Judges Who Never Really Were Trivia Quiz

Answer: Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone

"Night Court" ran from 1984 to 1992. The principal writer was Reinhold Weege, who wrote for "Barney Miller." Markie Post played public defender Christine Sullivan. John Larroquette played prosecutor Reinhold Daniel Fielding Elmore. Richard Moll played bailiff Aristotle Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon. Selma Diamond played bailiff Selma Hacker. Marsha Warfield played bailiff Rosalind "Roz" Russell. Charles Robinson played clerk Macintosh "Mac" Robinson. Crooner Mel Tormé occasionally played himself.

Answer: Fred Gwynne

Fred Gwynn (1926-1993) was well-known for his television roles on "Car 54, Where are You?" and "The Munsters". The role of Judge Haller was Gwynne's last; he died of pancreatic cancer on 2 July 1993. One of the funniest interchanges in the film is between Gwynne and Pesci (a Southerner and a New Yorker) over the word "yutes". Pesci refers to his clients as "these two yutes" and the judge can't understand what he means until Vinny explains "youths".

Answer: Judge Hardy

Andrew "Andy" Hardy's father, Judge Hardy was played by Lionel Barrymore in "A Family Affair" (1937). An injury prevented him from continuing with the sequels. He was replaced by Lewis Stone who played the role for the remainder. The light comedies tended to have the same plot: Andy would get himself into some kind of minor trouble, he would lie which only made it worse, his stern but loving father would talk it out with him, and he would do the right thing in the end.

Answer: Theodoric of York

Martin also played Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber, on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1970s but these were different characters. The justiciar would provide over trial by ordeal (boiling oil, drowning) and then consult the dusty Book of Common Wisdom to decide what to do with the defendant.

He would then ponder aloud the possibility of instituting modern legal concepts and protections -- due process, trial by jury, the right to counsel, prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment -- but would conclude "Naaaaah!"

Answer: Judge Dee

There was an actual Judge Di (c. 630-c. 700) who was a judge in the Tang Dynasty. There was an 18th century novel ("Di Gong An") written about him. Robert van Gulik read and translated that novel. He was inspired to write his own series of novels and short-story collections about Judge Dee, set during the Tang Dynasty.

Answer: Judge Elihu Smails

Judge Smails is an uptight and stodgy member of the Bushwood Country Club who is blocking the application for membership of the noisy and obnoxious Al Czervik, played by Rodney Dangerfield. The movie is enhanced by the performances of Chevy Chase and Bill Murray.

The judge's character is revealed by a joke he tries to tell Bishop Fred Pickering, another member of the club: "Say, Fred, did you hear the one about the Jew, the Catholic, and the Colored Boy who went to heaven?" to which the bishop replies, "Yeah, Judge, that's a doozy."

Answer: Judging Amy

Harvard lawyer Amy Gray separates from her husband, moves from New York City back to Hartford, Connecticut with her six-year-old daughter, moves in with her widowed mother, and becomes a judge in the family court of the Connecticut Superior Court. Her mom is a case worker for the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. The programme (1999-2005) enjoyed higher ratings at inception but saw its audience wane over time.

Answer: Judge Parker

Nicholas P. Dallis, a psychiatrist, created three soap-opera-style comic strips: "Rex Morgan, M.D.", "Apartment 3-G" and "Judge Parker" (1952). They all worked. The story of widower Alan Parker, his two children and his second wife occupied decades. Judge Parker is now retired and his son Randy ran for his vacant seat and won, becoming the "new" Judge Parker.

Answer: Judge Dredd

John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra created Judge Dredd as a comic book character in 1977. He is a "street judge" in Mega-City One, which is most of the Eastern Seaboard of the US, who has the authority to arrest, try, convict, sentence and, in the appropriate case, execute criminals. Arnold Schwarzenegger considered the role but turned it down. Stallone was nominated for a Golden Raspberry as Worst Actor in a Motion Picture for the role.

Answer: Judge Constance Harm

A play on the phrase "constant harm", Judge Harm is based on Judge Judy of American daytime television fame. Her function on the show is to hand down stern verdicts and to imagine cruel and unusual punishments. When Homer drove his car off the end of a pier, Judge Harm revoked his driver's license, cut it up into small pieces, used her guillotine to cut the pieces smaller, fed the remaining bits to two dogs and ordered the bailiffs to burn the dogs' excrement.

Answer: Judge Walter Franklin

Called "The Tony Randall Show," this programme depicted the life of a judge trying to raise a teen-aged daughter and pre-teen son, with the help of a zany English housekeeper (possessed of curious cooking skills). In court, his life was complicated by a dour and unfriendly secretary, a nerdy assistant and a toady assistant district attorney. Michael Keaton appeared occasionally on the show as did Hans Conried.

Answer: Pontiac GTO

The Judge was not so much a model as a package which could be ordered with the Pontiac GTO. They were produced in both convertible and hardtop editions. All the standard GTO colours were available but Orbit Orange (a canary yellow) was the promoted Judge colour in 1970. Sales collided with (a) concern for fuel economy and (b) auto insurers' bias against muscle cars.

There was a cool logo on the glove-box door and fender decals which said "The Judge" in groovy letters.

Answer: Judge Harry Bone

"Picket Fences" treated the town of Rome as a sort of microcosm of the United States in the 1990s. The show was created by David E. Kelley, who also produced "Chicago Hope." The show faced serious social problems (abortion, AIDS, school violence, spousal abuse, homophobia, medical ethics, date rape) as well as spontaneous human combustion.

These problems would end up before Judge Bone, who would rule and then command the parties to "Get out!"

Answer: Hardcastle and McCormack

Judge Milton C. Hardcastle (Brian Keith) and Mark "Skid" McCormick (Daniel Hugh Kelly) make an unlikely team in this action adventure series. Judge Hardcastle, nicknamed Hardcase, left the superior court bench with justice yet to be done. He compels a young auto thief turned car racer into becoming his sidekick. Adventure ensues.

Answer: My Two Dads

Paul Reiser ("Mad About You") and Gary Evigan ("B.J. and the Bear") are two straight men with joint custody of a teenager. The judge frequently visits the family, which is made more convenient because she is also their landlord. Florence Stanley, who plays Judge Wilbur, previously played Bernice Fish (1975-1979), the wife of Detective Fish on "Barney Miller" (1975-1982).