'Night Court' Expected to Pause Season 2 Production Amid Writers Strike
The writers' strike is putting a lot of shows out of production, and NBC's Night Court might be the latest one. Deadline reports that the series is in production on its second season, but sources say that it's impossible for a multi-camera comedy to continue working without writers due to the amount of fixes done before and during filming. So Night Court is expected to close doors on the courtroom for now.
As of now, there is no way of knowing how long the strike will go on for. Plenty of shows are halting production, and unfortunately, there is no end in sight as writers continue to urge studios to give them what they're asking for. As per the NBC fall schedule, Night Court is expected to air in the fall, where it will be on a Tuesday night comedy block, but since the network has yet to announce premiere dates, that may change depending on how long the strike will last.
NBC initially renewed Night Court for a second season in February, not even a month after its series premiere. The first season only had 16 episodes, and it's unclear if the number will rise for the second season or, because of the strike, it will stay the same. It's likely that shows will see a decrease of episode numbers for this upcoming season, much like with the writers' strike 15 years ago. However, nothing is confirmed, nor will it likely be confirmed until the strike is over, which is hopefully soon.
In the event that a show like Night Court won't be able to air due to delays caused by the writers' strike, NBC has a strike contingency in place. The network acquired two seasons of Canadian medical drama Transplant, likely to serve as a placeholder on either the fall or midseason schedules to keep the schedule consistent. The first season aired on NBC in 2020 during COVID, while the second season aired in 2022. With the third season already having aired in Canada, the network will likely be ready to place it on the schedule wherever need be. And if it's not used in the fall, then it will probably find a permanent spot for midseason.
It may be a while until Night Court Season 2 premieres, but since there's no set premiere date yet, fans shouldn't have to worry just yet. In the meantime, however, it is streaming on Peacock, so fans will be able to keep occupied until the time comes.