Season 1

Night Court: Season 1
"Night Court" Season ` DVD cover.
Program information
Episodes aired:
13
Dates aired:
January 4, 1984 - March 31, 1984
Network/Country:
NBC-TV / United States
Previous Season:
None - First Season (Curious option: Go to Season 9)
Next Season:
Season 2

Night Court: Season 1

Night Court made its premiere on NBC-TV on January 4, 1984 as a mid-season replacement series, as it debuted in the time slot which another popular sitcom on the network, Cheers, had aired in on Thursday nights, as Cheers was moved in the time slot immediately before it at 8:00 p.m. The season concluded after 13 episodes March 31, 1984. Night Court (Season 1) DVD was released on October 5, 2005.

Description

Disorder in the Court! That’s the verdict when a parade of zany and bizarre characters passes before an unconventional and unpredictable newly-appointed judge Harold T. Stone (Harry Anderson) in this hilarious new sitcom. At night is when you’ll meet the weirdos, wannabes, lecherous fiends, nutballs, and more — and those are just the people in charge of New York’s Criminal Court Swing Shift.

Judge Harold “Harry” T. Stone is a man with a joy-buzzer sense of courtroom decorum and a gleeful enthusiasm for velvet-voiced scat singer Mel Tormé. John Larroquette, known for his roles in NBC-TV's Black Sheep Squadron and the Bill Murray/John Candy/Harold Ramis comedy film Stripes appears as sex-obsessed narcissistic prosecutor Assistant District Attorney Dan Fielding, and the imposing character actor Richard Moll appears as Bull Shannon, a seemingly dim-witted hulk of a figure, but at heart is actually gentle and often childlike; they team up with Anderson for the show’s run of law and disorder in the serie's first season.

Gail Strickland appears as Public Defender Sheila Gardiner in the pilot episode before being replaced by Paula Kelly, who appears as new Public Defender Liz Williams; Karen Austin plays the part of Court Reporter Lana Wagner in the first season. Also on the docket for Season 1 are guest stars Michael J. Fox and Russain comedian Yakov Smirnoff. Court’s in session . . . and so’s the fun!

Season 1 (1984)

Image	No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
	1	1	"All You Need Is Love"	James Burrows	Reinhold Weege	January 4, 1984	206719
Harold T. Stone becomes a night court judge and settles a dispute involving a woman threatening her husband with gunfire.
	2	2	"Santa Goes Downtown"	Assad Kelada	Reinhold Weege	January 11, 1984	185365
The season is merry as Harry deals with a man in a red suit claiming to be santa Claus (Jeff Corey) is charged with trespassing at a department store, and tries to restore the faith of a pair of cynical teenage runaways. Michael J. Fox appears in this episode.
	3	3	"The Former Harry Stone"	Jay Sandrich	Tom Reeder	January 18, 1984	185362
Lana learns that Harry has a criminal record when she tries to find out his age to settle a bet. Barney Martin and Judy Landers both appear in this episode.
	4	4	"Welcome Back, Momma"	Jeff Melman	Reinhold Weege	February 1, 1984	185366
A woman who claims to be Harry's long lost mother (special guest star Janis Paige) and a beauty pageant operator appear before the court.
	5	5	"The Eye of the Beholder"	Larry Balmagia	Reinhold Weege	February 8, 1984	185363
The others try to pull Bull out of the dumps when he's turned down by a charitable organization because his size and appearance are intimidating to others. Meanwhie, a porn "filmmaker" (Stanley Brock) and his buxom blonde "star" (Jennifer Richards) are both brought in for obscenity charges for shooting a video in Central Park, as Dan later revels in viewing the "evidence", a videotape, while deliberating in Harry's chambers.
	6	6	"Death Threat"	Jay Sandrich	Bob Stevens	February 15, 1984	185367
Things are thrown into an uproar when Harry receives a threat via a rock thrown through the window and a bomb is discovered in the courtroom.
	7	7	"Once in Love with Harry"	Jay Sandrich	Reinhold Weege	February 22, 1984	185361
A hooker (Rita Taggart) develops a crush on Harry and Dan loses a city council position to a dead man.
	8	8	"Quadrangle of Love"	Jeff Melman	R.J. Colleary, Chris Cluess & Stu Kreisman	February 29, 1984	185369
Dan, Harry, and Bull all compete for the same pretty attorney (special guest star Caroline McWilliams). Note: The end credits have a different background for this episode. Instead of the court, they show Harry and his little homemade Mel Torme concert in his chambers.
	9	9	"Wonder Drug"	Asaad Kelada	Howard Ostroff	March 7, 1984	185364
Lana disrupts the proceedings after taking a powerful cold medicine.
	10	10	"Some Like it Hot"	Jay Sandrich	Stu Kreisman & Chris Cluess	March 14, 1984	185368
A Russian immigrant (Yakov Smirnoff), who's a recent defector to the U.S., who also doesn't speak English, is charged with selling stolen property and would rather burn down the courtroom and everyone in it than go to jail.
	11	11	"Harry and the Rockstar"	Jay Sandrich	Reinhold Weege	March 21, 1984	185360
Fans and reporters disrupt court proceedings when Harry dates a rock star (Kristine DeBell), and tries to cope with a new temporary court clerk (Alice Drummond).
	12	12	"Bull's Baby"	Jeff Melman	Bob Stevens	March 28, 1984	185362
The courtroom crew try to help Bull when a neighbor leaves her baby with him.
	13	13	"Hi Honey, I'm Home"	Gary Shimokawa	Tom Reeder	May 31, 1984	185361
Harry has to settle the legal status of a woman (Marcia Rodd) who remarried after her first husband (Charles Napier) was mistakenly declared dead, and who wants her back.