Manhattan at 3:00 AM is a weird place. It’s even weirder when you’re standing in a courtroom presided over by a guy doing card tricks. For nine years, the stars of Night Court turned a grim municipal reality into one of the most beloved sitcoms in history.
Honestly, the show shouldn't have worked. It was dark, often crude, and featured a revolving door of bailiffs who kept dying in real life. Yet, here we are in 2026, and people are still obsessed with what happened to the original crew and how the new "new-boot" crew stacks up.
The Magic and Tragedy of Harry Anderson
Harry Anderson wasn't just playing a magician; he was one. Before he ever put on the robes of Judge Harry T. Stone, he was "Harry the Hat," a street-hustling magician who appeared on Saturday Night Live to trick people out of their wallets.
He brought that specific, chaotic energy to the bench.
People often forget that Harry Stone was supposed to be the "sane" one. He wasn't. He was a guy who worshipped Mel Tormé and kept a giant statue of an armadillo in his chambers. Tragically, Harry Anderson passed away in 2018. It felt like the end of an era for fans who grew up watching him navigate the absolute circus of the Manhattan Criminal Court. He lived his later years in New Orleans, far from the Hollywood machine, running a magic shop and a jazz club. He lived exactly how you’d hope Harry Stone would have retired.
The Emmy Magnet: John Larroquette
If there is one person who defines the stars of Night Court, it is John Larroquette. His portrayal of Dan Fielding—the narcissistic, sex-obsessed prosecutor—was so good it actually became a problem for the Emmy Awards.
Larroquette won four consecutive Emmys for the role.
Think about that. Four in a row. It got so ridiculous that he eventually asked the academy to stop nominating him. He basically said, "Look, I've got enough, let someone else have a turn." That’s a level of "I’ve made it" that most actors only dream of.
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What’s wild is how much he’s changed for the revival. In the original series, Dan Fielding was a predator in a three-piece suit. In the 2023–2025 revival, he’s a grieving widower working as a public defender. It’s the same dry wit, but with a soul. Seeing Larroquette return to that set was the only reason many old-school fans gave the new show a chance.
The Curse of the Bailiffs
There was a grim running joke for a while that the bailiff's seat on Night Court was cursed. It started with Selma Diamond, who played the gravel-voiced, chain-smoking Selma Hacker. She was a legend from the old school of comedy writing, but she died of lung cancer after just two seasons.
Then came Florence Halop. She played Flo, another diminutive, sharp-tongued bailiff. She also died of cancer after just one season.
It was a heavy vibe for a comedy show.
That cycle only stopped when Marsha Warfield joined the cast as Roz Russell. Roz was different. She was younger, tougher, and didn't take any of Dan Fielding's nonsense. Warfield actually made a surprise return in the reboot, showing up as a private investigator. Seeing her back on screen in the mid-2020s felt like a beautiful full-circle moment for fans who remembered the revolving door of the early years.
Markie Post and the Heart of the Show
For most of the show's run, Markie Post was the moral compass as Christine Sullivan. She was the perfect foil to Larroquette’s Fielding. While Dan was trying to find a loophole to get a criminal off (or get a date), Christine was genuinely trying to help people.
The chemistry between Post, Anderson, and Larroquette was the engine of the show.
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Sadly, Markie Post passed away in 2021 after a long battle with cancer. Her death, along with the passing of Charles Robinson (the ever-dependable court clerk Mac Robinson) in the same year, made the 2023 revival feel bittersweet. It’s hard to watch the new court without missing Mac’s cardigan and Christine’s earnestness.
The "New-Boot" Stars: Melissa Rauch and the 2026 Shift
When Melissa Rauch—best known as Bernadette from The Big Bang Theory—announced she was executive producing and starring in a Night Court revival, a lot of people rolled their eyes. "Another reboot?" they asked.
But Rauch was a genuine fan. She plays Abby Stone, Harry’s daughter.
The show found its own legs, lasting three seasons on NBC before its cancellation in May 2025. But here’s the kicker: as of February 2026, the entire revival series has just hit Netflix. It’s seeing a massive "Suits-style" resurgence.
The new stars brought a different vibe:
- Lacretta (Gurgs): She filled the massive shoes of Richard Moll’s Bull Shannon. Bull was a 6'8" gentle giant; Gurgs was a high-energy, fiercely loyal bailiff who kept the halls from falling apart.
- India de Beaufort (Olivia): She played the ambitious prosecutor role, though with a modern twist that focused more on career ladder-climbing than the "sleaze" of the 80s.
- Nyambi Nyambi (Wyatt): Joining in the later seasons, he brought a grounded, single-dad perspective to the clerk’s desk that felt very 2020s.
Why Richard Moll Never Came Back
One of the biggest questions fans always ask is why Richard Moll wasn't in the revival. Moll played Bull Shannon, the hulking bailiff who once famously said he was "waiting for the mothership."
Honestly? Moll just wasn't interested.
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He had a complicated relationship with the show's legacy and spent years doing voiceover work (he was a legendary Two-Face in Batman: The Animated Series). He lived a quiet life until his passing in late 2023. While fans held out hope for a cameo, it never happened. He stayed "Bull" in our memories, towering over the desk and occasionally hitting his head on the doorway.
Common Misconceptions About the Show
People think Night Court was a "prestige" show because of all the Emmys. It wasn't. It was a live-action cartoon.
There was an episode where a guy claimed to be a space alien. There were the Wheelers—Bob and June—the unluckiest "hillbillies" in the world who appeared in almost every season. Fun fact: Brent Spiner, who played Data on Star Trek, was Bob Wheeler. He even came back for the revival in 2024 to play the character again.
Another mistake? Thinking the show was filmed in New York.
Melissa Rauch famously talked about being a kid in New Jersey and begging her parents to take her to see the real Night Court, only to find out it was filmed on a lot in Burbank, California. The "Manhattan" you see in the opening credits is just movie magic.
Actionable Insights for Fans in 2026
If you’re looking to dive back into the world of Judge Stone and Dan Fielding, here is the best way to do it right now:
- Watch the Netflix "New-Boot": The 2023-2025 revival is currently trending on Netflix. It’s a great entry point if you want to see how the humor has evolved.
- Track Down the "30 Rock" Reunion: If you want a meta-experience, watch the 30 Rock episode "The One with the Cast of Night Court." It features Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charles Robinson playing themselves, trying to give the show a "proper" ending. It’s hilarious and heartbreaking.
- Check Out "The John Larroquette Show": If you only know Larroquette from the courtroom, watch his 90s sitcom. He plays a recovering alcoholic running a bus station. It’s much darker and shows the range that earned him those five Emmys.
- Visit the Real Night Court: Yes, it exists. 100 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan. It’s not as funny as the show, and there are significantly fewer card tricks, but it’s an experience.
The legacy of the stars of Night Court isn't just about the jokes. It’s about the idea that even in the middle of the night, in a room full of people having their worst day ever, there’s room for a little bit of magic and a whole lot of humanity.