Set in the same Manhattan arraignment court as the original series, the 2023 Night Court reboot introduces a new cast of actors playing the colorful characters currently bringing disorder to the court. The one exception to this is John Larroquette, who is the sole member of the classic Night Court cast to return for the reboot as a series regular. However, the Night Court reboot cast is just as weird and wacky as the original misfit crew of Criminal Court Part 2.
Part of NBC's legendary Must-See-TV Thursday Night line-up, Night Court is widely regarded as one of the funniest sitcoms ever made. The series was nominated for 34 Primetime Emmy Awards over its nine season run, with John Laroquette winning four consecutive Emmys for Outstanding ing Actor in a Comedy Series. That's an impressive record to follow, but the Night Court reboot boasts an impressive ensemble that seem poised to live up to that legacy. Here is a rundown of the cast of the Night Court reboot and everything you need to know about their characters.
Melissa Rauch as Judge Abby Stone
Melissa Rauch is best known for her portrayal of Bernadette Rostenkowski on The Big Bang Theory. She also played Summer in True Blood and Harley Quinn in the animated movie Batman and Harley Quinn. An accomplished writer, producer, and actor, Rauch co-wrote, produced, and starred in the independent comedy The Bronze and won awards for her one-woman stage show The Miss Education of Jenna Bush.
Melissa Rauch plays Abigail "Abby" Stone, a rookie judge newly appointed to oversee the same court once ruled by her father, Judge Harold "Harry" Stone. The Night Court revival pilot confirms that Abby is a chip off the old Stone, being an incurable optimist with a love of magic, who sees the best in everyone and is determined to ister justice with comion. This quickly brings her into conflict with the rest of the court's more worldly and cynical staff.
John Larroquette as Public Defender Daniel R. Fielding
Famed for his work in both serious drama and slapstick comedy, John Larroquette has come far since his first role: narrating The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In addition to his four Emmy wins for his work on Night Court, Larroquette won an Emmy for a guest role in the legal drama The Practice. He was most recently seen starring opposite Christine Baranski in The Good Fight season 4, but is also fondly ed for his recurring roles in The Librarians, Boston Legal, and Happy Family.
Laroquette returns to the role of scheming lawyer Dan Fielding, though the infamous womanizer seems to have mellowed with time. As the Night Court reboot pilot opens, Dan makes reference to having had a wife in the past tense, though it is unclear if he is divorced or a widower. He is also in a deep funk, having given up practicing the law to work as a process server. However, Abby's appearance on his doorstep brings him back into action, this time as a defense attorney in her court.
India de Beaufort as Assistant District Attorney Olivia Moore
India de Beaufort plays Charlie in the Netflix drama Dan Fielding, minus the problematic aspects of the original character. Driven and ambitious to a fault, Olivia is often the biggest obstacle to her own upward mobility and dreams of bigger things.
Kapil Talwalkar as Court Clerk Neil
Kapil Talwalkar is best known for his performance as Tobin in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist and had a starring role in the independent feature Americanish. He plays Neil, the clerk of Abby Stone's court and the only member of the Night Court reboot core cast not given a last name in the pilot. Easily aggravated, his desire to breeze through the night without complications clashes with Abby's desire to dig deep into the lives of the people brought before her. Despite this and his rebelling against Abby's efforts to bring him out of his comfort zone, he does have a mischievous streak.
Lacretta as Baliff Donna "Grugs" Gruganous
The one member of the Night Court reboot ensemble who is instantly on-board with Abby Stone's efforts to shake things up, Donna Gruganous is known as Grugs to all her friends. Grugs has a lot of friends and a sunny demeanor, but she takes her job seriously and spends most of the Night Court reboot pilot hunting for the prankster who rearranged the letters on the courthouse directory to spell out names like "Hugh Janus" and "Gary Buttmouth." Gruggs is played by Lacretta, who is best known for her stage work and her Twitch stream, but she has appeared in guest roles on Gotham and Law & Order.
The Night Court reboot premieres Tuesday, January 17, on NBC.