Revivals and reboots seem to be all the rage lately, and it’s not hard to see why. NBC’s Night Court revival has been doing some impressive numbers since its premiere. With original star John Larroquette returning to the courtroom as Dan Fielding, the series has recaptured the magic of the original, and it has already been renewed for a Season 2. While his return to reprise Dan Fielding has been successful, Larroquette opened up about how hard it was to come back.
The original Night Court aired from 1984 to 1992 and starred an ensemble cast, and a number of the stars have passed away since the show's end. Harry Stone actor Harry Anderson died at 65 in 2018, and both Charles Robinson and Markie Post, who portrayed Mac Robinson and Christine Sullivan respectively, died in 2021. The news was particularly hard for John Larroquette, who was in the process of the revival when Robinson and Post passed away. He tells Deadline how hard it was to return to the role in the midst of losing his castmates and friends:
When we first started this, it was only Harry who had passed away. During the process of this and shortly after this, both Charlie Robinson and Markie Post passed away. When Melissa and I began to meet, I couldn’t look at her and go, ‘Oh, you remember when?’ because she hadn’t been there. We did have a couple of people on the crew who were part of the original, so I could give a side glance to Susie or Pixie, who could remember. But it was sort of like, I see dead people, but not in a maudlin way or scary way.
Losing longtime co-stars shortly before starting a revival series wasn't easy for John Larroquette, but it's at least nice that some of the crew on the new show were also on the original. Larroquette was able to keep the memories alive while working alongside new co-star Melissa Rauch, who plays the daughter of the late Judge Stone, and the rest of the Night Court newcomers.
The premiere of Night Court revealed that Judge Stone died, and while not a whole lot of context was given, it was just enough to let the viewers know his fate. In a way, the revival keeps the memories of Anderson, Robinson, and Post alive, introducing new viewers to the original series. Some other original stars are supporting the revival, like Marsha Warfield via social media. Maybe a Roz appearance is in the future?
When it came to a Night Court revival, The Big Bang Theory’s Melissa Rauch loved the idea of bringing a show that is “sitcom gold” back, with a female perspective. It’s definitely proved to be a good thing, as people continue to revel its glory amidst a TV renewal streak.
Watch the original Night Court now with an Amazon Prime subscription to see the original courtroom crew, or stream the revival with a Peacock subscription to see Melissa Rauch take over the helm from Harry Anderson. New episodes air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC as part of the 2023 TV schedule.
