History Series / NightCourt

* RaceAgainstTheClock: On four separate occasions, and for four different reaons, Harry and his staff must get through an absurdly huge caseload by midnight

* FullyAbsorbedFinale: The ''Series/ThirtyRock'' episode "The One with the Cast of ''Night Court''".

A supremely zany {{sitcom}} created by Reinhold Weege (a former ''Series/BarneyMiller'' writer/producer), produced by his company, Starry Night Productions (alongside Creator/WarnerBros), and aired on Creator/{{NBC}} from 1984–92, ''Night Court'' followed the goings-on of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a night-shift Manhattan arraignment court]] populated by a madcap band of lawyers, judges, and bailiffs, including (by the end of the series):

* ComedicWorkSeriousScene: This is a comedic look at a New York City arraignment court (which, ironically enough, was once called the most realistic court show on t.v. at the time). Harry's frequent pronouncement of "Fifty Dollars and time served" was almost his catchphrase. One case even featured Wile E. Coyote put on trial for harrassing the Road Runner (it was that kind of show). However, lest anyone think it was all laughs:

** Wile E. Coyote himself - in toon form - was brought in for his repeated harassment of The Roadrunner.

** A guy dressed as Santa Claus is brought up before Judge Stone for something involving a prostitute, and there's a kid present, so Stone has people do this.

'''Harry:''' Mr Prosecutor, does this get much worse before it gets any better?\\

'''Dan:''' ''(pause)'' As I was saying, exhibit A....

'''Christine'': What?\\

---->'''Harry''': Miss Sullivan, in this case I happen to think that Dan is more qualified.
---->'''Christine''': Why, because he has a pair of...?
---->''[sees Roz looking at her expectantly]''
---->'''Christine''': ...pants?
---->'''Roz''': ''[pouts in disappointment]'' Chicken!

* BadassBoast:

* TheBigGuy: The series at one time held the Guinness World Record for the tallest sitcom cast, with all four male cast members well over six feet tall,[[note]] In ascending order, Charles Robinson was 6'3", Harry Anderson was 6'4", John Larroquette is 6'4.5", and Richard Moll is 6'8". Marsha Warfield is nearly six feet tall at 5'11", and even Markie Post at 5'6" was above the average height for American adult women.[[/note]] but Bull is a giant among giants. He is so tall that the door frame to his apartment has a special hole cut into the top so that he can go in and out without having to stoop.

* DoWrongRight: "Her Honor, Part 3"
-->'''Dan''': Are you out of your mind?! I could go to jail for impersonating a judge!\\

-->''Shot of Dan listening to this with a pursed-lipped, less-than-amused expression.''

-->'''Phil''': ''(sniffles) What a tribute!

** Harry was [[spoiler: born in a mental institution]]. Explains a lot, doesn't it?

* BorrowedCatchphrase: Wanda borrows Bull's "O-okay" at [[spoiler: their wedding]].

* BrokenAesop: Subverted, Tony and Christine's marriage [[spoiler: ends the way you'd expect a marriage in which the couple had known one another less than six months and got married before one of them went away for six months to end.]] Notable because in the 80's sitcom world this was a well-executed, harsh reality check.

* DealWithTheDevil: Dan sells his soul for the princely sum of $100.00. [[spoiler: Turns out it was just a prank set up by Mac.]]

** Christine flashes Otis in "Another Day in the Life" [[spoiler: to swing his arm wrestling match with Harry at the end]].

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

** Harry, several times. But the worst was when his girlfriend Margaret [[spoiler: had to go into witness protection]].

* NotMeThisTime: When Florence was being forced into retirement after reaching the mandatory age, Bull drove out to Albany and somehow managed to acquire Florence's original birth certificate in hopes that they could possibly change it somehow. When it looks like Florence is going to retire anyway, the birth certificate randomly goes up in flames, destroying the evidence of her age. All eyes went to Harry, expecting this to be one of his magic tricks, but he was just as surprised as everyone else, not that anyone believed him. [[spoiler: Turns out Christine was the one responsible.]]

** Despite Mac being set up to inherit his family's money very early on, when it finally happens, [[spoiler: Mac ends up being sued for an incident involving the restaurant he bought causing a fire, leaving him broke. Ironically, he's quite happy with this chain of events, as he ended up ''only'' being broke; he was deeply in debt before becoming rich. He was initially much worse off after the fire, until Quon Lee talked the building owner into settling for the damages... which happened to be all the money they had. This was a change from her previous ways, as she was the one who actually accumulated all that debt, mostly because she just didn't have the background to understand about credit cards when she first showed up.]]

---> '''Dan:''' You're taking me back?
---> '''Vincent:''' Yes. Because I think you're being sincere. Also, I've seen your conviction record. You're good.
---> ''(Dan looks gratified)''
---> '''Vincent:''' But most of all I'm taking you back because it will give me the opportunity to make your life a LIVING HELL! You think you're a tough customer? Well, move over, Buster! Because I'm the toughest, I'm the meanest, I'm the nastiest little man God ever put on this earth! I'm going to make you run, I'm going to make you jump, I am going to make you slither on the ground like a snake!
---> '''Dan:''' GOD BLESS YOU! ''(Dan hugs him, then leaves)''

---> '''Roz:''' I don't want anyone to know I was nice to you.
---> '''Dan:''' Why?
---> '''Roz:''' Because then everybody would want to be my friend. Then they'd want to hang around all the time, and sooner or later two of them would get into an argument. And I'd try to cool them off, but I'm not much good at that, so I'd just gun 'em all down, and end up frying in the electric chair.
---> '''Dan:''' (nods, then smiles) Better to be safe than sorry.

** Dan was a [[AnythingThatMoves Lothario]] with the morals of a rutting pig.

'''Mac''': Rope. They're being held hostage by a militant splinter faction of Up With People.\\