Cheers 

The regulars of the Boston bar Cheers share their experiences and lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name.

Creators:

James Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles

Stars:

Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger

Won 6 Golden Globes. Another 71 wins & 181 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Ted Danson	...	Sam Malone / ... 271 episodes, 1982-1993
Rhea Perlman	...	Carla Tortelli / ... 271 episodes, 1982-1993
John Ratzenberger	...	Cliff Clavin / ... 271 episodes, 1982-1993
George Wendt	...	Norm Peterson / ... 271 episodes, 1982-1993
Kelsey Grammer	...	Dr. Frasier Crane / ... 204 episodes, 1984-1993
Woody Harrelson	...	Woody Boyd / ... 201 episodes, 1985-1993
Kirstie Alley	...	Rebecca Howe / ... 149 episodes, 1987-1993
Shelley Long	...	Diane Chambers / ... 124 episodes, 1982-1993

Storyline

The lives of the disparate group of employees and patrons at a Boston watering hole called Cheers over eleven years is presented. Over much of this period, Sam Malone, a womanizing ex-Boston Red Sox pitcher and an alcoholic, owns the bar, its purchase and this life which was his salvation from his alcoholism which was largely the cause of the end of his baseball career. He ends up having a love-hate relationship with intellectual Diane Chambers, who he hires as a waitress and whose cultured mentality is foreign to anyone else in the bar. He also has an evolving relationship with Rebecca Howe, who managed the bar for the Lily Corporation which bought it from Sam, but whose outward business savvy belied the fact that she was a mess of a woman who was struggling to find her place in life. The regular patrons are largely a bunch of self-identified losers, who bond because of their shared place in life, and because Cheers is their home away from home, and in many ways more a home than ...

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Plot Keywords:

bar | bartender | boston massachusetts | psychiatrist | mailman | 

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Taglines:

The Laughs Are On The House!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cheers

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

22 min 30 min (266 episodes) 98 min (1 Episode)

Sound Mix:

Mono Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Diane always addressed Norm and Cliff as "Norman" and "Clifford". Woody addressed everybody, except Sam, Eddie and Carla as "Mr., Miss, Dr." et cetera.

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Goofs

In Cheers, Frasier Crane's mother (who was still alive then) is played by Nancy Marchand but in the series Frasier (in flashbacks), she (now deceased) is played by Rita Wilson.

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Quotes

Cliff: Did I ever tell you kids about the first Thanksgiving? It took place between the ancient Egyptains and aliens from a distant galaxy.

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Crazy Credits

The style of the opening credits never changed throughout the series' 11 year run, unless a new cast member was added.

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Alternate Versions

The series finale was edited into three half-hour episodes for syndication. Part one of the 1 hour "200th Episode Celebration" episode, edited into two parts for syndication, is the only syndicated episode that features the complete opening sequence used throughout the series. The first scene of the teaser of the series' first episode, where Sam walks from the Pool Room into the Bar area of Cheers', was edited completely out of the syndicated broadcast.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Chris Pratt/Rosamund Pike/John Mellencamp (2014)

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Soundtracks

Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Written by Judy Hart-Angelo and Gary Portnoy
Performed by Gary Portnoy

User Reviews

A Classic

Cheers was one of those shows that had all of the ingredients of being a success from its inception, yet it took a while before it really gained the respect it has over the years. In fact, it was in jeopardy of being canceled after its first season due to low ratings. However, thanks to some smart executives, amazing writers, and a stellar cast, Cheers persevered. The sitcom mainly takes place in a bar and focuses on the daily lives of a variety of colorful characters and the comical situations they create. In a way, it's like watching a slice of what it means to be a citizen in this great country. We are a melting pot of different people, circumstances, beliefs, hang–ups, triumphs, misfortunes, etc., yet when push comes to shove in moments of desperation and/or despair, we work it all out. We work as a team to solve problems and get through each day, whether it be a good one or a day wrought with idiosyncrasies. That's what the patrons in Cheers do. Sure, they have their issues and selfish forays that help define them as individuals, but they're basically good people with good hearts. Everybody commits selfish acts sometimes. This show simply magnifies these types of predicaments for the sake of humor that's all in good fun. It's nice to know there is a place where everyone knows your name that is an extended family of sorts. Sometimes we have to get away from those closest to us just to recharge our batteries. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could go to a place like Cheers to unwind now and then?

The main ensemble included the cocky–but–likable head bartender, Sam Malone (Ted Danson). I believe Danson was perfectly cast here, and his two Emmy wins are well–deserved. Sam had a love interest on the show for the first five seasons named Diane Chambers (Shelly Long). She was brilliant as the stuffy, neurotic bookworm filled with insecurities and dilemmas that would drive anyone nuts. When Long left the show, Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) took over. She would eventually buy the bar and have her own insecurities to contend with. She had big shoes to fill as Diane was a popular television character. In fact, Long won an Emmy and two Golden Globes for her scene stealing performances. Alley, to her credit, was a terrific replacement because she brought in a distinctive flavor to her character and added a different dimension to the show. She won an Emmy as well. Rhea Perlman played the fiery head waitress, Carla. She could be a bit hard to swallow at times, but she was dead–on in all of her performances and has four Emmy awards to prove it. The rest of the cast included the spacey bartender, Ernie Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto), naive bartender Woody (Woody Harrelson – who replaced The Coach after his death in real life), couch potato, Norm (George Wendt), goofy mailman, Cliff (John Ratzenberger), quirky Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar – who went on to star in his own very successful spin off show aptly titled Frasier), and Frasier's uptight wife, Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth). All of these diverse characters provided plenty of humorous material and the actors/actresses played them to a tee. It was their top notch performances that propelled this show to a higher level than it already was.

In closing, Cheers offers the viewer the opportunity to escape the rat race world of the major cities (and perhaps the humdrum of small towns??) that we live in where we can enjoy some good conversation, a few laughs, and great company. Feeling welcome is never a bad thing...