The One with the Cast of Night Court
Encyclopedia
"The One with the Cast of Night Court" is the third episode of the third season
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt
, and directed by Gail Mancuso
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
(NBC) in the United States on November 13, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include Harry Anderson
, Jennifer Aniston
, Markie Post
, and Charlie Robinson
.
In the episode, Liz Lemon
(Tina Fey
) and Jenna Maroney
's (Jane Krakowski
) former roommate, Claire Harper (Aniston), comes to visit them. She develops a stalker-like obsession with their boss, Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
). Meanwhile, NBC page
Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) is unhappy with the new page uniform so Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) decides to cheer him up with the help of Night Court
cast members Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charlie Robinson.
"The One with the Cast of Night Court" received generally mixed reception from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
system, it was watched by 7.5 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 4.6 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. For her performance in this episode, Aniston received a Primetime Emmy Award
nomination in the category for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
(Tina Fey
) and Jenna Maroney
(Jane Krakowski
) await the arrival of their old Chicago roommate, Claire Harper (Jennifer Aniston
). The two are not thrilled with her visit as they find her exhausting to be around with. Immediately, their boss Jack Donaghy
(Alec Baldwin
) is attracted to Claire, but Liz tells him not to get involved with her. Jack, however, reveals to Liz that the two have already slept together. At a General Electric
formal function, Claire surprises Jack by singing "Happy Birthday
" to him. He tells her that she needs to leave, so Claire loudly threatens to kill herself. To help Jack, Liz gets Claire to abandon her plans with Jack and instead go out nightclubbing with her and Jenna. At the club, Claire does not show up, which prompts Liz to call Jack to warn him about potential danger. He finds Claire inside his apartment and ends up sleeping with her again. When asked to choose between Liz and Claire, Jack chooses Claire, but Claire, thinking that the relationship has gotten boring, turns on Jack.
Meanwhile, NBC page
Kenneth Parcell
(Jack McBrayer
) is not happy with the new page uniforms. Wanting to see Kenneth happy again, Tracy Jordan
(Tracy Morgan
) gets actors Harry Anderson
, Markie Post
, and Charlie Robinson
from the television show, Night Court
. Kenneth is excited when he finds out that he can watch the Night Court wedding between the Anderson and Post's characters, Judge Harry Stone and Christine Sullivan, before the show is canceled by the network. When a conflict between Anderson and Post ensues, it seems that the wedding will not take place. However, Anderson and Post make up and rehearse. As Tracy and Kenneth finish taping the final scenes of Harry and Christine's wedding, Harry declares it illegal to wear the new page uniforms and demands the old ones be brought back. Tracy tells Kenneth that he added that part in the script as he complained to Kenneth's superiors to bring back the old uniforms, which makes Kenneth happy.
, and directed by Gail Mancuso
. This was Burditt's eighth writing credit, and was Mancuso's fourth directed episode. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 13, 2008, as the third episode of the show's third season
. Its title, "The One...", is the convention used to name episodes of guest star Jennifer Aniston
's prior sitcom Friends
.
In August 2008, it was announced that actress Jennifer Aniston would guest star on 30 Rock. The following month it was confirmed by NBC that she would play a woman obsessed with Alec Baldwin
's character, Jack Donaghy
. She filmed her scenes on August 29 and September 4, 2008. In November 2008, it was announced that actors Markie Post
, Harry Anderson
and Charles Robinson
, the cast of the situation comedy show Night Court
, would make a cameo on the show.
Two filmed scenes from "The One with the Cast of Night Court" were cut out from the airing. Instead, the scenes were featured on 30 Rock' s season 3 DVD as part of the deleted scenes in the Bonus feature. In the first scene, Liz and Jenna recall their wild nights with Claire, including when Jenna and Claire danced around an opened fire hydrant
, while Liz tells them that she does not feel safe. They also remember when they crashed a Polish wedding, in which Claire is seeing dancing around a group of men. In the second scene, Harry Anderson is in Tracy's dressing room, after leaving rehearsal. Tracy enters to convince him to make up with Markie Post. In another room, Kenneth is seen with Markie Post. Anderson complains to Tracy about Post, as does Post about Anderson to Kenneth. Tracy tells him to forget about the past and fulfill Kenneth's dreams of a Night Court wedding to make Kenneth happy, as he is displeased with the new page uniforms he is forced to wear.
In its original American broadcast, "The One with the Cast of Night Court" was watched by 7.5 million households, according to the Nielsen ratings
system. It received a 4.6 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic, meaning that 4.6% of all people in that group, and 7% of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode. This was a decrease from the previous episode, "Believe in the Stars
", which was watched by 8.0 million American viewers. This episode was the tenth highest-rated show on the NBC network during the week of November 10–16, 2008. Jennifer Aniston
received a Primetime Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
for her work in this episode, but lost it to Tina Fey
for her satirical portrayal of Sarah Palin
on Saturday Night Live
.
Since airing, "The One with the Cast of Night Court" has received mixed reception from television critics. Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
wrote that the episode was "kooky, ooky and over-the-top" and enjoyed every minute of it. "For the more esoteric viewer, it's a milestone episode", said The Age
' s Farah Farouque. Cameron Adams for the Herald Sun
called the episode hilarious, while The Boston Globe
' s Matthew Gilbert felt that it was flaccid and cliched. IGN
contributor Robert Canning said that the episode "did have its moments" and that the storylines "had their potential, and their share of laughs, but I can't help but feel they both could have been so much more." He opined that the Kenneth and Tracy story was "more up 30 Rock' s style" but that it was a shame that the story could not "quite knock the concept out of the park." Overall, Canning rated "The One with the Cast of Night Court" a 7.9 out of 10. Jeff Labrecque for Entertainment Weekly
reported that the episode fell flat.
Critical opinion was divided on Aniston's performance as Claire. TV Guide
' s Matt Mitovich wrote that Aniston "looked sweet, but the role was juuuuust a bit much ... [and] over-the-top." Jeremy Medina of Paste
said that the show did not really seem to know what to do with Aniston in this episode. Tom Stempel for Slant Magazine
said 30 Rock was "smart enough" not to make Claire resemble Aniston's former television character, Rachel
, from Friends
. Further in his review, Stempel said that Claire was a "great choice of character" for Aniston to play, and praised her for knocking the role "out of the park." Kerrie Murphy for The Australian
was equally positive noting that Aniston fits in smoothly as Liz's former roommate. Murphy added, "Not only is it a reminder that Aniston is a gifted comic actor [...] With her, the show's regular cast easily hold their own."
Bob Sassone
of AOL
's TV Squad enjoyed the cameos of Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charles Robinson in the episode. Robert Philpot for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
wrote that the Night Court cast stole the show from Aniston. Television columnist Alan Sepinwall for The Star-Ledger
wrote that he "got a much bigger kick out" of the Night Court story. Medina, who wrote that the episode was "mostly a success", disliked the Night Court plot, citing that it was not funny.
30 Rock (season 3)
The third season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 22 episodes and began airing on October 30, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
of the American television comedy series 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt
Jack Burditt
Jack Burditt is an American producer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
, and directed by Gail Mancuso
Gail Mancuso
Gail Mancuso is an American television director.- Select TV work :* Modern Family * $h*! My Dad Says * 30 Rock * Scrubs...
. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(NBC) in the United States on November 13, 2008. Guest stars in this episode include Harry Anderson
Harry Anderson
Harry Laverne Anderson is an American actor and magician.-Early life:Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Anderson was a street magician before becoming an actor.-Career:...
, Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
, Markie Post
Markie Post
Marjorie Armstrong "Markie" Post is an American actress, best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine Sullivan on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on the CBS sitcom...
, and Charlie Robinson
Charles Robinson (actor)
Charles "Charlie" Robinson is a critically acclaimed American theater and television actor. He is best known for his role as Mac Robinson in the NBC sitcom Night Court...
.
In the episode, Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) and Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski.-Fictional biography:Jenna was born Ystrepa Grokovitz on February 24, 1969 and grew up in Bakersfield...
's (Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
) former roommate, Claire Harper (Aniston), comes to visit them. She develops a stalker-like obsession with their boss, Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
). Meanwhile, NBC page
NBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Ellen Parcell is a fictional character in the comedy television series 30 Rock. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot" on October 10, 2006...
(Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
) is unhappy with the new page uniform so Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
) decides to cheer him up with the help of Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
cast members Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charlie Robinson.
"The One with the Cast of Night Court" received generally mixed reception from television critics. According to the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system, it was watched by 7.5 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 4.6 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic. For her performance in this episode, Aniston received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination in the category for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Plot
Liz LemonLiz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
(Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
) and Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney
Jenna Maroney is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, played by Jane Krakowski.-Fictional biography:Jenna was born Ystrepa Grokovitz on February 24, 1969 and grew up in Bakersfield...
(Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
) await the arrival of their old Chicago roommate, Claire Harper (Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
). The two are not thrilled with her visit as they find her exhausting to be around with. Immediately, their boss Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
(Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
) is attracted to Claire, but Liz tells him not to get involved with her. Jack, however, reveals to Liz that the two have already slept together. At a General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
formal function, Claire surprises Jack by singing "Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to You
"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth...
" to him. He tells her that she needs to leave, so Claire loudly threatens to kill herself. To help Jack, Liz gets Claire to abandon her plans with Jack and instead go out nightclubbing with her and Jenna. At the club, Claire does not show up, which prompts Liz to call Jack to warn him about potential danger. He finds Claire inside his apartment and ends up sleeping with her again. When asked to choose between Liz and Claire, Jack chooses Claire, but Claire, thinking that the relationship has gotten boring, turns on Jack.
Meanwhile, NBC page
NBC page
An NBC page is a person usually in his or her early twenties working in various departments of the NBC television network during a one-year period as a training ground for careers in television broadcasting and entertainment...
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Parcell
Kenneth Ellen Parcell is a fictional character in the comedy television series 30 Rock. He is portrayed by actor Jack McBrayer and first appeared on television in the 30 Rock episode "Pilot" on October 10, 2006...
(Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
) is not happy with the new page uniforms. Wanting to see Kenneth happy again, Tracy Jordan
Tracy Jordan
Ogbert Jordan, better known by his stage name, Tracy, is a fictional character on the American television series 30 Rock, based on and played by Tracy Morgan.-Brief overview:...
(Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan
Tracy Morgan is an American comedian who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.-Early life:...
) gets actors Harry Anderson
Harry Anderson
Harry Laverne Anderson is an American actor and magician.-Early life:Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Anderson was a street magician before becoming an actor.-Career:...
, Markie Post
Markie Post
Marjorie Armstrong "Markie" Post is an American actress, best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine Sullivan on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on the CBS sitcom...
, and Charlie Robinson
Charles Robinson (actor)
Charles "Charlie" Robinson is a critically acclaimed American theater and television actor. He is best known for his role as Mac Robinson in the NBC sitcom Night Court...
from the television show, Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
. Kenneth is excited when he finds out that he can watch the Night Court wedding between the Anderson and Post's characters, Judge Harry Stone and Christine Sullivan, before the show is canceled by the network. When a conflict between Anderson and Post ensues, it seems that the wedding will not take place. However, Anderson and Post make up and rehearse. As Tracy and Kenneth finish taping the final scenes of Harry and Christine's wedding, Harry declares it illegal to wear the new page uniforms and demands the old ones be brought back. Tracy tells Kenneth that he added that part in the script as he complained to Kenneth's superiors to bring back the old uniforms, which makes Kenneth happy.
Production
"The One with the Cast of Night Court" was written by co-executive producer Jack BurdittJack Burditt
Jack Burditt is an American producer and screenwriter who has worked on many television shows.He has worked as a writer on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock...
, and directed by Gail Mancuso
Gail Mancuso
Gail Mancuso is an American television director.- Select TV work :* Modern Family * $h*! My Dad Says * 30 Rock * Scrubs...
. This was Burditt's eighth writing credit, and was Mancuso's fourth directed episode. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 13, 2008, as the third episode of the show's third season
30 Rock (season 3)
The third season of 30 Rock, an American television comedy series, consists of 22 episodes and began airing on October 30, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
. Its title, "The One...", is the convention used to name episodes of guest star Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
's prior sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
.
In August 2008, it was announced that actress Jennifer Aniston would guest star on 30 Rock. The following month it was confirmed by NBC that she would play a woman obsessed with Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
's character, Jack Donaghy
Jack Donaghy
John Francis "Jack" Donaghy is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. He is the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric and later Kabletown....
. She filmed her scenes on August 29 and September 4, 2008. In November 2008, it was announced that actors Markie Post
Markie Post
Marjorie Armstrong "Markie" Post is an American actress, best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine Sullivan on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on the CBS sitcom...
, Harry Anderson
Harry Anderson
Harry Laverne Anderson is an American actor and magician.-Early life:Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Anderson was a street magician before becoming an actor.-Career:...
and Charles Robinson
Charles Robinson (actor)
Charles "Charlie" Robinson is a critically acclaimed American theater and television actor. He is best known for his role as Mac Robinson in the NBC sitcom Night Court...
, the cast of the situation comedy show Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
, would make a cameo on the show.
Two filmed scenes from "The One with the Cast of Night Court" were cut out from the airing. Instead, the scenes were featured on 30 Rock
Fire hydrant
A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
, while Liz tells them that she does not feel safe. They also remember when they crashed a Polish wedding, in which Claire is seeing dancing around a group of men. In the second scene, Harry Anderson is in Tracy's dressing room, after leaving rehearsal. Tracy enters to convince him to make up with Markie Post. In another room, Kenneth is seen with Markie Post. Anderson complains to Tracy about Post, as does Post about Anderson to Kenneth. Tracy tells him to forget about the past and fulfill Kenneth's dreams of a Night Court wedding to make Kenneth happy, as he is displeased with the new page uniforms he is forced to wear.
Reception
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system. It received a 4.6 rating/7 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic, meaning that 4.6% of all people in that group, and 7% of all people from that group watching television at the time, watched the episode. This was a decrease from the previous episode, "Believe in the Stars
Believe in the Stars
"Believe in the Stars" is the second episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 38th overall episode of the series. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino. The episode originally aired on the...
", which was watched by 8.0 million American viewers. This episode was the tenth highest-rated show on the NBC network during the week of November 10–16, 2008. Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
for her work in this episode, but lost it to Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
for her satirical portrayal of Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Since airing, "The One with the Cast of Night Court" has received mixed reception from television critics. Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
wrote that the episode was "kooky, ooky and over-the-top" and enjoyed every minute of it. "For the more esoteric viewer, it's a milestone episode", said The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
called the episode hilarious, while The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
contributor Robert Canning said that the episode "did have its moments" and that the storylines "had their potential, and their share of laughs, but I can't help but feel they both could have been so much more." He opined that the Kenneth and Tracy story was "more up 30 Rock
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reported that the episode fell flat.
Critical opinion was divided on Aniston's performance as Claire. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
said that the show did not really seem to know what to do with Aniston in this episode. Tom Stempel for Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
said 30 Rock was "smart enough" not to make Claire resemble Aniston's former television character, Rachel
Rachel Green
Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Aniston received an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe for her performances.-Background:...
, from Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. Further in his review, Stempel said that Claire was a "great choice of character" for Aniston to play, and praised her for knocking the role "out of the park." Kerrie Murphy for The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
was equally positive noting that Aniston fits in smoothly as Liz's former roommate. Murphy added, "Not only is it a reminder that Aniston is a gifted comic actor [...] With her, the show's regular cast easily hold their own."
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone
Bob Sassone is an American writer. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Italian and Portuguese parents. He is the youngest of seven children....
of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's TV Squad enjoyed the cameos of Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charles Robinson in the episode. Robert Philpot for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
wrote that the Night Court cast stole the show from Aniston. Television columnist Alan Sepinwall for The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
wrote that he "got a much bigger kick out" of the Night Court story. Medina, who wrote that the episode was "mostly a success", disliked the Night Court plot, citing that it was not funny.
External links
- "The One with the Cast of Night Court," at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- "The One with the Cast of Night Court," at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...