I was not aware of Red Dwarf (I'm not sure if I've even seen a single episode all the way through) doing multi-camera with pre-recorded VFX shots, but that's certainly reasonable (and from what I've read, I've always assumed that Happy Days pre-filmed the exterior shots, like Fonzie riding his motorcycle down the street [which would presumably have been shot as stock footage]). And I suppose Night Court doesn't have that many more sets than Happy Days did. The only tapings I've attended (other than cable LO and PA shoots in which I was actually doing some kind of work, either camera, or floor directing, or sound) have been game shows: a Hollywood Squares taping when I was just barely above the minimum age, and a Jeopardy! taping back when Trebek was still alive (and before the cancer diagnosis was made public). And I know that Jeopardy! had to have any insert footage used in the game pre-recorded, because the contestants had to be able to see it (and they also did all first-run national commercial insertion live, as I recall, and probably the L.A. Market too, subject to local override in other markets).
I haven't seen a whole lot of F Troop, either (and have forgotten the overwhelming majority of what I did see), but I don't recall a lot of VFX there.
No way there's a live audience, or they would have lost their shit as soon as the Wheelers walked in the courtroom. The canned laugh track is edited as bad as the various scenes are at times.
From the behind-the-scenes features I've seen, they generally show the audience animatics for CGI or miniature shots of spaceships and such, but if it's something the actors are involved with that entails VFX like a split screen or teleportation, or if there's pyrotechnics or stunts or complex action with lots of edits, they'd produce that first and then show it during the audience taping. And the same goes for location shoots, of course.
Nope! I love both Rhys and Dave, so this episode was a treat for me. Damn fun. Especially loved introducing the Duke to the subway.
I know that it has been previously established that Dan's real first name is Reinhold, but was this the first time where we found out his real last name is Elmore and that his ancestors changed it when they came to America?
Dan's real last name was established as Elmore in "Dan's Parents" in season 2 of the original show. He dropped the Elmore in college because it was too low-class, going by his middle name Fielding; his parents were not unlike the Wheelers. It wasn't until the end of season 3 that his real first name was established as Reinhold.
Corporal Agarn had a boatload of identical cousins from all over the world. They'd do a couple of split-screens each time. My favorite was the Russian one from Minsk, "just a stone's throw fro Pinsk."
Just so. They'd do a whole episode with the "cousin" or whoever he was and then at the end of the episode when everyone was convinced it was just Agarn (actually I'm remembering the ones they did with O'Rourke) in an outfit and a silly voice, they would have the REAL Agarn / O'Rourke meet with the cousin in a single budget friendly spit screen scene. Oh, and who was expecting the final gag to be that in the broom closet that she was actually talking to DUKE's double? I don't know what the hell accent Foley was doing but I think I want more of it. Also: Is Foley's hair really that white now?
Shame he passed away recently. He did a pretty great episode of Married...With Children back in the '90s so I imagine he'd be up for a Night Court appearance if he were still around and in good health.
I primarily remember Storch from his one appearance on Get Smart (as the eponymous KAOS agent in "The Groovy Guru.") And I seem to recall that he made a number of game show appearances. And died a mere six months shy of breaking 100, so don't grieve too much.
Judging by the fact it looked the same on Fargo this season, I would say Yes. Darn him - he's looking Distinguished!
It was nice seeing Marsha Warfield again, and a nice surprise cameo by Julia Duffy. Christine Sullivan shout out and a little bit of a poke at the original series finale of Dan following Christine to Washington D.C. It's nice to know that Christine had an effect on Dan that led to him marrying his future wife and sad that he couldn't bring himself to be visible at Christine's funeral.
I had a feeling as soon as Jake mentioned never meeting his father.... Though I wonder if they're just messing with us. Spoiler: maybe it is and maybe it isn't Night Court: TNG Gigi Rice (Katie) was also on all 84 episodes of The John Larroquette Show. Thanks to the strike, I think that was the season finale. I'm hoping S3 will actually get made and be dropping at the normal-ish time of August or September.
It's a mini John Larroquette Show reunion! Great episode. Nice balance with everyone getting to do something. (Actually, Gurgs was a bit short changed.) Wyatt was in fine form. Olivia had a bit less but was terrific in every scene she was in. Julia Duffy is TINY.
That was a great episode and a fun way to end the season. Christine gets name drops, we finally find out what happened after Dan followed her to Washington, D.C., and we get to see Christine's sister. I'm hoping Season 3 gives us some Mac and Bull references.
It was so nice seeing them talk about Christine! And more Roz is Good too. AHA! I wondered why she looked so familiar! And I think they're just screwing with us - I doubt they'd really make Jake be Dan's son. Also, Olivia in that dress! Oh my!