This fall not one comedy was on the NBC schedule. None No room with nine LAW & ORDER series all getting slots.
What they have been developing comedy-wise also seems derivative. Their big jewel is a reboot of NIGHT COURT, a very funny series from the ‘80s. The new version stars John Larroquette (from the original) and Melissa Rauch. Why even attempt to bring original ideas to broadcast networks? ABC reboots ROSEANNE and THE WONDER YEARS. NBC took a shot with WILL & GRACE. CBS brought back MURPHY BROWN and now has either spin offs of Chuck Lorre shows or reboots of UK comedies. Fox doesn’t even pretend to be in the live comedy business.
They’ll never find the next FRIENDS or CHEERS or SEINFELD that way.
And even then, networks seem to have little faith in these recycled ideas they’re mounting. NBC announced Friday that NIGHT COURT would be held for the 2022-2023 season. And they weren’t even specific that it would premier in the fall. They believe in it so much they’re saving it for at least a year, maybe more.
Let’s look at the timeline, shall we? This version of NIGHT COURT was developed last December, it got a pilot order in May (thus too late for the fall schedule), and was picked up to series in September. In all likelihood, from idea to airing thirteen episodes (if indeed the order was for 13, it could have been 6), could be well over two years.
Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming (nice title) said “We love NIGHT COURT and believe in it.”
That may be true, but…
Here’s the reality in show business: When they truly do believe in something they can’t get it on fast enough. Movies would sometimes be held for peak periods like summer or Christmas, but television doesn’t sit on a show for a year if they really thought it had potential. In fact, they do hour episodes, or super-sized episodes, or rush the series to air. If one expression symbolizes network television it’s “serve it while it’s hot.”
So NBC doesn’t really don’t believe in NIGHT COURT and will bury it later. Or, their comedy development is woeful and they don’t have anything to go with it and might not for a year, or they just don’t really believe in comedy at all. Considering there’s no comedy on their schedule now, which of the three would you suppose is the closest to the truth?
Please put NIGHT COURT on the air while the people who saw the original are still alive.
36 comments :
Reboot a TV show whose two leads are dead. Brilliant. Why not reboot THE BURNS AND ALLEN SHOW while they're at it? But I prefer to see the cup half full: At least it's nice to know that the people now running network television HEARD OF these shows.
Wasn't their attempt at the next SEINFELD Whitney Cummings's sitcom, or was that another network?
For what it's worth, "The Wonder Years" reboot is pretty good. I didn't watch the original, but I'm really enjoying the new version.
Ken, maybe NBC just doesn't believe in multi-cams (more's the pity); it sure adored single-cams not long ago. And perhaps it's me, but CBS appears to better promote "The Neighborhood" and its U.S. version of "Ghosts" than any of its current Chuck Lorre sitcoms.
I don't know if Night Court can succeed without the late Harry Anderson.
I'd be curious to see the actual timeline of the original Night Court - from Idea to Pitch to Casting to Pilot to Shooting to Premiere - I am guessing in the 80's, this process went much faster. Or maybe pilots sit on imaginary docks in network back offices not unlike how my new iPad is stuck in some distribution truck stop in L.A.
I'd rather they steal from existing UK comedies. Without that, we wouldn't have been able to enjoy ALL IN THE FAMILY, SANFORD & SONS, and THE OFFICE to name a few series.
Since you're now an experienced podcast host and no doubt a discerning listener, what podcasts do you listen to regularly and why?
I have no idea in this day and age why anyone would watch a scripted comedy or drama on the broadcast networks. After a decade or more of being served streaming comedy and drama that I feel is the best in television history, (Think Veep, Silicon Valley, The Wire, etc), anything I have seen on NBC, ABC, CBS, or Fox, is reminiscent of I dream of Jeanie level humor, and Chips style drama. The networks are doomed. Their only hope is the FCC relaxes over the air censoring.
"Please put NIGHT COURT on the air while the people who saw the original are still alive."
Hell, just put the original on the air and remaster it in HD. Gotta be cheaper to do that than pay for a new series.
I grew up with network television and top 40 radio ranging from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Much of it was in syndication or as oldies, but it was still there, and was important and entertaining content.
I'm not sure that these media outlets are viable anymore. Top 40 radio basically disappeared around 1990. Network programming held in there to the early 2010s, but then went into irrelevance, save for late night comedy. There is just so much content out there, and almost all new films and shows come from YouTube and streaming.
I'll always love NIGHT COURT and numerous others from the era, but it's over. I say this as someone who wants to advocate for older media, but to reach new audiences is going to take a different approach.
For a while the Big Idea for movies and TV was to make a new version of a past hit with a female (GHOSTBUSTERS) or black (THE ODD COUPLE, THE HONEYMOONERS) cast. Then one of the streamers had a Latino ONE DAY AT A TIME. Are there any groups left to exploit? I can imagine a transgender I LOVE LUCY. Alternatively, someone could just create a new, funny show. Too hard?
What kind of comedy can you have when we live in a self-imposed climate where you can't risk offending anyone? Reboot Ozzy & Harriet, Leave It to Beaver, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, or Family Affair: shows so bland that they won't offend anyone.
People say they want something edgy, but when they get it, a pressure group goes berserk and tries to (and often does) silence it. Medical dramas, courtroom dramas, detective shows, and game shows can and do avoid those risks.
Friday question. I'm sure you've heard the old saying about never meet your heroes. Have you ever met someone you admired and he or she turned out to be a piece of shit? Obviously I know you can't name names, but I'd like to know if that's happened to you.
Is it possible nobody orders comedies because you can't be funny anymore? One person being offended by the lamest of jokes will kill you.
Hell, just put the original on the air and remaster it in HD. Gotta be cheaper to do that than pay for a new series.
The curse of analog videotape is that it cannot be made into "high definition." Any series shot on analog videotape, as NIGHT COURT was, is forever locked into being standard definition. Given how common it was to shoot series on taoe back then, we are probably fortunate that our resident favorites--CHEERS, FRASIER and M*A*S*H--were shot on film.
I believe NIGHT COURT is still running on one of those digital side channels. LAFF TV, I think.
They keep digging back for reboot material and eventually we'll be getting an updated OUR MISS BROOKS.
@James
They have already rebooted "Family Affair" (1 season, 2002-2003) - The WB Network. Produced by Sid & Marty Krofft/Turner TV/Warner Bros. TV. It has Gary Cole as the father, and Tim Curry (!) as Mr. French.
Of course some shows have indeed been derivative--All in the Family was based on a British series, for example, and then there's MASH. But I was listening to a CD of Bob Costas, and it included an interview in which Curt Gowdy told the story of suggesting Ted Williams as his color man on the Game of the Week and NBC saying no because Williams did an ad for Sears that included a Ford truck, and Chrysler was the sponsor. Costas said--in 1993--that those were the same kinds of stupid decisions being made today. Nothing new under the sun, unfortunately.
Between 1961 and 1974 the BBC aired 120 episodes of a series called “Comedy Playhouse”. Each show was a pilot for a possible sitcom series. Eventually 28 series were produced including some of the BBC’s top shows. Both Steptoe and Son (Sanford) and “Till death us do part” (“All in the family “) started this way. Almost all were made with actors not comedians. Would US networks try this?
I bet there are enough funny stories from every workplace to do one episode. If you get some chemistry among the cast all you need then are some writers. That’s the hard part.
If I were NBC I would reboot the show but make the judge, bailiffs. prosecutor and public defender ghosts. That would give you the reboot/ripoff a new variation of the "there is no original idea" approach to programming.
Fox rebooted Get Smart around 1993/94. I heard Barbara Feldon telling a story about how Don Adams knew it was just going to be dumped and forgotten because there were no network executives hanging around.
The thing that will make or break the new Night Court for me is whether they get back the two bailiffs that always stood near the main doors. Those two dudes were in practically every single episode, hanging around in the background of nearly every shot it seemed. But I can't seem to find any information on who they are (Ken, do you know, or have any old Night Court contacts you can ask?). Anyway, if they're still with us they need to at least have cameos in the new show.
“NBC saying no because [Ted]?Williams did an ad for Sears that included a Ford truck, and Chrysler was the sponsor.”
The facts vary according to the source, but on radio, W C Fields referred to his son/nephew “Chester” on programs sponsored by Lucky Strike/Camel cigarettes
Let's not forget Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., on Disney Plus. Which is essentially the only thing advertised on Roku right now.
Considering John Larroquettes age, put it on while their cast is still alive. I was actually looking forward to seeing what they were going to do with this as I like Melissa Rauch and John L.
Rich commented "The curse of analog videotape is that it cannot be made into "high definition." Any series shot on analog videotape, as NIGHT COURT was, is forever locked into being standard definition."
That's not exactly true anymore. Converting analog video to HD is being done now and is improving all the time. The old NIGHT COURT episodes could indeed be converted to HD. As an example, check out this old Rick Astley standard def video converted to 4K.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-YBDTqX_ZU
James said ==People say they want something edgy, but when they get it, a pressure group goes berserk and tries to (and often does) silence it.==
"Family Guy" quit making fun of gay people, then there is the situation with the convenience store clerk on "The Simpsons." Those two shows were supposed to offend *everybody* and now pull their punches.
To Glenn: Good writing will out. In the fifties, you couldn't swear, say anything about the president, mention pregnancy, show nudity, married couples couldn't share a bed, no LGBTQ mentions and yet...we still ended up with positively awful shows AND great ones like "I Love Lucy", "Your Show of Shows/Caesar's Hour", etc.
You work with what you have or you don't work. I will not brook any arguments about how this is the positively worst time for comedy or the most wonderful time. Good writing can, not always will, but can find a way.
I loved Night Court.
I truly dig John Larroquette.
But i have Zero interest in watching any reboot of any show (or movie). The possible exception to this rule is to go back and redo something that failed because it wasn't done right. Don't go back to a hit and show/movie us how you can't do it as well.
Give us something new, and give Larroquette a forum. (I'll take that Dark Ride)
Yes! Perfect- just run the original series again,in primetime, and pay the living cast members (and families of the lost) the royalties! Millions of Boomers, GenXers and even the M's (as my 37 & 38 yr old sons are) would absolutely tune it!
I have never been a fan of "Night Court." I watched the original primarily because it was in the time of "only three networks." Plus, even back then it seemed lacking with the same hackneyed characters of other sitcoms. e.g. The dumb one, the horney one, the sarcastic one, etc. I don't watch the reruns and probably won't watch the reboot.
M.B.
With a few exceptions, I abandoned Faux/CBS/ABC/NBC last century (sports and Fraiser excepted - and that is more tolerable with the sound turned off.)
I hold out hope that something non-sports and worthwhile may come along - but won't know unless you (Ken) give us a heads up.
(thanks in advance)
A bit off-topic, but Lorre's Douglas, Arkin, and Travis vehicle died a mericful, abbreivated death (Kominisky) with six episodes and a hasty wrapup. Turns out that Arkin did not return - and neither did Travis.
And another thing - Peter Jackson's six-hour Beatles at Twickenham will "go live" on Disney Plus just in time for the Thursday food-coma. The daughter may restart Disney Plus and I'll see it soon. In any case, I'd be greatful for a review of that.
Entirely off-topic:
The Ted Williams and Sears reference reminds of how I ended up playing first base in Little League. I'd found a first baseman's mitt at Sears and thought it looked cool. It was incidental that Teddy Baseball's name was branded on it.
Coach consequently put me at first - good thing, since I had a weak arm even for a little leaguer.
I have always liked John Laroquette. I can just playing a tv evangelist. It would make grat comedy and drama. I really want him on tv. If I had a say, it would be fun to see Dan as the judge. But I think I read Melissa Rauch is playing the judge. Oh well.
Night court was not politically correct the new version will be i.e. not funny
The "NoThInG iS fUnNy BeCaUsE pEoPlE aRe ToO sEnSiTiVe" is a really lazy and half-assed argument, and a lot of you in the comments fall on that crutch way too often and sound like the old man yelling at clouds. It's plenty of other reasons the show might not work, but can we please act like there aren't TV shows that still push the envelope?
Judge Drayton : Do you want to hear a funny story, Harry?
Judge Harry T. Stone : Your honor.
Judge Drayton : There was this girl, seventeen, beautiful girl; dark complextion; dark hair; and a WELT under her eye where her husband had hit her. She was pregnant for the THIRD time, I think, and the DA said they lived in a rat infested place on the lower East Side. She said she wanted her husband to stop hitting her, and as soon I indicated that I'd send him to jail, ZIP, she changed her testimony, said she was lying. She didn't want her husband to go to jail. He brought home MONEY so the family could eat. All she wanted was for HIM to stop HITTING HER, well Harry, I can't make him stop, in twenty-five years I never made ANYBODY stop.
Night Court could take viewers on the roller coaster. Tone was sometimes a problem. How to have humanity occupy the same time and space of the cartoon characters who walked in and out of that courtroom. For a long time it worked.
My initial reaction upon hearing the reboot's delay was "Good."
My thoughts are about Harry Anderson, Charles Robinson, and Markie Post. I'm not ready to laugh. Their ghosts are still haunting.
I'd need more time and space. Perhaps someone involved in the reboot has determined that others in the audience need time too.
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