Classic TV: Night Court (1984)

What Barney Miller did for police, Night Court set out to do for small claims courts. Of course, it helped that Court sprang from the mind of writer-producer Reinhold Weege, who'd been a writer for Miller.

Night Court was a mid-season replacement series that bowed in January 1984, and continued for 9 seasons total. Harry Anderson top-lined as judge Harold T. Stone, a good-natured jurist who tried to find the positives in everyone. In the course of those 9 seasons, Stone went through three public defenders and three female bailiffs. Weege cast actors who'd worked on Barney Miller for small roles. For example, Florence Halop, who joined the show in season 3, had made a few appearances on Miller, but while her character's name changed with each appearance, she'd retain the same appearance. Halop was brought in after Selma Diamond had passed away following season 2. Regrettably, Halop herself passed on at the end of the season, and Marsha Warfield took over in season 4.

Much of the background by-play, beginning in season 3, was Stone courting public defender Christine Sullivan (Markie Post, ex-The Fall Guy), who in turn had to fend off the lecherous advances of prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette, ex-Black Sheep Squadron). Standing tall in the background was bailiff Bull Shannon (Richard Moll), a gentle giant who wasn't exactly the sharpest tool sometimes.

Miller alumnus Florence Stanley was cast as another judge, and was later spun off to join Paul Reiser & Greg Evigan on My Two Dads. Unfortunately, that was as close as viewers would get to see anyone from Miller's core cast appearing on Night Court.

The following intro/closing comes from the pilot, produced in 1983. Gail Strickland was replaced soon after.



During the show's run, the producers brought in John Astin (ex-The Addams Family) as Harry's dad, and, in addition, singer Mel Torme made frequent appearances (Anderson was a fan).  Today, it'd be real cool for a cable network to run Night Court alongside Barney Miller, just for comparison's sake, although Court devolved into slapstick comedy later in the run. There was also an experiment where Looney Tunes icons Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote made a guest appearance. I'll have to locate that one for Saturday Morning Archives.

Rating: A.