TV Theme Song Top Ten: Night Court (#5)

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Yesterday it was warm. Today it’s cold. Welcome to the Ohio Valley, where the weather does what it wants, when it wants. I have plenty of tea and hot chocolate to warm me up, and I can also warm myself with another favorite television theme song. Presenting, for your dining and dancing pleasure, the theme to the last two TV episodic TV shows I watched. #5: Night Court - Jack Elliott Yep, I watched it in the 80s, and I’m watching it now. The reboot/update started slow, but it’s really picked up steam in subsequent episodes. In fact, this week’s episode (“Train Court”) was the best throwback to the original series yet, complete with Abby bantering like Harry would (“It’s court o’clock, and you’re here during Abby hour, all decisions are half-price” ), Dan’s feast “fit for a king” of hog’s head cheese and chicken feet, and a horse in the courtroom. THAT’S the Night Court I know and love!!! My biggest gripe about the new series is that the theme song, performed by series star John Larroquette’s son Benjamin, is way too short. (Okay, no Harry Anderson [who died in 2018], either…I thought he was a doll, and I even got to meet him when he was touring with his magic/comedy show while Night Court was on hiatus in 1986.) The original series theme song wasn’t long enough for my liking, either. It had that funky bass opening and worked in a cool jazz sax riff. By the 80s most of the “big hit TV theme songs” were a thing of the past, so they didn’t extend this and release it as a single (the way three of the last four were ). When I watch this online on FreeVee it offers the opportunity to “skip intro.” WHY? It’s a great theme song! Night Court Written by Jack Elliott Recorded by Jack Elliott (original) or Ben Sword Larroquette (new series) From Night Court, 1984-93; 2023-present Oh, there haven’t been any Mel Tormé mentions yet, either: