‘Night Court’ Revival With ‘Big Bang Theory’ Star Gets Big Thumbs up at NBC

The Night Court revival starring original series actor John Larroquette and The Big Bang Theory‘s Melissa Rauch just got some great news. On Friday, NBC gave the show a series order, reports Deadline. This means that at least a few episodes will be produced, and possibly more depending on the show’s success. Rauch serves as an executive producer with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt executive producer Dan Rubin.

The new series has been in the works since at least December. Rubin wrote the pilot, which will introduce Judge Abby Stone, the optimistic daughter of the late Judge Harry Stone, played by the late Harry Anderson in the original series. Rauch will play Abby, who even followed her father as the night shift judge of a Manhattan arraignment court. Larroquette will return as Dan Fielding, who is somehow still a prosecutor working at night. New cast members include Ana Villafane as an assistant district attorney, Lacretta as bailiff Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous, and Kapil Talwalker as court clerk Neil. The series earned a formal pilot order in May.

Rauch and her husband, Winson Rauch, are executive producing the new show under their After January production banner. Rubin is an executive producer, with Larroquette as a producer. Warner Bros. Television, which produced the original series, is joining Universal Television and After January to produce the new show. This will be Rauch’s first show since The Big Bang Theory ended. She played Bernadette, who was introduced in Season 3. It is not clear if NBC plans to air Night Court during the 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 TV seasons.

The original Night Court aired for nine seasons, between 1984 and 1992, on NBC. It was created by Reinhold Weege, who died in 2012 at 62. Sadly, several members of the original cast have died recently as well. Anderson died in April 2018 at 65. Markie Post, who played Christine Sullivan, died in August at 70. Charles Robinson, who played court clerk Mac, died in July at 75.

Larroquette won four Outstanding Supporting Actors in a Comedy Series Emmys for his performance in Night Court and later won a fifth Emmy for The Practice. He also has a Tony for his performance in the 2011 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. His recent TV credits include The Librarians; The Brink; Me, Myself & I; Blood & Treasure; and The Good Fight.