Night Court--All You Need is Love (OAD January 4, 1984)

I'm going to do a little something different for this particular blog entry.  Here, I'm going to do a synopsis of a television episode of one of my favorite television series.  In this case, it is the premiere pilot episode of "Night Court," a key member of NBC's Must-See Thursday Lineup during the mid 1980s.  Now, in these synopses, I'm going to reveal some of the plot, so if you haven't seen the show yet, read at your own risk.  I'm also going to be giving out random bits of trivia about the episode, cast members, crew members, etcetera.  So, let's bring up the first case on the docket.

We're introduced to our first major character, Lana Wagner, the court clerk.  Get a good look at her, folks.  You won't be seeing her after the first few episodes.  She enters the judge's office and sees the guy who is supposed to be painting his office watching a naked couple in a building across the alley.  She quickly sends him out, and in comes out next main character, Bull Shannon, the towering bailiff, played by Richard Moll.  There's no sign of the new judge, and Bull wonders what this new judge is like.  Lana says that she doesn't know, since the ex-mayor filled all the vacancies in court on his last day in office.  Bull thinks it's mercurial.  For those that don't know what "mercurial" means Volatile; erraticl unstable; flighty; fickle or changeable in temperament.  This was one of Bull's earlier character traits--trying to make up for a lack of education, every month, he picks a word out of the dictionary and tries to use it all that month.

Lana:  My, how...
Bull:  Minimifidian? (minimifidian--having smallest possible degree of faith)
Lana:  Is that a real word?
Bull:  Does a bear extravasate in the forest? (extravasate--to force out or cause to escape from a proper vessel or channel {such as blood or urine})

Bull then takes a quick phone call from the mayor, and tells Lana to tell the judge that the mayor called before leaving.  We're now introduced to some guy named Harry carrying a box with random junk into the office.  Then we're introduced to our two attorneys--Sheila Gardiner of Legal Aid, played by Gail Strickland, and Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding, played by John Larroquette.  They, too, are wondering about the new judge.  Sheila hopes he has a background in criminal law, while Dan hopes he plays chess.  He also hopes that his first name is not Shecky.  A messenger then comes into the office with a package for Judge Stone.  Lana says that he's not here, while Harry is now watching the naked couple from the window, also revealing that he is their new judge.  Judge Harold T. Stone to be exact.

Messenger:  YOU are really a judge?
Harry:  Hey, if I weren't the judge, could I do this...(he then shoots those take snakes from a bazooka)...in his office?
Messenger:  No, I guess not.

Harry signs for the package, but doesn't tip him, feeling he might spend it on a Barry Manilow album.  The court officials then introduce themselves to their new judge, and they're all wondering how this man is a judge.


Now that the cold opening is over, let me give a little background on some of the cast.  Harry Anderson, who plays Judge Harry Stone, was a comedian who also performed magic tricks as part of his act.  Prior to appearing in "Night Court," he also made appearances on fellow Must-See Thursday show "Cheers," playing conman Harry the Hat.  Some fans have even theorized that Harry Stone was really Harry the Hat, but I can dismiss that theory with one fact--the fact that Cheers was produced by Paramount, and Night Court was produced by Warner Bros., and it would be highly unlikely that the same character could be on two shows produced by two different studios.  John Larroquette, who plays Fielding, was known for his roles in the TV show "Baa Baa Black Sheep," as well as his notable role in the film "Stripes."  Richard Moll, a.k.a. Bull, came to the show's audition with a shaved head, since he had shaved it for a film role, and the producers liked the look so much, they asked him to keep it.  He was also 6'8", which definitely makes him easily noticeable in the courtroom. 

Now let's get to the first act.  Harry enters the courtroom now wearing the official judges' robe as Bull begins the session.

"All rise.  Criminal Court, Part Two, City of New York, is now in session.  The honorable...(checks left hand)...Harold T. ...(then the right)...Stone presiding."

And here's our first look at what kind of judge this man is.  Just as he's about to sit down, he quickly stands back up, making everyone else stand up as well.  "GOTCHA!"  Needless to say, he's already testing Lana's patience.  Before she can hand him the first case on the docket, one of the spectators in the gallery recognizes Harry, and Harry recognizes him as Hacksaw, one of his friends who was practicing Three Card Monte.  Harry asks Lana to prepare Hacksaw's file, even though it's not the first case, and informs Sheila that her client's pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, which will cost him $50.  Before Lana and Sheila can get all their papers to Judge Stone, the case is closed.  Now, we get to the main case of the show, which involves a quarreling married couple.  It's here we're introduced to our last main character, Selma Hacker, the other bailiff, who helps the wife call her husband a scuzzball.  Bull then yells to stop the argument, before saying "Let's put a lid on this assiduousness". (assiduousness--Conscientious and unremitting diligence) Lana hands Harry the file on State v. Kerr, where the husband and wife were married for 27 years, the wife catches him with a prostitute, fires a couple of shots, misses them both by a mile, so the DA files for attempted murder.  Philip Kerr, the husband, Louise Kerr, the wife, and the prostitute, Carla Bouvoir, who prefers to be called Carla B., who's charged with attempted solicitation.  Harry is prepared to listen to the testimony, cross-examine the witnesses, consider the precedents that both attorneys have prepared, but he doesn't think it'll be necessary.  He calls for a short recess, during which time he orders the plaintiff, defendant, and the attorneys to go to a restaurant, sit down, and try to work it out.  Needless to say, it's highly irregular.  As soon as Harry leaves, Lana says that she can't work with him, while the lawyers point out that it's virtually impossible to remove a sitting judge from the bench, which means only one thing...Dan says they have to kill him.  End of Act One.

Act Two begins in Harry's office with him doing judge stuff.  Lana enters the office and tells him that she considers his actions impulsive, unorthodox, and totally irresponsible.  However, Harry's more concerned with the couple doing it again.  Lana honestly thinks that the judge is crazy, since there's an attempted murder charge, and he sends the plaintiff and the defendant out for a cup of coffee.  "What do murderers get, lunch?"  Harry admits his methods are informal, but he's optimistic that it'll work.  That is, before he sees Sheila and Dan coming into the office with disshelved clothing.  Obviously, no settlement with the Kerrs.  Harry honestly thought it would work, but Lana says it was predictable.

Back in court, the Kerrs are still fighting, with Bull keeping them separated with his arms.  Harry orders them to sit down and said that he ordered them to try and work it out, and members of the gallery being arguing on both sides before Harry shuts them up.  However, oohs and aahs are acceptable.  Court is soon back in session, and Harry points out that there are those that think he is not fit to be a judge (Lana), and those that think that he is crazy (Dan).  Frankly, he doesn't know.  He soon does a little palming trick on Lana and pulls the Coin of Justice from behind her ear.  He decides to film--heads, he's still a judge; tails--he resigns.  It comes up heads, so he's still a judge.  Lana decides to call for an ambulance, but Harry calls her back into the courtroom.  Harry then asks Phil if his marriage was a living hell.  Phil says yes, but early on, it was okay.  Romance has since been replaced by a really good night's sleep.  And so he goes to...the other woman (Carla B.).  He flips again for solicitation:  heads--I just fine you, tails--you go to jail.  It comes up heads again (I think you can see where this is heading).  Dan protests for the record, and Harry asks if he had a happy childhood.  Dan doesn't want to answer, but Harry threatens contempt, so Dan admits that he didn't.  Harry asks the crowd if they see what he's trying to do.  Even Bull. "I don't know what the hell's going on."  He's just talking.  You talk to people, you find out about them, and maybe you reveal a little about themselves in the process, but the main thing is, you get to know them, go inside their heads, etc.  Harry decides to flip again...

Sheila:  The defense wants heads, your honor! (jumping the gun, aren't we?)

And here's the jist--heads, Louise goes to jail for seven yars; tails, she's let go.

Just before the flip, Louise admits that she wouldn't have hurt him since she nursed him through three bouts of pneumonia and a gallbladder operation.  Phil admits that she loves her, and she the same.  Harry still wants to flip, but Phil points out that every time he flips, it comes up heads, and Harry admits that it's a double-headed coin (told ya).  So, therefore, by the power vested in him by the State of New York, Harry pronounces them...a little better off than they were before.  Phil and Louise make up, and the case is dismissed.

Selma:  I had a husband just like that.
Bull:  Oh, yeah?
Selma:  Yeah.  I had to shoot him, too.

Harry's about to call a recess when Dan asks how he got appointed to the bench.  Turns out that Harry was at the bottom of the list of candidates, and he was the only one that answered his phone because it was a Sunday, and no one else was home.

After court has ended, Harry's listening to his walkman when Lana walks in.  He says that he owns every Mel Torme record ever made and he's going to marry the girl who's impressed by that.  Lana points out that they're ready to lock up, and Harry thanks Lana for being patient with him since he's new, and that his name was at the bottom of the list, since he doesn't have much experience.  And every candidate goes through a thorough screening process, so no matter what everyone else thinks, he was still on the list.  Lana admits that what Harry did tonight was beautiful, saving that marriage, and decides to keep working with him, calling it an honor to call him Harry.  "Then it's fortunate I have that name."

It's a great start to a great series, and I should point out that early on in the run, Night Court was considered to be the most accurate legal show on television.  Yes, you heard that right.  Even with all the crazies in the courtroom.  Eventually, the show abandoned its "real world" setting and became more of a real-life cartoon (and even cartoon characters showed up in the courtroom).  The show's creator, Reinhood Weege, had experience in writing craziness in a legal setting as he was once a writer on "Barney Miller," which dealt with a police precinct dealing with crazy criminals.  "Night Court" also had several cast changes in its early seasons, which I will go into more detail into in future posts.

Night Court is owned by Starry Night Productions and Warner Bros. Television.  No challenge to their ownership is intended.