John Larroquette said there was ''nothing quite like Night Court''

John Larroquette knows a thing or two about television. For starters, he starred as Dan Fielding in the 1984 Night Court series— and reprised the role in the 2023 Night Court reboot. That’s a long time to play one character. He knew the potential of Night Court long before the reboots and the awards.

According to a 1984 interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, just as the series was premiering, he talked about how important Night Court was going to be to TV— he just yet didn’t know the legacy it would leave.

"People say that the sitcom formula is dead," Larroquette said. "That’s hogwash— what counts is the content of a show. Over the years, there have been many terrific sitcoms: Barney Miller, Cheers, M*A*S*H, even Happy Days. It all depends on what you put on the screen."

He said that as an actor, you had to find your own way to be proud of the show you were on. For him, it was easy — his character, Dan Fielding, was popular with fans and still is to this day. Fielding was the strait-laced, cautious district attorney in the Manhattan courtroom.

When it came to his character, Larroquette believed that less was more. He tried to underplay Dan Fielding, hoping the words were funny enough to carry the character.

See Also

The Love Boat gave Bernie Kopell an unexpected romantic image

"The best humor comes from the relationships— the character relationships," Larroquette said. "When I read the pilot, I saw that these were real people who seemed to be related to each other. I think this carries the show. As for Dan Fielding, I think he’s a guy you love to hate. I like that about him— he needs so much help in social graces."

Larroquette, who was originally from New Orleans, admitted that when he took the role of Dan Fielding, he went on a scouting mission in the courts to get a feel for the real thing.

"I went to downtown LA to soak in the atmosphere, just to get a feeling for the hustle and bustle of a courtroom," Larroquette said. "But Night Court is so different anyway— there’s nothing quite like it."

Between his research and the way the characters came together, Night Court was a true standout among TV shows for Larroquette.