In trial cases, sometimes the jury deliberation period takes a while. Then there are times where they come back with a verdict surprisingly quickly. When it comes to NBC’s revival of “Night Court,” the jury wasn’t out for very long before coming back with a verdict. Even though the sitcom itself only employs a judge, we don’t think her honor will have a problem with their decision in this case.
After airing four episodes across three weeks, “Night Court” has been renewed for a second season. The revival of the classic sitcom, led by the late, great Harry Anderson, is doing incredibly well in the hands of his on-screen daughter, played by Melissa Rauch. The freshman program racked up 7.4 million total viewers with a 1.0 in the key demo rating. While this may not seem like a lot to write home about, it very much is in the current television landscape.
To put it gently, the network sitcom has been a dying breed over the last decade or so. More remarkable is unlike other programs like “The Office,” “Frasier,” “Friends,” and “Seinfeld,” the original “Night Court” has had very little streaming or physical media presence. As popular as the show was, you never hear reports of companies fighting for the rights to stream it.
So for the revival to be pulling in numbers high enough to make it the most-watched premiere of the broadcast season is really saying something.
Maybe part of the success is due to the approach of making it a continuation instead of a reboot. Even though several of the original cast members have passed on, they did manage to get John Larroquette to reprise his role as Dan Fielding. Keep in mind this was a role Larroquette played so well, he literally had to recuse himself from Emmy nominations after winning four of them consecutively. His presence, combined with the affection his character has for Judge Abby Stone (Rauch), arguably gives the show a sense of heart that is endearing enough to help it succeed.
“Night Court” is currently airing Tuesdays on NBC and streaming service Peacock.
