Why no boxed set?

[TSMIV]

Did the individual seasons not sell well? I haven't seen this show in years and I don't think it's streaming anywhere. An inexpensive box set would be awesome!

[EccentricGenius]

Originally Posted by TSMIV

Did the individual seasons not sell well? I haven't seen this show in years and I don't think it's streaming anywhere. An inexpensive box set would be awesome!

It's a mystery to me as well, TSMIV. Perhaps the individual season box sets were poor sellers for Warner Bros.; hell, it took nearly four years for Warner Bros. to release the second season on DVD after Warner Bros. examined the lackluster sales figures for season one (I remember seeing dozens of unsold copies of season one gathering dust at Big Lots nearly a decade ago--I actually purchased a copy at Big Lots for only seven dollars). And it took another year for season three to receive a DVD release, again due to mediocre sales...Warner Bros. decided to throw in the towel and release the six remaining seasons as manufactured-on-demand DVDs through their online store (as part of the Warner Archive Collection), beginning in the autumn of 2011.

I'd love to see Shout! Factory acquire the home video distribution rights from Warner Bros.--as they did with "MADtv," the "Beetlejuice" animated series, and "Welcome Back, Kotter"--and release a complete series DVD box set in the future, complete with hours of extras (such as audio commentaries, interviews, deleted scenes, network promos, and a gag reel). I seriously doubt it would be affordable, however--considering how long "Night Court" aired on NBC (nine seasons and 193 episodes, from '84 to '92), a complete series DVD box set may be a little bit pricey.

[TSMIV]

It's strange how this show is almost forgotten when lesser shows from that era are re-run constantly and got cheap DVD releases. It was a unique concept, had classic characters, and starred popular actors.

[EccentricGenius]

Originally Posted by TSMIV

It's strange how this show is almost forgotten when lesser shows from that era are re-run constantly and got cheap DVD releases. It was a unique concept, had classic characters, and starred popular actors.

Damn shame, ain't it?

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

It's an odd show. I have it in my top 100 sitcoms, but not my "ideal schedule." You had a couple of "Is that still on?" years at the end, and then a little stretch at the beginning where they were settling on a cast. And yet even in the years in the middle, there's not a two or three year stretch where all cylinders are firing. The good episodes are really memorable, but before settling in to watch I really want to know which specific episode is on.

I just think that at the end of the day, Night Court was a show that quite simply hasn't aged very well. Now, I don't know for sure if that has anything to do with why there's currently no box set available, but lets look at the evidence (no pun intended) for a moment:
*It played sexual harassment for laughs. Dan Fielding was basically, the '80s version of Barney Stinson with his unabashed/unchecked sexism/misogyny. Even so, if Night Court aired today, it would be very safe to assume that both Dan and Judge Harry Stone would be quietly asked to resign due to their propensity to either hit on co-workers or to date subordinates.

*With all due respect to the recently departed Harry Anderson, he was arguably funnier then, than he would be viewed as being now. If it makes sense, while Anderson was undoubtedly an excellent stage magician and he had a great run in the 1970s and 1980s, his humor is quite frankly, dated and his personality on the series (a lovably dweeby, man-child judge) wouldn’t appeal to 21st century viewers.

*The writing could be pretty lazy. Think about it this way, you can watch any episode of Night Court and tell how it’s going to end roughly 5–7 minutes in, at the LATEST. It followed a simple formula (countless sight gags and over the top, heavy-handed, message-y plots) far too often and its writing became trite and predictable as a result. It was for better or worse, more reliant on gags and with less development of characters like say Cheers from around the same time period. The show was written as a showcase for Harry Anderson, but later devolved into the John Laroquette/Richard Moll Show. As a consequence, they really didn’t give the funniest performers the best lines (namely Richard Moll and Marsha Warfield).

*Night Court suffered from "early installment weirdness". It wasn't just because Christine Sullivan/Markie Post doesn't show up until the third season. The best description that I heard is that the first two or three seasons felt more like a grimy, weirdly underground, off-Broadway play. It was as if it was written by someone who had worked in that situation.

[Heenan Fan]

The individual DVDs would of sold a lot better if there was any thought whatsoever put into producing them. Other than a short interview with Reinhold Weegie on the season 1 DVD, there were zero extras, let alone the poor pic quality. Imagine the NC DVDs being produced like the Seinfeld or Get Smart DVDs. Loaded with extras, commentary, a full documentary, the making of NC, the option to turn the laugh track off for seasons 1-3, when the show was more gritty. What could of been.