. Meanwhile, the fashion critic Dan is representing in court shows him ways to get people to leave him alone, and after Dan accidentally mixed up Olivia's dry cleaning with clothes meant to go to charity (forcing Olivia to wear a 1980s era outfit with shoulder pads to work), they scheme to get her clothes back from the nonprofit discount store they were sent to.
248"Broadway Danny Gurgs"Ren BellJulie Mandel-FollyFebruary 13, 2024 (2024-02-13)T12.179072.91[39]
Years after Dan invested $5,000 in a Broadway play that flopped, he is forced to defend the producer of the play in court in order to get Gurgs (who is an admirer of the producer) an audition. Olivia had been bribing a doorman to have her deliveries sent to the Central Park West apartment building where he works to make it appear that she lives in the upscale neighborhood. But when the doorman dies, Olivia feels real sadness at the loss of a friend.
259"Taught and Bothered"Ren BellShawn ParikhFebruary 20, 2024 (2024-02-20)T12.179102.51[40]
A handsome courtroom observer catches Abby's eye, and it turns out to be Jake, a city human resources official. To try to get closer to him, Abby drags the rest of the court staff to Jake's Saturday HR seminar. During the seminar, Jake talks about how relationships in the workplace shouldn't be too personal, which clashes with Abby's overly personal philosophy, and this difference in opinion causes riffs among the other staff (Olivia and Gurgs regarding shared living quarters, and Dan and Wyatt over saying "thank you"). After an argument, Abby and Jake wind up making out in her chambers. Meanwhile, Flobert is trying to sell time shares in Cleveland to the court staff.
2610"Chips Ahoy"Phill LewisJessica Elaina Eason & Rebecca Delgado SmithMarch 5, 2024 (2024-03-05)T12.179092.88[41]
As numerous sailors appear in court due to incidents occurring during NYC Fleet Week, Dan arranges a clandestine poker game in the courthouse basement, and scores big until Gurgs and Olivia (a card sharp in her own right) help the sailors win back their money. Separately, Jasmine - a pushy local PTA president who Wyatt is intimidated by through their dealings regarding Wyatt's kids - also appears in court and when found guilty by Abby starts bullying Wyatt. When Abby tells Wyatt to stand up to Jasmine, Jasmine instead gets turned on, as nobody had ever stood up to her like that before. Eventually, when Jasmine comes on too strong to Wyatt, Abby challenges her to a pop-a-shot contest on a basketball arcade game, which is won by Abby, and thus making Jasmine back off of Wyatt.
2711"Wheelers of Fortune"Phill LewisKim TranMarch 12, 2024 (2024-03-12)T12.179113.05[42]
Bob and June Wheeler - frequent defendants in Harry's court - appear before Abby for the first time (much to Dan's chagrin), and as in the past, bad luck and calamity follow them (including a section of the courtroom's plaster ceiling falling on Abby's head). Abby - who was fascinated by the stories her father told her about the Wheelers - asks them to put her in touch with a prominent psychic they have connections with to try to contact her dad in the afterlife (even going so far as babysitting the Wheeler's adult daughter in return). Abby eventually meets with the psychic, who turns out to be a fraud. When Dan tries to console Abby over being let down by the psychic, he unknowingly utters a phrase that Abby and Harry used to share between them, leading to he and Abby bonding over Harry's memory (with Dan even becoming a bit emotional remembering his old friend). Meanwhile Olivia buys a house thought to be haunted, and Gurgs asks Wyatt to help remove a perceived curse.
2812"The Duke's a Hazard"Kelly ParkTeleplay by : Lauren Halberg & Alex Sobotowski
Story by : Julianne Turkel		March 19, 2024 (2024-03-19)T12.179122.81[43]
Alistair Tully, the British Duke who Gurgs has had a long distance relationship with since her visit to Scotland Yard, arrives in NYC to surprise Gurgs. Gurgs hides in the janitor's closet (which she turned into a mini girl cave), as while she loves the Duke, she doesn't like all of the royal trappings that come with him. Realizing this, Tully asks Abby to show him how "normal people" live to put Gurgs at ease. After the Duke visits the subway and gets tickets to a New York Rangers hockey game, Gurgs appreciates what he is willing to go through to be with her, and accepts the date. Meanwhile Dan and the Duke's butler Duncan renew a feud their families had centuries ago in England, and Olivia attempts to hook up with a palace guard who accompanied the Duke on his trip.
2913"The Best Dan"Lynda TarrykCaroline FoxMarch 26, 2024 (2024-03-26)T12.179132.81[44]
Roz returns to court to deal with a last minute legal issue regarding her wedding venue. When she loses both the case and the venue, she is persuaded by Abby to hold her wedding at the courthouse, to which Roz reluctantly agrees. At the wedding reception, Abby and Jake try to keep their casual relationship from getting too deep, but the ambiance of the wedding proves too much and they become more involved with each other. Jake then introduces Abby to his mother, who reveals Jake was a result of a short relationship she had with someone who works at the courthouse (heavily implied to be Dan). Also at the reception, Dan runs into Katie, the sister of Dan's late co-worker/friend Christine Sullivan. They hit it off at first (with Katie not realizing it was Dan), but once she finds out, she lashes out at him due to his past history with Christine and not attending her funeral. Dan confides in Abby that he wanted a relationship with Christine but once she warmed up to the idea, he began to believe he wasn't good enough for such a good person and he ran away. He said that his relationship with Christine is what made him ready to eventually settle down with his wife Sarah. He also revealed he was at Christine's funeral, but stayed inconspicuous so as not to make a scene given their history. Katie overhears this and makes peace with Dan. Meanwhile, Gurgs, Olivia, Wyatt, and Flobert try to find out who keeps sabotaging Roz's wedding, and it turns out to be Devin, a lawyer who was passed over for a partnership in the law firm run by Roz's fiance.

Season 3 (2024)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [16][45]Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [16][45]Prod.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
301"The Judge's Boyfriend's Dad, Part 1"Phill LewisDan RubinNovember 19, 2024 (2024-11-19)T12.193012.52[46]
Abby continues to agonize over the possibility that Jake may be Dan's son. To know for sure, she talks to Jake's mother Susan, However, when Abby finds Susan in a heavily medicated state in the hospital (after Susan had breast enlargement surgery), Susan mentions she also had a relationship with a judge who happened to be a magician (implying Harry, which would mean Abby and Jake would be half siblings). To clear things up once and for all, she collects DNA from herself, Jake, and Dan (including having Flobert hide in a garbage can to collect Dan's DNA from a coffee cup). The DNA tests reveal Harry isn't the father, but Dan may still be in play. Meanwhile, Dan's nemesis Julianne returns, as she has been named the court's new prosecutor (after Olivia left to take a job with a law firm), and though he thinks she is still seeking to torment him, the rest of the court staff seem convinced she has turned over a new leaf.
312"The Judge's Boyfriend's Dad, Part 2"TBATBANovember 26, 2024 (2024-11-26)TBATBD
323"The Hole Truth"TBATBADecember 3, 2024 (2024-12-03)TBATBD

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

On December 16, 2020, it was announced that Warner Bros. Television Studios and NBC were developing a Night Court sequel series. John Larroquette was slated to reprise his role as Dan Fielding, and produce the show. Melissa Rauch, who initiated the project, and her husband Winston Rauch were to be executive producers, for After January Productions. Dan Rubin would write the series, and be an executive producer as well.[47]

On May 3, 2021, the series was given a pilot order by NBC,[48][49] and on September 24, 2021, was given a series order.[50] On February 2, 2023, NBC renewed the series for a second season.[2] On May 3, 2024, NBC renewed the series for an 18-episode third season.[6]

Casting

[edit]

Larroquette was already attached to the series when it was announced on December 16, 2020.[47] Although Rauch was not originally expected to act in the show,[47] on April 30, 2021, it was reported that she would play the leading role of Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of the original series character Harry Stone.[51]

In June 2021, Ana Villafañe joined the cast as Monica, an assistant district attorney, and Lacretta was cast as Donna "Gurgs" Gurganous, a court bailiff.[52][53] In July 2021, Kapil Talwalkar was cast as Neil, a court clerk.[54]

Villafañe left the series after shooting the original pilot. In March 2022, India de Beaufort was cast as Olivia, a prosecutor, in a "reimagining" of Villafañe's role, as a second pilot episode was then shot.[55] On December 28, 2023, it was announced that Kapil Talwalkar will not be returning for the second season.[10] On January 18, 2024, it was reported that Nyambi Nyambi was promoted to a series regular.[11]

On February 13, 2024, while talking to reporters, John Larroquette admitted feeling a little sad when he first walked on the set of the Night Court revival, due to being one of the only cast members from the original run still living. But as time went on, he started feeling better and credited co-star/executive producer Melissa Rauch for rejuvenating the franchise.[56] On May 21, 2024, it was announced that de Beaufort is not returning for the third season.[9] On July 10, 2024, Wendie Malick was promoted as a series regular for the third season.[12]

Filming

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Night Court was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, but it is set in New York City, New York.

Release

[edit]

Broadcast

[edit]

Night Court premiered on NBC on January 17, 2023.[1] The second season premiered on December 23, 2023.[3][4] The third season premiered on November 19, 2024.[7]

Home media

[edit]

Night Court: The Complete First Season was released in Region 1 on October 17, 2023 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.[57]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 74% approval rating with an average rating of 6.5/10, based on 23 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "This revival retains enough of the original Night Court's spirit to ward off objections from fans while offering a somewhat stale sitcom format to newcomers, but it ought to sustain interest when judged alongside its own peers."[58] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 62 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[59]

William Hughes of The A.V. Club gave the series a B and said, "If you're curious about it, don't let the pilot throw you off, at least; check back in a few episodes later, once the show has actually hit its (often pretty funny) comedic stride."[60]

Ratings

[edit]

Season 1

[edit]
Viewership and ratings per episode of Night Court
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Pilot" January 17, 2023 1.0 7.55[17] 0.3 2.07 1.3 9.63[61]
2 "The Nighthawks" January 17, 2023 0.9 6.94[17] 0.3 2.18 1.3 9.12[61]
3 "Just Tuesday" January 24, 2023 0.7 5.17[18] TBD TBD TBD TBD
4 "Dan v. Dating" January 31, 2023 0.6 4.77[19] TBD TBD TBD TBD
5 "The Apartment" February 7, 2023 0.6 4.22[20] TBD TBD TBD TBD
6 "Justice Buddies" February 14, 2023 0.5 3.78[21] TBD TBD TBD TBD
7 "Train Court" February 21, 2023 0.5 3.69[22] TBD TBD TBD TBD
8 "Blood Moon Binga" February 28, 2023 0.5 3.56[23] TBD TBD TBD TBD
9 "Two Peas on a Pod" March 7, 2023 0.6 3.93[24] TBD TBD TBD TBD
10 "Marathon-Thon-Thon-Thon-Thon" March 14, 2023 0.4 3.55[25] TBD TBD TBD TBD
11 "Ready or Knot" March 28, 2023 0.4 3.39[26] TBD TBD TBD TBD
12 "Da Club" April 4, 2023 0.4 3.29[27] TBD TBD TBD TBD
13 "Past Apps" April 11, 2023 0.3 2.77[28] TBD TBD TBD TBD
14 "When Abby Met Gabby" April 25, 2023 0.4 2.86[29] TBD TBD TBD TBD
15 "The Honorable Dan Fielding, Part 1" May 2, 2023 0.3 3.02[30] TBD TBD TBD TBD
16 "The Honorable Dan Fielding, Part 2" May 9, 2023 0.4 2.42[31] TBD TBD TBD TBD

Season 2

[edit]
Viewership and ratings per episode of Night Court
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)
1 "A Night Court Before Christmas" December 23, 2023 0.5 2.58[32]
2 "The Roz Affair" January 2, 2024 0.4 3.77[33]
3 "Form Fetish" January 9, 2024 0.4 3.38[34]
4 "Just the Fax, Dan" January 16, 2024 0.4 3.43[35]
5 "Hold the Pickles, Keep the Change" January 23, 2024 0.3 2.95[36]
6 "Wrath of Comic-Con" January 30, 2024 0.3 3.02[37]
7 "A Crime of Fashion" February 6, 2024 0.3 3.31[38]
8 "Broadway Danny Gurgs" February 13, 2024 0.3 2.91[39]
9 "Taught and Bothered" February 20, 2024 0.3 2.51[40]
10 "Chips Ahoy" March 5, 2024 0.3 2.88[41]
11 "Wheelers of Fortune" March 12, 2024 0.3 3.05[42]
12 "The Duke's a Hazard" March 19, 2024 0.3 2.81[43]
13 "The Best Dan" March 26, 2024 0.3 2.81[44]

Season 3

[edit]
Viewership and ratings per episode of Night Court
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)
1 "The Judge's Boyfriend's Dad, Part 1" November 19, 2024 0.3 2.52[46]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Nyambi is credited as a series regular starting from 2x05.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Porter, Rick (November 7, 2022). "Magnum P.I. Gets NBC Debut Date as Part of Midseason Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (February 2, 2023). "'Night Court' Renewed For Season 2 At NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Petski, Denise (December 19, 2023). "'Night Court' Returns With Special Holiday Episode Ahead Of Season 2 Premiere; Photos". Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (November 20, 2023). "NBC Sets Midseason 2024 Premiere Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Omotade, Lade (November 20, 2024). "'Night Court's Wendie Malick Teases Season 3 Will Explore Julianne's Background". Collider. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (May 3, 2024). "'Night Court' Renewed For Season 3 By NBC, Episode Count Revealed". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Schwartz, Ryan (July 9, 2024). "NBC Reveals Fall Premiere Dates for The Voice, #OneChicago, Law & Order: SVU and More". TVLine. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e Manno, Jackie (January 19, 2023). "Everything to Know About Night Court's Incredible New Cast on NBC". NBC. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Petski, Denise (May 21, 2024). "'Night Court's India de Beaufort Exiting Ahead Of Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Nemetz, Dave (December 28, 2023). "Night Court: Kapil Talwakar Not Returning as Neil in Season 2". TVLine. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Otterson, Joe (January 18, 2024). "'Night Court' Revival at NBC Promotes Nyambi Nyambi to Series Regular (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (July 10, 2024). "'Night Court' Adds Wendie Malick To Season 3 As New Prosecutor". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  13. ^ Manno, Jackie (January 17, 2023). "Here Are All the Guest Stars Set to Appear on NBC's New Night Court". NBC. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  14. ^ Porter, Rick (June 7, 2023). "TV Ratings 2022-23: Final Seven-Day Averages for Every Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  15. ^ Porter, Rick (June 11, 2024). "TV Ratings 2023-24: Final Numbers for (Almost) Every Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Shows A-Z - Night Court on nbc". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d Salem, Mitch (January 19, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 1.17.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
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  19. ^ a b Berman, Marc (February 1, 2023). "Tuesday Ratings: Soft Return for NBC's La Brea; Another Solid Showing for the Peacock Net's Night Court Reboot". Programming Insider. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (February 8, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 2.7.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
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  22. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (February 23, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 2.21.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 1, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 2.28.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (March 9, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 3.7.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 15, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 3.14.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 29, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 3.28.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  27. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (April 5, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 4.4.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (April 12, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 4.11.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  29. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (April 26, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 4.25.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 3, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 5.2.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  31. ^ a b Salem, Mitch (May 10, 2023). "ShowBuzzDaily's Tuesday 5.9.2023 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals Updated". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  32. ^ a b Bunch, Rebecca (December 24, 2023). "Saturday TV Ratings 12/23/23: Extended Family Has Pitiful Post-NFL Showing, Night Court Rates Below Season One Average, SNL Christmas Grows in Second Airing". The TV Ratings Guide. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  33. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (January 4, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Fox Game Show The Floor Starts Well, NBC Sitcoms Night Court and Time Slot Premiere of Extended Family Are Adequate". Programming Insider. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  34. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (January 10, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: The Floor on Fox Improves Upon its Premiere, Quiet Return for La Brea on NBC". Programming Insider. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  35. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (January 17, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Fox Game Show The Floor Ascends Again in its Third Week". Programming Insider. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  36. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (January 24, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Celebrity Jeopardy! Season Finale on ABC Tops Broadcast Network Telecasts Among Key Demos in Prime Time". Programming Insider. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  37. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (January 31, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Vanderpump Rules 11th Season Premiere on Bravo Tops Prime Time Telecasts Among Adults 18-49 and 18-34". Programming Insider. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  38. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (February 7, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: CBS and Fox Share Prime Time Leadership". Programming Insider. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  39. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (February 14, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Solid Returns for the FBI Trio on CBS". Programming Insider. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  40. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (February 21, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Will Trent on ABC Earns its Top Total Viewer Performance To-Date with Second Season Opener". Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  41. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (March 6, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: Season Premieres of The Cleaning Lady and Alert: Missing Persons Unit Places Fox Behind Big-3". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  42. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (March 13, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: CBS Tops Broadcast Networks Despite Opposite The Voice and Return of Password on NBC". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  43. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (March 20, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: FBI Franchise Continues Prime Time Victory for CBS". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  44. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (March 27, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: NBC Sitcoms Night Court and Extended Family Conclude Their Seasons On-Par with Recent". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  45. ^ a b "Night Court: Episode Guide". Zap2it. Retrieved November 18, 2024. Click the "Episode Guide" tab to view all listed episodes.
  46. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (November 20, 2024). "Tuesday Ratings: 'Night Court' on NBC Returns at Slightly Below Spring Levels; 'St. Denis Medical' Steady in Viewers but Down in Demos in Week Two". Programming Insider. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  47. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (December 16, 2020). "'Night Court' Sequel In Works At NBC With John Larroquette As Dan Fielding, Harry Stone's Daughter As Focus & Melissa Rauch As EP". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  48. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 4, 2021). "'Night Court' Sequel Starring Melissa Rauch & John Larroquette Gets NBC Pilot Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  49. ^ Alter, Rebecca (May 4, 2021). "NBC Knows What the Youth Wants, Reboots Night Court". Vulture. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  50. ^ White, Peter (September 24, 2021). "'Night Court' Sequel Starring Melissa Rauch & John Larroquette Lands Series Order At NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  51. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 1, 2021). "Night Court: EP Melissa Rauch Set To Star With John Larroquette In Sequel At NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  52. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 8, 2021). "'Night Court': Ana Villafañe Joins NBC Sequel Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  53. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 16, 2021). "Night Court: Lacretta Joins NBC Sequel Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  54. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 7, 2021). "Night Court: Kapil Talwalkar Joins NBC Sequel Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  55. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 10, 2022). "Night Court: India de Beaufort Joins NBC Comedy in Recasting". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  56. ^ Rice, Lynette (February 13, 2024). "'Night Court' Star John Larroquette Says Making The Reboot Made Him Sad … At First". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  57. ^ "Night Court (2023): The Complete First Season (DVD)". Amazon. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  58. ^ "Night Court: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  59. ^ "Night Court: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  60. ^ Hughes, William (January 12, 2023). "Night Court review: The NBC revival (slowly) finds its rhythms". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  61. ^ a b Berman, Marc (January 18, 2023). "Tuesday Ratings: Solid Sampling for NBC's 'Night Court' Reboot; Peacock Net Tops Night". Programming Insider. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
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