Critic Reviews

[Dan Fielding is] drafted by Abby in the opening episode to be her courtroom’s one and only public defender, which makes no great sense yet suits the whimsical nature of this satisfying show, which successfully realizes the essence, the rhythms, the gentle humor, the gestalt, the Weltanschauung of a 1980s sitcom.

The good news about Night Court is that it gets noticeably better as it works its way through its first season, and as the rest of the cast find enough grasp of their characters to begin, if not matching Rauch and Larroquette, then to at least not bog them down. The highlights, as with the original show, are often the courtroom scenes themselves: Rauch, Larroquette, and De Beaufort tossing zingers off of each other while weirdos parade through.

Larroquette is well-matched with Rauch, who plays Abby with a spiky cheerfulness reminiscent of characters like Leslie Knope and Kimmy Schmidt. The chemistry between the two is enough to carry the first few episodes, which, like even the best workplace sitcoms, takes a few episodes to find its footing. The supporting cast is mostly solid. ... It acquits itself well.

The new version has more than enough to like about it, and it gives us hope that as the writers figure out the supporting characters, the show will take off, just like the original one did.

While Rauch was the one who got the laughs on “The Big Bang Theory,” she’s largely the set-up person here. ... Larroquette, however, isn’t just stunt casting. He delivers. ... De Beaufort and Talwalkar are largely window dressing in the opener but they become active participants as the series unfolds. ... Lacretta, though, has the ability to steal every scene she’s in.

Abby is a relentless, cat-blouse wearing optimist who pushes everyone to realize their full potential. It is a testament to Rauch, an adept and amiable comedian, that the character comes across as endearing instead of annoying. Larroquette brings a new warmth to the now-widowed Dan, but he still serves as the needed bitter to Abby's sweet — and he still gets all the best lines.

If you do tune in, whether it's because you loved the original series or because you're curious about why The Big Bang Theory's Melissa Rauch (who also executive produces) is so passionate about this specific project, give it some time and you'll be rewarded with a sitcom that, while never quite hitting the highs of the original, manages to stand out as a unique offering in a crowded field.

The supporting cast play their roles broadly and without a lot of nuance, making their characters extremely one-dimensional. Larroquette, who always made Dan more than his snarky comments, and Talwalkar, whose Neil is figuring out what he wants to do with his life, are the notable exceptions.

While it certainly ticks the boxes for comfort food TV, and John Larroquette has done some interesting things with his curmudgeonly Dan Fielding, there’s ultimately nothing actually funny that comes from transplanting a very ‘80s series into 2023.

It still reliably makes us laugh, but we just wish it wasn’t so completely dependent on one character to generate those laughs, as legendary as that character (and the actor who plays him) might be.