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The Night Court revival brings the show back with some notable changes that delivers surprises and a fresh feel. Running for nine seasons from 1984 to 1992, the original Night Court was part of the now-legendary NBC Thursday Night Must See TV line-up. The revival show looked to capture some of that nostalgia, but it made clear it was going to be an entirely different series than the original. This is due to most of the original cast not being involved in the revival, and the one returning character being problematic by modern standards. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the new show won’t share the original series’ DNA.
The action of the series centered upon the wacky antics that ensued during the night shift in a Manhattan criminal arraignment courtroom overseen by Judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson). Though the original Night Court cast consisted of defense attorney Christine Sullivan (Markie Post), prosecuting attorney Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), clerk Mac Robinson (Charles Robinson), and bailiffs Bull Shannon (Richard Moll) and Roz Russell (Marsha Warfield). Half of the original Night Court are now deceased with Harry Anderson, Charles Robinson, and Markie Post all passing away within the last several years. Of the surviving ensemble, only John Larroquette is returning for the revival. His character of Dan Fielding presented the biggest obstacles and opportunities for the Night Court revival.
Dan Fielding Was The Biggest Challenge Of The Night Court Revival
It makes sense that the producers of the Night Court revival would want Larroquette on-board for the new series, as Dan Fielding was Night Court‘s breakout character of the original show and Larroquette won an unprecedented four consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series in the role. Though the Emmys are not as important as they used to be, the achievement is still remarkable. However, Dan Fielding is also the single most troublesome element of adapting the original series for the 21st century.
While Dan was meticulous in his work and resisted repeated attempts at bribery, he was also an unrepentant womanizer for most of the series run. Much of the show’s humor was based around Dan sexually harassing Christine Sullivan and other women around the courthouse, making his character problematic. However, the series finale of Night Court found Dan resigning his job to follow Christine, realizing that he loved her and wanted to prove that he could change for her. Though Dan is shown to be quite unpleasant in the Night Court revival, that growth is quickly hinted at as he decided to become a public defender. Judge Abby Stone (Melissa Ranch), the daughter of Night Court‘s original Harry Stone
The Changes Helped Make The Show A Hit
Though incorporating Dan into the Night Court revival might have seemed difficult, it also shows why the new show works. There were some understandable reservations about bringing back such a beloved show with so few members of the original cast returning. However, the Night Court revival’s renewal for season 2 as well as positive critical reaction proves it wasn’t such a bad idea after all. In fact, the way the show deals with Dan is one of the early indicators the revival was going to try some new things.
The show clearly knew the Dan that existed in the original Night Court would not work in a modern sitcom, however, it is also obvious they saw something beneath the character worth returning to years later. Having Dan take on the more selfless role of a public defender emphasizes the heart the show has and the empathy shown to the characters that come in and out of the court. While the new Night Court characters might not live up to the originals yet, Dan’s return shows why the show was worthy of a revival.
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