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''Cheers'' is an American television
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
, created by Glen Charles & Les Charles and
James Burrows James Burrows (born December 30, 1940), sometimes known as Jim "Jimmy" Burrows, is an American television director. He has received numerous accolades including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards. He was honored ...
, that aired on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association with
Paramount Television The first incarnation of Paramount Television was operated as the television production division of the American film studio Paramount Pictures, until it changed its name to CBS Paramount Television on January 17, 2006. History Desilu Pro ...
. The show is set in the titular bar in Boston, where a group of locals meet to drink, relax, socialize, and escape from their day-to-day issues. At the center of the show is the bar's owner and head bartender,
Sam Malone Samuel "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Ted Danson and created by Glen and Les Charles. Sam is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox baseball team wh ...
, who is a womanizing former relief pitcher for the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. The show's ensemble cast introduced in the
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
are waitresses
Diane Chambers Diane Chambers is a fictional character in the American television situation comedy show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Shelley Long and created by Glen and Les Charles. She is one of two main protagonists in the first five seasons of the series. A ...
and
Carla Tortelli Carla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec, commonly known as Carla Tortelli, is a fictional character in the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Rhea Perlman. Outwardly, at least, Carla is a sarcastic w ...
, second bartender
Coach Ernie Pantusso Ernie Pantusso (or Pantuso), commonly known as "Coach", is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Nicholas Colasanto from 1982 to 1985. Coach is Sam Malone's former baseball coach, who becomes a bartender a ...
, and regular customers
Norm Peterson Hilary Norman Peterson is a regular fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers''. The character was portrayed by actor George Wendt and is named Hilary after his paternal grandfather. Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of ' ...
and
Cliff Clavin Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. (born 1947 or 1949) is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'' played by John Ratzenberger. A postal worker, he is the bar's resident know-it-all. Cliff was not originally scripted in the series' ...
. Later main characters of the show also include,
Frasier Crane Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane (born ) is a fictional character who is both a supporting character on the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' and the titular protagonist of its spin-off '' Frasier'' and the latter's 2023 sequel. In all three s ...
,
Woody Boyd Woodrow Huckleberry Tiberius Boyd is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Woody Harrelson. Woody, simple-minded but good-hearted, debuts in the season premiere of the fourth season, "Birth, Death, Love ...
,
Lilith Sternin Lilith Sternin (formerly Sternin-Crane), Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., Doctor of Education, Ed.D, American Psychiatric Association, A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms ''Cheers'' and ''Fras ...
, and
Rebecca Howe Rebecca Howe is a fictional character of the American television sitcom ''Cheers'', portrayed by Kirstie Alley and created by Glen and Les Charles. Rebecca appeared in 147 episodes of ''Cheers'' between 1987 and 1993 and in one episode of '' ...
. After premiering in 1982, it was nearly canceled during its first season when it ranked almost last in ratings for its premiere (74th out of 77 shows). However, ''Cheers'' eventually became a
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originates in the mid-nineteenth century. ''Juggernaut'' is the early rendering in English ...
in the United States, earning a top-10 rating during eight of its 11 seasons, including one season at number one (season 9). The show spent most of its run on NBC's Thursday night "
Must See TV Must See TV was an American advertising slogan that was used by NBC to brand its primetime blocks during the 1990s, and most often applied to the network's Thursday night lineup, which featured some of its most popular sitcoms and drama series ...
" lineup. Widely watched, its series finale in 1993 became the most-watched single TV episode of the 1990s, and the show's 275
episodes Episodes may refer to: * Episode, a part of a dramatic work * Episodes (TV series), ''Episodes'' (TV series), a British/American television sitcom which premiered in 2011 * Episodes (journal), ''Episodes'' (journal), a geological science journal ...
have been successfully syndicated worldwide. Nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series for all 11 of its seasons on the air, it earned 28
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s from a record of 117 nominations. During its run, ''Cheers'' became one of the most popular series in history and received critical acclaim from its start to its end and is frequently cited as one of the greatest television shows of all time. In 1997, the episodes "
Thanksgiving Orphans "Thanksgiving Orphans" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the American television sitcom ''Cheers'', co-written by Cheri Eichen and Bill Steinkeller and directed by James Burrows. It aired originally on November 27, 1986, on NBC. The ...
" and " Home Is the Sailor," aired originally in 1987, were respectively ranked No. 7 and No. 45 on ''TV Guide''s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. Its series finale was watched by an estimated 93 million viewers, almost 40% of the American population at the time. The series also produced three spin-offs: ''
The Tortellis ''The Tortellis'' is an American sitcom television series and the first spin-off of ''Cheers'', starring Dan Hedaya and Jean Kasem. It aired on NBC from January 22 to May 12, 1987. Synopsis Hedaya and Kasem had appeared on ''Cheers'' on severa ...
'', ''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...
'', and ''
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Casey, and David Lee (scr ...
''; and a Spanish remake.


Characters

Before the ''Cheers'' pilot "
Give Me a Ring Sometime "Give Me a Ring Sometime" is the pilot episode and the first episode of the first season of the American situation comedy ''Cheers''. Written by Glen and Les Charles and directed by James Burrows, the episode first aired September 30, 1982, ...
" was completed and aired in 1982, the series consisted of four employees in the first script. Later revisions added
Norm Peterson Hilary Norman Peterson is a regular fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers''. The character was portrayed by actor George Wendt and is named Hilary after his paternal grandfather. Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of ' ...
and
Cliff Clavin Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. (born 1947 or 1949) is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'' played by John Ratzenberger. A postal worker, he is the bar's resident know-it-all. Cliff was not originally scripted in the series' ...
(regular customers of Cheers) as among the regular characters of the series, even though neither were featured.Wendt 2001, pp. 112–114. In later years,
Woody Boyd Woodrow Huckleberry Tiberius Boyd is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Woody Harrelson. Woody, simple-minded but good-hearted, debuts in the season premiere of the fourth season, "Birth, Death, Love ...
replaced Coach, after the character died off-screen in season three (1984–85), following actor
Nicholas Colasanto Nicholas Colasanto (January 19, 1924 – February 12, 1985) was an American actor and television director. He is best known for his role as Ernie Pantusso in the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982 – 1985). Early life Colasanto was b ...
's death.
Frasier Crane Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane (born ) is a fictional character who is both a supporting character on the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' and the titular protagonist of its spin-off '' Frasier'' and the latter's 2023 sequel. In all three s ...
started as a recurring character and became a permanent one. In season six (1987–88), new character
Rebecca Howe Rebecca Howe is a fictional character of the American television sitcom ''Cheers'', portrayed by Kirstie Alley and created by Glen and Les Charles. Rebecca appeared in 147 episodes of ''Cheers'' between 1987 and 1993 and in one episode of '' ...
was added, having been written into the show after the finale of the previous season (1986–87).
Lilith Sternin Lilith Sternin (formerly Sternin-Crane), Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., Doctor of Education, Ed.D, American Psychiatric Association, A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms ''Cheers'' and ''Fras ...
started as a one-time character in an episode of season four, "Second Time Around" (1985). After her second season five appearance, she became a recurring character and was later featured as a permanent one during season 10 (1991–92).


Original main characters

*
Ted Danson Edward Bridge Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993), for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe A ...
as
Sam Malone Samuel "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Ted Danson and created by Glen and Les Charles. Sam is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox baseball team wh ...
: A
bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep or barman or barmaid or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the Bar (establishment), bar, usually in a licensed bar (establishment), establishment as ...
and proprietor of Cheers, Sam is also a
lothario Lothario is an Italian name used as shorthand for an unscrupulous seducer of women, based upon a character in '' The Fair Penitent'', a 1703 tragedy by Nicholas Rowe.
. Before the series began, he was a baseball
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
for the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
nicknamed "Mayday Malone" until he became an alcoholic, harming his career. He has an on-again, off-again relationship with
Diane Chambers Diane Chambers is a fictional character in the American television situation comedy show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Shelley Long and created by Glen and Les Charles. She is one of two main protagonists in the first five seasons of the series. A ...
, his class opposite, in the first five seasons (1982–1987). During their off-times, Sam has flings with many not-so-bright "sexy women" yet fails to pursue a meaningful relationship. After Diane is written out of the series, he tries to pursue Rebecca Howe, with varying results. At the end of the series, he is still unmarried and faces his
sexual addiction Sexual addiction is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The concept is contentious; sexual addiction is not a clinical diagnosis in ...
with the help of Dr. Robert Sutton's ( Gilbert Lewis) group meetings, advised by Frasier. *
Shelley Long Shelley Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. For her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom ''Cheers'', Long received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. S ...
as
Diane Chambers Diane Chambers is a fictional character in the American television situation comedy show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Shelley Long and created by Glen and Les Charles. She is one of two main protagonists in the first five seasons of the series. A ...
: An academic, sophisticated graduate student attending Boston University. In the pilot, Diane is abandoned by her fiancé, leaving her without a job, a man or money. Realizing that one of her few practical skills is memorization, which comes in handy when dealing with drink orders, she reluctantly becomes a barmaid. Later, she becomes a close friend of Coach and has an on-and-off relationship with bartender Sam Malone, her class opposite. During their off-relationship times, Diane dates men who fit her upper-class ideals, such as Frasier Crane. Diane returns to Cheers while dating Frasier to help cure Sam of his drinking addiction with help from Dr. Crane. Diane's biggest enemy is Carla, who frequently insults her, but Diane's lack of retaliation serves to annoy Carla even more. In 1987, Diane leaves Boston and Sam to pursue a
screenwriting Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is often a freelance profession. Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, dev ...
career in California. She promises Sam she will return to Boston to marry him but does not do so. *
Nicholas Colasanto Nicholas Colasanto (January 19, 1924 – February 12, 1985) was an American actor and television director. He is best known for his role as Ernie Pantusso in the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982 – 1985). Early life Colasanto was b ...
as "Coach" Ernie Pantusso: A "borderline senile" co-bartender, widower and retired baseball coach. Coach is also a friend of Sam and a close friend of Diane; he has a daughter,
Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA" * Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978) * Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980) * Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...
(
Allyce Beasley Allyce Beasley ( Tannenberg; born July 6, 1951) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as rhyming, love-struck receptionist Agnes DiPesto in the television series '' Moonlighting''. From 2001 to 2007, she was the announcer on Pla ...
). Coach listens to people's problems and solves them. However, other people also help resolve his own problems. In 1985, Coach died without explicit explanation, as Colasanto died of a heart attack. *
Rhea Perlman Rhea Jo Perlman (born March 31, 1948) is an American actress and author. She is well-known for playing head waitress Carla Tortelli in the sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993). Over the course of eleven seasons, Perlman was nominated for ten Emmy Awar ...
as
Carla Tortelli Carla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec, commonly known as Carla Tortelli, is a fictional character in the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Rhea Perlman. Outwardly, at least, Carla is a sarcastic w ...
: A "wisecracking, cynical" cocktail waitress, who treats customers badly. When the series premieres, she is the mother of five children by her ex-husband
Nick Tortelli This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, "Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four emplo ...
(
Dan Hedaya Daniel G. Dan Hedaya (born July 24, 1940) is an American actor best known for his supporting roles in films such as '' The Hunger'' (1983), '' Blood Simple'' (1984), ''Commando'' (1985), '' The Addams Family'' (1991), ''Benny & Joon'' (1993), '' ...
). Over the course of the series, she bears three more, the depiction of which incorporated Perlman's real-life pregnancies.Top 10 Pregnant Performers: Where Everybody Knows You're Pregnant (or Not)
" ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
''. Web. June 2, 2012.
All of her children are ill behaved, except Ludlow, whose father is a prominent academic. She flirts with men, including ones who are not flattered by her ways, and believes in
superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic (supernatural), magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly app ...
s. Later, she marries
Eddie LeBec This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, " Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four empl ...
, an
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
player, who later becomes a penguin mascot for ice shows. After he dies in an ice show accident by an
ice resurfacer An ice resurfacer is a vehicle or hand-pushed device for cleaning and smoothing the surface of a sheet of ice, usually in an ice rink. The first ice resurfacer was developed by American inventor and engineer Frank Zamboni in 1949 in Paramount, C ...
, Carla later discovers that Eddie had committed
bigamy In a culture where only monogamous relationships are legally recognized, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their mar ...
with another woman, whom he had gotten pregnant. Carla sleeps with Sam's enemy, John Allen Hill, to Sam's annoyance and anger. *
George Wendt George Robert Wendt Jr. (October 17, 1948 – May 20, 2025) was an American actor. Wendt was best known for playing Norm Peterson on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' from 1982 to 1993, which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Em ...
as
Norm Peterson Hilary Norman Peterson is a regular fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers''. The character was portrayed by actor George Wendt and is named Hilary after his paternal grandfather. Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of ' ...
: A bar regular and occasionally employed accountant. A recurrent joke on the show, especially in the earlier seasons, is that the character was such a popular and constant fixture at the bar that anytime he entered through the front door, everyone present would yell out his name ("NORM!") in greeting (when present in the scene Diane would be heard saying "Norman!" moments later); usually, this cry would be followed by one of the present bartenders asking Norm how he was, usually receiving a sardonic response and a request for a beer. ("It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing Milkbone underwear.") He has infrequent accounting jobs and a troubled marriage with (but is still in love with and married to) Vera, an
unseen character An unseen character in theatre, comics, film or television, or a silent character in radio or literature, is a character who is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...
, though she is occasionally heard. Later in the series, he becomes a
house painter A house painter and decorator is a tradesperson responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator, or house painter.''The Modern Painter and Decorator'' volume 1 1921 Caxton The purpose of painting is t ...
and an
interior decorator Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a creative flair, an interior ...
. Even later in the series, Norm secures his dream job, tasting beer at a brewery. The character was not originally intended to be a main cast role; Wendt auditioned for a minor role of George for the
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
. The role was only to be Diane Chambers' first customer and had only one word: "Beer!" After he was cast in a more permanent role, the character was renamed Norm.


Subsequent main characters

*
John Ratzenberger John Dezso Ratzenberger (born April 6, 1947)About John
from Ratzenberger's official website
is an Americ ...
as
Cliff Clavin Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. (born 1947 or 1949) is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'' played by John Ratzenberger. A postal worker, he is the bar's resident know-it-all. Cliff was not originally scripted in the series' ...
:
A know-it-all bar regular and
mail carrier A mail carrier, also referred to as a mailman, mailwoman, mailperson, postal carrier, postman, postwoman, postperson, person of post, letter carrier (in American English), or colloquially postie (in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Unite ...
. He lives with his mother
Esther Clavin This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, "Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four emplo ...
(
Frances Sternhagen Frances Hussey Sternhagen (January 13, 1930 – November 27, 2023) was an American actress. She was known as a character actress who appeared on- and off-Broadway, in movies, and on television for over six decades.Joy, Car"Frances Sternhagen i ...
) in first the family house and later his own apartment. In the bar, Cliff continuously spouts nonsensical and annoying trivia, making him an object of derision for the bar patrons (especially Carla). Ratzenberger auditioned for the role of a minor character George, but it went to Wendt, evolving the role into Norm Peterson.Wendt 2009, pp. 113–114. The producers decided they wanted a resident bar know-it-all, so the US Postal Worker Cliff Clavin was added for the pilot, as a recurring character for the first season before becoming a main character starting with the second. Originally written as a security guard, the producers changed his occupation into a mail carrier as they thought such a man would have a wider array of knowledge. *
Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained fame for his role as the psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984–1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993–2004, and again F ...
as
Frasier Crane Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane (born ) is a fictional character who is both a supporting character on the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' and the titular protagonist of its spin-off '' Frasier'' and the latter's 2023 sequel. In all three s ...
:
A psychiatrist and bar regular, a recurring character for seasons 3 and 4 who joins the main cast by season 5. Frasier started out as Diane Chambers' love interest in the third season (1984–85). In the fourth season (1985–86), after Diane jilts him at the altar in Europe, Frasier starts to frequent Cheers and becomes a regular. He later marries
Lilith Sternin Lilith Sternin (formerly Sternin-Crane), Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., Doctor of Education, Ed.D, American Psychiatric Association, A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms ''Cheers'' and ''Fras ...
and has a son, Frederick. After the series ends, the character becomes the focus of the spin-off ''
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Casey, and David Lee (scr ...
'', in which he is divorced from Lilith and living in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. *
Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...
as
Woody Boyd Woodrow Huckleberry Tiberius Boyd is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Woody Harrelson. Woody, simple-minded but good-hearted, debuts in the season premiere of the fourth season, "Birth, Death, Love ...
:
A not-so-bright bartender, first appearing in season 4. He arrives from his Midwest hometown of
Hanover, Indiana Hanover is a town in Hanover Township, Jefferson County, Indiana, United States. Located along the Ohio River, the town's population was 3,546 at the 2010 census. Hanover is the home of Hanover College, a small Presbyterian liberal arts college ...
to Boston, to see Coach, his "
pen pal Pen pals (or penfriends, penpals, pen-pals) are people who regularly write to each other, particularly via postal mail. Pen pals are usually strangers whose relationship is based primarily, or even solely, on their exchange of letters. Occasion ...
" (as referring to exchanging "pens", not letters). When Sam tells Woody that Coach died, Sam hires Woody in Coach's place. Later, he marries his girlfriend Kelly Gaines (
Jackie Swanson Jackie Swanson (born June 25, 1963) is an American actress. She is best known for her role on the American sitcom ''Cheers'' as Kelly Gaines the rich, simple love interest of Woody Boyd and as Amanda Hunsaker in the first ''Lethal Weapon'' movi ...
), also not-so-bright but raised in a rich family. In the final season, he runs for city council and, surprisingly, wins. *
Bebe Neuwirth Beatrice "Bebe" Jane Neuwirth ( ; born December 31, 1958) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she has received two Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and two Drama Desk Awards. ...
as
Lilith Sternin Lilith Sternin (formerly Sternin-Crane), Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., Doctor of Education, Ed.D, American Psychiatric Association, A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms ''Cheers'' and ''Fras ...
:
A psychiatrist and bar regular, a recurring character until joining the main cast in season 10. She is often teased by bar patrons about her uptight personality and appearance. In "Second Time Around" (1986), her first and only episode of the fourth season, her date with Frasier does not go well because they constantly argue. In the fifth season, with help from Diane, Lilith and Frasier begin a relationship. Eventually, they marry and have a son, Frederick. In the eleventh and final season, she commits adultery and leaves Frasier to live with another man in an experimental underground environment called the "Eco-pod". She breaks it off, returns later in the season and reconciles with Frasier. However, in the spin-off ''Frasier'', the couple has divorced, with Lilith maintaining custody of Frederick. In season 11 of ''Cheers'', Bebe Neuwirth is given "starring" credit only when she appears. *
Kirstie Alley Kirstie Louise Alley (January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022) was an American actress. Her breakthrough role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1 ...
as
Rebecca Howe Rebecca Howe is a fictional character of the American television sitcom ''Cheers'', portrayed by Kirstie Alley and created by Glen and Les Charles. Rebecca appeared in 147 episodes of ''Cheers'' between 1987 and 1993 and in one episode of '' ...
:
First appearing in season 6, she starts out as a strong independent woman, manager of the bar for the corporation that buys Cheers from Sam after his on-off relationship with Diane ends. When Sam regains ownership, she begs him to let her remain, first as a cocktail waitress and later as a manager. She has repeated romantic failures with mainly rich men and becomes more and more "neurotic, insecure, and sexually frustrated". At the start, Sam frequently attempts to seduce Rebecca without success. As her personality changes, he loses interest in her. In the series finale, after failed relationships with rich men, Rebecca marries a plumber and quits working for the bar. In the ''Frasier'' episode "
The Show Where Sam Shows Up "The Show Where Sam Shows Up" is the 16th episode of the second season of the American sitcom ''Frasier''. This episode originally aired on February 21, 1995, on NBC, intended as part of a February ratings sweep by the network. It features a s ...
", she is revealed to be divorced and back at the bar. When Frasier asks whether this means that she is working there again, Sam says, "No, she's just back at the bar."


Character table


Recurring characters

Although ''Cheers'' operated largely around that main ensemble cast and their interactions with various one-off characters, guest stars and recurring characters did occasionally supplement them. Notable repeat guests included
Dan Hedaya Daniel G. Dan Hedaya (born July 24, 1940) is an American actor best known for his supporting roles in films such as '' The Hunger'' (1983), '' Blood Simple'' (1984), ''Commando'' (1985), '' The Addams Family'' (1991), ''Benny & Joon'' (1993), '' ...
as
Nick Tortelli This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, "Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four emplo ...
and Jean Kasem as
Loretta Tortelli This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, " Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four empl ...
(who were the main characters in the first spin-off, ''
The Tortellis ''The Tortellis'' is an American sitcom television series and the first spin-off of ''Cheers'', starring Dan Hedaya and Jean Kasem. It aired on NBC from January 22 to May 12, 1987. Synopsis Hedaya and Kasem had appeared on ''Cheers'' on severa ...
''),
Fred Dryer John Frederick Dryer (born July 6, 1946) is an American actor, radio host, and former professional football player. He was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 years, participating in 176 games starting in 1969 until ...
as Dave Richards,
Annie Golden Annie Golden (born October 19, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She first came to prominence as the lead singer of the punk band the Shirts from 1975 to 1981 with whom she recorded three albums. She began her acting career as Mother in ...
as Margaret O'Keefe,
Derek McGrath Derek McGrath (born June 4, 1951) is a Canadian actor and writer. Life and career McGrath was born in Timmins, Ontario."That face on U.S. TV returns to shoot movie" by Rita Zekas, ''Toronto Star'' (20 Oct, 1987) inal EditionRetrieved from His ...
as Andy Schroeder (also referred to as ''Andy Andy''), interchangeably
Joel Polis Joel Polis (born October 3, 1951) is an American television, film and stage actor. Polis has appeared in over one hundred television programs and films during his career. Career Polis' first film role was the character Fuchs in the 1982 scien ...
and
Robert Desiderio Robert Desiderio (born September 9, 1951) is an American actor best known for his roles on television. He starred as Steve Piermont in the ABC daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'' (1982–83) opposite his future wife, Judith Light. He starred ...
as rival bar owner Gary,
Jay Thomas Jon "Jay" Thomas Terrell (July 12, 1948 – August 24, 2017) was an American actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was heard in New York from 1976–1979 on top-40 station 99X, and later on rhythmic CHR station 92KTU, and in Los Angeles ...
as
Eddie LeBec This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, " Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four empl ...
,
Roger Rees Roger Rees (5 May 1944 – 10 July 2015) was a Welsh-American actor and director. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (play), The Life and Adventures of Nicho ...
as
Robin Colcord This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, " Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four empl ...
,
Tom Skerritt Thomas Roy Skerritt (born August 25, 1933) is an American actor and director, who has appeared in over 170 film and television productions since 1962. The beginning of his film career coincided with the New Hollywood movement, with a breakthroug ...
as
Evan Drake This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, "Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four emplo ...
,
Frances Sternhagen Frances Hussey Sternhagen (January 13, 1930 – November 27, 2023) was an American actress. She was known as a character actress who appeared on- and off-Broadway, in movies, and on television for over six decades.Joy, Car"Frances Sternhagen i ...
as Esther Clavin, Richard Doyle as Walter Gaines,
Keene Curtis Keene Holbrook Curtis (February 15, 1923 – October 13, 2002) was an American character actor. Early life Curtis was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Polley Francella (née Holbrook), a teacher, and Ira Charles Curtis, a railway and civil-servi ...
as John Allen Hill,
Anthony Cistaro Anthony Cistaro (born June 8, 1963) is an American actor. At an early age he moved to San Francisco, California, where his father was a career counselor and instructor at City College of San Francisco. His mother was a homemaker. Cistaro attended ...
as Henri, Michael McGuire as Professor Sumner Sloan, and
Harry Anderson Harry Laverne Anderson (October 14, 1952 – April 16, 2018) was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role as Judge Harry Stone on the NBC sitcom ''Night Court'' (1984–1992). He later played Dave Barry on the C ...
as Harry "The Hat" Gittes.
Jackie Swanson Jackie Swanson (born June 25, 1963) is an American actress. She is best known for her role on the American sitcom ''Cheers'' as Kelly Gaines the rich, simple love interest of Woody Boyd and as Amanda Hunsaker in the first ''Lethal Weapon'' movi ...
, who played the recurring role of Woody's girlfriend and eventual wife "Kelly Gaines-Boyd", appeared in 24 episodes from 1989 to 1993. The character is as equally dim and naive—but ultimately as sweet-natured—as Woody.
Paul Willson Paul Willson is an American film, television and voice actor who played Paul Krapence on ''Cheers''. Early life Willson was raised in San Francisco, California. He attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where he began performing in improvi ...
played the recurring barfly character Paul Krapence. (In one early appearance in the first season he was called "Glen", and was later credited on-screen as "Gregg" and "Tom", but he was playing the same character throughout.) Thomas Babson played "Tom", a law student often mocked by
Cliff Clavin Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. (born 1947 or 1949) is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'' played by John Ratzenberger. A postal worker, he is the bar's resident know-it-all. Cliff was not originally scripted in the series' ...
, for continually failing to pass the Massachusetts bar exam. "Al", played by Al Rosen, appeared in 38 episodes, and was known for his surly quips. Rhea Perlman's father
Philip Perlman Philip B. Perlman (March 5, 1890, Baltimore – July 31, 1960) was a Baltimore native, the son of Benjamin and Rose Nathan Perlman. Graduating from Baltimore City College secondary school in 1908, Perlman worked as a reporter for the ''Bal ...
played the role of "Phil".


Celebrity appearances

Other celebrities guest-starred in single episodes as themselves throughout the series. Sports figures appeared on the show as themselves, with a connection to Boston or Sam's former team, the Red Sox, such as
Luis Tiant Luis Clemente Tiant Vega () (November 23, 1940 – October 8, 2024), nicknamed "El Tiante", was a Cuban professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 years, primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston R ...
,
Wade Boggs Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15, 1958), nicknamed "Chicken Man", is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. He also played for the New York Ya ...
, and Kevin McHale and
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
(of the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
). Some television stars also made guest appearances as themselves such as
Alex Trebek George Alexander Trebek (; July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020) was a Canadian and American game show host and television personality. He was best known for hosting the syndicated general knowledge quiz game show ''Jeopardy!'' for 37 seasons ...
,
Arsenio Hall Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted a late-night talk show, '' The Arsenio Hall Show'', from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014. He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', '' Comi ...
,
Dick Cavett Richard Alva Cavett (; born November 19, 1936) is an American television personality and former talk show host. He appeared regularly on nationally broadcast television in the United States from the 1960s through the 2000s. In later years, Cave ...
,
Robert Urich Robert Michael Urich (December 19, 1946 â€“ April 16, 2002) was an American film, television, and stage actor and television producer. Over the course of his 30-year career, he starred in a record 15 television series. Urich began his car ...
,
George McFarland George Robert Philips McFarland (October 2, 1928 – June 30, 1993) was an American actor most famous for starring as a child as Spanky in Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The ''Our Gang'' short ...
and
Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...
. Various political figures even made appearances on ''Cheers'' such as then-
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
William J. Crowe, former
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
Gary Hart Gary Warren Hart (''né'' Hartpence; born November 28, 1936) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was the front-runner for the 1984 and 1988 Democratic presidential nominations, until in 1988, he dropped out amid revelations of ex ...
, the
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...
Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American Democratic Party politician from Massachusetts who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, the third-l ...
, the Senator
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
, the
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Michael Dukakis Michael Stanley Dukakis ( ; born November 3, 1933) is an American politician and lawyer who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history and only the s ...
,
Ethel Kennedy Ethel Kennedy ( ; April 11, 1928 – October 10, 2024) was an American human rights advocate. She was the widow of U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, a sister-in-law of U.S. president John F. Kennedy, and a daughter of businessman Geor ...
(widow of
Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New Yo ...
), and the
Mayor of Boston The mayor of Boston is the head of the municipal government in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Boston has a mayor–council government. Boston's mayoral elections are nonpartisan (as are all municipal elections in Boston), and elect a m ...
Raymond Flynn Raymond Leo Flynn (born July 22, 1939) is an American politician and diplomat who served as the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, from 1984 until 1993. He also served as United States Ambassador to the Holy See from 1993 to 1997. Flynn was an A ...
, the last five of whom all represented Cheers' home state and city. In maternal roles,
Glynis Johns Glynis Margaret Payne Johns (5 October 1923 – 4 January 2024) was a British actress. In a career exceeding seven decades on stage and screen, Johns appeared in more than 60 films and 30 plays. She received various accolades throughout her ca ...
, in a guest appearance in 1983, played Diane's mother, Helen Chambers.
Nancy Marchand Nancy Lou Marchand (June 19, 1928 – June 18, 2000) was an American actress. She began her career in theater in 1951. She was most famous for portraying Margaret Pynchon on '' Lou Grant'' – for which she won 4 Emmy Awards – and Livia Sopra ...
played Frasier's mother, Hester Crane, in an episode that aired in 1984. In an episode that aired in 1992,
Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in '' Come to the Stable'' (1949) and ''A ...
– who had previously played Ted Danson's mother in "
Three Men and a Baby ''Three Men and a Baby'' is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Leonard Nimoy. It stars Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson as three bachelors as they attempt to adapt their lives to de facto fatherhood with the arrival of the ...
" – appeared as Kelly's jokester of a paternal grandmother.
Melendy Britt Melendy Britt (born October 31, 1943) is an American actress and voice actress. She is best known for her voice work in animation, particularly for voicing She-Ra in the 1985 animated series '' She-Ra: Princess of Power'' and for her extensive ...
appeared in the episode "''Woody or Won't He''" (1990) as Kelly's mother, Roxanne Gaines, a very attractive high-society lady and a sexy, flirtatious upper-class cougar who tries to seduce Woody. The musician
Harry Connick Jr. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and former television host. As of 2019, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 best-selling ma ...
appeared in an episode as Woody's cousin and plays a song from his Grammy-winning album ''
We Are in Love ''We Are in Love'' is an album by American artist Harry Connick Jr., released in 1990. The multi-platinum album features Connick on piano & vocal, Russell Malone on guitar, Shannon Powell on drums, Benjamin Jonah Wolfe on double bass, and Branf ...
'' ().
John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and Television presenter, presenter. Emerging from the Footlights, Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinbur ...
won a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
for his guest appearance as "Dr. Simon Finch-Royce" in the fifth-season episode "Simon Says".
Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. Emma Thompson on screen and stage, Her work spans over four decades of screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Emma Thompson, her accola ...
guest-starred as Nanny G/Nannette Guzman, a famous singing nanny and Frasier's ex-wife.
Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and television shows since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future (franchise), ''B ...
guest-starred as a tortured artist who wanted to paint Diane.
Marcia Cross Marcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962) is an American actress. She acted in daytime soap operas such as ''The Edge of Night'', ''Another World (TV series), Another World'', and ''One Life to Live'' before moving to primetime television with a ...
portrayed Rebecca's sister Susan in the season 7 episode ''Sisterly Love''.
John Mahoney Charles John Mahoney (June 20, 1940 – February 4, 2018) was an English-American actor. He played retired police officer Martin Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' from 1993 to 2004, receiving nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two P ...
once appeared as an inept jingle writer, which included a brief conversation with Frasier Crane, whose father he later portrayed on the spin-off ''Frasier''.
Peri Gilpin Peri Gilpin (born Peri Kay Oldham; May 27, 1961) is an American actress who portrayed Roz Doyle in the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' and Kim Keeler in the ABC Family drama series '' Make It or Break It''. Career As a child, Gilpin took drama classes a ...
, who later played
Roz Doyle Rosalinda "Roz" Doyle (born May 5, 1963 or 1964) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom ''Frasier''. Roz is the producer of Frasier Crane's ''Dr. Frasier Crane Show'' on KACL (Frasier), KACL 780 AM. The role initially went to ...
on ''Frasier,'' also appeared in one episode of ''Cheers'', in its 11th season, as Holly Matheson, a reporter who interviews Woody.
The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the L ...
,
Bobby Hatfield Robert Lee Hatfield (August 10, 1940 – November 5, 2003) was an American singer. He and Bill Medley were the Righteous Brothers. He sang the tenor part for the duo and sang solo on the group's 1965 recording of "Unchained Melody". Early li ...
and
Bill Medley William Thomas Medley (born September 19, 1940) is an American singer best known as one-half of the Righteous Brothers. He is noted for his bass-baritone voice, exemplified in songs such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Medley produced a n ...
, also guest-starred in different episodes. In "The Guy Can't Help It", Rebecca meets a plumber, played by
Tom Berenger Tom Berenger (born Thomas Michael Moore; May 31, 1949) is an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes in ''Platoon'' (1986). He is also known for playing ...
, who came to fix one of the beer keg taps. They marry in the series finale, triggering her resignation from Cheers.
Judith Barsi Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress. She began her career in television, making appearances in commercials and television series, as well as the 1987 film '' Jaws: The Revenge''. She also provided the ...
appears in the episode ''Relief Bartender''. Notable guest appearances of actresses portraying Sam's sexual conquests or potential sexual conquests include
Kate Mulgrew Katherine Kiernan Maria Mulgrew (born April 29, 1955) is an American actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Captain Kathryn Janeway in '' Star Trek: Voyager'' and Red in ''Orange Is the New Black''. She first came to attention ...
in the three-episode finale of season four, portraying Boston councilwoman Janet Eldridge; Donna McKechnie as Debra, Sam's ex-wife (with whom he is on good terms), who pretends to be an intellectual in front of Diane;
Barbara Babcock Barbara Babcock (born February 27, 1937) is an American actress. She began her career on television in mid-1950s with guest-starring appearances in more than 60 television series through her career. She made several appearances on '' Star Trek ...
as Lana Marshall, a talent agent who specializes in representing male athletes, whom she routinely sleeps with on-demand;
Julia Duffy Julia Margaret Duffy (née Hinds; June 27, 1951) is an American actress. From 1983 to 1990, she played Stephanie Vanderkellen in the TV series ''Newhart''. The role garnered her critical acclaim, including seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations ...
as Rebecca Prout, a depressed intellectual friend of Diane's;
Alison La Placa Alison La Placa (born December 16, 1959) is an American actress best known for playing Linda Phillips on the sitcom ''Duet'' and its spin-off '' Open House'', playing Catherine Merrick in 49 episodes of ''The John Larroquette Show'' and the recur ...
as magazine reporter Paula Nelson;
Carol Kane Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18, 1952) is an American actress. She gained recognition for her role in '' Hester Street'' (1975), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She became known in the 1970s and 1980s in ...
as Amanda, who Sam eventually learns was a fellow patient at the sanitarium with Diane;
Barbara Feldon Barbara Feldon (born Barbara Anne Hall; March 12, 1933) is an American actress primarily known for her roles on television. Her most prominent role was that of Agent 99 in the 1965–1970 sitcom ''Get Smart''. Early life Feldon was born Barbar ...
as Lauren Hudson, Sam's annual Valentine's Day fling (in an homage to '' Same Time, Next Year'');
Sandahl Bergman Sandahl Bergman is an American former actress and dancer. She is best known for her role as Valeria in the film ''Conan the Barbarian'' (1982), for which she won a Golden Globe and a Saturn Award. Early life Bergman was born 14 November 19 ...
as Judy Marlowe, a longtime casual sex partner; Laurie Marlowe (
Chelsea Noble Chelsea Cameron (née Noble; born Nancy Mueller; December 4, 1964) is an American actress known for her role as Kate McDonnell on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television sitcom ''Growing Pains'' (1989–1992). Noble is married to her ...
), Judy's now-grown-up daughter, who always considered Sam a pseudo-father figure, & whom Sam falls for; Madolyn Smith-Osborne as Dr. Sheila Rydell, a colleague of Frasier and Lilith;
Valerie Mahaffey Valerie Mahaffey (June 16, 1953 – May 30, 2025) was an American actress. She began her career starring in the NBC daytime soap opera '' The Doctors'' (1979–81), for which in 1980 she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding ...
as Valerie Hill, John Allen Hill's daughter whom Sam pursues if only to gain an upper hand in his business relationship with Hill; and
Alexis Smith Margaret Alexis Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was a Canadian-born American actress, pin-up girl and singer. She appeared in several major Hollywood films in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Aw ...
as Alice Anne Volkman, Rebecca's much older ex-professor. In season 9, episode 17, "I'm Getting My Act Together and Sticking It in Your Face", Sam, believing Rebecca wants a more serious relationship, pretends to be gay, his lover being a casual friend named Leon (
Jeff McCarthy Jeffrey Charles McCarthy (born October 16, 1954) is an American actor and director. Early life McCarthy was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Santa Maria, California, Santa Maria near the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, ...
)—the plan ultimately leads to a kiss between Sam and Leon.


Death of Nicholas Colasanto

Near the end of production of the third season, the writers of ''Cheers'' had to deal with the death of one of the main actors.
Nicholas Colasanto Nicholas Colasanto (January 19, 1924 – February 12, 1985) was an American actor and television director. He is best known for his role as Ernie Pantusso in the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982 – 1985). Early life Colasanto was b ...
's heart condition had been diagnosed in the mid-1970s, but it had worsened. He had lost weight and was having trouble breathing during filming, and he was hospitalized shortly before filming finished for season three due to fluid in his lungs. He recovered but was not cleared to return to work. He was visiting the set in January 1985 to watch the filming of several episodes, and co-star
Shelley Long Shelley Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. For her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom ''Cheers'', Long received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. S ...
commented, "I think we were all in denial. We were all glad he was there, but he had lost a lot of weight." Co-star
Rhea Perlman Rhea Jo Perlman (born March 31, 1948) is an American actress and author. She is well-known for playing head waitress Carla Tortelli in the sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993). Over the course of eleven seasons, Perlman was nominated for ten Emmy Awar ...
added, "He wanted to be there so badly. He didn't want to be sick. He couldn't breathe well. It was hard. He was laboring all the time." Colasanto ultimately died of a heart attack at his home on February 12, 1985. The third-season episodes of ''Cheers'' were filmed out of order, partly to accommodate Shelley Long's pregnancy. As a result, filming of the season finale - which had scenes with Colasanto in it - had already been completed at the time of his death. As the remaining episodes were filmed, Coach's absence was explained by having one of the characters mention that Coach was out of town for various reasons. The ''Cheers'' writing staff assembled in June 1985 to discuss how to deal with the absence of Coach. They quickly discarded the idea that he had moved away, as they felt that he would never abandon his friends. In addition, most viewers were aware of Colasanto's death, so the writing staff decided to handle the situation more openly. The season four opener, "Birth, Death, Love and Rice", dealt with Coach's death and introduced
Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...
, Colasanto's replacement.


Episodes


Themes

Nearly all of ''Cheers'' takes place in the front room of the bar, but the characters often go into the rear pool room or the bar's office. ''Cheers'' does not show any action outside the bar until the first episode of the second season, which takes place in Diane's apartment. The show's main
theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical appearance for certain software. * Theme (linguistics), topic * Theme ( ...
in its early seasons is the romance between intellectual waitress Diane Chambers and the bar's owner, Sam Malone, a former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
for the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
and recovering alcoholic. After Shelley Long (Diane) left the show, the focus shifted to Sam's new relationship with
Rebecca Howe Rebecca Howe is a fictional character of the American television sitcom ''Cheers'', portrayed by Kirstie Alley and created by Glen and Les Charles. Rebecca appeared in 147 episodes of ''Cheers'' between 1987 and 1993 and in one episode of '' ...
, a neurotic corporate ladder climber. Many ''Cheers'' scripts centered or touched upon a variety of
social issues A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
, albeit humorously. As ''Toasting Cheers'' puts it, "The script was further strengthened by the writers' boldness in successfully tackling controversial issues such as alcoholism, homosexuality, and adultery."Bjorklund, p. ix Social class was a subtext of the show. The "upper class"—represented by characters like Diane Chambers,
Frasier Crane Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane (born ) is a fictional character who is both a supporting character on the American television sitcom ''Cheers'' and the titular protagonist of its spin-off '' Frasier'' and the latter's 2023 sequel. In all three s ...
, and
Lilith Sternin Lilith Sternin (formerly Sternin-Crane), Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., Doctor of Education, Ed.D, American Psychiatric Association, A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms ''Cheers'' and ''Fras ...
—rub shoulders with middle- and working-class characters Sam Malone, Carla Tortelli, Norm Peterson, and Cliff Clavin. An extreme example of this was the relationship between Woody Boyd and a millionaire's daughter,
Kelly Gaines This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, "Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four emplo ...
. Many viewers enjoyed ''Cheers'' in part because of this focus on character development in addition to plot development.
Feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
and the role of women were also recurring themes throughout the show, with some critics seeing each of the major female characters portraying an aspect as a flawed feminist in her own way.Dr. Caren Deming. "Talk: Gender Discourse in ''Cheers''!", in ''Television Criticism: Approaches and Applications'' edited by Leah R. Vande Berg and Lawrence A Wenner. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1991. 47–57. The essay is co-authored by Mercilee M. Jenkins, who teaches at San Francisco State University. Diane is a vocal feminist, and Sam is the epitome of everything she hates:
promiscuity Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by man ...
and
chauvinism Chauvinism ( ) is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. The ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' describes it ...
(see "
Sam and Diane Sam Malone and Diane Chambers, collectively known as Sam and Diane, are fictional characters in the American sitcom television series ''Cheers''. Sam is a working-class, baseball player–turned–bartender played by Ted Danson; Diane is a colle ...
"). Homosexuality was dealt with from the first season, which was rare in the early 1980s on American television. In the first-season episode " The Boys in the Bar" (the title being a reference to the
play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...
and subsequent movie '' The Boys in the Band''), a friend and former teammate of Sam's
comes out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
in his autobiography. Some of the male regulars pressure Sam to take action to ensure that Cheers does not become a
gay bar A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...
. The episode won a
GLAAD Media Award The GLAAD Media Award is a US accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding portrayals of LGBTQ people and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards ...
, and the script's writers, Ken Levine and David Isaacs, were nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
.
Addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...
also plays a role on ''Cheers'', almost exclusively through Sam. He is a recovering alcoholic who had bought a bar during his drinking days. Frasier has a notable bout of drinking in the fourth-season episode "The Triangle", while Woody develops a gambling problem in the seventh season episode "Call Me Irresponsible". Carla and other characters drink beer while pregnant, but nobody seems to mind. Sam Malone, Carla Tortelli, and Norm Peterson were the three characters who would appear in every episode of ''Cheers''.


Cheers owners

Cheers had several owners before Sam, as the bar was opened in 1889. The "Est. 1895" on the bar's sign is a made-up date chosen by Carla for
numerology Numerology (known before the 20th century as arithmancy) is the belief in an occult, divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value, via an alphanumeric system, ...
purposes, revealed in season 8, episode 6, "The Stork Brings a Crane", which also revealed the bar's address as 112 Beacon Street and that it originated under the name Mom's. In the series' second episode, "Sam's Women", Coach tells a customer looking for Gus, the owner of Cheers, that Gus is dead. In a later episode, Gus O'Mally comes back from Arizona for one night and helps run the bar. The biggest storyline surrounding the ownership of Cheers begins in the fifth-season finale, " I Do, Adieu", when Sam and Diane part ways, due to Shelley Long's departure from the series. In addition, Sam leaves on a trip to circumnavigate the globe. Before he leaves, he sells Cheers to the Lillian Corporation. He returns in the sixth-season premiere, "Home is the Sailor", having sunk his boat, to find the bar under the new management of Rebecca Howe. He begs for his job back and is hired by Rebecca as a bartender. In the seventh-season premiere, "How to Recede in Business", Rebecca is fired and Sam is promoted to manager. Rebecca is allowed to keep a job at Lillian vaguely similar to what she had before, but only after Sam has Rebecca (
in absentia ''In Absentia'' is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on 24 September 2002. The album marked several changes for the band, with it being the first with new drummer Gavin Harrison and the f ...
) "agree" to a long list of demands that the corporation had for her. From there, Sam occasionally attempts to buy the bar back with schemes that usually involve the wealthy executive
Robin Colcord This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, " Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four empl ...
. Sam acquires Cheers again in the eighth-season finale, when it is sold back to him for 85¢ by the Lillian Corporation after he alerts the company to Colcord's
insider trading Insider trading is the trading of a public company's stock or other securities (such as bonds or stock options) based on material, nonpublic information about the company. In various countries, some kinds of trading based on insider informati ...
. Fired by the corporation because of her silence on the issue, Rebecca is hired by Sam as a hostess/office manager. For the rest of the episode, to celebrate Sam's reclaiming the bar, a huge banner reading "Under OLD Management!" hangs from the staircase. When it is learned that the Pool Room and bathrooms are actually owned by Melville's (which spawns a war of wits between Sam and Melville's owner John Allen Hill), Rebecca later purchases them from Hill, making Sam and Rebecca partners in the ownership of Cheers (and more or less co-runners of the establishment). Sam has two main battles. One is with Gary's Olde Towne Tavern, trying to beat them at some activity or another but always failing, except for one episode when Diane helps Cheers win the bowling trophy, and extending to the practical jokes they play on each other. The second is with Melville's owner John Allen Hill, who keeps annoying Sam with his pettiness and ego. Hill had an ongoing relationship with Carla.


Production


Creation and concept

Some believe that the show is a rehashing of Boston's
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
affiliate
WCVB WCVB-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on TV Place (off Gould Street near the I-95/ MA 128/Highland Avenue inte ...
's locally produced 1979 sitcom '' Park Street Under'' featuring Steve Sweeney and
American Repertory Theater The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...
founder Karen MacDonald. Three men developed and created the ''Cheers'' television series:
Glen and Les Charles Brothers Glen Gerald Charles (born February 18, 1943) and Les Charles (born March 25, 1948) are American screenwriters and television producers, best known for working on ''Taxi'' and co-creating ''Cheers''. Early lives and careers The Cha ...
("Glen and Les") and
James Burrows James Burrows (born December 30, 1940), sometimes known as Jim "Jimmy" Burrows, is an American television director. He has received numerous accolades including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards. He was honored ...
, who identified themselves as "two Mormons and a Jew." They aimed at "creating a show around a
Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 â€“ June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the ...
-
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...
-type relationship" between their two main characters,
Sam and Diane Sam Malone and Diane Chambers, collectively known as Sam and Diane, are fictional characters in the American sitcom television series ''Cheers''. Sam is a working-class, baseball player–turned–bartender played by Ted Danson; Diane is a colle ...
. Malone represents the average man, while Chambers represents class and sophistication. The show revolves around characters in a bar under "humorous adult themes" and "situations". The original idea was a group of workers who interacted like a family, the goal being a concept similar to ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 ...
''. The creators considered making an American version of the British ''
Fawlty Towers ''Fawlty Towers'' is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, originally broadcast on BBC Two in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a dysfunctional fictional ...
'', set in a hotel or an inn. When the creators settled on a bar as their setting, the show began to resemble the
radio program A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production, or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio netw ...
''
Duffy's Tavern ''Duffy's Tavern'' is an American radio programming, radio sitcom that ran for a decade on several networks (CBS, 1941–42; Blue Network, NBC-Blue Network, 1942–44; and NBC, 1944–51), concluding with the December 28, 1951, broadcast. The ...
'', originally written and cocreated by James Burrows' father
Abe Burrows Abe Burrows (born Abram Solman Borowitz; December 18, 1910 – May 17, 1985) was an American writer, composer, humorist, director for radio and the stage, and librettist for Broadway musicals. His versatile career in radio, Broadway, and televis ...
. They liked the idea of a
tavern A tavern is a type of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that ...
, as it provided a continuous stream of new people, for a variety of characters.Bjorklund, p. 3. An early concept revolved around a woman becoming the new owner of the bar and the animosity created between her and the regulars, an idea that was used later in Season 6 when the character of
Rebecca Howe Rebecca Howe is a fictional character of the American television sitcom ''Cheers'', portrayed by Kirstie Alley and created by Glen and Les Charles. Rebecca appeared in 147 episodes of ''Cheers'' between 1987 and 1993 and in one episode of '' ...
is introduced. Early discussions about the location of the show centered on
Barstow, California Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Located in the Inland Empire region of California, the population was 25,415 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Barstow is an impor ...
, then
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
. They eventually turned to the East Coast and finally Boston. The Bull & Finch Pub in Boston, which was the model for Cheers, was chosen from a
phone book A telephone directory, commonly called a telephone book, telephone address book, phonebook, or the white and yellow pages, is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that ...
.Bjorklund, p. 4. When Glen Charles asked the bar's owner, Tom Kershaw, to shoot exterior and interior photos, he agreed, charging $1. Kershaw has since gone on to make millions of dollars, licensing the pub's image and selling a variety of ''Cheers'' memorabilia. The Bull & Finch became the 42nd-busiest outlet in the American food and beverage industry in 1997. During initial casting, Shelley Long, who was in Boston at the time filming ''
A Small Circle of Friends ''A Small Circle of Friends'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Rob Cohen (in his directing debut) and starring Brad Davis, Karen Allen and Jameson Parker. It was distributed by United Artists. Premise The film follows the life o ...
'', remarked that the bar in the script resembled a bar she had come upon in the city, which turned out to be the Bull & Finch.Bjorklund, p. 7.


Production team

The crew of ''Cheers'' numbered in the hundreds. The three creators—
James Burrows James Burrows (born December 30, 1940), sometimes known as Jim "Jimmy" Burrows, is an American television director. He has received numerous accolades including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards. He was honored ...
and
Glen and Les Charles Brothers Glen Gerald Charles (born February 18, 1943) and Les Charles (born March 25, 1948) are American screenwriters and television producers, best known for working on ''Taxi'' and co-creating ''Cheers''. Early lives and careers The Cha ...
—kept offices on Paramount's lot for the duration of the ''Cheers'' run. The Charles Brothers remained in overall charge throughout the show's run, frequently writing major episodes, though starting with the third season they began delegating the day-to-day running of the writing staff to various
showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...
s.
Ken Estin Ken Estin is an American television producer and screenwriter. He has worked on ''Taxi'' and ''Cheers'' and co-created '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' with James L. Brooks''.'' In 1982, Estin won an Emmy Award for Best Writing in a Comedy Series for t ...
and
Sam Simon Samuel Michael Simon (June 6, 1955 â€“ March 8, 2015) was an American television producer and animal rights activist who co-developed the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoo ...
were appointed as showrunners for the third season, and succeeded by
David Angell David Lawrence Angell (April 10, 1946 – September 11, 2001) was an American screenwriter and television producer, known for his work in sitcoms. He won multiple Emmy Awards as a ''Cheers'' writer and as the creator and executive producer of t ...
, Peter Casey and David Lee the following year. Angell, Casey and Lee would remain as showrunners until the end of the seventh season when they left to develop their own sitcom, ''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...
'', and were replaced by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner and
Phoef Sutton Robert Christopher "Phoef" Sutton (born September 11, 1958) is an American writer and producer. His film credits include ''Mrs. Winterbourne'' and '' The Fan'', both released in 1996. Phoef — the first name that he uses both personally and profe ...
for the eighth through tenth seasons. For the final season, Tom Anderson and
Dan O'Shannon Daniel O'Shannon (born March 10, 1962) is an American television writer and producer who has worked on shows such as ''Newhart'', ''Cheers'', and ''Frasier''. He was an executive producer of the ABC show ''Modern Family'', and left the show at t ...
acted as the showrunners. James Burrows is regarded as being a factor in the show's longevity, directing 243 of the 270 episodes and supervising the show's production.Bjorklund, p. 2. Among the show's other directors were
Andy Ackerman Robert Andrew Ackerman (born September 19, 1956) is an American director, producer, and script editor who is best known for his work on ''Seinfeld'', '' The New Adventures of Old Christine'' and the HBO series ''Curb Your Enthusiasm''. Early ...
, Thomas Lofaro, Tim Berry, Tom Moore, Rick Beren, as well as cast members John Ratzenberger and George Wendt.The Museum of Broadcast Communications (2006).
Craig Safan Craig Safan (born December 17, 1948, in Los Angeles, California) is an American composer for film and television, whose biggest scores include ''The Last Starfighter'', ''Angel'', '' Mr. Wrong'', '' Stand and Deliver'', '' Fade to Black'', ''Major ...
provided the series' original music for its entire run except the theme song. His extensive compositions for the show led to his winning numerous
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
Top TV Series awards for his music.


Casting

The character of
Sam Malone Samuel "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Ted Danson and created by Glen and Les Charles. Sam is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox baseball team wh ...
was originally intended to be a retired football player and was slated to be played by
Fred Dryer John Frederick Dryer (born July 6, 1946) is an American actor, radio host, and former professional football player. He was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 years, participating in 176 games starting in 1969 until ...
, but Danson was chosen in part because he was younger and had more acting experience than Dryer. After casting Ted Danson, it was decided that a former baseball player (Sam "Mayday" Malone) would be more believable than a retired football player.Meade, Peter.
We'll Cry In Our Beers As Sam, Diane Split
." ''
Spartanburg Herald-Journal The ''Spartanburg Herald-Journal'' is a daily newspaper, the primary newspaper for Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. History The origins of the paper lie with ''The Spartan'', a weekly paper reportedly first printed in about 1842†...
TV Update'' partanburg, NCApril 29, 1984: 14. ''Google News''. Web. January 21, 2012. Editions of April 27–29, 1984, are inside the webpage. Article in ''Google News'' is located in page 85.
Dryer, however, went on to play sportscaster Dave Richards, an old friend of Sam, in three episodes.
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
was also considered early in the casting process for the role of Sam, after having been recommended by the network.
Shelley Long Shelley Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. For her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom ''Cheers'', Long received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. S ...
was recommended by various sources to the producers for the role of
Diane Chambers Diane Chambers is a fictional character in the American television situation comedy show ''Cheers'', portrayed by Shelley Long and created by Glen and Les Charles. She is one of two main protagonists in the first five seasons of the series. A ...
, but Long wished to be offered the part straight out and had to be coaxed into giving an audition. When she did read for the part, according to Glen Charles, "that was it, we knew that we wanted her." Before the final decision was made, three pairs of actors were tested in front of the producers and network executives for Sam and Diane: Danson and Long, Fred Dryer and
Julia Duffy Julia Margaret Duffy (née Hinds; June 27, 1951) is an American actress. From 1983 to 1990, she played Stephanie Vanderkellen in the TV series ''Newhart''. The role garnered her critical acclaim, including seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations ...
, and
William Devane William Joseph Devane (born September 5, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing'' (1983–1993) and as James Heller on the Fox serial dramas '' 24'' (2001–2010) and '' ...
and
Lisa Eichhorn Lisa Eichhorn (born February 4, 1952) is an American actress, writer and producer. She made her film debut in 1979 in the John Schlesinger film ''Yanks'', for which she received two Golden Globe nominations. Her international career has included ...
. The chemistry was so apparent between Long and Danson that it secured them the roles. Ted Danson was sent to bartending school to prepare him for the part and according to Burrows, had to learn "how to pretend that he knew a lot about sports" since Danson was not a sports fan in real life and had never been to a baseball game. The character of
Cliff Clavin Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. (born 1947 or 1949) is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'' played by John Ratzenberger. A postal worker, he is the bar's resident know-it-all. Cliff was not originally scripted in the series' ...
was created for John Ratzenberger after he auditioned for the role of
Norm Peterson Hilary Norman Peterson is a regular fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers''. The character was portrayed by actor George Wendt and is named Hilary after his paternal grandfather. Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of ' ...
, which eventually went to George Wendt. While chatting with producers afterward, he asked if they were going to include a "bar know-it-all", the part he eventually played. Alley joined the cast when Shelley Long left, and Woody Harrelson joined when Nicholas Colasanto died. Danson, Perlman and Wendt were the only actors to appear in every episode of the series; Ratzenberger appears in all but two (and his name wasn't part of the opening credit montage during the first season).


Filming styles and locations

Most ''Cheers'' episodes were, as a voiceover stated at the start of each, "filmed before a live
studio audience A studio audience is an audience present for the recording of all or part of a television program or radio program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack (as opposed to canne ...
" on Paramount Stage 25 in Hollywood, generally on Tuesday nights. Scripts for a new episode were issued the Wednesday before for a
read-through The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading of the screenplay or script is conducted around a table by the actors with speaking parts. In addition to the ...
, Friday was
rehearsal A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of Practice (learning metho ...
day, and final scripts were issued on Monday. Burrows, who directed most episodes, insisted on using
film stock Film stock is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation. It is recorded on by a movie camera, developed, edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie projector. It is a strip or sheet of transparent pl ...
rather than
videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually Sound recording and reproduction, sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog signal, analog or Digital signal (signal processing), digital signal. V ...
. He was also noted for using motion in his directorial style, trying to constantly keep characters moving rather than standing still.Bjorklund, p. 7–8. Burrows and the Charles brothers emphasized to the cast to "never assume that you're not being watched" because the camera would be focused on the actors at all times, so they had to always be reacting and "always be funny". During the first season when ratings were poor Paramount and NBC asked that the show use videotape to save money, but a poor test taping ended the experiment and ''Cheers'' continued to use film. Due to a decision by Glen and Les Charles, the
cold open A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In North ...
was often not connected to the rest of the episode, with the lowest-ranked writers assigned to create the jokes for them. Some cold opens were taken from episodes that ran too long. The first year of the show took place entirely within the confines of the bar, the first location outside the bar being Diane's apartment in the second year. When the series became a hit, the characters started venturing further afield, first to other sets and eventually to an occasional exterior location. The exterior location shots of the bar are of the Bull & Finch Pub, located directly north of the
Boston Public Garden The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park in the Downtown Boston, heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to Boston Common. It is a part of the Emerald Necklace system of parks and is bounded by Charles Street (Bos ...
. The pub has become a
tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...
because of its association with the series, and draws nearly one million visitors annually. It has since been renamed
Cheers Beacon Hill Cheers Beacon Hill is a bar/restaurant located on Beacon Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, across from the Boston Public Garden. Founded in 1969 as the Bull & Finch Pub, the bar is best remembered internationally ...
; its interior is different from the TV bar. The pub itself is at 84 Beacon Street (on the corner of Brimmer Street). In August 2001, there was a replica made of the bar in
Faneuil Hall Faneuil Hall ( or ; previously ) is a marketplace and meeting hall near the waterfront and Government Center, Boston, Massachusetts, Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Opened in 1742, it was the site of several speeches ...
to capitalize on the popularity of the show. After the show ended, the 1,000-square-foot bar set from ''Cheers'' was offered to the Smithsonian, which turned it down because it was too large. It was displayed for a short time at the defunct Hollywood Entertainment Museum, but later returned to storage, where it remained for many years. In 2014, CBS donated the set to the Museum of Television after a years-long campaign by James Burrows and his office on behalf of the museum's founder, James Comisar. At the time of the donation, Comisar initiated a planned $100,000 restoration of the set using former conservators from the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum). LACMA was founded in 1961 ...
, although a site for the 10,000 item collection of the museum had not been decided upon.


Theme song

Before " Where Everybody Knows Your Name", written by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo, became the show's theme song, ''Cheers'' producers rejected two of Portnoy's and Hart Angelo's songs. The songwriters had collaborated to provide music for ''Preppies'', an unsuccessful Broadway musical. When told they could not appropriate "People Like Us", ''Preppies'' opening song, the pair wrote another song, "My Kind of People", which resembles "People Like Us" and was intended to satirize "the lifestyle of old decadent old-money
WASPs A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
", but to meet producers' demands, they rewrote the lyrics to be about "likeable losers" in a Boston bar. The show's producers rejected this song, as well. After they read the script of the series pilot, they created another song "Another Day". When Portnoy and Hart Angelo heard that NBC had commissioned thirteen episodes, they created an official theme song "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" and rewrote the lyrics. On syndicated airings of ''Cheers'', the theme song was shortened to make room for additional commercials.


Reception


Critical reception

''Cheers'' was critically acclaimed in its first season, though it landed a disappointing 74th out of 96 shows in that year's ratings. This critical support, the early success at the
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s, and the support of the president of NBC's entertainment division
Brandon Tartikoff Brandon Tartikoff (January 13, 1949 – August 27, 1997) was an American television executive who was head of the entertainment division of NBC from 1981 to 1991. He was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with several ...
, are thought to be the main reasons for the show's survival and eventual success. Tartikoff stated in 1983 that ''Cheers'' was a sophisticated adult comedy and that NBC executives "never for a second doubted" that the show would be renewed. Writer Levine believes that the most important reason was that the network recognized that it did not have other hit shows to help promote ''Cheers''; as he later wrote, " BChad nothing else better to replace it with." Writing in 2016, drama critic Chris Jones called ''Cheers'' "a hinge sitcom – one foot in classic bits and shtick not far removed from Mel Brooks and another in ambitious, ''Seinfeld''-like surreal humour, absurdism." In 2013, ''GQ'' magazine held an online competition to find the best TV comedy. ''Cheers'' was voted the greatest comedy show of all time. In 2017, James Charisma of ''Paste (magazine), ''Paste'''' magazine ranked the show's opening sequence No. 5 on a list of ''The 75 Best TV Title Sequences of All Time''. In 2022, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked ''Cheers'' as the eighth-greatest TV show of all time. In 2023, ''Variety'' ranked ''Cheers'' #11 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.


Ratings

Ratings improved for the summer reruns after the first season. The cast went on various talk shows to try to further promote the series after its first season. By the second season ''Cheers'' was competitive with CBS's top-rated show ''Simon & Simon''. With the growing popularity of ''Family Ties'', which ran in the slot ahead of ''Cheers'' from January 1984 until ''Family Ties'' was moved to Sundays in 1987, and the placement of ''The Cosby Show'' in front of both at the start of their third season (1984), the line-up became a runaway ratings success that NBC eventually dubbed "Must See TV, Must See Thursday". The next season, ''Cheers'' ratings increased dramatically after Woody Boyd became a regular character as well. The fifth season earned the series Top-rated United States television programs of 1986–87, the highest rating for the year that it would ever achieve. Although ratings mostly declined each year after that, the show retained a competitive advantage and Top-rated United States television programs of 1990–91, rose to rank number one for the year for its first and only time in the ninth season. Although Top-rated United States television programs of 1992–93, ratings and ranking both lost ground in the last two seasons, it still performed well, as it was the only show on NBC during those seasons to be in the top 10. By the end of its final season, the show had a run of eight consecutive seasons in the top ten of the
Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
; seven of them were in the top five.Bjorklund, p. 16. NBC dedicated a whole night to the One for the Road (Cheers), final episode of ''Cheers'', following the The Pilot (Seinfeld), one-hour season finale of ''Seinfeld'' (which was its lead-in). The show began with a "pregame" show hosted by Bob Costas, followed by the final 98-minute episode itself. NBC affiliates then aired tributes to ''Cheers'' during their local newscasts, and the night concluded with a special ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Tonight Show'' broadcast live from the Bull & Finch Pub. Although the episode fell short of its hyped ratings predictions to become the List of most-watched television broadcasts, most-watched television episode, it was the most watched show that year, bringing in 93 million viewers (64 percent of all viewers that night), almost 40% of the American population at the time, and ranked 11th all time in entertainment programming. The 1993 final broadcast of ''Cheers'' also emerged as the highest rated broadcast of NBC to date, as well as the most watched single episode from any television series throughout the decade 1990s on U.S. television.Stevenson, Jennifer L. "Cheers LAST CALL! Series: ENTERTAINMENT." ''Tampa Bay Times'' May 20, 1993: 8B. The episode originally aired in the usual ''Cheers'' spot of Thursday night, and was then rebroadcast on Sunday. While the original broadcast did not outperform the Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, ''M*A*S*H'' finale, the combined non-repeating audiences for the Thursday and Sunday showings did. Television had greatly changed between the two finales, leaving ''Cheers'' with a broader array of competition for ratings.Bjorklund, p. 17. NBC timeslots: * Season 1 Episodes 1–12: Thursday at 9:00 pm * Season 1 Episode 13 – Season 2 Episode 10: Thursday at 9:30 pm * Season 2 Episode 11 – Season 11 Episode 28: Thursday at 9:00 pm


Serialized storylines

Although not the first sitcom to do it, ''Cheers'' employed the use of end-of-season cliffhangers and, starting with the third season, the show's storylines became more serialized. The show's success helped make such multi-episode story arcs popular on sitcoms, which Les Charles regrets.
[W]e may have been partly responsible for what's going on now, where if you miss the first episode or two, you are lost. You have to wait until you can get the whole thing on DVD and catch up with it. If that blood is on our hands, I feel kind of badly about it. It can be very frustrating."
''Cheers'' began with a limited five-character ensemble consisting of Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, Nicholas Colasanto and George Wendt. ''Cheers'' was able to gradually phase in characters such as Cliff, Frasier, Lilith, Rebecca, and Woody. By the time season 10 began, the show had eight front characters in its roster.


Awards and honors

Over its eleven-season run, the ''Cheers'' cast and crew earned many awards. The show garnered a record 111
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nominations, with a total of 28 wins. In addition, ''Cheers'' earned 31 Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe nominations, with a total of six wins. Danson, Long, Alley, Perlman, Wendt, Ratzenberger, Harrelson, Grammer, Neuwirth, and Colasanto all received Emmy nominations for their roles. ''Cheers'' won the Golden Globe Award for "Best TV-Series â€“ Comedy/Musical" in 1991 and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1983, 1984, 1989, and 1991. The series was presented with the "Legend Award" at the 2006 TV Land Awards, with many of the surviving cast members attending the event. The following are awards that have been earned by the ''Cheers'' cast and crew over its 11-season run:


Distribution


Syndication

''Cheers'' grew in popularity as it aired on American television and entered off-network syndication in 1987, initially distributed by Paramount Domestic Television. When the show went off the air in 1993, ''Cheers'' was syndicated in 38 countries, with 179 American television markets and 83 million viewers.Bjorklund, p. 18. When the quality of some earlier footage of ''Cheers'' began to deteriorate, it underwent a careful restoration in 2001. The series aired on Nick at Nite from 2001 to 2004 and on TV Land from 2004 to 2008,International Real Estate Digest (August 20, 2001) (2006)
Boston Gets a Hollywood ''Cheers'' Pub
with Nick at Nite airing week-long ''Cheers'' "Everybody Knows Your Name" marathons. The show was removed from the lineup in 2004. The series began airing on Hallmark Channel in the United States in October 2008, and WGN America in 2009. In January 2011, Reelz Channel began airing the series in hour-long blocks. MeTV began airing ''Cheers'' weeknights in 2010 until 2018. USA Network has aired the series on Sunday early mornings and weekday mornings to allow it to show extended-length films of hours and maintain symmetric schedules. As of October 5, 2020, it airs every weeknight at 11pm & 11:30pm ET on Decades (now Catchy Comedy). In addition to that, it also has occasionally appeared on their weekend binges, with its most recent one on April 6, 2025. In 2011, ''Cheers'' was made available on the Netflix and Amazon Prime Video streaming services. ''Cheers'' began airing on 10 Peach, Eleven (a digital channel of Network Ten) in Australia on January 11, 2011. NCRV in the Netherlands aired all 275 episodes in sequence, once per night, repeating the series a total of three times. In Italy, it has previously aired on Italia 1 & Canale 5 as '':it:Cin cin (serie televisiva), Cin Cin'' from 1985 until 1995. ''Cheers'' was first screened in the UK on Channel 4 and was one of the then-fledgling network's first imports. As of 2012, ''Cheers'' has been repeated on British satellite channel CBS Drama. It has also been shown on the British free-to-air channel ITV4, with two episodes every weeknight. On March 16, 2015, the series began airing on British subscription channel Gold (British TV channel), Gold on weekdays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. ''Cheers'' aired again daily in 2019 on Channel 4.


High definition

A high-definition transfer of ''Cheers'' began running on HDNet (now AXS TV) in the United States in August 2010. The program was originally shot on film (but transferred to and edited on videotape) and broadcast in a 4:3 Aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio.


Home media

Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Home Entertainment and (from 2006 onward) CBS Home Entertainment have released all 11 seasons of ''Cheers'' on DVD-Video, DVD in Region 1, Region 2, and Region 4. In the United States, some episodes from the final three seasons appear on the DVDs with music substitutions. For example, in the episode "Grease", "I Fought the Law" was replaced even though its removal affects the comedic value of the scenes in which it was originally heard. The finale episode (73 minutes long without commercials) is presented in its three-part syndicated cut. The series is also available in high-definition Blu-ray. On March 6, 2012, CBS released ''Fan Favorites: The Best of Cheers''. Based on the 2012 Facebook poll, the selected episodes are: # "
Give Me a Ring Sometime "Give Me a Ring Sometime" is the pilot episode and the first episode of the first season of the American situation comedy ''Cheers''. Written by Glen and Les Charles and directed by James Burrows, the episode first aired September 30, 1982, ...
" (season 1, episode 1) # "Diane's Perfect Date" (season 1, episode 17) # "Pick a Con, Any Con" (season 1, episode 19) # "Abnormal Psychology" (season 5, episode 4) # "
Thanksgiving Orphans "Thanksgiving Orphans" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the American television sitcom ''Cheers'', co-written by Cheri Eichen and Bill Steinkeller and directed by James Burrows. It aired originally on November 27, 1986, on NBC. The ...
" (season 5, episode 9) # "Dinner at Eight-ish" (season 5, episode 20) # "Simon Says" (season 5, episode 21) # "An Old-Fashioned Wedding", parts one and two (season 10, episodes 25) On May 5, 2015, CBS DVD released ''Cheers – The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1.


Digital media distribution

The complete 11 seasons of ''Cheers'' are available through the iTunes Store, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock (streaming service), Peacock and Hulu in high definition. In Canada, all seasons are available on streaming service Crave (streaming service), Crave. The entire series was available in the UK on All 4.


Licensing

The series lent itself naturally to the development of ''Cheers'' bar-related merchandise, culminating in the development of a chain of ''Cheers'' themed pubs. Paramount's licensing group, led by Tom McGrath (media executive), Tom McGrath, developed the ''Cheers'' pub concept initially in partnership with Host Marriott, which placed ''Cheers'' themed pubs in over 15 airports around the world. The original ''Cheers'' bar is in Boston, historically known as the Bull and Finch; a Cheers restaurant in the Faneuil Hall marketplace; and Sam's Place, a spin-off sports bar concept also located in Faneuil Hall. In 1997, Europe's first officially licensed ''Cheers'' bar opened in London's Regent's Street W1. Like Cheers Faneuil Hall, Cheers London is a replica of the set. The gala opening was attended by James Burrows and cast members George Wendt and John Ratzenberger. The ''Cheers'' bar in London closed on December 31, 2008. The actual bar set had been on display at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum until the museum's closing in early 2006. The theme song to the show was eventually licensed to a Canadian restaurant, Kelseys Original Roadhouse, Kelsey's Neighbourhood Bar & Grill. CBS currently holds the rights to the ''Cheers'' franchise as a result of the 2005 Viacom (1952–2006), Viacom split which saw Paramount transfer its entire television studio to CBS (both CBS and Viacom would 2019 merger of CBS and Viacom, reunite in 2019).


Spin-offs

Some of the actors and actresses from ''Cheers'' brought their characters onto other television shows, either in a guest appearance or on a new spin-off series. The most successful ''Cheers'' spin-off was ''
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Casey, and David Lee (scr ...
'', which featured Frasier Crane following his relocation back to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Washington. Sam, Diane, and Woody all individually appeared in ''Frasier'' episodes, with Lilith appearing as a guest on multiple episodes. In the Frasier season 9, season nine episode "Cheerful Goodbyes", Frasier returns to Boston and meets up with the Cheers gang, later attending Cliff's retirement party. ''Frasier'' was Frasier (2023 TV series), revived in 2023, moving back to Boston like ''Cheers''. Although ''Frasier'' was more successful, ''
The Tortellis ''The Tortellis'' is an American sitcom television series and the first spin-off of ''Cheers'', starring Dan Hedaya and Jean Kasem. It aired on NBC from January 22 to May 12, 1987. Synopsis Hedaya and Kasem had appeared on ''Cheers'' on severa ...
'' was the first series to spin off from ''Cheers'', premiering in 1987. The show featured Carla's ex-husband List of recurring characters in Cheers, Nick Tortelli and his wife Loretta, but was canceled after 13 episodes and drew protests for its stereotypical depictions of Italian Americans.


Crossovers

In addition to direct spin-offs, several ''Cheers'' characters had guest appearance crossovers with other shows, including ''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the bene ...
'' and ''St. Elsewhere'' (episode "St. Elsewhere#.22Cheers.22, Cheers"). ''Cheers'' has also been spoofed or referenced in other media, including ''The Simpsons'' (spoofing the title sequence and theme song in "Flaming Moe's"; actually visiting the place with vocal role reprises of the majority of the principal cast in "Fear of Flying (The Simpsons), Fear of Flying"), ''Scrubs (TV series), Scrubs'' (episode "My Life in Four Cameras"), and the 2012 comedy film ''Ted (film), Ted''. The eighth-anniversary special of ''Late Night with David Letterman'', airing in 1990, begins with a scene at Cheers in which the bar's TV gets stuck on NBC and all the bar patrons decide to go home instead of staying to watch David Letterman. The scene was re-used to open Letterman's final episode in 1993. A similar scene aired in the Super Bowl XVII Pregame Show on NBC, in which the characters briefly discuss the upcoming game. In 2019, members of the ''Cheers'' cast, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger and Kirstie Alley reprised their characters in an episode of The Goldbergs (2013 TV series), ''The Goldbergs'' where they play customers of Geoff's short-lived food delivery business. In the 2010 show ''Adventure Time'', the show ''Cheers'' is referenced a few times, usually by Ice King, Ice King/Simon because it was his favorite show back when he was a human living in the 20th century. This is explored in greater detail in the 2023 spin-off series ''Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, Fionna and Cake'', which is partially set within the mind of Simon. All televisions in that world simply play an animated rendition of ''Cheers'' reruns on every channel, and the characters sometimes sing the theme song in difficult moments. The season finale of the show is simply entitled "Cheers".


Cultural references

In Australia, ''Cheers'' is remembered for its role in Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos#Cancellation, the infamous cancellation of the 1992 Nine Network special ''Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos''. Due to the then-owner of Nine Network Kerry Packer's objections to its content, ''Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos'' was pulled off the air during its first and only broadcast; viewers saw the network abruptly begin airing a rerun of ''Cheers'' midway through the special, either after a scheduled commercial break or a Nine Network Bumper (broadcasting), bumper claiming a technical problem. Nine Network's affiliate in Perth, Western Australia, Perth did not air the special at all and filled its timeslot with two episodes of ''Cheers''. When the program was re-aired in its entirety in 2008, it abruptly cut away to the opening of ''Cheers'' midway through in a reenactment of the incident before resuming the second half that was not broadcast. In the Cheers episode "Woody For Hire, Norman Meets the Apes", Woody shows and tells everyone how he was an extra on Boston-based drama ''Spenser: For Hire''. In the season 4 episode of ''Seinfeld'' titled "The Pitch (Seinfeld), The Pitch", Jerry and George are presenting their idea for a sitcom to NBC executives. George is unhappy with their offer and feels that he deserves the same salary as Ted Danson which he claims was $800,000 per episode, being that ''Cheers'' is also an NBC show. Danson's reported salary was actually $250,000 per episode. At this point Cheers was in its 10th season and Ted Danson had won an Emmy and a Golden Globe the year before. In another Seinfeld episode, The Trip (Seinfeld), The Trip, George runs into George Wendt (portraying himself) while backstage on the set of The Tonight Show and annoys him by suggesting that the series change its setting from a bar to a rec room or community center. In the seventh episode of the second season of ''How I Met Your Mother'', a coffee shop barista mistakenly hears Barney's name as "Swarley" and writes it on his cup. This leads to a running gag in which everyone mercilessly refers to Barney as "Swarley" despite his protests, which culminates in everyone in McClaren's bar shouting "Swarley" when he enters and playing the Cheers theme song. The credits are then shown in the "Cheers" style. In the season seven episode, In Tailgate, Ted and Barney are outraged with the price to get into MacLaren's on New Year's Eve, so they offer for everyone to come upstairs. In the apartment, there is a puzzles sign that is designed to parody Cheers. Ted and Barney employ Kevin as their bartender, and they invent a theme song which also parodies the Cheers theme song. In the 2015 video game ''Fallout 4'', which is set in Boston, there is a bar named Prost Bar near Boston Common that, when entered, is an almost exact replica of the bar featured on the series. It includes two dead bodies sitting at the end of the bar, with one of them wearing a mail carrier's uniform, a direct reference to regular barfly
Cliff Clavin Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. (born 1947 or 1949) is a fictional character on the American television show ''Cheers'' played by John Ratzenberger. A postal worker, he is the bar's resident know-it-all. Cliff was not originally scripted in the series' ...
. In the The Good Place season 2, season 2 finale of the NBC sitcom ''The Good Place'', Ted Danson's character Michael appears as a bartender while wearing a blue plaid button-down, in a clear homage to Danson's character in ''Cheers''.


Remake

In September 2011, Plural Entertainment debuted a remake of the series on Spanish television, also titled ''Cheers (Spanish TV series), Cheers''. Set at an Irish pub, it starred Alberto San Juan as Nicolás "Nico" Arnedo, the equivalent of Sam Malone on the original series. It also used the original theme song, rerecorded in Spanish by Dani Martín (singer), Dani Martín, under the title "Where Everybody Knows Your Name, Donde la gente se divierte." In December 2012, The Irish Film and Television Network announced that casting was underway on an Irish-language version of ''Cheers'' produced by production company Sideline. The new show, tentatively titled ''Teach Seán'', would air on Ireland's TG4 and features a main character who, like Sam Malone, is a bar owner, a retired athlete, and a recovering alcoholic. However, because of being set in Ireland, the barman is a "former hurling star" rather than an ex-baseball player. As of August 2019, the Irish remake has not occurred.


''Cheers: Live on Stage''

On September 9, 2016, a stage adaptation called ''Cheers: Live on Stage'' opened at the Shubert Theatre (Boston), Shubert Theatre in Boston. Comprising pieces of the original TV series, the play was adapted by Erik Forrest Jackson. It was produced by Troika/Stageworks. The director was Matt Lenz. It starred Grayson Powell as Sam Malone, Jillian Louis as Diane Chambers, Barry Pearl as Ernie "Coach" Pantusso, Sarah Sirotta as Carla Tortelli, Paul C. Vogt as Norm Peterson, and Buzz Roddy as Cliff Clavin. The production was scheduled to tour through 2017, but was cancelled in 2016.


See also

* ''Early Doors'' (2003) * '' Park Street Under'' (1979)


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * *


Further reading

* * * * Darowski, Joseph J.; Darowski, Kate (2019). ''Cheers: A Cultural History''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. * * * * * Snauffer, Douglas (2008). ''The Show Must Go On: How the Deaths of Lead Actors Have Affected Television Series''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. . * *


External links

* * *
''Cheers''
at Museum of Broadcast Communications
Cheers Boston
an official website of a bar that tributes to and is also a production set of ''Cheers'' * Cheers Bruchsal Bar in Bruchsa
cheersbruchsal.de
{{authority control Cheers, 1982 American television series debuts 1993 American television series endings 1980s American workplace comedy television series 1990s American workplace comedy television series 20th century in Boston Television shows about alcohol abuse Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners Boston Red Sox Culture of Boston Cultural history of Boston American English-language television shows Fictional drinking establishments Nielsen ratings winners Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series winners Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series Television series about couples Television series by CBS Studios Television shows set in Boston Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Television shows set in Massachusetts NBC sitcoms 1980s American multi-camera sitcoms 1990s American multi-camera sitcoms