Night Court fans are in for a treat with the next new episode of the 2025 TV schedule, as two of the most memorable guest stars both from the original series and the 2023 revival are on the way back. Brent Spiner and Annie O'Donnell's Bob and June Wheeler will return to vex Dan (John Larroquette) as much as ever, nearly 40 years to the date after their first episodes. I spoke with the Wheeler actors after I rewatched their first scenes from back in 1985, and they reflections made me all the more excited for their returns.
The Wheelers return in the new episode on Tuesday, March 25, called "A Few Good Hens." As you might be able to guess from the title – not to mention the kinds of characters that the Wheelers are – they're back in the courtroom due to an incident involving some chickens, with Dan once again tasked with defending his cursed nemeses... but this time, he's going up against Wendie Malick's Julianne Waters.
When I got the opportunity to speak with the stars, I first went back to their 1985 debuts as the Wheelers, thanks to the original series' availability with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. Bob and June were already funny from their very first scene, with their daughter Carol Ann (who would be played by The Big Bang Theory's Kate Micucci for the Wheelers' first revival arrivals) in tow. I shared with Annie O'Donnell that I'd revisited that episode from back in 1985, and she responded:
Oh my goodness! We were supposed to be just a one shot little bit there, and then they immediately started writing for us and and we probably would have done many more episodes, but Brent is such a fabulous actor and very, very popular actor, and he went off to do Broadway, so our reign on Night Court was interrupted a couple of times because of that.
Annie O'Donnell and Brent Spiner appeared in a grand total of six episodes from the original run of the series, with the former suspecting that they would have been around much longer if both of their schedules had been more free. Their arrivals in Season 2 last year made for their seventh episode, with the March 25 installment as their eighth. The actress, who appeared on Matlock opposite Kathy Bates earlier this TV season, went on:
Our last episode of Night Court, I guess it was our sixth episode, and we had bought the newsstand at the commissary in the courthouse, and the last scene of the episode was us at the table in the commissary with the series regulars. And as I recall, we had the last two lines and under us, it said 'To Be Continued.' And then a week later, Brent got Star Trek. [laughs] So that was it for the Wheelers.
Normally, guest stars reprising their roles so many times would be notable but not really spectacular, but that's not the case when all of those appearances span the past four decades! Brent Spiner, who has also been reprising his role as Data in Star Trek in recent years, shared his own take on the 40 years of Bob Wheeler:
Well, it's really interesting. When we first came back, it literally was, I think, 40 years since we had first done it, and that was interesting. What was really amazing about it is how quickly we slipped back into those characters.
When I noted that I'd rewatched those 1985 opening scenes, I had to point out that the Wheelers truly have been a curse for Dan over the course of nearly a half century. Spiner responded:
Yes, exactly. And that through line has remained… We are sort of his nemesis, which I couldn't be happier about.
Dan Fielding is never happy to see the Wheelers turn up in the courtroom, and fans won't want to miss the new episode on March 25 with the addition of another member of the family: The Resident alum Andy Ridings as Crash Wheeler. Kate Micucci returns as Carol Ann as well. And while Dan and the Wheelers aren't bosom buddies, Brent Spiner only had good things to say about working with John Larroquette again:
John Larroquette is one of the great comedic talents of all time, and that was easily recognizable in the first series. And as I said to him last year, when we did the first episode, I said, 'You haven't lost a step.' He is just fantastic. Really, it's an honor being in his presence and working with him, because he is a virtuoso.
It remains to be seen what kind of trouble the Wheelers cause in their latest return to Night Court, but it's probably a safe bet that their curse on the courthouse hasn't been broken since they turned up in Season 2. Annie O'Donnell commented:
We live for shenanigans! It's true, it's very true. But we had a blast. It's such a wonderful group of people to work with. I mean, the talent and the kindness and the just wonderful, wonderful sense of the love on that set is just pretty amazing. When you haven't done a role for almost 40 years, and you go back to a situation like that, at first, you're like, 'I wonder how this is going to be.' But they treated us like we were the king and queen of TV, and it's been a wonderful experience with two episodes that I've done so far. [laughs] They're just lovely, kind people and talented and funny and you name it.
"A Few Good Hens" airs on Tuesday, March 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC, following the latest installment of St. Denis Medical. Unlike Night Court, the medical mockumentary has already been renewed, so it's currently a waiting game to learn if Melissa Rauch and John Larroquette's show will return to Tuesdays in the 2025-2026 TV schedule. For now, you can always revisit earlier episodes of Season 3 streaming with a Peacock subscription.
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