show name	Night Court
format	Sitcom
runtime	30 minutes(with commercials)
starring	Harry AndersonKaren AustinJohn LarroquettePaula KellyRichard MollSelma DiamondEllen FoleyCharles RobinsonMarkie PostFlorence HalopMarsha Warfield
opentheme	Jack Elliott
country	United States
language	English
company	Starry Night Productions (1984–1989)Warner Bros. Television
network	NBC
first aired	January 4, 1984
creator	Reinhold Weege
last aired	May 31, 1992
num seasons	9
num episodes	193
list episodes	List of Night Court episodes }}

''Night Court'' is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone (played by Harry Anderson). It was created by comedy writer Reinhold Weege, who had previously worked on ''Barney Miller'' in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Background[link]

''Night Court'', according to the first season DVD, was created without comedian/magician Harry Anderson in mind, but Anderson auditioned with the claim that he was Harry Stone. Anderson had developed a following with his performances on ''Saturday Night Live'' and made several successful appearances as con man "Harry the Hat" on another NBC sitcom, ''Cheers''. (For the first several years of its run, ''Night Court'' aired on NBC Thursday nights after ''Cheers''.) In later seasons, while Anderson remained the key figure, John Larroquette became the breakout personality, winning a number of awards and many fans for his performance as the lecherous Dan Fielding.

The comedy style on ''Night Court'' changed as the series progressed. During its initial seasons, the show was often compared to ''Barney Miller''. In addition to being created by a writer of that show, ''Night Court'' (like ''Barney Miller'') was set in New York City, featured quirky, often dry humor, and dealt with a staff who tried to cope with a parade of eccentric, often neurotic criminals and complainants. Furthering this comparison, these characters were routinely played by character actors who had made frequent guest appearances on ''Barney Miller'', including Stanley Brock, Philip Sterling, Peggy Pope, and Alex Henteloff. But while the characters appearing in the courtroom (and the nature of their transgressions) were often whimsical, bizarre or humorously inept, the show initially took place in the 'real world'. In an early review of the show, ''Time'' magazine called ''Night Court'', with its emphasis on non-glamorous, non-violent petty crime, the most realistic law show on the air.

Gradually, however, ''Night Court'' abandoned its initial "real world" setting, and changed to what could best be described as broad, almost slapstick comedy. Logic and realism were frequently sidelined for more stylized humor, such as having the cartoon character, Wile E. Coyote, as a defendant and convicting him for harassment of the Roadrunner with an admonition to find a meal by some other means.

The show featured several defendants who appeared before the court again and again—notably the Wheelers, Bob and June (Bob was played by Brent Spiner, later known for his role as Data in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''), who initially pretended to be stereotypical hicks from West Virginia but were later revealed as Yugoslavians, and at one point even ran a concession stand in the courthouse. When asked by Harry why they claimed West Virginia at first, Bob replies, "I dunno. It was just the first exotic place that popped into my head."

Cast[link]

Primary cast[link]

The following cast members appeared in the opening credits:

The judge:

*Harry Anderson as Judge Harold "Harry" T. Stone, a young, good-humored jurist and an amateur magician whose parents were former mental patients. His zany antics and goofball sense of humor is tempered by infinite compassion and sincere belief that everyone has good in them. Harry can be a little self righteous at times, but more often than not is the moral compass of the show. Harry loved movies and fashions from the 1940s, was vocal in his disdain for modern music (especially Barry Manilow), and idolized crooner Mel Tormé.

The public defenders:

*Gail Strickland as Sheila Gardner (pilot episode only).

*Paula Kelly as Liz Williams (Season 1, after the pilot). Prior to the addition of Mac to the show, she was the more "normal" character on the show.

*Ellen Foley as Billie Young (Season 2). A romantic interest for Harry Stone during Season 2. Goodhearted but feisty.

*Markie Post as Christine Sullivan (Seasons 3–9). Her first appearance on the show was an early second-season episode ("Daddy for the Defense", originally aired October 4, 1984); she didn't become a regular until the third season (Post was starring on ''The Fall Guy'' at the time). The Sullivan character was attractive, honest to a fault, and somewhat naïve. She was the primary romantic interest for Harry Stone and a regular target for Dan Fielding's lechery throughout the series' run. She also had various Princess Diana memorabilia collections such as a set of porcelain thimbles.

The prosecutor:

*John Larroquette as Reinhold Fielding Elmore, who used the name Daniel R. "Dan" Fielding, a sex-obsessed narcissistic prosecutor who would do almost anything to get a woman to sleep with him. It was also hinted that he frequented prostitutes and dominatrixes. He is the source of many witty and sometimes cruel remarks regarding almost every other character, although he occasionally shows a decent sized streak of compassion when the time arises. When his homeless lackey Phil dies, the ever greedy Dan is excited to discover that Phil was in fact wealthy and expects to be the beneficiary of his millions, only to be hugely disappointed to find that Phil did leave him his wealth, but only as manager of a charitable foundation to be named for him. It is revealed in the third season episode "Hurricane (Part 2)" that his real first name is Reinhold (an obvious joke about the show's writer and producer), and he goes by Dan out of embarrassment. (This is an apparent continuity lapse, as his mother—played by Jeanette Nolan -- repeatedly calls him "Danny Boy" in an earlier episode.) The other characters discover Dan's true name in the season 5 episode "Dan, The Walking Time Bomb".

The bailiffs:

*Richard Moll as Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, a (seemingly) dim-witted hulk of a figure who was actually gentle and often childlike. He was fiercely protective of Harry. Bull would also choose a series of words every month from the dictionary and try to put them in a sentence. Bull was known for his catchphrase, "''Ohh-kay''," and clapping a hand loudly to his forehead when he realized he had made a mistake.

*The various female bailiffs, who were acerbic and comically gruff:

**Selma Diamond as Selma Hacker (Seasons 1 and 2), a chain smoking, elderly bailiff. In one episode she admitted to having married up to six times, one of whom was a contortionist. Diamond died shortly after Season 2.

**Florence Halop as Florence Kleiner (Season 3), Selma's replacement. She was similar in age and personality to Selma, but despite her age, loved things like motorcycles and heavy metal music. Halop died shortly after Season 3.

**Marsha Warfield as Roz Russell (Seasons 4–9), The third bailiff. Roz was considerably younger than her two previous counterparts, but had a similar relationship with the characters, especially Bull. While outwardly antisocial and unfriendly, she was inwardly shy and self conscious, and used a surly facade to keep people from getting close. In time she became close to her coworkers, including an unlikely friendship with Dan. Warfield stayed on the show for the rest of its run.

The court clerks:

*Karen Austin as Lana Wagner (Season 1). The original romantic interest for Harry Stone. Though Austin left the show after 10 episodes, she was seen in the opening credits of all 13 first season episodes.

*Charles Robinson as Macintosh "Mac" Robinson (Seasons 2–9), a Vietnam War veteran. Easy going and pragmatic, he was probably the most "normal" character. He had a good sense of humor, and was a loyal friend to his coworkers. He always wore a cardigan, plaid shirt, and a knit tie (Dan stated in his will that Mac would get all his suits, so "he would stop wearing those God-awful sweaters"). His catchphrase was the lament "It was my favorite sweater!" after one of his garish cardigans got ruined.

Supporting players[link]

Martin Garner as Bernie (Seasons 1-3), the operator of the concession stand in the cafeteria who had a crush on Selma and was often seen trying to persuade her to give up smoking. After Selma died, he tried to court Flo. (When Bernie was not at the stand various extras could be seen running it, including Al Rosen, best known as "Al" on ''Cheers''.)

Terry Kiser as Al Craven (Seasons 1 and 2), an obnoxious, pushy tabloid reporter who sometimes would hang around the courtroom in hopes of discovering a scandalous story.

Jason Bernard as Judge Willard (Seasons 1 and 2), an arrogant, humorless Judge who doesn't approve of Harry's antics and tries to have him removed from the bench.

Rita Taggart as Carla Bouvier (Seasons 1 and 2), a prostitute who frequently appeared as a defendant, and who had a crush on Harry.

D.D. Howard as Charly Tracy. Clerk for the last two episodes of the first season after Karen Austin's departure from the show.

Denice Kumagai as Quon Le Duc Robinson (Seasons 2–9), Mac's wife, a refugee from Vietnam who was somewhat naive about America and its customs, but was loving and very devoted to him. She didn't understand the concept of 'buy now, PAY later', very well, but became more financially responsible after opening a restaurant in Season 3. In Season 4, moments after being sworn in as an American Citizen, Quon Le gave birth to her and Mac's daughter, Renee Flicka Robinson.

Mike Finneran as Art Fensterman, a bumbling "fix-it man" attached to the courthouse. His attempts to fix the courthouse often disrupts Harry's proceedings in the courtroom.

John Astin as Buddy Ryan (Seasons 3–9), Harry's eccentric stepfather and a former patient in a psychiatric hospital. His catchphrase was the capper to stories involving his hospital stay or past strange behavior: "...but I'm feeling ''much better'' now" accompanied by a huge leering grin. He was later revealed to be Harry's biological father, admitting he'd kept it a secret for fear that the truth would bring Harry's judicial ability into question.

Mel Tormé played himself in several appearances. In the first episode, it is revealed that Harry is a fanatic admirer of Mel's; this was alluded to in many, many later episodes.

William Utay as Phil Sanders, Dan's homeless lackey. Utay also later played Phil's evil twin brother Will. Later in the series, Phil is killed in an accident involving a large musical instrument. (Due to his fear of musical instruments, he had a special clause in his substantial life insurance policy providing additional benefit in the event of accidental death caused by a musical instrument.) Just before his death, it was revealed that Phil was actually an extremely wealthy individual who chose to live life among the poor (a former stockbroker suffering from Howard Hughes syndrome)—in fact, the show cleverly suggested the New York Harmonic Orchestra was known as the "PHILharmonic Orchestra" because Phil was one of its greatest patrons.

Brent Spiner as Bob Wheeler, a down-on-his-luck urban hillbilly who was a frequent defendant in Harry's courtroom, usually as the result of a series of freak disasters befalling him and his destitute family. Spiner later gained greater fame as Data in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Leslie Bevis as Sheila, an exotic nymphomaniac who often appeared to entice Dan into a sexual liaison during or after court to his detriment. Sheila places him in a coma in one episode and in her final appearance rejects Dan for a man with the fictional disorder Tortoise Nervosa, due to the man's ability to move very slowly. In total Sheila appeared in four episodes.

Yakov Smirnoff as Russian immigrant Yakov Korolenko, another frequent visitor to the courtroom. In the first season Harry saved a distraught Yakov from a suicide attempt, and they have been good friends ever since. Yakov eventually tried to bring his brother to America, succeeded in getting his wife Sonja and kids out of the Soviet Union, and got his father to immigrate after the Cold War's end. A running joke on the show was when Judge Stone would mention jail, which had a completely different import to the Soviet immigrant, who would respond with obvious fear: "Jay-ul? Oh, noooo! No jay-ul!"

Eugene Roche as Jack Sullivan, Christine's overbearing father. He refers to Harry as "that Nut".

Daniel Frishman played Dan's boss, District Attorney Vincent Daniels, in several episodes. Though a dwarf, he has an extremely tough personality, and often has it out for Dan.

Joleen Lutz as Lisette Hocheiser (Seasons 8 and 9), a ditzy court stenographer.

Gilbert Gottfried as Oscar Brown (Season 9), an attorney who filled in for Dan Fielding when he was missing.

Florence Stanley as Judge Margaret Wilbur, an abusive stuffed shirt of a judge who occasionally filled in for Harry, tolerating no eccentricity from the rest of the staff. She later was written into the NBC sitcom My Two Dads, on which Bull once made a cameo.

Ron Ross as Dirk, a puny, easily-flustered bailiff who occasionally substitutes when one of the regular bailiffs is away. He is frequently teased by Dan.

Cast changes[link]

The first few seasons of ''Night Court'' had an unusually large number of cast changes for such a long-running series. The only actors to appear consistently throughout the show's run were Harry Anderson, John Larroquette, and Richard Moll.

When Selma Diamond, the first female bailiff, died after two seasons, Florence Halop played a replacement character, only to die one season later. ''Night Court'' scripts addressed the deaths of both characters, which was uncharacteristic for a sitcom. There were whispers and jokes that both actresses had fallen prey to some sort of "''Night Court'' Curse"; this is said to be one of the reasons that the show decided not to bring in a third elderly actress and instead replaced Halop with Marsha Warfield, who was only 32 when she began playing Roz Russell. All three characters were written as mother-figures for Bull. Warfield's arrival marked the show's final cast change, and the ensemble remained intact for the remainder of the show's run.

Karen Austin appeared as court clerk Lana Wagner for only the first ten episodes, after which her character was only subsequently mentioned in the eleventh episode as "out sick" by a one-time character, and never again by regular cast members. She was kept in the titles of the remaining three episodes of the first season. Charles Robinson joined the cast in Season 2 as court clerk Mac Robinson, and stayed on until the end of the series.

Like the female bailiff role, the public defender role went through two cast changes as well. After the first season Paula Kelly was cut from the show; the public defender role was filled by Ellen Foley for the second season, after which she in turn was replaced by Markie Post, who guest starred at the beginning of season 2 as Christine Sullivan. The character of Lana Wagner had been planned to be a romantic interest for Harry Stone, but when Austin was released, that role was transferred to the new public defender characters---most notably by Markie Post.

Theme song[link]

Every episode of ''Night Court'' opens with a jazz-influenced, bass-heavy theme song composed by Jack Elliott, featuring Ernie Watts on saxophone.

Episodes[link]

Nielsen ratings[link]

The show was a Top 30 hit from Season 2 through Season 7.

1984–1985 #20

1985–1986 #11

1986–1987 #7

1987–1988 #7

1988–1989 #21

1989–1990 #29

The series finale brought in 24.6 million viewers (26% of all Americans watching television that night)

Awards and honors[link]

''Night Court'' received a number of awards and nominations. Both Selma Diamond (in 1985) and John Larroquette (in 1988) earned Golden Globe nominations, but lost to Faye Dunaway and Rutger Hauer respectively. Paula Kelly was nominated for an Emmy after the first season. John Larroquette won four consecutive Emmys for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1985 to 1988, before he withdrew his name from the ballot in 1989. Selma Diamond was nominated in 1985 and Harry Anderson received three nominations in 1985, 1986 and 1987. The show received three nominations for best comedy series in 1985, 1987, and 1988. The show also received many minor awards and nominations in the areas of lighting, editing, sound mixing, and technical direction. The show was nominated for thirty-one Emmys, winning seven.

Syndication[link]

United States[link]

After its primary run on broadcast syndication, the series aired on cable on A&E; Network for many years. It was briefly seen later on TV Land in 2007-08.

Australia[link]

Digital free-to-air channel 7TWO began reruns of Night Court in June 2011. Network Ten first aired the show back in the 1980s and 1990s.

DVD releases[link]

Season releases

Warner Home Video released the first five seasons on DVD.

!DVD Name !

Ep. # !! Release Date
The Complete First Season	13	February 8, 2005
The Complete Second Season	22
The Complete Third Season	22
The Complete Fourth Season	22
The Complete Fifth Season	22

Special releases

!DVD Name !

Release Date !! Ep. #
Television Favorites	February 28, 2006	6

The ''Television Favorites'' compilation DVD included the pilot episode, "All You Need Is Love"; both parts of the fourth season finale, "Her Honor"; the fifth season episodes "Death of a Bailiff" and "Who Was That Mashed Man?"; and the sixth season episode "Fire", which marked the beginning of Harry's relationship with Christine.

Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charles Robinson appeared in the 30 Rock episode, "The One With the Cast of Night Court". John Larroquette is also mentioned: Harry says he had just spoken to John, which annoys Markie (who hasn't had recent contact with her absent former co-star) and begins an argument between them that lasts for most of the story.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

''Night Court'' on TVLand.com

Category:1984 American television series debuts Category:1992 American television series endings Category:1980s American comedy television series Category:1990s American comedy television series Category:American television sitcoms Category:English-language television series Category:Legal television series Category:NBC network shows Category:Television series by Warner Bros. Television Category:Television shows set in New York City

de:Harrys wundersames Strafgericht es:Night Court it:Giudice di notte sh:Night Court

birth name	Charles Richard Moll
birth date	January 13, 1943
birth place	Pasadena, California, U.S.
othername	Charles Moll
height
occupation	Actor/Voice Artist
yearsactive	1967–present
spouse	(divorced)(divorced) }}

Charles Richard Moll (born January 13, 1943) is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom ''Night Court'' from 1983 to 1992. Moll has also done extensive work as a voice actor, typically using his deep voice to portray villainous characters in cartoons and video games.

Early life[link]

Moll was born Charles Richard Moll in Pasadena, California, the son of Violet Anita (née Grill), a nurse, and Harry Findley Moll, a lawyer. He attended the University of California, Berkeley and was a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity.

Career[link]

In the 1977 film ''Brigham'', Moll (credited as Charles Moll) appeared as Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Mormon Church and related religious movements. Moll would go on to often portray hulking or imposing characters due to his height of about 6'8".

In 1981, Moll co-starred with Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger in the movie ''Hard Country''. In 1982, under layers of makeup, he played the sorcerer Xusia in ''The Sword and the Sorcerer''. He played the abominable snowman in the 1981 film ''Caveman''. Later that year, he shaved his head for the role of Hurok in the science fiction B movie ''Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn'', but the producers of ''Night Court'' liked the look so much in his audition that they asked him to keep it. Superficially hulking and intimidating, Bull is actually rather gentle and naive. Moll also used the Bull persona in commercials for Washington's Lottery.

Moll played the role of "Big Ben" in the 1986 horror film ''House''. He earned a Saturn Award nomination for the role.

Moll made a guest appearance in the pilot episode of ''Highlander: The Series'' as "Slan Quince", the villain who reunites Connor MacLeod with his kinsman and show's protagonist, Duncan MacLeod. He also made a guest appearance on ''Babylon 5'' in the episode "Hunter, Prey" as a lurker criminal who was holding a VIP hostage.

In 1999's ''But I'm a Cheerleader'', Moll went against type and played a gay man who, with his partner (Wesley Mann), helps gay teenagers escape from a nearby "gay camp", where homophobic parents send their teenage offspring to be "rehabilitated".

He can be heard in many animated film and cartoon productions, often as a villain with a deep, growling voice. Moll has voiced Two-Face in ''Batman: The Animated Series'' (as well as the voice of the Batcomputer) and the Scorpion in ''Spider-Man: The Animated Series.'' His first role in an animated film was as a beat poet in Ralph Bakshi's ''American Pop''. He starred as the character of Norman in the animated series '' Mighty Max''. He played the drifter on the Nickelodeon show ''100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd''. He also voiced Vorn the Unspeakable, a Cthulhu-like character in ''Freakazoid''.

Moll appeared in ''The Flintstones'' and ''Casper Meets Wendy'', both TV spin-offs. Moll also voiced the Devil Hulk in the 2005 video game ''Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction'', and more recently King Minos in the 2010 game Dante's Inferno.

Additional television credits include ''Family Affair'', ''The Rockford Files'', ''How the West Was Won'', ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'', ''Mork & Mindy'', ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', ''The Fall Guy'', ''T. J. Hooker'', ''Fantasy Island'', ''Alice'', ''The Dukes of Hazzard'', ''The A-Team'', ''The Facts of Life'', ''My Two Dads'', ''227'', ''Martin'', ''Due South'', ''Babylon 5'', ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', ''Double Dare 2000'', ''Baywatch'', ''Married... with Children'', ''7th Heaven'', ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'', ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'', ''The Parent 'Hood'', ''Smallville'', ''Cold Case'', and the straight to video ''Uh-Oh!'' directed by Jon Cope.

Personal life[link]

Moll married Susan Brown in 1993 and they had two children together. They divorced in 2005.

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1943 births Category:Actors from California Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:People from Pasadena, California

de:Richard Moll fr:Richard Moll it:Richard Moll nl:Richard Moll pl:Richard Moll fi:Richard Moll sv:Richard Moll

Name	Brent Spiner
Birth name	Brent Jay Spiner
Birth date	February 02, 1949
Birth place	Houston, Texas,United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1984–present
Website	}}

Brent Jay Spiner (born February 2, 1949) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in ''Star Trek: First Contact'' and of Dr. Brackish Okun in ''Independence Day'', both in 1996, earned him a Saturn Award and Saturn Award nomination respectively. He has also enjoyed a career in the theatre and as a musician.

Early life[link]

Spiner was born in Houston, Texas, to Sylvia and Jack Spiner, who owned a furniture store. After his father's death, Spiner was adopted by Sylvia's second husband, Sol Mintz, whose surname he used between 1955 and 1975. Spiner attended Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas, where he was influenced by drama teacher Cecil Pickett—the same man who coached his daughter Cindy Pickett, and future actors Randy Quaid, Dennis Quaid, Trey Wilson, Robert Wuhl, and director Thomas Schlamme. Spiner became active on the Bellaire Speech team, winning the national championship in dramatic interpretation. He attended the University of Houston where he performed in local theatre.

Career[link]

Spiner moved to New York City, where he became a stage actor, performing in several Broadway and Off-Broadway plays, including ''The Three Musketeers'' and Stephen Sondheim's ''Sunday in the Park with George''. He had a nonspeaking background role in the film ''Stardust Memories'' as one of the silent Felliniesque "grotesques" on Sandy Bates's train car.

Spiner appeared as a media technician in "The Advocates", a second season episode of the Showtime cable series ''The Paper Chase''. In 1984 he moved to Los Angeles, where he appeared in several pilots and made-for-TV movies. He played a recurring character on ''Night Court'', Bob Wheeler, patriarch of a rural family. In 1986 he played a condemned soul in "Dead Run", an episode of the short-lived revival of Rod Serling's ''Twilight Zone'' series on CBS. He made two appearances as characters in season 3 (1986) of the television show ''Mama's Family'', playing two different characters. Spiner's first and only starring film role was in ''Rent Control'' (1984). In the ''Cheers'' episode "Never Love a Goalie, Part II", he played acquitted murder suspect Bill Grand. Spiner also had a role in a ''Tales from the Darkside'' episode, "A Case Of The Stubborns", as a priest who experiences a crisis of faith. He portrayed Jim Stevens in the made-for-TV movie ''Manhunt for Claude Dallas.''

''Star Trek''[link]

In 1987 Spiner started his 15-year run portraying Lieutenant Commander Data on ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', which spanned 7 seasons and 4 feature films. As a main character, he appeared in all but one of the series' 178 episodes; he was not in the episode, "Family". He reprised his role in the spin-off films, ''Star Trek: Generations'' (1994), ''Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), ''Star Trek: Insurrection'' (1998), and ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' (2002). Although billed as the final ''Trek'' movie for the ''TNG'' cast, the ambiguous ending of ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' suggested a possible avenue for the return of Data. However, Spiner has opined that he is too old to continue playing the part, as Data embodies a "childlike innocence" that Spiner can no longer credibly exhibit, as his appearance had already begun to lose that quality by the time he filmed his last ''Trek'' films. In addition to the shows and films he voiced his character in several ''Star Trek'' video games, such as ''Star Trek Generations'', ''Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity'', ''Star Trek: Hidden Evil'', and ''Star Trek: Bridge Commander''.

Post-''Star Trek''[link]

In 1991 Spiner recorded an album of 1940s pop standards entitled ''Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back'', the title of which was a play on the yellow contact lenses Spiner sported as Data and a Frank Sinatra's record, ''Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back''. In 1997 he returned to Broadway, playing John Adams in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of the musical ''1776''. The production was nominated for a Tony Award. A cast recording was released of the revival production.

Spiner has appeared on the TV shows ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', ''Friends'', ''Dream On'', ''Deadly Games'', ''Mad About You'', ''Gargoyles'', ''Frasier'', ''The Outer Limits'', as well as ''Joey'' and ''The Big Bang Theory'' as himself. He has also had several movie roles, including ''Independence Day'', ''Phenomenon'', ''Out to Sea'', ''South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut'', ''Dude, Where's My Car?'', ''The Ponder Heart'', ''I Am Sam'', ''The Master of Disguise'', and ''The Aviator''. His TV movie appearances during this period include the 2000 TV musical ''Geppetto'', and playing Dorothy Dandridge's manager/confidant Earl Mills in the HBO production ''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge''.

In 2004 Spiner returned to ''Star Trek'' when he appeared as Dr. Arik Soong, an ancestor of Data's creator Dr. Noonien Soong, whom he also played, in a three-episode story arc of ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' in "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", and "The Augments". He also briefly reprised the role of Data for the series, providing a voice-only cameo in the ''Enterprise'' finale, "These Are the Voyages...". Spiner guest-starred in ''Friends'' as a man who interviews Rachel for Gucci, and later cameoed as himself in the ''Friends'' spinoff, ''Joey''.

In 2005 Spiner appeared in a short-lived science-fiction television series, ''Threshold'', which was canceled in November of that year after 13 episodes. In 2006 he appeared in a feature film comedy, ''Material Girls'', with Hilary and Haylie Duff.

During the tenth season of the sitcom ''Frasier'', in the episode "Lilith Needs a Favor", Spiner made two brief cameos as a fellow airline passenger of Frasier Crane's ex-wife, Lilith Sternin.

In March 2008 Spiner performed alongside Maude Maggart in a radio show/musical, ''Dreamland''. This was released as a CD album. In February 2008 Spiner joined the celebrities who feature on popular online sites like MySpace, under the name of 'The Real Brent Spiner'.

In 2008 Spiner played Dr. Strom in the feature film parody ''Superhero Movie''. In February 2009 he played William Quint in "The Juror #6 Job", an episode of the drama series ''Leverage'' directed by his ''Next Generation'' co-star Jonathan Frakes. That same year he voiced himself in the ''Family Guy'' episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven".

In 2010 Spiner and fellow ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' star LeVar Burton appeared on TWiT.tv's coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show.

In April 2011 Spiner began starring in ''Fresh Hell'', a comic webseries in which he plays a version of himself, attempting to put his career back together after falling out of the limelight.

He appeared as Dr. Kern in the September 12, 2011 episode of the Syfy channel program ''Alphas'' entitled "Blind Spot". In October 2011 he appeared as himself in the episode "The Russian Rocket Reaction" (October 13, 2011) of ''The Big Bang Theory''. The day after his guest appearance on ''The Big Bang Theory'', it was announced that Spiner would guest-star in the ''Young Justice'' episode "Revelation", providing the voice of the Joker.

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

1970: ''My Sweet Charlie'' - a Local (Uncredited)

1980: ''Stardust Memories'' - a Fan in lobby

1982: ''Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains'' - Corinne Burns's Boss (Uncredited)

1984: ''Rent Control (film)'' - Leonard Junger

1985: ''Crime of Innocence'' - Hinnerman

1986: ''Sunday in the Park with George'' - Franz/Dennis

1986: ''Sylvan in Paradise'' - Clinton C. Waddle

1986: ''Manhunt for Claude Dall'' - Jim Stevens

1987: ''Family Sins'' - Ken McMahon

1989: ''Miss Firecracker'' - Preacher Mann

1991: ''Crazy from the Heart (TV)'' - Uncredited

1994: ''Corrina, Corrina'' - Brent Witherspoon

1994: ''Star Trek: Generations'' - Lt. Commander Data

1995: ''Kingfish: A Story of Huey Long'' - Uncredited

1996: ''Pie in the Sky'' - Upscale Guy

1996: ''Independence Day'' - Dr. Brackish Okun

1996: ''Phenomenon'' - Dr. Rob Niedorf

1996: ''Star Trek: First Contact'' - Lt. Commander Data

1997: ''Out to Sea'' - Gil Godwyn

1998: ''Star Trek: Insurrection'' - Lt. Commander Data

1999: ''South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' - Conan O'Brien (Voice)

1999: ''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge'' - Earl Parks

2000: ''Geppetto'' - Stromboli

2000: ''Dude, Where's my Car?'' - Pierre (Uncredited)

2001: ''A Girl Thing'' - Bob

2001: ''The Ponder Heart'' - Dorris Grabney

2001: ''I Am Sam'' - Shoe Salesman

2002: ''The Master of Disguise'' - Devlin Bowman

2002: ''Star Trek Nemesis'' - Lt. Commander Data/B-4

2003: ''An Unexpected Love'' - Brad

2004: ''Jack'' - Vernon

2004: ''The Aviator'' - Robert Cross

2006: ''Material Girls'' - Tommy Katzenbach

2008: ''Superhero Movie'' - Dr. Strom

2010: ''Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey'' - Coach Mackey (Voice)

Television[link]

1978: ''The Dain Curse'' - Tom Fink (TV mini-series)

1979: ''Family'' - Fred (1 episode, "Prelude")

1981: ''Ryan's Hope'' - The Doctor Examining Kim (1 episode)

1984: ''The Paper Chase'' - a Student in Reeve's Class (1 episode, "The Advocates")

1984: ''Tales from the Darkside'' - Reverend Peabody (1 episode, "A Case of the Stubborns")

1984: ''One Life to Live'' - Ralph Harley (1 episode)

1985: ''Robert Kennedy & His Times'' - Allard Lowenstein (TV mini-series)

1985: ''Hill Street Blues'' - Larry Stein (1 episode, "The Life and Time of Domonic Floio Jr")

1985-1987: ''Night Court'' - Bob Wheeler (6 episodes)

1986: ''The New Twilight Zone'' - The Draft Dodger (1 episode, "The Leprechaun-Artist/Dead Run")

1986: ''American Playhouse'' - Dennis/Franz (1 episode, "Sunday in the Park with George")

1986: ''Hunter'' - Willie Vaughn (1 episode, "The Contract")

1986-1987: ''Mama's Family'' - Billy Bob Conroy (2 episodes)

1987: ''Cheers'' - Bill Grand (1 episode, "Never Love a Goalie: Part 2")

1987: ''Sledge Hammer!'' - a Soldier (1 episode, "The Spa Who Loved Me")

1987-1994: ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' - Lt. Commander Data/Lore/Dr. Noonien Soong (176 episodes)

1995: ''Mad About You'' - Bob, The Dog Agent (1 episode, "Just My Dog")

1995: ''Deadly Games'' - Danny Schlecht (1 episode, "The Practical Joker")

1995-1996: ''Gargoyles'' - Puck (4 episodes)

1996: ''Dream On'' - Dr. Strongwater (1 episode, "The Spirit of 76th & Park")

1996: ''The Outer Limits'' - Professor Trent Davis (1 episode, "The Deprogrammers")

2003: ''Frasier'' - Albert (1 episode, "Lilith Needs a Favor")

2004: ''Friends'' - James Campbell (1 episode, "The One with Princess Consuela")

2004: ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' - Graham Barnes (1 episode, "Shrink-Wrapped")

2004-2005: ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' - Dr. Arik Soong/Lt. Commander Data (4 episodes)

2005: ''Joey'' - Special guest appearance as himself (1 episode, Joey and the Premier)

2005-2006: ''Threshold'' - Dr. Nigel Fenway (13 episodes)

2009: ''Leverage'' - William Quint - (1 episode, "The Juror #6 Job")

2009: ''Family Guy'' - Himself (1 episode, "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven")

2010: ''Generator Rex'' - Dr. Gabriel Rylander (1 episode, "Dark Passage")

2011: ''Fresh Hell'' - Himself/Brent Spiner

2011: ''The Guild'' (internet series) - Himself (1 episode, "Ends and Begins")

2011: ''The Big Bang Theory'' - Himself (1 episode, "The Russian Rocket Reaction")

2011: ''Young Justice'' - the Joker (1 episode, "Revelation")

2012: ''The Simpsons'' - Robots (1 episode, "Them, Robot")

References[link]

External links[link]

Brent Spiner's personal site

Star Trek.com biography

Interview with Brent about his CD 'Dreamland'

Interview from ComicCon 2011.

Category:1949 births Category:Actors from Texas Category:American adoptees Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:People from Houston, Texas Category:Saturn Award winners Category:University of Houston alumni Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors

bg:Брент Спайнър cs:Brent Spiner da:Brent Spiner de:Brent Spiner fr:Brent Spiner hr:Brent Spiner id:Brent Spiner it:Brent Spiner nl:Brent Spiner ja:ブレント・スパイナー no:Brent Spiner pl:Brent Spiner pt:Brent Spiner ro:Brent Spiner ru:Спайнер, Брент sr:Брент Спајнер sh:Brent Spiner fi:Brent Spiner sv:Brent Spiner zh:布伦特·斯派尔

name	Karen Robards
birth date	August 24, 1954
birth place	Louisville, Kentucky, USA
occupation	Novelist
nationality	American
period	1981 - Present
genre	Romance, Romantic Suspense
debut works	Island flame
website	http://www.karenrobards.com }}

Karen Robards (born on August 24, 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a best-selling author of over thirty romance novels. After first gaining recognition for her historical romances, Robards became one of the first historical romance novelists to successfully make the switch to contemporary romantic fiction. Her work has been translated into eleven languages, and has won awards from both ''Romantic Times'' and ''Affaire de Coeur''.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Karen Robards sold her first story in 1973. As a teenager working part-time for her orthodontist father, Robards saw a Readers Digest solication for funny anecdotes. She quickly penned and submitted a two-paragraph story. Several weeks later she received a check for $100, and her entry was featured in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. Although she attempted to sell other anecdotes to the magazine, her subsequent attempts were rejected.

Her first attempts at writing novel came while she was attending the University of Kentucky taking a graduate-level creative writing class, when the professor challenged each student to write 50 pages that could be published. After researching what types of books were selling well, Robards chose to write a historical romance, not realizing that she would be required to read her work aloud to the class. Although her professor and classmates laughed at her choice of subject matter, those 50 pages became the basis for her first book, ''Island Flame''. This debut novel was published in 1981, when Robards was only 24.

Career[link]

At the time that Robards's debut novel was published, the typical paperback historical romance novel had a shelf life of only three weeks. After three weeks, her novel was no longer available on bookstore shelves, and her publisher was reluctant to purchase any further work without seeing the sales figures for the current book. Undeterred, Robards dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career. To pay her bills, she took a job in an orthodontic clinic, writing a new novel in the ladies' room at the clinic while on her lunch break. She finished this second book, the contemporary romantic suspense ''To Love a Man'', in three months. The book sold quickly to a different publisher and became the true launchpad for her writing career.

Within the next several years, Robards had three additional historical romances published, including ''Sea Fire'', the sequel to ''Island Flame'', before ''To Love a Man'' was officially released. After the publication of ''To Love a Man'', Robards's new publisher contracted her to write two novels per year, one a historical romance and the other contemporary romantic suspense. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, publishers began to fear that the contemporary romance market was "dead", and Robards was asked to write only historicals. She switched publishers in the early 1990s, moving to Dell, and convinced them to take a chance on a new contemporary romance. That novel, ''One Summer'', was Robards's first hardcover contemporary novel, and its success convinced Dell to ask Robards to concentrate on her contemporary novels. After yet another publisher switch in 2001, Robards has been able to once again alternate the time periods she uses in her novels. Her novels have been translated into eleven languages.

Her novels are often praised for their sensuality. According to ''Romantic Times'' Magazine, "Robards has a true flair for characterization and excels at adding large doses of humor to the spicy mix." She has won a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and has been nominated for four Romantic Times awards for her novels, winning once for ''Irresistible''. Robards has also received six ''Affaire de Coeur'' Silver Pen awards for favorite romance novelist.

Robards lives in her hometown, Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband, Doug Robards, and their three sons, Jack (b abt 1995), Chris (b abt 1990), and Peter (b 1983). Her parents, three brothers, and sister live nearby.

Bibliography[link]

Historical Romance Novels[link]

Hale Duology[link]

#''Island Flame'', 1981 #''Sea Fire'', 1982

Banning Sisters Series[link]

#''Scandalous'', 2001 #''Irresistible'', 2002 #''Shameless'', 2010

Other, by Publication Date[link]

''Forbidden Love'', 1983

''Amanda Rose'', 1984

''Dark Torment'', 1985

''Loving Julia'', 1986

''Dark of the Moon'', 1988

''Desire in the Sun'', 1988

''Tiger's Eye'', 1989

''Morning Song'', 1990

''Green Eyes'', 1991

''This Side of Heaven'', 1991

''Nobody's Angel'', 1992

Romantic Suspense Novels[link]

''To Love a Man'', 1985

''Wild Orchids'', 1986

''Night Magic'', 1987

''One Summer'', 1993

''Maggy's Child'', 1994

''Walking After Midnight'', 1995

''Hunter's Moon'', 1996

''Heartbreaker'', 1997

''The Senator's Wife'', 1998

''The Midnight Hour'', 1999

''Ghost Moon'', 2000

''Paradise County'', 2000

''To Trust a Stranger'', 2001

''Manna From Heaven'', 2001 (in anthology Wait Until Dark)

''Whispers at Midnight'', 2002

''Beachcomber'', 2003

''Bait'', 2004

''Superstition'', 2005

''Vanished'', 2006

''Obsession'', 2007

Guilty, 2008

"Pursuit", 2009

"Shattered", 2010

Anthology[link]

''Wait Until Dark'' (2001) (with Linda Anderson, Andrea Kane and Mariah Stewart)

See also[link]

List of romantic novelists

References[link]

External links[link]

Karen Robards Official Website

List of books

Book reviews for Karen Robards' books

Category:American romantic fiction writers Category:1957 births Category:Living people