The era of reboots and revivals seems to be never-ending, and NBC has now gotten in on the action. The network has released a video showing off a first look at the upcoming series Night Court, a rebooted sequel of the iconic 1980s sitcom of the same name. The series will star Melissa Rauch as Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of the original series’ protagonist, Judge Harry Stone (Harry Anderson).
According to the logline from NBC, Night Court will follow Stone “as she presides over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court and tries to bring order to its crew.” In the first look video released by the network, Rauch talks about portraying the daughter of one of television’s most iconic characters. “When we were pitching it, I kept calling it a ‘newboot’ because it’s very much a continuation of the show that I loved so much,” Rauch said. “[Abby] really wants to make a difference, she’s an eternal optimist.” It seems that, while Abby takes her job seriously, she also enjoys having fun in her role as justice-server, at one point holding up her gavel and telling the courtroom, “They gave me this fancy wooden hammer, so I get to do what I want.”
While Anderson passed away in 2018, there will be at least one familiar face joining the courtroom again, as John Larroquette is set to reprise his role as prosecutor Dan Fielding from the original series. Larroquette’s role earned him four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, and made him instantly recognizable to television fans across the country. “When the door first opens and we first see Fielding, Abby sees him for the first time what 35 years has done to this old salty dog,” Larroquette said. “Beyond back on Night Court, seeing the new fresh faces of these very talented comedians who I’m working with, makes it worthwhile.”
Rauch summed up her experience on the show, stating, “It’s really become this amazing workplace family.” Beyond Rauch and Larroquette, the series will also star Lacretta, India de Beaufort, Kapil Talwalkar, and Dimiter Marinov. Very few details about the show have been fleshed out, and it is unclear exactly how every one of these roles will play into the overarching story. It is seen that Lacretta will be portraying the court’s bailiff, Gurgs.
A potential Night Court reboot has been in the works for years, and NBC finally greenlit the series in May 2021, with Rauch and Larroquette attached to return. The show would be ordered to series by the network that September, and filming would begin months later. In addition to starring, Rauch serves as an executive producer on Night Court along with her husband Winston Rauch and Dan Rubin through After January Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Larroquette serves as an additional producer.
The first of Night Court’s 16 episodes will premiere on Jan. 17, 2023. The first look trailer from NBC can be seen below:
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