Lacretta as Gurgs and Melissa Rauch as Abby Stone in NIGHT COURT – Season 2 – “A Crime of Fashion” | ©2023 NBC / Nicole Weingart
The original NIGHT COURT ran on NBC for nine seasons, from 1984 through 1992. The half-hour comedy, created by Reinhold Weege, starred Harry Anderson as Judge Harry T. Stone, who presided over Manhattan’s night court.
NIGHT COURT returned on NBC and Peacock last year, developed by Dan Rubin, as essentially a sequel to the earlier series. Now on Tuesday nights in its second season, the new NIGHT COURT stars Melissa Rauch as the Honorable Abby Stone, daughter of the late Harry Stone, who has her father’s old judicial seat. John Larroquette reprises his role as lawyer Dan Fielding.
However, many actors joined the show as newcomers to the franchise. Series regular Lacretta plays court bailiff Donna “Gurgs” Gurganous. Lacretta has a major stage background, and has also appeared in series and features including 30 ROCK, GOTHAM, SECOND ACT, and SALVAGE.
During a NIGHT COURT set visit arranged by Warner Brothers Studios for the Winter 2024 Television Critics Association set visit, we see the standing sets for the courtroom, the judge’s office, and the cafeteria, as well as the raised seating area for the live audience that is present when the show tapes.
The courtroom serves as the backdrop for a Q&A with Rubin, his fellow executive producer Dan Rauch, and the cast. Afterward, the actors make themselves available for follow-up discussion in the area between the audience bleachers and the courtroom furniture.
Lacretta is well aware of others who played NIGHT COURT bailiffs on the original series, including Marsha Warfield. Warfield appeared as her character Rosalind “Roz” Russell in a new NIGHT COURT episode in 2023, and will be back this season.
Lacretta recalls watching Warfield and Larroquette’s in-character reunion. “[They are] both very strong, grounded energies. [In one scene, Roz’s] blood sugar dropped. And she was hallucinating on the roof, and was walking on the edge, and Dan had a moment where he talked her down, and it was a very beautiful moment.”
Lacretta as Gurgs in NIGHT COURT – Season 2 – “Taught and Bothered” | ©2023 NBC / Nicole Weingart
She adds that it was somewhat surreal to witness this. “Absolutely. I get a little bit of anxiety, so I tend to hide,” she laughs. “But when I’m hiding, it’s the best view to get to watch and take those things in, and I did get to sit down and talk to [Warfield], she had some beautiful things to say, and just continued to say beautiful things about being back here, and how she feels about me in further articles [including one run by UPI], so I’m appreciative of that, because no one has to say anything, they can just talk about themselves, and she’s chosen to share.”
How does Lacretta feel about Gurgs? “I adore her. This is a different opportunity for me. Sometimes, I read these articles, and they said ‘comedian this and that,’ and I’m like, ‘No’,” she laughs. “If you could be up on stage, and ask me to say things, and be funny, I don’t know that I can do it. I’m a comic actor, not ‘comedian.’ I need someone to write all my stuff for me. But she is just different than what I’ve gotten to play in the past, and I feel like she’s different than what we see on TV now, and I’m grateful to have that opportunity, and just to also be a loving human being towards other people, and get paid for it. I can’t ask for anything more.”
In what ways does Lacretta feel Gurgs is different than most of what we see on TV? “Well, we have and have had stereotypes of the big Black woman for a very long time, and I think me coming from a standpoint of watching BBC growing up, me coming from a standpoint of watching Nick at Nite growing up, Nick at Nite was very different, it was THE PATTY DUKE SHOW, it was I DREAM OF JEANNIE, so I’m coming from that kind of sensibility. Not to say that there still isn’t a place for the big Black woman, but I think now she’s more nuanced than that character has been in the past.”
Lacretta says Gurgs is a character “who is living and breathing, but more free than myself. I feel like I oftentimes have to censor what I say in order to make sure that everyone is comfortable, and she gets to live in the moment, and speak as she understands the world to be.”
NIGHT COURT — “Chips Ahoy” Episode 209 — Pictured: (l-r) India de Beaufort as Olivia, Lacretta as Gurgs — (Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC)
What’s in store for Gurgs this season? “We have a love interest for her. That’s been exciting to explore, because I know how boy-crazy I am. Thankfully, a little bit of that gets to spill over into Gurgs. Just getting to peel back the layers and get to know us on a more personal level is how I feel that the second season is going.”
Apart from watching the original NIGHT COURT, did Lacretta research her role by going to real courtrooms and watching actual bailiffs? “No. I didn’t do that, because I want to stay as far from court as possible,” she laughs. But I did watch a lot of clips and a lot of informative videos about the judicial system, and about what the role of a bailiff or a court officer is.
With the delay in Season 2’s start caused by the writers’ and actors’ strikes, Lacretta says what she is most excited about this season is “that we finally got to do it, because I miss my cast and my crew. Some of us did still hang out while we were on hiatus, just to check in and have coffee – ‘How are you doing, are you doing okay, are you hanging in there, are you keeping yourself busy, do you have a hobby now, what’s going on?’ And so, to be back together is lovely. And also, to learn more about all of us together, and how we are separate that brings us together, has been great.”
NIGHT COURT – Season 1 Key Art | ©2023 NBC
Lacretta feels that NIGHT COURT has just about the right amount of social commentary. “It’s as topical as they want to be. I’m there for it. And if there’s something that they don’t want to talk about, I’m there for that, too, because it shouldn’t be forced.”
Discussion turns to some fans of the comedy OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH who are, as we are speaking, dressed as pirates, demonstrating outside the studio gates in the hopes of getting the canceled series picked up. Lacretta hopes NIGHT COURT doesn’t “have to need it, but if there ever was a situation, I hope that our fans would come out and do the same thing for us that they’re doing.” She adds that she thinks OUR FLAG IS DEATH is worth saving.” There’s so much to watch right now, [but] I watched a couple of episodes. I’ve definitely enjoyed their show. We’ll see what happens.”
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Article: Exclusive Interview: Actress Lacretta on Season 2 of NBC’s hit comedy series NIGHT COURT
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