Night Court is back on NBC, but the only reason the new-boot could happen was because people loved the original series. Night Court ran for nine seasons from 1984 – 1992, so if you haven’t seen the original yet, it is streaming on Freevee. If you have exhausted all nine seasons plus the new one, don’t worry. Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to recommend six other shows you might also like if you liked Night Court.
‘The John Larroquette Show’ is a poignant turn for the ‘Night Court’ star
Larroquette went from lawyer to bus station manager in his self-titled show following the end of Night Court two TV seasons later. Dan Fielding (Larroquette) did get to be serious on some Night Court episodes, like the one where he almost died, but The John Larroquette Show added that kind of poignancy every week.
John Hemingway (Larroquette) was a recovering alcoholic, as Larroquette himself was in real life. NBC viewers in the ‘80s may remember his “The More You Know” commercials where he talked about alcoholism. The John Larroquette Show blended comedy and drama for four seasons before there was such a term as dramedy. Unfortunately it is not streaming anywhere or released on DVD so let’s let NBC and WBTV know we want to see it again.
‘Dave’s World’ cast Harry Anderson as a real author
After playing Judge Harry Stone on Night Court, Harry Anderson starred in another sitcom. Dave’s World was based on the writing of Dave Barry and Anderson played Barry. It did not last as long as Night Court, but four seasons was a respectable run. If you want to see more Anderson, it is available on DVD.
‘Boston Legal’ was just as funny as ‘Night Court’
Hear us out. Boston Legal is technically classified as a drama. It is an hour long courtroom show but it’s as zany as any shenanigans on Night Court. And David E. Kelley’s dialogue is whip smart.
Boston Legal also had a revolving cast like Night Court’s earlier seasons. James Spader and William Shatner remained the staples of Boston Legal for all its five seasons. The series is streaming on Prime Video.
‘Just Shoot Me’ was another NBC workplace comedy
The stakes were a bit lower on Just Shoot Me. Nobody’s lives hung in the balance and nobody could be sentenced to prison time. But, if you liked the shenanigans of people working in a courtroom, try the staff of a fashion magazine?
Just like you never knew who would come through the courtroom each week, each new issue of Blush magazine brought with it new comic shenanigans. Just Shoot Me lasted seven seasons, which are streaming on Hulu.
‘NewsRadio’ was also NBC’s sitcom heyday
Another NBC workplace comedy, NewsRadio centered around the staff of a New York radio station. Instead of court cases, the gang dealt with the unpredictable news of the day. NewsRadio lasted five seasons and probably would have lasted longer were it not for the tragic death of Phil Hartman after the fourth season. NewsRadio is streaming on Prime Video.
‘The People’s Court’ is the real deal
Sometimes you can’t make stuff up better than real cases. See also Judge Judy, Chrissie’s Court and all other court shows. The People’s Court was the original show with real small claims cases decided by Judge Wapner. The new Marilyn Milian edition is airing now but the Wapner version used to be on TV daily.
