Night Court was an NBC sitcom that aired from 1984 to 1992. The series followed young judge Harry Stone (Harry Anderson), who was a bit unconventional in his methods, while on the night shift at a Manhattan court. You could always rely on the episodes to be funny and to feature some pretty wacky characters, but that’s what we loved about this 80s sitcom. It showed a different side of New York, and a different side of people, given the nighttime versus daytime aspect. The show was on for nearly 10 years, so there are plenty of things in that time we took note of. Still, there are a few facts that were likely overlooked, so here are 10 hidden details about the main characters that everyone missed.
Gomez Addams Was On The Show
Okay, not literally Gomez Addams, but the man who played him, John Astin, did have a recurring role on Night Court. He was initially portrayed as Judge Harry Stone’s stepfather, when in actuality he was really Harry’s biological father (gasp!). A little drama to shake things up on Night Court was due now and then, and Astin proved his comedic talents weren’t just reserved as the patriarch of the Addams family.
Bull’s Full Name
‘Bull’ Shannon was a tough-looking guy, which made him a perfect bailiff. Bald head, tall and muscular, the guy looked intimidating. The thing is, he was more gentle and innocent than his appearance let on. It was adorable the way he’d exhibit a low pitch whine that would transition to a wail whenever he was angry or upset, storming off as he did so.
Like his appearance, his name doesn’t suit his true personality, either. At least, not the ‘Bull’ part of it. Bull’s real name is actually Aristotle Nostradamus Shannon, which is suiting, albeit unusual.
Last-Minute Creativity
Season eight was expected to be the final season, so NBC gave free rein over how the show would end. Just as everything seemed lined up and ready to go, however, NBC swooped in and renewed the series for a ninth season. Stuart Kreisman, a former writer for the show, said in 1992, “It took us the first two or three episodes of this year to undo all the stuff we set up last year.” He also mentioned that they had been “screwed creatively,” so they essentially had to wing it throughout the ninth season. Imagine that kind of pressure!
A Removal From The Emmys
John Larroquette (who played Dan Fielding), won four Emmy awards between 1985 and 1988. People loved his portrayal of the character, but surprisingly, Larroquette didn’t think he deserved any more recognition, so he asked the Television Academy to not consider him for further awards for his portrayal of Dan Fielding.
According to Larroquette, his reasoning was that he didn’t think his work was as good as it was, and though he knew his character had made a big impression on audiences, studios, producers, directors, and writers, he wanted his character to fade into the background a bit to give him the opportunity to do something else in the future.
Kramer Was On Night Court
Michael Richards, aka the actor that would be known as Jerry’s strange but hilarious neighbor Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, made a court appearance on Night Court. He proved he was the man destined to play Kramer in his role as a burglar that believed himself to be invisible, showing up naked in court at one point. You have to truly believe in your invisibility, or be totally comfortable in your naked form to pull this off. Richards played the part perfectly, and this is truly one of the best characters to show up on Night Court.
The Lack Of Seriousness On Night Court
The show, according to John Larroquette “doesn’t make any pretense of dealing with issues that are impossible to address or solve in the sitcom format.” Whereas some shows start out as comedies or try to balance comedy with reality, Night Court’s focus was just on comedy.
They wanted to make audiences laugh and used many methods to do so, from wacky characters to its frequent use of political incorrectness. Comedy held up well for the show, keeping it onscreen for nearly a decade much to audiences’ enjoyment.
Sex Workers & Pimps
The sex workers and pimps on the show, as creator Reinhold Weege disclosed, were actually named after friends of his. We have to wonder how his friends felt about that, but it’s kind of a cool fact. At least it’s some kind of nod or acknowledgment of the people in Weege’s life, and if nothing else they can joke about the fact that Night Court’s sex workers and pimps were named after them. How many people can have that particular claim to fame?
Dan Fielding’s Character Evolution
Dan didn’t necessarily start out as the womanizer that he eventually became. He was more on the conservative side. According to John Larroquette, who played Dan, his character changed to align better with Larroquette’s personality.
Creator Reinhold Weege saw that Larroquette “was this maverick, crazy” and took the opportunity to write the character differently. We’re glad he did, otherwise we wouldn’t have the Dan Fielding that we know and love!
Sometimes Staying Home Pays Off
Harry was initially questioned by his co-workers because he’d been far down the list of prospective judges. In a way, his appointment as a judge is something of a happy accident, as he was the only one home to receive the call and accept his nomination. Staying home instead of going out might seem boring, but for Harry it paid off as a rewarding career and introduced a zany judge into the mix of a New York City courtroom. Sometimes cases require judges out of the ordinary, and Harry fit the bill, so it was just meant to be.
The Show Is Inspired By Real NYC Judges
According to the creator of Night Court, Reinhold Weege, he was “moved by the craziness of New York Manhattan night court.” He then came up with the idea of having a wacky judge, and Harry Stone was born as a judge that was unconventional and young to boot. It’s crazy to think that anything from Night Court could be based on something real, which has us a little concerned for humanity but glad for the laughs and the inspiration that it provided for the hit that was Night Court. It opened up an opportunity to see another side of humanity, alongside the law, and was entertaining all in one.
