Roz is back. In the season two premiere of NBC’s Night Court, Marsha Warfield makes her highly anticipated return in a full episode as Roz Russell, a candid, no-nonsense bailiff on the original sitcom, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1992. Expect plenty of surprises in the episode entitled The Roz Affair, which drops Tuesday, January 2nd at 8/7c on NBC, and streaming next day on Peacock here.
The premiere finds Dan (John Larroquette) helping Roz with an investigation that goes awry. Suddenly, the duo finds themselves pleading their case in front of judge Abby (Melissa Rauch). Meanwhile, Gurgs (Lacretta) chats up the courtroom with stories of her London adventures, and Olivia (India de Beaufort) attempts to become a sports agent.
Warfield’s return gives this Night Court “newboot” an opportunity to explore more of Roz’s personal life, too. Marsha Warfield chatted with MovieWeb in an exclusive interview where she discussed her return to the popular series, her love of the character, and other potential storylines she’d love to see Roz partake in. Dive in.
Returning as Roz Was Important to Warfield
Fans quickly grew fond of the 21st century Night Court. The new series finds Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of the late Harry Stone (Harry Anderson), following in her father’s footsteps. While presiding over the night shift of a Manhattan arraignment court, the warmhearted judge tries to bring order to a new crew of oddballs. The original series was a big hit for NBC. In addition to Marsha Warfield, as wise-cracking Roz, the series made stars out of Anderson, John Larroquette, Markie Post, Richard Moll, and Charles Robinson.
Last season’s cliffhanger kept many creative plates spinning, with Gurgs preparing for her England trip and Olivia being told she must work on the prosecution team for Abby’s trial. Then Rand and Abby agreed to break up. Meanwhile, Dan presided over a bachelor party mishap involving somebody from his past — Roz.
“It’s familiar and it’s new,” Marsha Warfield said of returning to her iconic role. “It’s like walking into your yearbook picture. It’s surreal in that way, but it’s also very flattering to even be asked to come back. There are a lot of people who did a lot of shows who probably wouldn’t be welcome if they rebooted them. So, I’m blessed in that area.”
One of the best things about seeing Roz again is that we learn more about what happened to the character after the original series bowed. Better still, this go around Roz is in a significant relationship, which is a great launching pad for potential future guest spots from Warfield.
“One of the best things for me on Night Court, is that I never really had a problem with the way they wrote Roz,” Warfield shared, “and if I did, it was so quickly and easily addressed that I have tremendous faith in the writers that they will care for Roz and take care of her and not do her any harm.”
On Working with John Larroquette
There are moments in reboots, legacy sequels, and ‘newboots’ when you remember just how dynamic the chemistry is between two seasoned actors from a popular show. It’s evident upon Warfield’s return to this series.
“Again, it was very familiar. We’ve interacted online, and I consider him a friend. I’m totally in awe of his comedic chops. So, it was not only familiar, but comforting [to return], because I trust him. It’s like seeing an old friend again.”
Even Warfield was surprised about last season’s cliffhanger. “It was a cliffhanger in the sense that we didn’t even know we were hanging off the cliff,” she said. “You just walk in and have no idea what’s going to happen next. A lot of people don’t realize that the secret to Night Court was that it had a lot of heart. And Melissa brings a lot of heart to the show. Then there’s John with his gruff grizzly bear, but who also brings a lot of heart to the show.”
On Potentially Returning in Future Episodes
Marsha Warfield has been busy through the years. In addition to Night Court, the performer has starred in 9-1-1 playing Hen’s (Aisha Hinds) mother. She has also appeared on The Upshaws and Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration. But over the last few decades, Warfield has made a significant mark as a comic, appearing in many comedy clubs.
With her love of comedy as strong as it is, would she ever consider starring in future episodes of Night Court?
“Oh, Roz can come back in a million ways. Who would have thought she’d come back as a criminal defendant? I mean that’s pretty out of what you expect but then again, it kind of works for the history of Roz. So, I can see Roz doing just about anything from being a cafeteria lady to playing a secretary, or a lady of the Supreme Court justice. I’d be thrilled to play that or anything in between.”
It would also be more than fun to see Roz and Dan go off on a fun adventure. “Roz could end up in a diabetic coma on the roof, or we’re stuck in an elevator with two sumo wrestlers,” she mused. “But I don’t know if that’s going to be really safe if the two of us get sent off on some kind of adventure.”
Of the original series, Warfield said that Roz was typically, “the one who came in at the end of the show and said, ‘I told you that wouldn’t work,’ then walked out. But some of the highlights was getting to work with Don Cheadle when he was like a baby. He was brand new, and we had decent scenes together. That was special. And also, Dennis Haysbert was the new one [at the time]. Getting to meet him and then see the world discover him was fun.”
Catch the season premiere of Night Court on January 2nd on NBC and streaming on Peacock, and check out the trailer below.
