Night Court returned to NBC in the 2024 TV schedule with a two-parter that settled the question of whether Dan is Jake's dad. The hit comedy is already airing its fall finale on December 3, but there's plenty to look forward to in the 2025 TV schedule even beyond having Wendie Malick around full time as Julianne. Mayim Bialik is coming on board for a Big Bang Theory reunion with Night Court leading lady Melissa Rauch, who opened up about how all of her former cast mates are welcome.
Melissa Rauch spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets during NBC's press junket for Night Court Season 3 earlier this year, and Kunal Nayyar's guest-starring stint from Season 2 was still fresh in the memory and Mayim Bialik's arrival had not yet been announced. When asked if there were any other Big Bang cast members she'd like to see come on board, the actress shared:
There will be some Big Bang faces this season. We can't say officially yet, but I promise you more Big Bang faces to come. Those are my brothers and sisters, and I love them all so much, so anyone and everyone is welcome. I'm excited to get some more mini Big Bang reunions happening.
While Bialik's arrival has since been confirmed – complete with sweet posts from both Big Bang Theory alums – it's worth noting that Melissa Rauch said that Season 3 will feature "some Big Bang faces," which is plural! It remains to be seen who else may arrive when Night Court gets back in business in the new year, but it's nice to know that Rauch is so welcoming to the people she worked with on the show that made her into a modern sitcom icon.
Of course, Kunal Nayyar's arrival proved that teaming up on Night Court didn't mean falling back into their old habits as Raj and Bernadette, and that certainly will be true this season with Mayim Bialik playing a fictionalized version of herself. Melissa Rauch's Abby and Nayyar's Martini – yes, like the drink – made a love connection in his episode of Night Court back in February. (You can stream that episode with a Peacock subscription now.)
I asked Rauch to look back at what it was like to film a very different dynamic as Abby and Martini than as Bernadette and Raj on Big Bang Theory during NBC's event, and she shared:
Oh my gosh, it was so much fun! We hadn't seen each other because we talk all the time, but we actually hadn't physically been on a set together since Big Bang so we just kept on looking at each other the whole time. 'I can't believe you're here! I can't believe you're real!' I couldn't stop hugging him. I was just so, so thrilled to be with him. It was funny because obviously we had to kiss in that episode, which we had done before. I think it was like Season 3 or Season 4 on the show, not off camera. [laughs] One of the early episodes, but we had to have this very intimate moment of kissing each other.
No, Big Bang fans, you're not forgetting Raj and Bernadette starting a relationship during the course of the long-running series! Melissa Rauch and Kunal Nayyar did film a kissing scene, though, and undoubtedly could not have imagined that their next kissing scene would be on a totally different show as very different characters. And as it turns out, there was no awkwardness even with Melissa Rauch's husband on set. She went on:
My husband, who's also an executive producer, was on set, and he's close friends with Kunal also, but it was so funny to have him be there, [being] like, 'You should go harder on that kiss! Get into it!' [laughs] He was like directing just how passionately Kunal and I should be kissing.
At the time of writing, no major Big Bang Theory reunions beyond Mayim Bialik joining Melissa Rauch have been announced for Season 3, but we're only three episodes in by this point, so there's plenty of time for more good news if that's in the cards for the new year. For now, check out Kunal Nayyar and Rauch as Martini and Abby locking lips last season:
The fall finale of Night Court airs on Tuesday, December 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC following St. Denis Medical, but NBC has already confirmed when to expect Abby and Co. back. The winter premiere will air on Tuesday, January 14 at 9 p.m. ET. In the meantime, you can always revisit earlier episodes of the first two seasons on Peacock and/or all twelve seasons of The Big Bang Theory streaming with a Max subscription.
