Things were looking grim for theMelissa Rauch-ledNight Courtreboot at NBC followingits cancellation after three seasons. Despite hopes from the team that the sitcom could find a new home for courtroom hijinks by shopping the series, initial reports from TV Line revealed thatnobody was bitingon bringing back Judge Abby Stone and her staff for another run. Now, Rauch has delivered the show its sentence. In a recent post on Instagram, she finally addressed the show’s end and revealed that, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the Manhattan municipal court will be remaining closed.
“I have held off on posting anything aboutNight Courtnot continuing until I knew we did everything in our power to find another home for it,” Rauch said to open her post. Asa longtime fanof the originalReinhold Weegeseries starringHarry Anderson, the reboot was a passion project of sorts for her, uniting her withthe Emmy-winningJohn Larroquette, who became a standout on the 1980s-90s classic. She held out hope as long as possible for the series in hopes of continuing torealize the visionshe and the rest of the production team had for the show. “Perhaps it was being raised onThe Goonies' ‘Never Say Die’ motto or straight-up denial that I didn’t want this incredibly special experience to come to an end.”
Night Court’s declining viewership didn’t give the reboot much hope of finding a home in the end. After starting strong asthe most-viewed comedy series premiereon NBC since 2017’sWill & Grace, audiences continued to dwindle from season to season until reaching a low in Season 3 with an average of 1.95 million per episode. Only the ill-fatedSuits LAand the still in limboGrosse Point Garden Societysported worse ratings last season, making the call fairly simple for the network from a numbers perspective. Rauch said of her attempts to find a home forNight Courtthat, “after turning over all the stones there were to be turned over, we’ve learned that it is officially the hour to say ‘farewell.' Or at least ‘Until next time.'”
What Was the ‘Night Court’ Reboot About?
Helmed byDan Rubin, theNight Courtreboot followed Abby Stone, the daughter of Anderson’s Harry Stone, as she took over as the new judge of the Manhattan arraignment court’s night shift. Ever an optimist, like her father, she constantly saw the good in people, standing out among a new staff of cynics and oddballs, including Harry’s old friend and former prosecutor-turned-public defender, Dan Fielding, eccentric bailiff Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous (Lacretta), anda revolving door of prosecutors and clerksplayed byKapil Talwalkar,India de Beaufort,Wendie Malick,Nyambi Nyambi, andGary Anthony Williams. Together, they formed a strange workplace family navigating personal relationships and pursuits while staying prepared to sort throughwhatever bizarre defendants walk through the door.
By the end of Season 3, Rauch had plenty of opportunities tohang out with cool guest stars, reunite with old friends likeKunalNayyar,Mayim Bialik,Kate Micucci, andSimon Helberg, and bring back someNight Courtlegends likeMarsha Warfield,Brent Spiner, andAnnie O’Donnell. Though it ended sooner than she would’ve liked, the series was a rare chance to realize a dream and make memories on a classic television set. Now thatNight Courtis officially buried, she gave a heartfelt tribute to the series, her cast and crew, and to Weege for creating the format that started it all:
“As a kid whose best friend was TV, getting to play make believe with comedy legends on the recreation of a set I watched as a little girl felt like stepping through the looking glass in the best possible way. Walking through those iconic halls. Sitting at the cafeteria tables with the chairs from the original. Feeling the electricity from the live studio audience on a tape night while doing a courtroom scene surrounded by a brilliant, powerhouse group of actors, phenomenally gifted writers and the best crew in the biz. It all felt exceptionally dream-like. I was told that the original creator of Night Court, the great Reinhold Weege, said that the courtroom doors were key to the show’s engine as they ushered in endless stories. And I like to think that’s how Night Court carries on. Just as it did in the 30 years between the first incarnation ending and us beginning. The evergreen revolving door of oddballs and cynics populating that Manhattan arraignment court in the wee hours of the night and at the center of it all a workplace family that will forever be… until next time.”
Night Courtis now available to stream on Peacock.
Night Court
