NBC 2023 Winter Programming Preview: ‘Night Court’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

NIGHT COURT -- Pictured: "Night Court" Key Art -- (Photo by: NBC)

We are living in quite the incredible time when it comes to television. After all, there are more shows on the air than there ever have been before, courtesy of the advent of the streamer, and to top it off, this surge in television shows has motivated a bevy of producers and writers to ponder upon some unique possibilities. Such as what a classic television might look like if it were revived in modern times for modern audiences. Not to mention, what might happen, if by chance… a refreshed version of a classic was given the opportunity to also serve as a sequel of sorts.
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Wherein the audience that knows the story can see what happened to the original characters after all these years, and how they’ve grown, and that’s led to the creation of some fascinating and powerful stories that utilize those concepts. Which all speak to the power of the march of time and how the years and life experiences can change us for sometimes better, sometimes worse. If anything, this particular type of show is top of mind today, simply because later tonight… a brand-new reimagining/sequel/revamping of a classic comedy will air on NBC. For ‘Night Court’ (2023) is a story that carries on the legacy of Judge Harry Stone and a few others along the way in a fascinating manner. 

A feat that this story accomplishes by introducing us to Judge Abby Stone (played by Big Bang Theory alum Melissa Rauch), the daughter of dear Harry, and she is following in her father’s footsteps and stepping behind the bench of the iconic New York Night Court with an old family friend alongside her. Because this is a story that also features the return of one Dan Fielding (played once again by the iconic John Larroquette), who returns to his old stomping grounds to defend folks this time around instead of handling prosecution duties, and well… that setup alone speaks to the uniqueness and significance of this continuation/‘new-boot’ of the franchise. 

Simply because this is a show that works to update a classic and pay tribute to what came before, and the new show honors the old easily, courtesy of the return of a Stone behind the bench and Dan himself, but what truly has us at NTG excited about this particular series… is what the cast and crew had to say about it at this week’s Television Critics’ Association Winter Press Tour event. Since they took to the stage to discuss this series and what it has to offer and what we learned was quite hopeful for certain. For this writer more or less came to learn that this series is going to be a beautiful blend of positivity and nostalgia, and that sentimental stuff that demands we give shows in this vein a look and our time. 

By giving us growth and thoughts on the journey that is life, likely through Abby and Dan. Since they have seen a few things and experienced a bevy of powerful moments since we last saw the Stone family and Dan in 1992. But make no mistake about it, this is a comedy through and through, one that will indeed lean into the laughs to provide us with a smile in these trying times. To top it off… it will undoubtedly bring up discussions and demand about the original series. Giving new life to an old story that was memorable enough that it warranted a new chapter. One that airs tonight on NBC at 8p EST with a two-episode series premiere, and we here at NTG hope you give it a look, because the passion we heard regarding this project, truly hints at something as special and as funny as the original.

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Notable Quotables from the ‘Night Court’ TCA Panel

John Larroquette on Revisiting Dan Fielding
“How often does an actor get a chance to revisit some character that he played three-and-a-half decades ago?  And what was the length of that journey and what happened to him in his life. And that became interesting to me, of how he might appear in 2022 as opposed to 1992, when we last saw him.”
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Melissa Rauch (Executive Producer/Abby Stone) Regarding the Show’s Blend of Old and New
“So, it's a bit of a new‑boot, a bit of a revival, because we really pay our respects to the original. It's obviously very much a part of the DNA in this show. Fans of the original, there's so much for them to love.  We're revisiting these wonderful stories in these walls that we all know and love. And, of course, we have the amazing John Larroquette reprising his role of Dan Fielding. So, there's all these Easter eggs that original fans will love.”

Dan Rubin (Executive Producer) Regarding the Show’s Balance of Realism and Comedy
“I mean, there are issues we'll creep in from time to time, and I think that we try and tell those stories. But I think first and foremost we're trying to make you guys laugh and take a little escape from the day‑to‑day of, yeah.”