I have a really fancy Hi-Def television in my basement. Fifty-five inch LCD flatscreen. Relative to many I don't consider myself very materialistic, but I've wanted this TV for a long time and now I have it. So, yes, I'm quite materialistic. But this TV brings me so much joy -- watching stand-up comedy or American Experience or baseball, I feel so much closer to the medium.
Given we don't watch a whole lot of television programs, my wife and I don't subscribe to cable television. We get along better with antenna television (the only true Hi-Def signal) and Netflix. An unexpected bonus of antenna television has been a bunch of secret channels I never knew about. Channel 24.3, Grit, shows old Westerns continuously. Channel 12.2, Movies!, has a knack for broadcasting On the Waterfront and Airplane! at just the right time. Channel 58.2 is MeTV, the archetype of antenna television, and the only source for Lost in Space and Hunter. Channel 4.2, COZI, seems to play Miami Vice nonstop -- go ahead, listen to fifteen seconds of Jan Hammer's theme music and tell me you're not invested in Crocket and Tubbs for an hour!
My current favorite is Channel 4.3, Laff, which shows an eclectic mix of sitcoms most from the 80s. Currently Laff broadcasts four episodes of Night Court each evening. I forgot how much I loved this show as a child. This was the show my Dad said I shouldn't be watching because of all the low-brow humor, but then would sit down next to me and laugh his ass off for thirty minutes every Thursday then Wednesday night.. Perennially underrated and overshadowed by Cheers, Night Court was like a Frank Kapra movie having a baby with a Harold Ramis movie and encapsulated on the small screen.
![Image result for Judge Harry Stone]()
Judge Harry Stone, with his dubious qualifications to sit on the bench, never really solved anyone's problems as much as he helped his workmates to accept their imperfections.
![Image result for Christine Sullivan Night Court]()
Public Defender Christine Sullivan, oblivious yet determined, spending her entire law career telling men that she was more than blonde and beautiful.
![Image result for Mac Robinson Night Court]()
Court Clerk Mac Robinson, the straight man, centered and skeptical of all the dysfunction surrounding him.
![Image result for Bull Shannon Night Court]()
Bull Shannon, perhaps no finer example of the 80s sitcom anchor trope! He paved the way for Kimmy Gibler, Steve Urkel and Tim Tebow.
And the Lady Bailiff All-Stars:
![Image result for Selma Hacker Night Court]()
Selma Hacker, the looking glass for all the other characters. Above the buffoonery yet in love with the buffoonery. Selma Diamond died too soon and was missed! NB: When I worked night shift in a hospital as a janitor during college, I worked with a 4' 10" smoking, raspy-voiced woman named Joan. She was my Selma and I was her Bull.
![Image result for Florence Kleiner Night Court]()
Florence "Flo" Kleiner. Rather than create a new character, the writers attempted to reboot Selma as Flo (ala The Oracle in The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded to The Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions and ala when the White Sox tried to plug in Chris Sabo as the Designated Hitter in 1995 in place of Julio Franco in 1994 -- SAD!). Bull responding to Flo's question of what Selma was like, said "Well, she was short, and had a funny voice, and she told me what to do." The substitution was ill-conceived and short-lived. Sadly, the actress died of cancer, just like her predecessor.
![Image result for Roz Night Court]()
Roz Russell. Be. Still. My. Heart.
![Image result for dan fielding night court]()
Prosecutor Dan Fielding. My favorite character. Everyone's favorite character. Dr. Zachary Smith meets Perry Mason. The anti-hero -- hypersexual, self-consumed and disappointed by his lot in life. The lynch pin of much of the screwball comedy on the show. Lovable enough to be loathed but not despised by his colleagues. Narcissistic by choice and not by hard-wiring, Dan defaulted his self-interest but still deep down had an inner light that would come through in times of need. Never moreso than in a very confusing episode when Roz was diagnosed with diabetes, was in denial about, refused to take her medications and started to act like she was PCP. Dan as able to talk an encephalopathic Roz off the roof of the courthouse by pretending to be her long lost father and taking a series of Roz's right hands to the face. The reality of Dan Fielding was that he was a good person who loved to be bad. A metaphor for 2017.
Night Court was my show, peeps! And now it is again. What's yours? We all need a release.
Given we don't watch a whole lot of television programs, my wife and I don't subscribe to cable television. We get along better with antenna television (the only true Hi-Def signal) and Netflix. An unexpected bonus of antenna television has been a bunch of secret channels I never knew about. Channel 24.3, Grit, shows old Westerns continuously. Channel 12.2, Movies!, has a knack for broadcasting On the Waterfront and Airplane! at just the right time. Channel 58.2 is MeTV, the archetype of antenna television, and the only source for Lost in Space and Hunter. Channel 4.2, COZI, seems to play Miami Vice nonstop -- go ahead, listen to fifteen seconds of Jan Hammer's theme music and tell me you're not invested in Crocket and Tubbs for an hour!
My current favorite is Channel 4.3, Laff, which shows an eclectic mix of sitcoms most from the 80s. Currently Laff broadcasts four episodes of Night Court each evening. I forgot how much I loved this show as a child. This was the show my Dad said I shouldn't be watching because of all the low-brow humor, but then would sit down next to me and laugh his ass off for thirty minutes every Thursday then Wednesday night.. Perennially underrated and overshadowed by Cheers, Night Court was like a Frank Kapra movie having a baby with a Harold Ramis movie and encapsulated on the small screen.
Judge Harry Stone, with his dubious qualifications to sit on the bench, never really solved anyone's problems as much as he helped his workmates to accept their imperfections.
Public Defender Christine Sullivan, oblivious yet determined, spending her entire law career telling men that she was more than blonde and beautiful.
Court Clerk Mac Robinson, the straight man, centered and skeptical of all the dysfunction surrounding him.
Bull Shannon, perhaps no finer example of the 80s sitcom anchor trope! He paved the way for Kimmy Gibler, Steve Urkel and Tim Tebow.
And the Lady Bailiff All-Stars:
Selma Hacker, the looking glass for all the other characters. Above the buffoonery yet in love with the buffoonery. Selma Diamond died too soon and was missed! NB: When I worked night shift in a hospital as a janitor during college, I worked with a 4' 10" smoking, raspy-voiced woman named Joan. She was my Selma and I was her Bull.
Florence "Flo" Kleiner. Rather than create a new character, the writers attempted to reboot Selma as Flo (ala The Oracle in The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded to The Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions and ala when the White Sox tried to plug in Chris Sabo as the Designated Hitter in 1995 in place of Julio Franco in 1994 -- SAD!). Bull responding to Flo's question of what Selma was like, said "Well, she was short, and had a funny voice, and she told me what to do." The substitution was ill-conceived and short-lived. Sadly, the actress died of cancer, just like her predecessor.
Roz Russell. Be. Still. My. Heart.
Prosecutor Dan Fielding. My favorite character. Everyone's favorite character. Dr. Zachary Smith meets Perry Mason. The anti-hero -- hypersexual, self-consumed and disappointed by his lot in life. The lynch pin of much of the screwball comedy on the show. Lovable enough to be loathed but not despised by his colleagues. Narcissistic by choice and not by hard-wiring, Dan defaulted his self-interest but still deep down had an inner light that would come through in times of need. Never moreso than in a very confusing episode when Roz was diagnosed with diabetes, was in denial about, refused to take her medications and started to act like she was PCP. Dan as able to talk an encephalopathic Roz off the roof of the courthouse by pretending to be her long lost father and taking a series of Roz's right hands to the face. The reality of Dan Fielding was that he was a good person who loved to be bad. A metaphor for 2017.
Night Court was my show, peeps! And now it is again. What's yours? We all need a release.