Reinhold Weege, Creator of ‘Night Court,’ Dies at 62

Reinhold Weege, who created the hit NBC sitcom “Night Court,” which won a handful of Emmys by wringing humor from a Manhattan courtroom’s night shift, died on Dec. 1 at his home in San Diego. He was 62.

His former assistant, Bonnie Covelli, confirmed the death but did not specify a cause.

Mr. Weege had been a writer and producer for another popular sitcom, “Barney Miller,” when he came up with the idea for “Night Court,” which ran from 1984 until 1992. He was the show’s executive producer and head writer.

“Barney Miller” was set in a bustling Greenwich Village police station, and “Night Court” followed a similar formula: episodes featured a cavalcade of misfits in the courtroom of a quirky judge, Harry T. Stone, played by Harry Anderson. The show’s breakout character was the lascivious prosecuting attorney Dan Fielding, played by John Larroquette. Mr. Larroquette won four consecutive Emmy Awards for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, a record at the time.

Mr. Weege wrote more than 100 episodes of the series, which had a less wholesome and more madcap sensibility than contemporary comedies like “The Cosby Show” or “Family Ties.”

“My specialty is being funny and substantial at the same time,” Mr. Weege told The Hollywood Reporter in 1998. “I want people to watch a half-hour and give a damn about it afterward.”

Reinhold Weege was born in Chicago on Dec. 23, 1949. He attended several colleges and worked briefly as a reporter at a small newspaper before trying his hand at scriptwriting.

His survivors include two daughters, Tez and Alix, and a granddaughter.