There is a new show being filmed as a pilot that will be shopped around the networks to see who wants to buy it. Las Vegas Night Court with Oscar Goodman is the title for now. I got to be an extra in the first several taping of pilot episodes.
The court room is set up on the stage in the Hilton main showroom. We could either sit in the courtroom gallery or in the theater, and were often moved around by the stage manager. There were two other "rooms" on stage. One was a dressing room for the 8 show girls. The other was the court room exit where the litigants were interviewed.
The cases are supposed to be real. Judge Oscar's verdicts are supposed to be binding. I strongly suspect the litigants are played by actors. This is kind of a Peoples Court type show, but instead of Judge Wopner, we have Oscar, martinis, show girls, fun, jokes, and a bailiff that likes her gun.
We had one case of two best friends that always went to Las Vegas on their birthday and split the winnings, but this one time the winner kept the money because the other girl didn't show up due to a dirty little secret.
We had a case where a prudish couple sued a major Vegas promoter for selling them show tickets for their anniversary because the show he sold them was Zumanity.
We had a case where a woman sued a Vegas promoter because on her bachelorette party, the surprise stirpper was dressed as a fireman, and her previous husband was a fireman killed in the line of duty.
We had a case where a couple came to town to renew their vows and were huge Elvis fans. The Elvis impersonator was sick, had a sore throat, and couldn't sing for their wedding.
And there was more. Most of the cases have interesting twists. Unlike most court cases, audience participation and reaction was strongly encouraged. I've either participated or witnessed the filming of many shows, commercials, and events, and this was the most fun I've ever had. In the normally boring times when the stage, lights, and sound systems are being fine tuned, there was a stage assistant that kept us entertained with games, prizes, food, drinks, jokes, etc. We even had Q&A sessions with Oscar.
If the show ever makes it to your TV set, I suggest at least watching an episode or two and make your own decision. Sure, it's a little hokey. It's a pretty nice stage set up. Oscar is always a hoot to listen to. The showgirls were nice. And while we filmed lots of cases and lot's of extra scenes, I have no idea how it will all be spliced and diced and put back together.
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