[Craigbob]

He was great. And on a related subject, I haven't seen the movies but Borat participated in the Kennedy Center Honors and he was hilarious.

Also, John Astin, believe it or not, is still alive. I hope he's feeling much better now.

Oh man you're right I forgot Astin was still around. Is he still acting or is he retired? Buddy needs to come back to check on his granddaughter (assuming they know each other).

 

[tigercat74]

It is weird hearing Bernadette with a normal voice.

 

[cwoody222]

Wow, this pilot was wildly unfunny and just so bad.

Looked like it cost $10 to make.

 

[cwoody222]

If you are expecting whiny Bernadette voice, then yeah, but that's not in the first two episodes. I had to tell two different people in my family that the actress is the one who played Bernadette from TBBT. They said "Really?"

I thought it was just OK. The potential is there. My biggest problem is that they are trying to retool Dan, the one recurring character, into Markie Post. Dan needs to be Dan, acerbic, self centered and quick with the one liners. A nicey nice Dan doesn't work for me. And that's what it appears they want to do with the character. Maybe that's what Laroquette asked for to come back. I don't know. I miss Bull. The bailiff just appears to be trying to be the Marsha Warfield character, and they got someone who looks a bit like her. The clerk is just fine. I think the Russian janitor could be good for some laughs.

I'm in for now, and hope it gets better. The problem was that I recently watched some of the old episodes and I got belly laughs, and here, I'm getting chuckles.

Not to go off topic but I’m watching Hearts Afire with Markie a post and John Ritter now… waiting for Leslie Jordan to come on.

Like this Night Court, it’s mostly horrible, but what struck me as odd, is they make repeated references to how GORGEOUS Post is. As if she was this famous beauty. I mean, it was the 90’s and everyone’s shoulder pads were a whole thing but I don’t recall her being know as this massive sex symbol? Or am I just not remembering?

 

[ct1]

Like this Night Court, it’s mostly horrible, but what struck me as odd, is they make repeated references to how GORGEOUS Post is. As if she was this famous beauty. I mean, it was the 90’s and everyone’s shoulder pads were a whole thing but I don’t recall her being know as this massive sex symbol? Or am I just not remembering?

Dunno, you might not be remembering.

Spoiler: NSFW Markie Post Images

 

[Steveknj]

Not to go off topic but I’m watching Hearts Afire with Markie a post and John Ritter now… waiting for Leslie Jordan to come on.

Like this Night Court, it’s mostly horrible, but what struck me as odd, is they make repeated references to how GORGEOUS Post is. As if she was this famous beauty. I mean, it was the 90’s and everyone’s shoulder pads were a whole thing but I don’t recall her being know as this massive sex symbol? Or am I just not remembering?

Dunno, you might not be remembering.

Spoiler: NSFW Markie Post Images

I don't remember a lot of talk about her being a sex symbol either. She was just kind of another 1980s-1990s actress on TV in a whole host of them. Most actors and actresses are attractive (at least the ones who are leads in a series). I remember a few references to her being big chested but that's about it.

 

[Saturn_V]

is they make repeated references to how GORGEOUS Post is. As if she was this famous beauty. I mean, it was the 90’s and everyone’s shoulder pads were a whole thing but I don’t recall her being know as this massive sex symbol? Or am I just not remembering?

She never reached "sex symbol" status- at least not in TV babe-on-a-poster terms (Farrah Fawcett, Catherine Bach)

But I woulda bought one of Markie Post back then.

 

[ct1]

I remember a few references to her being big chested but that's about it.

e.g. almost every scene with Larroquette in Night Court..

 

[gchance]

While I wasn't too impressed, I do agree the 2nd episode was better. And clearly, John Larroquette is what will make or break the show. They're relying heavily on her being Harry's daughter, and trying to make her act like him. That said as the show moves along they'll rely less on that and tune it to what it needs to be, provided it lasts (and NBC gives it enough of a chance). There's a lot to expand on, I wonder if a running gag will be a new court reporter every week.

The thing that really stood out for me is the classic sitcomness of it. Live audience/laugh track shows really aren't common these days, which COULD make a comeback if a show is good enough. I know it bothers a lot of people but I grew up with that style of show (multi-cam shot live in front of an audience).

I never really watched the original, but my wife did. I remember being a huge Harry Anderson fan from his SNL appearances, then watched the show with the expectation that he'd be the same. He wasn't, so I just didn't watch regularly.

 

[Steveknj]

While I wasn't too impressed, I do agree the 2nd episode was better. And clearly, John Larroquette is what will make or break the show. They're relying heavily on her being Harry's daughter, and trying to make her act like him. That said as the show moves along they'll rely less on that and tune it to what it needs to be, provided it lasts (and NBC gives it enough of a chance). There's a lot to expand on, I wonder if a running gag will be a new court reporter every week.

The thing that really stood out for me is the classic sitcomness of it. Live audience/laugh track shows really aren't common these days, which COULD make a comeback if a show is good enough. I know it bothers a lot of people but I grew up with that style of show (multi-cam shot live in front of an audience).

I never really watched the original, but my wife did. I remember being a huge Harry Anderson fan from his SNL appearances, then watched the show with the expectation that he'd be the same. He wasn't, so I just didn't watch regularly.

Well said. I completely agree with your statement about classic sitcom feel of the show. As with you, I grew up on classic sitcoms and live audiences / laugh tracks never bothered me and in fact, it probably wasn't until critics started commenting on them was I even very aware of them (I mean I know about laughtracks and live audiences, but didn't really care one way or another). I get the "I don't need a laughtrack to know what's funny" comments, but sadly, so many so called comedies that DON'T have a laugh track are just NOT funny. There are of course some with a laughtrack that aren't funny either of course. Night Court would not work well without a live audience. I think things like sight gags work better with an audience laughing (though Modern Family did a good job of it without one). But I think a lot of people think that because it doesn't have a laughtrack/live audience, it's not a "smart" comedy.

 

[astrohip]

I never watched the original, my wife never missed an episode of the original. We both thought it was just okay. I'll keep watching for now, but it needs to get better STAT.

 

[HarleyRandom]

She never reached "sex symbol" status- at least not in TV babe-on-a-poster terms (Farrah Fawcett, Catherine Bach)

But I woulda bought one of Markie Post back then.

I just thought she was pretty and she had this wild hairstyle which was common then.

 

[HarleyRandom]

While I wasn't too impressed, I do agree the 2nd episode was better.

Yes.

And clearly, John Larroquette is what will make or break the show.

Clearly.

They're relying heavily on her being Harry's daughter, and trying to make her act like him.

Not accomplishing that.

 

[gchance]

I get the "I don't need a laughtrack to know what's funny" comments, but sadly, so many so called comedies that DON'T have a laugh track are just NOT funny. There are of course some with a laughtrack that aren't funny either of course.

I don't even get that criticism. The laugh track COULDN'T tell people when to laugh, because the laughter is either spontaneous or it isn't funny. In some comedies I don't laugh AT ALL, and stop watching fairly quickly. With the new Night Court, especially the 2nd episode, there were enough spontaneous out-loud laughter that made me want to continue. For me the laugh track makes the viewer feel like they're surrounded by friends in a way.

 

[Steveknj]

I never watched the original, my wife never missed an episode of the original. We both thought it was just okay. I'll keep watching for now, but it needs to get better STAT.

I'd suggest, just for comparison sake to go back and watch a few episodes of the original. I don't think it's necessary to watch the new series, but you'll get a feel for what they might be going for. It's on freevee.

 

[TonyD79]

I don't even get that criticism. The laugh track COULDN'T tell people when to laugh, because the laughter is either spontaneous or it isn't funny. In some comedies I don't laugh AT ALL, and stop watching fairly quickly. With the new Night Court, especially the 2nd episode, there were enough spontaneous out-loud laughter that made me want to continue. For me the laugh track makes the viewer feel like they're surrounded by friends in a way.

You know. I almost never notice if there is a laugh track or not. Not until I come here and shows are criticized for having one. I focus on the show not the background noise. Maybe being the fifth child helps me filter out noise but other than Desi Arnaz’s donkey laugh on I Love Lucy, I barely notice audience or canned laughter or the lack thereof. I actually feel bad for those who it annoys because I figure it’s a problem they can’t overcome and it affects their enjoyment of otherwise potentially enjoyable programming.

 

[dougdingle]

Night Court would not work well without a live audience. I think things like sight gags work better with an audience laughing (though Modern Family did a good job of it without one). But I think a lot of people think that because it doesn't have a laughtrack/live audience, it's not a "smart" comedy.

As a veteran of the genre, I can say there are basically two reasons to have a live audience.

The first is the belief by producers that a live audience inspires the cast to do better, especially in season 4 or 5 when the stars' characters are well established and they are pretty much phoning it in.

The second and more important reason is it gives the writers, who are all on set during audience shows, the opportunity to see which jokes land and which ones fall flat. After a scene is done, they huddle with producers (sometimes the writers are the producers) and note which (if any) jokes didn't land and they try to come up with new punchlines for the scene that they think are funnier. Then the scene is reshot with old+fresh material, and the laughtrack is revved up a bit since the audience will have already heard most of the jokes. Shows shot with an audience are shot in a linear fashion, beginning to end, so it makes sense to the audience. And sometimes, one or two scenes are preshot during rehearsal the day before for whatever reason, and that scene is played back to the audience in sequence with the live stuff. No rewriting there, obviously.

Normally, the laughtrack is piped into the studio at mild levels to encourage the audience to laugh, and if there isn't enough live laughter is also used in editing to punch up the amount and volume of laughs.

Shows like Modern Family went a different way, selling themselves as a faux documentary/reality show with lots of shaky handheld camera shots and the obligatory 'confessionals' directly to camera by the characters. It was shot single camera style (I think - or maybe two cameras) and often out of sequence which means the show is built in editing and a live audience would just be confused by what they are seeing.

And then there are shows like M.A.S.H. which are 'comedies' with serious undertones, usually shot on location, where people die regularly (including cast members). No audience for those. The show had a laugh track initially, but Alan Alda put a stop to it.

 

[Squeak]

Back then I wasn't watching much. Until Donna joined the cast I didn't have much reason to watch.

So it liked it from the very beginning then? Because Donna was in the Pilot and part of the cast for all 7 seasons.

 

[pdhenry]

I watched some of the old stuff today on Freebee which I haven't seen since it went off the air and it seemed a lot funnier when I was 15.

Perhaps but I thought the original pilot was better than this one (possibly in part because I can excuse some of the dated humor).

The entire original series is on Freevee but you have to put up with the commercials.

 

[HarleyRandom]

So it liked it from the very beginning then? Because Donna was in the Pilot and part of the cast for all 7 seasons.

Okay, maybe it wasn't her first episode where I discovered her.

I saw the Pilot and didn't really care for it. It took me a few seasons to start watching regularly.