“Night Court” has been renewed for a 2nd season at NBC

The “Night Court” is back in session. The NBC sitcom and sequel to the popular ’80s series of the same name has been renewed for a second season at the network.

The news comes shortly after the series premiered to a surprisingly large audience on January 17th. The first season has so far aired four episodes out of 13; the fifth is scheduled for February 7.

“It’s so rewarding to see audiences respond and come back to a show that feels so incredibly warm and, more broadly, proves that streaming is still a huge driver of social viewing,” said Lisa Katz, president of Scripted Content. NBCUniversal Television said in a statement Thursday. “A huge thank you to our studio partners, amazing cast, incredibly talented writers and producers, and the crew that turned a lower Manhattan courtroom into a true family.”

Since its premiere last month, “Night Court” has quickly become one of the network’s biggest comedy hits. The first episode drew a strong 7.55 million “live” viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. Across all platforms, that viewership has since grown to a total of 25.7 million viewers, according to NBC. That makes the series the biggest NBC comedy premiere since “Will & Grace” returned in 2017.

“The verdict is in, and the “new boots” of the “Night Court” are a hit! The series’ razor-sharp humor makes it a weekly must-see. We are thrilled that the court will remain in session and return with new cases for a second season,” said Channing Dungey, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group, “Night Court” studio. “We are very grateful to our colleagues at NBC, the talented creative team led by Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch, Dan Rubin and John Larroquette, and the all-star ensemble cast.”

The original “Night Court” was created by Reinhold Weege and ran on NBC from 1984 to 1992 for a total of nine seasons and over 200 episodes. In the original show, Harry Anderson played Judge Harold T. Stone, a young and eccentric judge who presides over bizarre and unusual cases on the night shift of a Manhattan criminal court. John Larroquette played Dan Fielding, the narcissistic and selfish prosecutor, while Markie Post played public defender Christine Sullivan starting in season 3. The cast is rounded out by Charles Robinson as the court clerk; Richard Moll and Marsha Warfield played the enforcers.

The new series stars Melissa Rauch as Abby Stone, Harold T. Stone’s daughter, who takes over her father’s old role as the night-shift judge at the old courthouse. Larroquette reprises his role as Fielding, now serving as a public defender instead of a prosecutor. India de Beaufort plays Assistant District Attorney Olivia, Kapil Talwalkar plays Court Clerk Neil, and Lacretta plays Bailiff Donna Gurganous.

“Night Court” is executive produced by Dan Rubin, Rauch and Winston Rauch; Produced by Larroquette. The series is a Warner Bros. Television production in association with After January Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Register: Stay up to date with the latest movie and TV news! Subscribe to our email newsletter here.