A major cast member will be absent when Night Court returns with Season 2 on January 2. Kapil Talwalkar, who played court clerk Neil in Season 1, has exited as the comedy series has decided to take the show in a new creative direction, Deadline has confirmed.
In addition to his role in Judge Abby Stone’s (Melissa Rauch) court, Season 1 was setting up Neil to possibly have a romantic future with her as things with fiance Rand fizzled.
“She’s very much a country girl and a country mouse who is now trying to become a city mouse. That is not a comparison to my size, though accurate,” joked Rauch in an interview with Deadline ahead of the show’s series premiere in January.
“She’s in this relationship with Rand, which is a part of her life before she comes [to NY] and she’s really trying to hold on to that. We hear her talk about him a lot. But as she’s finally finding her footing in New York and realizing what she wants, she’s also coming to terms with what she wants in her relationship, too. And it also sets up a sort of love triangle with Neil and what the potential there could be in his feelings for her—which we will discover down the line and see how that unfolds,” she teased.
Season 2 will be more in the tradition of the original Night Court, which showcased different personalities, characters and perspectives,” sources close to production reveal.
Season 1 is currently available to stream via Peacock.
TV Line was first to report the casting change.