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#1 |
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Okay. I wanted to see some activity on this board, since it's been a little quiet. So, I'm going to pose this question. What if Margaret never really went into the witness relocation program? With Christine a free girl again, do you think Harry would have struggled eventually with his feelings and broken up with Margaret to try for Christine again? Would Harry have gotten married to Margaret with Christine playing some important role in the ceremony? Would Christine come to the realization that Harry is the one she wants and "fight" Margaret for him in some way? Would Margaret notice any differences in Harry's behavior in his interactions with her and Christine and decide to break up with Harry? Would Margaret and Harry have a crucial disagreement in their relationship that would cause them to break up? Would the gang intervene in any of the above cases by helping or hindering any action?
It's an interesting point to ponder if things had gone the other way. In any case, at least maybe I can generate some discussion. |
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#2 |
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It sure has been a while since I posted here. I still lurk, seeing if anything new has come up.
Anyway, with Christine now available, Harry probably would have jumped at the chance to realize his feelings for her but uncertain if she would love him in return, he would probably still stay with Margaret, who would not have entered the witness relocation program. If Harry walks down the aisle with Margaret and finally realize his mistake, he would raise his hand in objection to his marriage and run out to find Christine. I'm thinking he would find Christine at Central Park, where they kissed at the end of the 8th season. This could flesh out into a 4-episode arc, right up with the 4-part "Her Honor" episodes. Maybe it would take up about half a season, about 10 episodes. Had the show taken those opportunities, it would not have gone downhill as shown in the second half of season 8 and all of season 9. This is all I can think of at this time. It has been a long time since I've seen the show in full, though I've watched some episodes from time to time. Wait. Here's a possibility: What if Tony came back into Christine's life, just when she returned her feelings for Harry, who had just left Margaret at the altar? -Makoto4 |
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The Doctor: "I'm the Doctor, by the way, what's your name?" Rose Tyler: "Rose." The Doctor: "Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for yer life!" -- The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) to his soon-to-be-companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), from Doctor Who episode "Rose" |
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#3 |
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Humm. Harry objecting to his own wedding. That would definitely make for good water cooler talk. It would also be interesting, since it would not totally fit into Harry's character to leave a woman stranded at the altar. He and Christine would then have another thing in common, since she had the one night stand with the 20 something artist. *That* was not like Christine.
As for the Tony issue that you brought up, this was sort of explored on the show with the episode you mentioned concerning Harry and Christine's kiss in Central Park. The only difference between your idea and the show's was that Harry was the jealous one when Tony started entering into his territory. This brings up another thought. What really did happen after that kiss in the park? Did Harry and Christine just stare at each other until Tony returned? Did Harry bolt? The only thing we did find out is that, according to Harry's parable, "they went to their own separate cages." I agree that the ninth season was a disgrace and didn't stay true to the atmosphere and characters of the show. So may doors could have been opened if they just allowed the show to follow the plan that made it a success all of those years. It's okay to change the characters, but you have to make sure the change fits their nature. Curve balls along the way are okay to keep it fresh. I just don't think the writers really *knew* the show in the last year. What did they really have to lose in making season nine exciting? |
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#4 | ||||
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But what if Margaret was the first to object and what would her reason be? What would Harry say? What would Christine say if she was present at his wedding? What if Margaret had somehow sensed that Christine is the one for him? Quote:
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What ever happened to the writers who had been with the show since its debut? If most or all of those long-time writers were leaving, it would have been better to end the show somewhere around its 8th season, rather than limping along in a 9th season. -Makoto4 |
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#5 |
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Actually, Reinhold Weege wanted to take the show with him when he left at the end of season six I think it was. However, becasue "Night Court" was doing so well in the ratings for NBC, they wouldn't let him do that. They gave Reinhold Weege some cash, Weege left but consulted for season seven, then Chris Cluess and Stu Kreisman took over. However, I think I read somewhere that Cluess and Kriesman (who were there for the early years of "Night Court") were in creative conflict with Weege. That's why Cluess and Kreisman left in the early years. After Weege left, they were hired to caome back to take over the show. Some of the changes they made weren't bad, but I think they just weren't in touch with the characters. Aside from the fact that Harry and Christine should have ended up together, I thought Dan should finally get his break. He always wanted a better job or lots of money. That's why I wrote the fan fiction story that I did. I gave everyone a departure that was a bit closer to their characters.
I always had this idea that if Harry and Margaret stayed together, somewhere there would be a problem. I thought Margaret was very career-driven. I always saw her as not wanting a family for that reason. Yet, Harry would want a family. Don't ask me why I thought this way. It's just a way I saw those characters. I think this would be a crucial part of Harry's relationship with Margaret. Not only that, but Margaret changed Harry's personality. I didn't like that. He became too "stuffy." Additionally, I always felt that somehow Margaret would be a bit intimidated by Harry's closeness with Christine and his invlovement in her life and personal problems. I got that character vibe while watching the bachelor auction episode. You have great "What if?" questions concerning any kind of wedding ceremony that could have occurred. It most certainly would have been crazy. I think almost everyone was hyped up after that season eight ending kiss in Central Park. Just about everyone wanted to know what was going to happen next season with those two after years of flirtation. I know I was. I thought it was a pivitol moment. I felt that after years of trying to get Christine to really notice him, Harry went for the moment. His actions were more or less a way of getting her attention. I have my own interpretation of what could have happened after that moment. It would have been interesting. There were just a lot of emotions happening at once in that scene. I just wipe out the ninth season from my memory. It truly was the show's worst season ever. I also don't buy the fact that the writer's and producers couldn't continue with the storylines they ended in season eight. Since, when did anyone really care what the network execs thought? Reinhold Weege certainly didn't. Years ago, I found Reinhold Weege's e-mail address while surfing the net. I forget how. Anyway, I wrote to him about the show and how much I loved it. I asked him how *he* would have ended the show. He told me he would have given each character a fitting ending, but never said how. Again, I always wondered what *he* would have done. I'm still curious to this day. Reinhold, if you're out there in cyberspace, could you fill us all in on how you would have ended the show. It has to be better than what we got. |
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#6 |
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Man, I wish I knew what you all were discussing; I only saw the first couple of seasons!!!!!!!
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#7 |
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The fact that Reinhold Weege left the show yet worked as a consultant may explain why it was still good but when did he stop consulting the series? If Chris Cluess and Stu Kreisman did indeed have issues with Weege, why were they hired back? Did they accept the offer to run the show just so they could ruin his show's last two years in retaliation?
I don't know why Dan ended up with Christine when Harry should have gotten the girl and Christine had constantly resisted Dan. If Dan finally did get his break, what would that be? What was your fan fiction story about? I would like to read it to see what could have been for all the characters. How exactly did Margaret change Harry's personality? The two things I remember are Harry replacing his Mel Torme picture with Margaret and not pulling any pranks in the "Death Takes a Halloween" episode. I miss him doing such things, since he is very upbeat and off-the-wall yet competent as a judge. Having been let down with the last two seasons, so many possibilities came to my head it was enough to drown out those seasons. Those "What if?" questions on Harry and Margaret's wedding would have led to one crazy ceremony. Perhaps there should have been an episode where Harry or any of the characters thought up of any possible outcomes of the wedding and the actual outcome would either be a combination of all character's thoughts of the wedding or something entirely different. I could see why Harry would want a family. He was the temporary foster father to Leon until the adoption agency had found two nerdy parents for Leon. Harry couldn't let go of Leon yet he ended up doing so because Leon needed a father and a mother and Harry could only give half of that. Perhaps starting a family would make up for not keeping Leon. Also, Harry's mother left him when he was 5 and he met his father Buddy Ryan by the time Harry was judge. He still has his father and his friends but having a family would be more fulfilling for him. What was your interpretation of what happened after the kiss in Central Park? The only thing I can think of is what if Tony saw them and how would he react? If Harry and Christine remained together to the show's finale and beyond, how would it affect their personal and professional lives? If their relationship has a negative effect on their lives, would they break up only to get back together again or go their separate ways? Do you know Reinhold Weege's e-mail address? I too would like to know how he would have resolved his characters and what he would think of the fan's own stories that tried to repair the damage of seasons 8 and 9. Whenever I erase the latter half of season 8 and the entire ninth season, I keep thinking of the last scene in the final episode of Newhart, when Bob Newhart wakes up telling his wife "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had!" And his wife is not Mary Frann in Newhart but Suzanne Pleshette from the 1970s Bob Newhart Show. That last scene "revealed" the Newhart series was all a dream and Bob Newhart is still in his 1970s sitcom. The Night Court version of that scene would have Harry waking up in bed saying "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had!" And his wife would be Christine. Here, the last two seasons were all a dream to Harry. It sounds crazy but it did help me forget those seasons. Here are a few more "What if..." questions: Leon coming back and where was Buddy Ryan? What if Phil had not died and had no twin brother Will? -Makoto4 |
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#8 | |||||||||||
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I don't know about Leon returning, but what the heck *did* happen to Buddy? He was thrown out of the picture in season nine. (Darn that season nine!) Yeah, the whole Phil thing was a problem from the start. Why kill him off just to bring him back reincarnated as his twin brother? That was a little too on the soap opera side. The idea of Phil getting killed lost the impact when they brought Will into the picture. There had to be a better way to take Phil's death in another direction for Dan. I just thought Will was a dumb move on the part of the writers. |
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#9 | |
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#10 |
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I guess I’ve jumped to conclusions regarding why Cluess and Kreisman dropped the ball on the show. I thought they intended to ruin the show but when you mentioned how they talked with the cast members about ideas for their characters, I’ve changed my mind. However, I cannot excuse them for wiping the slate clean and writing in something worse for the show. I would like to read the article you mentioned as well as any other articles you or anyone on this board may have.
Not to knock on John Larroquette but what made him come up with Dan getting Christine in the finale? Having watched the episode “The Law Club” just tonight, where Dan tries to save Christine from being sexually harassed by the member of the law club Dan was considering of joining, I got the impression that Dan may be resisted by Christine but still cares and respects her. He gave up joining the club for her sake, setting aside his usual self-serving personality. If he can set aside his feelings, then he would have been wise enough to let Christine go into Harry’s arms. Perhaps there could be an episode where Dan considers his feelings for Christine before deciding to let Harry have her. Was your fanfic on Harry and Dan competing for Christine similar to what I came up with? I would love to read your fanfics. I have Jason Bowler’s NC site bookmarked and I check there every now and then for updates. I remember hearing about a NC movie somewhere on this board and how NBC tried to make up for the damage by having shows get the finales they wanted. Still, we can only wonder if NBC and Warner Brothers had not tampered with the show. Although I liked the “Death Takes a Halloween” episode since it dealt with mental illness and death and was well written by Harry Anderson, I missed Harry’s antics on Halloween. Being a judge is serious work but that doesn’t mean he has to be too serious. His fun-loving, crazy personality broke up any tensions in and out of the courtroom. The more we post about what the show could have been, the more they are begging to be written down. Maybe I could start watching my NC tapes and season 1 DVD to get a better grasp of the characters and stories. For the story of Harry and his friends thinking of every possible outcome for his wedding only to have the actual ceremony appear something different than expected, I’m thinking of having this story titled “Before the Fact.” Usually, when different viewpoints tell the same scenario, that usually happens after the fact. But with this story, it’s *before* the wedding takes place. Which episode had Harry taking Christine and Charlie to the circus? I’m not sure if I’ve seen that one. Harry was the kid-at-heart, which is why he dealt well with children and constantly practiced magic tricks. By dropping those qualities, it affected not only him but the show itself. I like your interpretation of what happened after the Central Park kiss. If the conflict between Harry and Christine continues, how would they handle each other in the courtroom when dealing with the cases? Either Christine tries to get the night off, avoids eye-contact with Harry or says things that clearly show her anger towards him. When the tension escalates to its peak, who would resolve the conflict? Perhaps Dan, the last person you expect to do such thing. Mac, Bull, and Roz would also try to resolve it but it seems that Dan would most likely to intervene. It’s great that you got in touch with Weege and Anderson. They are indeed wonderful people who took the opportunity to write to you back and read the stories you sent. It goes to show they definitely appreciate their fans and I’m also thankful for their kindness. It’s sad of what happened to Harry post-Hurricane Katrina but he was able to move on. I wish him the very best. Having season 9 a dream would have been hysterical. I just thought when Harry wakes up and turns on the light, he would have his picture of Mel Torme next to him instead of Margaret. The audience would be screaming not just because his “wife” turned out to be Christine but that they finally got together for good and relieved that seasons 8 and 9 were fake. If Leon did return, what would his reason be besides seeing Harry again? Perhaps he might have had problems with his foster parents. Surely, Leon would have worked out any problems with them but possibly, he might run into a problem he himself could not fix and decided to turn to Harry for help. For Buddy, what ever happened to him? I didn’t see him after the episode where Christine gives birth. And why kill Phil off? There was nothing wrong with the character at all, except for him having evil twin brother Will. -Makoto4 |
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#11 | |
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#13 |
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I just love it when people analyze sitcoms. Really, I do! Especially since I find myself doing it sometimes.
![]() I remember reading somewhere that the writers we instructed to leave the finale open ended because of the possibility of NC continuing on The WB. However, that never happened and we were left with all these lose ends. What really happened after the finale? No one really knows and after all this time, it's really up to what each individual wished to see happen in the end. |
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#14 | ||
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#15 | |
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You and me both! It would have been interested to see what Harry, Markie, John and the rest would have liked to see happen. I also wish Weege would finally come out and tell us what ending he would have wrote for each character. |
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