NBC is ordering Night Court back in session. The network has placed an order for an unknown number of episodes of a sequel series to the classic 1980s/90s sitcom.
The new series will focus on the previously unseen daughter of original star Harry Anderson’s Judge Harry T Stone, Abby Stone, as she takes the bench in a lower Manhattan court and will have to presumably deal with the same parade of crazy criminal defendants that her father dealt with over nine seasons. Melisssa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) will star as Abby Stone, with John Larroquette returning from the original series to reprise his role as Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding.
There is no word as to whether the network is looking to use the show as a mid-season replacement during the the current television series or if it is looking to hold it for later, either next summer or the 2022-2023 season.
Rauch originally approached NBC with the concept of reviving the series as a project she wished to produce. During development talks with the network, she had been convinced to star in the project as well. The network ordered a pilot last May.
Created by Barney Miller vet Reinhold Weege, Night Court premiered as a mid-season replacement in January 1984. For nine years, comic magician-turned-actor Anderson presided over a steady stream of oddballs that came through his court. Although most of ensemble cast came and went, he Larroquette and Richard Moll were the only cast members to stay with the show for its entire run.
Although not an immediate hit, the network renewed Night Court for a full second season where it found its audience as part of NBC’s powerhouse Thursday night comedy lineup. The series would get nominated for nine Primetime Emmys over the course of its run including three Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy nominations. Larroquette won trophies for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series four times.
