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Night Court: The Complete Third Season
Old television series from when I was a young kid really makes me realize how different things were back then. Whether it has to do with video game systems (Atari to Wii/PS3) or even with something action figures; things have change dramatically in the past twenty to twenty-five years. You can't sit back and tell me action figures are the same when back then there were maybe four points of articulation and now some of them virtually move on their own. Major differences separate everything between the decades and that holds true for television series too because there is just nothing on the air now that even holds a candle to Night Court.
Night Court is a really simple show with an easy premise to follow. A New York City courtroom is bound to have tons of crazy characters walk in and out of it every single evening. It's too bad that most of the nuts in this particular court are those that work there daily. Running the whole show is Judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson) that has an affection for Mel Torme and loves magic. His two city-appointed lawyers are the ever-charming Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) and the beautifully naïve Christine Sullivan (Markie Post). We can't forget court clerk Mac Robinson (Charles Robinson) and bailiff Bull Shannon (Richard Moll) who round out the cast. Season three would also be the one and only set of episodes that saw Bailiff Florence Kleiner (Florence Halop) as a part of the cast. Thank goodness it was only one season too because her voice and entire presence bothered me. This season would also mark the first full-time appearance of Christine as she had merely shown up casually in the first two.
Believe it or not, they were able to get a full nine seasons of a series that took place 99% of the time in a single courtroom. Kind of amazing when you think about it, but it was a premise that worked and worked well. Some episodes were nothing more then random court cases sprinkled with comedy and the running lives of the cast. Other episodes took on themes such as Christmas or Halloween or even the hurricane episodes from this very season. Most of the time things were kept light and humorous even though there was a bit of a serious tone when it called for it which the cast pulled off very well. Night Court honestly had everything that a sitcom could want except for even small changes in scenery, but it truly wasn't ever needed.
At the time when this season first aired; I was too young to really appreciate the great humor and comedy that was going on. Nor could I grasp the concept that things that happened to particular members of the cast would be continued on in later episodes or mentioned again in seasons to come. That was what really made Night Court so fantastic and you'll begin to see that here in season three with Mac and his wife Quon Le. Quon Le became a running character on the show and it was almost as if you become a part of their family because you always know what is going on with them. Let's not forget other "minor" characters that became staples of the series like the aforementioned Mel Torme and also comedian Yokav Smirnoff; both of whom make appearances here in season three.
While the first few seasons may not be my favorites; they're still a lot of fun and full of laughs for anyone to enjoy. As I've gotten older, not only do I appreciate the jokes and situations more but I find them funnier then most new material on television today. Kind of sad when you think about it, but watch any of these episodes and tell me they aren't funnier than something like Gary Unmarried or whatever else calls itself a sitcom today. Things are only going to get funnier too as the other seasons of Night Court are released because Roz (Marsha Warfield) will soon show up and adds a brand new face and personality to an already crowded courtroom.
Episodes
Disc One:
~ Hello, Goodbye
~ Dad's First Date
~ Mac And Quon: No Reservations
~ Halloween Too
~ Best Of Friends
~ Dan's Boss
~ Up On The Roof
Disc Two:
~ Wheels Of Justice Part 1
~ Wheels Of Justice Part 2
~ Dan's Escort
~ The Night Off
~ Harry And Leon
~ The Apartment
~ Leon, We Hardly Knew Ye
Disc Three:
~ The Mugger
~ Could This Be Magic
~ Monkey Business
~ Flo's Retirement
~ Hurricane Part 1
~ Hurricane Part 2
The DVD
Video:
Each episode is shown in 1.33:1 Full Frame format and they look well enough to enjoy for them being an old sitcom, but the age of the series shows. When you realize that they are all about twenty-five years old with this season then you understand why things look sort of hazy and at times as if they were filmed with a hand-held camera. Not really worth complaining over honestly, but nothing was done to fix up Night Court at all.
Sound:
Presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Sound; there's nothing to fret over here either. Everything from the series is 99% dialogue and it can be heard clearly at all time without problems. Same goes for the wickedly awesome theme music that everyone can't help but hum along with. There are English and French subtitles included.
Extras:
None - Not a single solitary thing. Bah.
Final Thoughts:
There is no way for me not to tell you to go out and buy this DVD set right now because Night Court is one of the funniest and best sitcom series of all time. You don't even have to own or have seen the first two seasons of the series to follow along because you can pick up from anywhere. No special features kind of hurts the score of the set as a whole, but doesn't make it any less valuable. Go grab it, laugh your butt off, and listen to the sweet sounds of jazz fill your room as the opening credits roll for each episode. Highly Recommended.
Danny lives in New Orleans with his dog and writes plenty in way of movies, sports, and life over at Examiner, IP Movies, and Associated Content. If you're looking to keep up with all he does though, there's always Twitter or Facebook.
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