IR TV Review: NIGHT COURT - EPISODES 1 & 2 [NBC]
Revisiting an older concept, even something as freewheeling as "Night Court" means it needs to be running on all thrusters. Like "Cheers", "Night Court" was an aspect of its time and how freaky late night in NYC back in the mid 80s could be. Today it is a little better though some of the weirdness that percolated though some of the politically incorrect elements that made the original "Night Court" more of a late night roast are not really possible today. Most of the original cast is gone. Mac, Christine, even Harry Stone are unfortunately gone as those actors have passed. Dan Fielding in the guide of John Larroquette is still in play and his progression is an interesting one because it requires perspective from where he was before. Balancing it in a different way is Melissa Rauch who spearheaded this show resurrection as Harry's daughter Abby. There is a manicness to her but we see what is propelling her because nowadays being a judge in Night Court is likely a different kind of appointment.
The new cast of characters around her, save for Dan, are of a different generation and bathed in millenial ideals yet still have different concepts of identity. The show still pushes the idea of keeping each other up in spirits while bad decisions are still bound to happen around them and to them. Fielding has been through it all before with a sense of knowing. By the second episode, there is a sense of possibility but besides Larroquette, even Rauch who had her timing perfect on "Big Bang Theory", is still seemingly trying to find a sense of timing (one that melds with Harry's and her own). Time will tell if she and the rest of her cast settles into a groove. It depends on likability and pushing the boundaries (which a similar styled and similarly shot "2 Broke Girls" did) while still remembering its IP. It is not quite up to snuff yet and is seemingly trying too hard, but it does have big shoes to fill. Here's to hoping there is a later Bull run...or maybe not. B-
By Tim Wassberg
