Night Court on DVD? (1 Viewer)

[ElAhrai]

Hi all,

I know that a while ago Warners said that they were discussing the possibility of releasing Night Court on dvd. Does anyone know if it has moved beyond just discussions?

Thanks

 

[Dane Marvin]

Dave Lambert asked about it at the last Warner chat and they shot it down. Not looking good for the near future, but maybe down the line. It certainly deserves to be on DVD. Remember the episode that had the runaway wheelchair carrying a corpse? You would see it fly past in the background from time to time. Uproarious.

 

[ElAhrai]

Yeah, man that was a great show. I loved the one where Dan and Roz were stuck in the elevator with the Sumos.Man, I wish I was more on the ball when it was being shown on A&E and taped it.

Oh well, hopefully someday down the line they'll release it.

 

[Andrew Radke]

I loved 'Night Court'. When I was a kid I used to watch it in syndication every day. I'm not sure which is my favourite. I've actually forgotten most of the episodes. lol. I know the ones where Yakov Smirnov (sp?) appeared, I found myself laughing hysterically. I'd pick this up instantly if it were to become available on DVD.

 

[Jaime_Weinman]

I suspect that what might be holding this up is that the first season had a somewhat different cast from the one most viewers are used to. (Karen Austin was the clerk; Paula Kelly was the defense attorney, replacing Gail Strickland from the pilot.) They might be worried that season 1 wouldn't sell for that reason. Even in season 2, when they solidified the cast by adding Charles Robinson as Mac, the public defender was Ellen Foley as Billie; Markie Post's Christine only appeared in one episode, and didn't become a regular until season 3. (Reinhold Weege, the creator of the show, apparently wanted Post all along, but she couldn't get out of her contract with The Fall Guy.) And then there's the whole female-bailiff issue and The Curse of the Night Court Bailiff (Selma Diamond, Florence Halop).

Maybe WB should release the first and second seasons together (season 1 was only 13 episodes). Season 2 was a good season, and it has enough of the familiar characters and humor that it would appease NC fans for the lack of Markie Post.

 

[Tony Whalen]

I'd snap this up in a second. Of course, I'm also a Mel Torme fan...so I can identify with Harry.

I'd forgotten about the runaway wheelchair! Funny stuff!

 

[ElAhrai]

I like the idea of a Season 1+2 box set. It'd be the first bit of TV on dvd for me to buy actually.

Until then I'll just have to hope that TVland or Nick at Nite pick it up.

 

[Matt Finney]

Actually, David initially asked about it, but I brought it back up later in the chat. Here's the question I asked Warner, per the chat transcript.

{MattFinney} Thanks for being here. I'm sorry to hear Night Court isn't being considered (hopefully to be released very soon). Anyway, how about releases for the classics Battle of the Bulge and No Time
for Sergeants?

{warnerbros} BATTLE OF THE BULGE is coming next year. No plans for NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS, but its something we could consider. But be advised that NIGHT COURT actually IS under consideration, with no final decision yet.

So, there is hope that Night Court will be available on DVD soon. In the meantime, I am enjoying the re-runs on the Biography Channel. Now I can replace all of my crappy tapes with TiVo quality video.

 

[Dean Portman]

It would be a great shame if this show didnt make
it out on DVD, Mac and Bull kicked ass.

 

[Craig S]

I really liked Season 2 with Ellen Foley. She was kind of quirky and had a unique chemistry with Harry Anderson.

I would probably buy at least the 1st 3-4 seasons. It got a little tired for me near the end of its run.

 

[david_slater]

count me in for Night Court!
i want it all...

 

[Joseph Bolus]

... From the "Memorable Quotes" section of IMDB:

Harry Stone: [quickly] You see, after I found out she was married I tried to grab my clothes but they were thrown out the window, then I tried to grab my robe which was hanging on a scaffold, then my underwear got caught on a nail and then they blew away.
Bull Shannon: I hate when that happens.


:wink:

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Count me in for this series!

 

[John Kilduff]

I've been watching the Biography Channel reruns, and I would absolutely love this on DVD. So many funny lines were balanced out by excellent dramatic acting. I'd buy this in a heartbeat.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

So, who was your favorite bailiff?

 

[Randy_Cre]

Night Court is high on my list of wants. There were too many that I thought were hilariously funny to pick as my favorite, but the one that sticks out as very memorable to me was one of the more poignant ones, when Stephen Root guest starred as a doctor who claimed to be Death. I think it was one of the best-written episodes.

Thinking of Stephen Root... I wish they'd hurry up with those extras on NewsRadio and get that 1st & 2nd season set out soon!

 

[ElAhrai]

Matt,

That's encouraging news. Hopefully the DVD sets come out sooner rather than later.

And the show's on Biography now? Damn, I don't get that channel. Stupid lousy karmic retribution.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Yeah, him and about 20 million other guys.


Regards,

Joe

 

[Tony Whalen]

Yowza! I've never seen THAT picture before!

Favorite baliff? Bull, all the way.

Had a chance to meet Richard Moll a few years back. He was very nice and gracious as I pestered him for an autograph.

 

[Jaime_Weinman]

My favorite female bailiff was definitely Selma. Every line out of her mouth was funny, and the height difference between her and Bull was a delight, especially when she'd reach up to whack him on the head. And Selma Diamond was great -- she was not only a performer, but a writer for Sid Caesar, and the probable inspiration for Sally on The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Florence was all-too-obviously an attempt to create the same type of character as Selma, and it didn't work for me, though Florence Halop (maay she rest in peace) was good. Roz was a different sort of character, and was good in her own way; her best episodes were the two-parter about her diabetes and the one where she takes Christine to a male strip club.

Oh, and I liked Ellen Foley too; I was just saying that many NC fans think of Markie Post as the one, true Night Court public defender (I do think Post was the best of the lot), and might be disappointed that she's not in season 1 and appears only once in season 2.

 

[David Lambert]

As has been pointed out all through this thread, I would kill to get Night Court on DVD. S1/S2 combo initial package would work. And to help guys buy the set who simply drool over Markie and will miss her, it wouldn't hurt to promote Ellen's sex appeal. Just include a pic on the back of the box from the scene where she flashed her butt out of Harry's chambers window. :wink:

Of course, all you could see was her from the front, but just the suggestion of it always got me, um, happy. :b

Both PD's were good in their own way. Baliff-wise, I absolutely adored Selma, hugely, but I have to got with Roz as my favorite. But the Selma/Bull relationship was priceless.

But the character of Dan Fielding simply needs to be preserved on DVD, it's that simple. How many Emmy Awards does it take to prove that?

I'll close by pointing out that the highlights were always some of the guest shots. Michael J. Fox's appearance. Yakoff, as mentioned, and Brent Spiner, of course. Mel Torme actually showed up, of course...more than once. But to me, the epitome of "Must See TV" was anytime John Astin showed up; frigging hilarious!!!


"But I'm feeling MUCH better now..."