NIGHT COURT is in recess... for a year

Remember when NBC used to be the home of great comedy?  Comedy made them a lot of money and brought them a boatload of viewers — two things the network could really use today.

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 spins off 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. 
 

from By Ken Levine