‘Night Court’: THR’s 1984 Review

On Jan. 4, 1984, NBC unveiled Night Court, which went on to air for nine seasons and get a recent revival. The Hollywood Reporter weighed in with a full review, headlined “Night Court convicted of being consistently amusing TV sitcom,” as it entered its sophomore run:

Night Court is a consistently funny sitcom created by Reinhold Weege, a writer-producer for the old Barney Miller series. Its venue, weekly parade of various weirdos, and quirky regulars are reminiscent of Miller. And, like Miller, Night Court has more laughs per episode than most sitcoms.

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Anchoring the series is Harry Anderson, as unorthodox Manhattan arraignment court judge, Harry Stone. Judge Stone is sharp and fair, but he seizes every available opportunity to turn due process of law into an excuse for levity. Anderson manages to wring just the right amount of irony out of lines like, “Being a judge means never having to say you’re sorry.”

Judge Stone’s amusing colleagues, returning from last season when the series debuted as a midseason replacement in January, are played by Richard Moll, Selma Diamond and John Larroquette. Moll’s Bull Shannon is a profoundly simple, six-foot, eight-inch-tall bailiff given to pithy scowls. Larroquette’s Dan Fielding is a lecherous, opportunistic district attorney with an arrogant hairstyle. He’s a perfect foil for Harry’s relaxed brand of integrity.

Then there’s Diamond’s Selma Hacker, the court’s chain-smoking matron. Gravelly-voiced Diamond is a gruff pixie of a lady, with a knock out sense of timing, and a distinct style of delivery. When Selma growled, “Make my day,” at someone in a recent episode, even Clint Eastwood might have flinched. But Diamond can also be endearingly vulnerable. Such was the case in an episode in which Selma floated around in lotus land after being anesthetized for minor surgery. Diamond’s originality is the stuff Emmy nominations are made of.

Night Court‘s four returning regulars are all marvelous. New regulars are shakier, mainly because writers still seem to be figuring out what to do with them. Charlie Robinson has joined the cast as the court clerk, replacing last season’s Karen Austin. Robinson has a flair for cynical grins, but his function in the series isn’t altogether clear yet. Same is true of Ellen Foley’s new character of an idealistic, overly zealous lawyer. Foley showed promise in the episode that introduced her character. Originally, Shelley Hack was set to join the series this season as a public defender who would become romantically involved with Judge Stone. That didn’t pan out. Whether Foley’s D.A. will become romantically involved with the judge still seems to be up in the air. In episodes sampled, the only character who seemed a potential soul mate candidate for involvement with the judge was a laughing nun, compellingly played by guest star Dinah Manoff in the season premiere.

Night Court‘s plots usually focus on its characters’ idiosyncrasies. Sometimes they revolve around cases involving bizarre crimes, a la Barney Miller. One case concerned a cat burglar. That is, a man who stole his pet from a cat food company using it as a product mascot. Night Court‘s writers are clever at coming up with situations that examine the absurdities of being human. It’s a series full of oddballs, whacky tendencies and strange behavior. But the approach is always compassionate, tolerant and warmly humorous. NBC should be commended for sticking by this sitcom, even though its ratings have suffered, up against the second half of CBS’ Simon & Simon. It has the potential to gradually attract more viewers, as word of mouth spreads. Night Court airs on Thursdays, 9:30-10 p.m. — Gail Williams, originally published on Nov. 30, 1984

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