Night Court on DVD? (1 Viewer)

[dietcola]

another too-far-out season opener. but, inasmuch as i really didn't tune in to this show to see dan fielding performing an appendectomy in a frozen tundra, i'm starting to appreaciate more than ever the anything for a laugh live-action cartoon this series became. season five is perhaps a _slight_ step-down from four; we'll see how six (creator reinhold weege's last) fares...

 

[dietcola]

well, five episodes in to season seven and this might be the turning point. or maybe i just need a break. in any case i notice i'm not laughing as much as i was through 4, 5 & 6. i always thought year eight was where it nosedives, and we're not too far off from that. all the same, i'll wait until mid-season to be sure.

 

[JoshuaB.]

I recently picked up Warner’s complete Night Court DVD set (the entire series cost as much as one of the Warner Archive season sets) and have enjoyed revisiting the first four seasons. I grew up with Night Court reruns while it was still on the air, so I still remember the episodes, though not some of the famous guest stars, like Pam Grier as a pregnant single mom!

My family stopped watching Night Court late in the series run, so I’m expecting rough waters after creator Rheinhold Weege left. (I hope it’s better than the current sequel show, which I sampled and did not like.)

 

[dietcola]

i've a handful of shows left in season seven and there's been around 7/24 keepers. it's not hitting anywhere near like before, and you can really feel it slipping away. weege made the right choice to leave when he did. (and it gets SO much worse from here.)

(I hope it’s better than the current sequel show, which I sampled and did not like.)

didn't see the way-too-late 2023 revival. this kind of thing only depresses me.

 

[dietcola]

anyone seeing a very _very_ slight vertical "jitter" in season 8 on the COMPLETE SERIES DVDs? i've noticed it in 8x06 crossroads, part i (@ 22:34. starts on "why would i wanna be anywhere else..." through to the end). EDIT: to be clear, the entire picture twitches slightly.

unfortunately, i also see it in 8x08 (starts @ 1:31. "you're a slug."). continues in the opening credits until there's what looks like a tape issue at the top of the screen (see below, outlined in red) which clears it up. comes back later, though. haven't checked past this episode yet.

 

[BobO'Link]

anyone seeing a very _very_ slight vertical "jitter" in season 8 on the COMPLETE SERIES DVDs? i've noticed it in 8x06 crossroads, part i (@ 22:34. starts on "why would i wanna be anywhere else..." through to the end).

unfortunately, i also see it in 8x08 (starts @ 1:31. "you're a slug."). continues in the opening credits until there's what looks like a tape issue at the top of the screen (see below, outlined in red) which clears it up. comes back later, though. haven't checked past this episode yet.

View attachment 209186​

That is a tape issue. Looks like a minor tracking issue but could also be minor damage on the tape.

 

[Robbie^Blackmon]

That is a tape issue. Looks like a minor tracking issue but could also be minor damage on the tape.

Yep, a lil' tape damage. At least we weren't "protected" from seeing imperfections like a certain American comedy show about roommates or a British series that features different actors playing the title role. Sometimes, shows like that and others have damage that is just sooo damage-y that we have to have whole scenes removed just so it won't remind us that we're watching videotape (or film with those nasty scratches, dirt spots and grain! Bad stuff!).. that is subject to damage.. and doesn't last forever.. but must look perfect, or else!

Really, though. I hate it when the Doctor Who Destruction Team, or Time Life, or whoever released The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, feel the need to make edits to programs to "cover damage". You don't always have to be a hot-shot editor and decision-maker and Ultimate Consumer Protector Against Video Distractions. 99.999(recurring)% of us know what to expect from old shows.

Just put 'em out as complete as you can find them and: Stop. Making. Changes.

Or, am I the only one who thinks (yes, detractors who are blocked, "thinks") this way?

Edit: And, unrelated: I just noticed that the 1st and last discs in the Night Court case are snapped onto hubs that are taped onto the inside surface. The whole hub and disc combo keeps popping off and flopping around in the case when it flexes upon opening or closing. That's a new one.

 

[dietcola]

That is a tape issue. Looks like a minor tracking issue but could also be minor damage on the tape.

i'm OK with tracking lines, but the whole picture twitching for minutes at a time is really irritating. i'll start making a note on my edits list of any affected episodes.

 

[dietcola]

i still really, REALLY hate the whole "phil foundation" arc, but season 8 wasn't as bad as i remembered! while there weren't many big laughs, i sure... smiled a lot. overall, it was worth sticking with it just to spend more time with that wonderful cast. year eight also pulled off three examples of something approaching vintage NIGHT COURT -- "death takes a halloween", "nobody says 'rat fink' anymore" & "it's just a joke".

i'm about to go into the abomination that is season 9. let's get this thing over with...

 

[dietcola]

finished up 9x22 tonight, meaning the lion's share of the syndication edits list is complete!

 

[Robbie^Blackmon]

finished up 9x22 tonight, meaning the lion's share of the syndication edits list is complete!

I for one appreciate the time you took to compile that long list of trims. Are you planning on re-editing the episodes to make them complete-er, where there's material missing from the dvd? I could do it easily, but I don't have access to the syndie versions.

 

[dietcola]

when the very first one i wrote-up included a non-DVD scene, i figured there'd be a lot more. turned out that the next (and only other major) example came 54 shows later! excluding a missing batch of clip-show repeats, it's really just those two episodes, S4-end. my syndicated copies came from usenet, 15 years ago. they don't look good or play well.