'Night Court' Reboot: Can A Successful Sitcom Of The Past Make It Today?

I recall watching the original "Night Court" sitcom on a regular basis in the 1990s. It was not because I found the show particularly funny. I think it was because it followed another TV show that I actually enjoyed watching, and I had nothing else to do. (Ah yes, the wonderful days before the internet where you scheduled your day around your favorite TV shows.) The jokes made me smile and chuckle at times, but I don't recall any memorable moments that made me laugh. But many people found it entertaining since it was aired from 1984 to 1992 and won numerous awards.
After years of teasing, NBC recently aired the reboot of "Night Court." While it has been at least one generation since the original series finale, it maintains some connection to the past. Judge Harry Stone from the original series has passed away and his daughter Abby Stone just accepted the night court judge position that her father held. Despite her youthful looks, she demonstrates her sharp wit when she catches a so-called psychic in a lie.
Unfortunately, the public defender abruptly quits on the first night of Abby's job and she needs to find a replacement quickly. She turns to someone her father used to work with: Dan Fielding. He was the prosecutor in the original series but is now a process server who appears to have success finding those who don't want to be found. Abby goes to Dan's house where she finds a disheveled man who has lost interest in being a lawyer and apparently a lot of other things. After some reminiscing, Abby successfully recruits a reluctant Dan to become the public defender on a temporary basis.
Three new characters are introduced. Olivia is the prosecutor who seems to see her job as a consolation prize and is probably biding her time until her PSLF term expires and her student loans are forgiven. There is also Neil the court clerk who probably wants to stay at least one mile away from any law school. And then there is the sole bailiff Gurgs, who seems to share some of the personality quirks of the two bailiffs from the original show.
For the lawyers, obviously the show is not known for its realism. Like the previous version, the court proceedings are a little less formal than real life. The defendants (and sometimes the court audience) are as zany as expected in a comedy sitcom. It almost feels like watching "Judge Judy." Most defendants won't get much farther than the arraignment, and I will be surprised if there is a trial.
It appears that the judge, prosecutor, and the public defender will be working on and deciding every single case on the court's docket. So it will be interesting to see how the show portrays a small group of court staff interacting with one another with mostly adversarial positions without getting at each other's throats.
Expect some changes considering the present times. The reboot will likely have fewer and tamer office romance stories. Dan was a prolific womanizer in the original series -- his character today would single-handedly revive the #MeToo movement. The reboot cast is diverse, although it should be noted that the original cast was fairly diverse as well.
Fans of the original series may want to know what happened to some of the original characters. While nothing is explicitly mentioned, there are some hints. For example, Christine Sullivan, the public defender from the original series had a romantic interest with Harry and Dan. So did she end up marrying one of them? The reboot suggests who she did not marry, although it is not airtight and a surprise could be sneaked in later. And what in the world happened to Bull after he left the Earth?
It remains to be seen whether a revival of a popular and award-winning show will fit in the present day. Most of the recent attempts at rebooting old titles were dull at best and contemptible and cringeworthy at worst. Shows seemed equally or more concerned about lecturing rather than entertaining. Iconic characters of the past were given unwanted personalities that audiences couldn't relate to and ultimately turned them off. So far, the new "Night Court" seems to avoid making these mistakes.
But there are some moments that can polarize the audience. For example, in the second episode, Abby wants a portrait of her favorite Supreme Court justices on the wall. Who they end up being could trigger some people. While it would be wise to avoid sensitive subjects, especially for a comedy, it is inevitable.
So is the new "Night Court" worth watching? I say yes, although there is a lot of room for improvement. Lawyers will get more enjoyment out of the show by focusing on the character interaction rather than analyzing whether the judges and attorneys are applying the law correctly. The return of Dan Fielding brings back nostalgia for the fans of the original and those who long for the halcyon days of '80s comedy. Like with its predecessor, I smiled and chuckled a few times although I had no memorable moments of suffocating laughter. The comedy seems more focused on making as many people chuckle as possible (although these days, that is not a bad thing). While I am looking forward to the remaining episodes, I'm hoping by the finale, I won't feel forced to watch it.
<strong>Steven Chung is a tax attorney in Los Angeles, California. He helps people with basic tax planning and resolve tax disputes. He is also sympathetic to people with large student loans. He can be reached via email at stevenchungatl@gmail.com. Or you can connect with him on Twitter (@stevenchung) and connect with him on LinkedIn.