The newest episode of Night Court, "Pension Tension," features the return of Marsha Warfield as Roz Russell, an iconic character from the original series that aired from 1984 to 1992. In addition to Warfield, the episode features an appearance by Eden Sher as a young assistant to current bailiff Gurgs (Lacretta). The assistant never seems to actually do any work, however, and instead finds ways to get Gurgs and even Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) to work for her.

Television enthusiasts know Sher best from her role as a series regular on the hit ABC sitcom The Middle, which ran for nine seasons from 2009 to 2018 and was as successful as the original Night Court. Most recently, Sher wrote and stars in the one-person show "I Was On A Sitcom," which combines stories about her tenure on The Middle with the real-life adventure of giving birth to twins.

ScreenRant interviewed Eden Sher about chemistry with Melissa Rauch and discussed the development and unceremonious fate of her The Middle spin-off, which would have seen Sue Heck trying to make it in The Windy City of Chicago.

Eden Sher Recalls The Joy Of Her Night Court Guest Spot

"Everyone Was So Welcoming"

ScreenRant: I saw you on Night Court the other night, and I watched a whole lot of The Middle over the years.

Eden Sher: I'm so happy that you watched this episode of Night Court. I've been waiting for it for so long. I wasn't sure when it was going to air, and so I've been, checking, every single week. I'm like, is it this week? Is it this week? I'm so happy it's finally here.

How does being a guest on a show compare to being a regular? Do you get to get cozy with the cast, or is it more like work?

Eden Sher: I think it depends on the cast. In this case, everyone was so welcoming immediately. Melissa is one of those people. I've met a few people in my life who I'm like, "How are you this way? How are you this talented and this wonderful to be around?" It almost feels like something's amiss, but it's not. With her, she's just the most welcoming, warm, immediately inviting person.

And John Larroquette, who I had most of my scenes with? I've trained my whole life to be friends with a man like John. I feel like The Middle was bootcamp for nine years, being scene partners with Neil Flynn and getting to know Neil Flynn so well, I felt right at home with John. I was like, "Oh, you are just a lovely..." What's the word I'm thinking of? I don't want to use the word curmudgeon. I use that word to describe Neil!

John is kind of a secret hippie, right?

Eden Sher: He is, he is! He has the most insane stories. I think that's what it is. It's being around these very, very, very tall men...

Who's taller?

Eden Sher: Neil. Neil is taller, by, like, an inch, but they're both these very tall men who have so many stories and talk about their stories in a very serious way, but they are just so goofy. They are goofy, silly men underneath, underneath it all. There we go. That's the word. Goofy!

Eden Sher Is Always "Game To Play" In A Sitcom

"That's What I Think The Key Is On Night Court"

Were you a fan of the show beforehand, or did you do any catching up or anything like that?

Eden Sher: Just the tiniest bit. My mom is a huge fan, and so I was actually at her house when the offer came in, and I was like, "Oh, this looks fun!" but she was like, "You have to do it! You have to! You're going to meet John Larroquette! Oh my God!" So then I watched some, and I was like, oh, I see why this is an iconic show.

I was going through my phone, and I have a video of you from The Middle getting hit in the face with a billiards ball. I just thought, "That's the funniest thing I've ever seen." That shows to me that you are someone who is game to play. You're up for it.

Eden Sher: Oh, I'm the most game. I will say that. And that's what I think the key is on Night Court, is that it is a bunch of people who are so funny on screen, but off screen, they're a group of just the most game people. And John can come off as very serious, but actually, he's probably the gamest of them all. He is down to just try, "Give me a funnier one." "Give me a goofier one." "Let me move my body different." But I can keep up!

Eden Sher Dishes On Her One-Person Show, "I Was On A Sitcom"

"[Melissa Rauch] Immediately Was So ive Of All My Endeavors"

So you've got your show, your show that's touring. "I Was On A Sitcom." Can you tell us a little bit about that and where people can go and see it?

Eden Sher: Well, it's funny you should ask. I'm filming a special in LA on March 9th at Dynasty Typewriter, and so I will be doing that. You can find tickets online, on any of my socials or just on Dynasty Typewriter's website. And then hopefully there will be a special released. I just realized I need to text Melissa and tell her about this!

I'll tie this back to Night Court. Melissa Rauch is just immediately open to talk and just chat. Like, not every Number One on a call sheet is open to chatting in between takes, but she immediately just wanted to know everything. And I told her about my show and I said, "I think you will appreciate it maybe more than anyone because you've been on a sitcom for so many years." It's about my children, the labor and delivery of my kids, too. It's about both of those things, weirdly, at the same time. And I swear that they work in cahoots with each other.

But she was so ive immediately. She was like, "How do I see it? Let me come to the special! I'm gonna be there. I'll be in the front row. I'll be there with my whole family!" So I do need to text her. She immediately was so ive of all of my endeavors outside of Night Court, outside of The Middle. She barely knew me, but she was immediately just on board for everything. And it just really set a nice tone for my whole experience there.

Eden Sher Opens Up About Her Ill-Fated The Middle Spin-Off

"I'm Going To Find A Way For People To See It Somehow"

You surely know that you're gonna be carrying Sue with you forever. You can win a Nobel Peace Prize and that character is going to be with you. I know there was talk of a Sue spin-off for a while after The Middle ended. Would you have liked to carry that character forward for a few more years, or was it a relief to put her and the braces away?

Eden Sher: We did shoot a pilot. It was actually a little bit tragic when it didn't get picked up, because I didn't even want to do the spinoff in the first place. I didn't want to do it at all. I was like, "No, I'm done with this character." And then, after months and months of developing it and creating this thing I felt good about, I was like, "Oh, actually I could play this for another show. I feel involved enough, and I feel good enough, and I feel like this is opening a new chapter. It's not just repeating the last nine years."

Then we shot this, I think, really good pilot... And then they were like, "Nah, just kidding." After I was all invested! I didn't mourn Sue properly, and now I don't know how. I'm super grateful that I put a period on it, and it was great, but we shot a full pilot that I think it was really good. I'm going to find a way for people to see it somehow.

Well, it was 30 years between the original Night Court and this one... Maybe you'll get to play a 50-year-old Sue one day!

Eden Sher: Great. (Laughs) Yes. Let's see if I do that. I don't know about that! But who knows?

Check out our other Night Court season 3 interviews here:

• John Larroquette & Nyambi Nyambi
• Melissa Rauch & Lacretta
• Betsy Sodaro
• Wendie Malick
• Andy Daly (season 3, episode 4)
• Joe Lo Truglio (season 3, episode 4)
• Giles Marini (season 3, episode 6)

New episodes of Night Court season 3 air Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c.