When train is delayed, Abby sees an opportunity to serve underground justice. Gurgs tries to start the proceedings so Abby can meet her two favorite celebrities.When train is delayed, Abby sees an opportunity to serve underground justice. Gurgs tries to start the proceedings so Abby can meet her two favorite celebrities.When train is delayed, Abby sees an opportunity to serve underground justice. Gurgs tries to start the proceedings so Abby can meet her two favorite celebrities.
Photos
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsEpisodes 1 through 6 and 8 have Abby's name plate read "Abigail Stone", until in Episode 8, Blood Moon Binga (2023), it's revealed to her and the audience that this is not actually her full name. Her name plate being adjusted to Abby - clearly based on this revelation in the next episode - shows that these aired in reverse order of how they were intended and shot.
- Quotes
Donna 'Gurgs' Gurganous: You're not a true New Yorker until you buy rat traps, a hammer and an egg sandwich from the same store at 1 A.M.
- ConnectionsReferences Law & Order (1990)
Featured review
Halfway through the first season and Reinhold Wedge must be spinning in his grave
With 7 episodes down in a 13-episode season, the rebooted "Night Court" is roughly at its halfway point, and things are not looking good. Of course, it did take the original "Night Court" time to find its rhythm, and it had to endure recast several different actors in the public defender role before Markie Post, as well as the unfortunate deaths of two bailiff actors (Selma Diamond and Florence Halop). But the cast in this version displays zero chemistry.
Let's start with the lead - Melissa Rauch. While this is her "passion project", she is not a lead character. She was an ensemble player in Big Bang Theory, and a sometimes annoying character at that. Her one lead movie role that I can think of ("The Bronze") was disappointing. Rauch gamely tries to channel Harry Anderson's optimism, but just doesn't have it. And let's be real - her height (4' 11-3/4" according to IMDB) makes framing shots challenging, especially with the 6' 4-1/2" John Larroquette. She's just wrong for this part - maybe as the assistant district attorney role, but not as the judge.
Having John Larroquette back as Dan Fielding was a casting coup. But they've basically clipped the character's wings. They made him a public defender which was an odd choice. Then they made him sad lonely widower with no interest in dating. That's NOT Dan Fielding. It would have been much more interesting to see how a 1980's Dan could navigate in the 2023 workplace. And in all fairness to John Larroquette, he already looks like he's tired of playing "new Dan" (and that's not due to his age).
The bailiff ("Gurgs" - what a horrible nickname) needs to be written off. Lacretta's IMDB credits are slim and she comes off on-screen as weird, but not in the innocent yet menacing way that Bull (Richard Moll) could carry off.
Court clerk Neil (Kapil Talwalkar) isn't too bad, does a credible job and could grow in the role.
The one character that is almost invisible is the assistant district attorney Olivia (India de Beaufort). She has zero personality and is immediately forgettable. Maybe she should have been cast as the public defender or court clerk instead. Since she's a Brit, she could have been allowed to use her natural accent - that would have at least made her more interesting.
Lastly, but most importantly, is that AWFUL laugh track. What is this, the 1960's? I get that the first season is already in the can and nothing can be done about this. But in the unlikely event there is a second season, the producers need to suck it up and go for an in-studio audience (as did Big Bang). It gives the performance a more natural feel. An artificial laugh track is just that - artificial. (Did you know that most laugh tracks recycle laughter from audiences from decades ago, even from TV's Golden Age, so chances are we're listening the laughter of dead people.)
There's little hope that this season will improve. I suspect even if there is a Season 2 that Larroquette might not choose to play the same character again. If that happens, that's the opportunity to recast the attorneys, either replacing India de Beaufort or putting her in the public defender role. And if there is a second season, drop Lacretta and recast the role. Surely there are other more talented Black women that can play this role. Lacretta is dragging the whole show down.
BOTTOM-LINE: Season 1 of the rebooted Night Court is an embarrassment to the original. It is an insult to the memory of the original actors that have passed (Harry Anderson, Markie Post, Charles Robinson, Selma Diamond, Florence Halop, and others - even Mel Torme). If this survives its initial run, it probably needs to be relegated to Peacock.
Let's start with the lead - Melissa Rauch. While this is her "passion project", she is not a lead character. She was an ensemble player in Big Bang Theory, and a sometimes annoying character at that. Her one lead movie role that I can think of ("The Bronze") was disappointing. Rauch gamely tries to channel Harry Anderson's optimism, but just doesn't have it. And let's be real - her height (4' 11-3/4" according to IMDB) makes framing shots challenging, especially with the 6' 4-1/2" John Larroquette. She's just wrong for this part - maybe as the assistant district attorney role, but not as the judge.
Having John Larroquette back as Dan Fielding was a casting coup. But they've basically clipped the character's wings. They made him a public defender which was an odd choice. Then they made him sad lonely widower with no interest in dating. That's NOT Dan Fielding. It would have been much more interesting to see how a 1980's Dan could navigate in the 2023 workplace. And in all fairness to John Larroquette, he already looks like he's tired of playing "new Dan" (and that's not due to his age).
The bailiff ("Gurgs" - what a horrible nickname) needs to be written off. Lacretta's IMDB credits are slim and she comes off on-screen as weird, but not in the innocent yet menacing way that Bull (Richard Moll) could carry off.
Court clerk Neil (Kapil Talwalkar) isn't too bad, does a credible job and could grow in the role.
The one character that is almost invisible is the assistant district attorney Olivia (India de Beaufort). She has zero personality and is immediately forgettable. Maybe she should have been cast as the public defender or court clerk instead. Since she's a Brit, she could have been allowed to use her natural accent - that would have at least made her more interesting.
Lastly, but most importantly, is that AWFUL laugh track. What is this, the 1960's? I get that the first season is already in the can and nothing can be done about this. But in the unlikely event there is a second season, the producers need to suck it up and go for an in-studio audience (as did Big Bang). It gives the performance a more natural feel. An artificial laugh track is just that - artificial. (Did you know that most laugh tracks recycle laughter from audiences from decades ago, even from TV's Golden Age, so chances are we're listening the laughter of dead people.)
There's little hope that this season will improve. I suspect even if there is a Season 2 that Larroquette might not choose to play the same character again. If that happens, that's the opportunity to recast the attorneys, either replacing India de Beaufort or putting her in the public defender role. And if there is a second season, drop Lacretta and recast the role. Surely there are other more talented Black women that can play this role. Lacretta is dragging the whole show down.
BOTTOM-LINE: Season 1 of the rebooted Night Court is an embarrassment to the original. It is an insult to the memory of the original actors that have passed (Harry Anderson, Markie Post, Charles Robinson, Selma Diamond, Florence Halop, and others - even Mel Torme). If this survives its initial run, it probably needs to be relegated to Peacock.
helpful•66
- jp7570
- Feb 23, 2023
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