Night Court (1984) cast: Who starred in the original series?

Night Court has been a big hit for NBC as the reboot of the 1984-1992 series is about to wrap up its first season. This has led to a new interest in the original series, but who starred in that original hit?

Premiering in January 1984, Night Court focused on Harry Stone, an eccentric judge overseeing the night shift of a Manhattan courthouse. The pilot explained how a goofball like Stone got the job as he was the only guy home on a Sunday when the outgoing governor was giving out appointments.

The show morphed into a wild series as the courthouse was soon home to a never-ending array of weirdos committing strange crimes while the gang handled antics that bordered on a cartoon. It was nonetheless a huge hit running 9 seasons and 193 episodes.

Who starred in Night Court?

The Night Court cast was a good mix of actors who made the show work well:

• Harry Anderson as Judge Harry Stone, the quirky, prank-loving judge who tried to help defendants as he oversaw the madness of the courthouse. Anderson would sadly pass away in 2018 at 65.
• John Larroquette as Dan Fielding, the arrogant prosecutor known for his legendary list of female conquests. Larroquette won four Emmy awards for his work on the show and reprised the role of Dan in the reboot series.
• Markie Post as Christine Sullivan, the public defender who joined in the third season. Somewhat excitable and known for a great style, she would have a child over the course of the show while bantering with Harry. Post passed away in 2021 at the age of 70.
• Richard Moll as Bull Shannon, the hulking, bald, seemingly dull-witted but good-hearted bailiff. Moll has shifted from live-action projects to voice acting for video games.
• Selma Diamond as Selma Hacker, the chain-smoking elderly bailiff. Diamond died of cancer in 1985 during the show’s second season, with her character said to have also passed away.
• Florence Halop as Flo Kleiner, Selma’s replacement, a sharp-witted older woman. In a tragic irony, Halop also died of cancer in 1986 with Flo explained as dying.
• Marsha Warfield as Roz Russell, the no-nonsense new bailiff who remained through the series run. Warfield stepped away from acting in 1999 to concentrate on her stand-up comedy but returned in a 2021 episode of 9-1-1.
• Charles Robinson as Mac Robinson, the easygoing court clerk. Robinson passed away in 2021.
• Mike Finneran, as Art Fensterman, the bumbling maintenance man
• Denice Kumagai as Quon Le Duc Robinson, Mac’s wife
• John Astin as Buddy Ryan, Harry’s more eccentric uncle
• William Utay as Dan’s homeless lackey Phil and later Phil’s twin brother Will
• S. Marc Jordan as Jack Griffin, the blind operator of the concession stand in the cafeteria
• Joleen Lutz, as Lisette Hocheiser, the ditzy court stenographer
• Mel Torme would appear as himself with Harry a huge fan of the crooner.

So far, Dan is the only character to appear in the reboot series, which also explains Harry had died with his daughter Abby (Melissa Rauch) following in his footsteps as a judge. But fans are hopeful that perhaps another familiar face can drop by in the future.

Night Court seasons 1-9 are streaming on Prime Video/Freevee.