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{{infobox television | |
{{infobox television | |
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| show_name = Cheers |
| show_name = Cheers |
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| image = [[Image: |
| image = [[Image:Cheers intro logo.jpg|200px]] |
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| caption = |
| caption = Cheers Title Screen |
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| format = [[Sitcom]] |
| format = [[Sitcom]] |
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| runtime = approx. 0: |
| runtime = approx. 0:24 (per episode) |
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| creator = James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles |
| creator = James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles |
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| starring = |
| starring =[[Ted Danson]]<br>[[Shelley Long]]<br>[[Kirstie Alley]]<br>[[Nicholas Colasanto]]<br>[[Rhea Perlman]]<br>[[John Ratzenberger]]<br>[[Woody Harrelson]]<br>[[Kelsey Grammer]]<br>[[Bebe Neuwirth]]<br>and [[George Wendt]] |
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| country = [[United States|USA]] |
| country = [[United States|USA]] |
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| network = [[NBC]] |
| network = [[NBC]] |
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| first_aired = [[September 30]], [[1982]] |
| first_aired = [[September 30]], [[1982]] |
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| last_aired = [[May 20]], [[1993]] |
| last_aired = [[May 20]], [[1993]] |
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| num_episodes = |
| num_episodes = [[List of Cheers episodes|273]] |
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| imdb_id = 0083399 |
| imdb_id = 0083399 |
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|}} |
|}} |
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'''''Cheers''''' was a long-running [[situation comedy]] produced by Charles-Burrows-Charles Productions in association with [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount Television]] for [[NBC]]. The show |
'''''Cheers''''' was a long-running [[United States|American]] [[situation comedy]] produced by Charles-Burrows-Charles Productions in association with [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount Television]] for [[NBC]]. The show was created by the team of [[James Burrows]], [[Glen Charles]], and [[Les Charles]]. After premiering on [[September 30]], [[1982 in television|1982]], it was nearly cancelled during its first season when it ranked dead last in ratings{{ref|ratings1}}. However, ''Cheers'' eventually became one of the most [[Nielsen Ratings|popular television shows]] in the United States, earning a top-ten rating during seven of its eleven seasons and spending the bulk of its run on [[NBC]]'s [[Must See TV|Must See Thursday]] lineup. Its [[List of most-watched television episodes|widely-watched]] [[series finale]] was broadcast on [[May 20]], [[1993 in television|1993]], and the show has now entered into a long and successful [[Television syndication|syndication]] run. During its eleven seasons, 273 [[List of Cheers episodes|''Cheers'' episodes]] were made. The show earned 26 [[Emmy Award]]s, out of a total of 117 nominations{{ref|awards1}}. |
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The show was set in the eponymous Cheers [[bar (establishment)|bar]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts]], where a colorful group of locals met to drink and generally have fun. The show and the bar are both named after the [[Toast (honor)|toast]] "Cheers". The character [[Frasier Crane]] ([[Kelsey Grammer]]) later starred in his own show, ''[[Frasier]]'', after ''Cheers'' ended. The show's theme song was written and performed by [http://www.garyportnoy.com/ Gary Portnoy]. Its famous refrain, which also became the show's [[tagline]], was "where everybody knows your name"{{ref|songtheme}}. |
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The show was created by the team of [[James Burrows]], [[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]]. It was nearly cancelled during its first season (in which it ranked dead last), but eventually became one of the most [[Nielsen Ratings|popular shows]] on TV, earning a top-ten rating during seven of its eleven seasons. The show earned 26 [[Emmy Award]]s, out of a total of 111 nominations. |
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== |
==Cast== |
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:''For a full list of characters with articles, see [[:Category:Cheers characters|the individual character articles]]'' |
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[[Image:Cheers_sign.jpg|thumb|left|The sign over Cheers' entrance]] |
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''Cheers'' maintained an [[ensemble cast]], keeping roughly the same set of characters for the entire run. Numerous secondary characters and love interests for these characters appeared intermittently to complement storylines that generally revolve around this core group. |
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The show was set in a bar by the same name in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], USA, where a colorful group of locals would come to sit, drink, state daft facts, complain, and play elaborate practical jokes on the devotees and owner of a rival bar in town. The show also spawned the character [[Frasier Crane]], who went on to a TV show of his own (''[[Frasier]]'') after ''Cheers'' ended. The show and the bar are probably named after the toast ''Cheers''. The show's tagline and [http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/cheerslyrics.html theme song] refrain is "where everybody knows your name..." |
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The table below summarizes the main cast of ''Cheers''. |
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The show's main theme in its early seasons was the stormy romance between upper-class, over-educated server [[Diane Chambers]] ([[Shelley Long]]) and earthy ex-[[Pitcher|baseball pitcher]] and bar owner [[Sam Malone]] ([[Ted Danson]]). Long's departure from the show in [[1987]] shifted the emphasis to Sam's relationship with a new character, neurotic corporate executive [[Rebecca Howe]] ([[Kirstie Alley]]). |
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[[Image:Cheers cast photo.jpg|thumb|right|230px|The main cast of ''Cheers'' after season 5<br>(from left to right): (top) [[John Ratzenberger]], [[Roger Rees]], [[Woody Harrelson]] (middle) [[Rhea Perlman]], [[Ted Danson]], [[Kirstie Alley]], [[George Wendt]] (bottom) [[Kelsey Grammer]], [[Bebe Neuwirth]]]] |
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[[Social class]] was a strong subtext of the show. More refined characters like Diane, Frasier ([[Kelsey Grammer]]), Rebecca and [[Lilith Sternin]] ([[Bebe Neuwirth]]) rubbed shoulders with working-class characters like Sam, [[Norm Peterson]] ([[George Wendt]]), and [[Clifford Clavin]] ([[John Ratzenberger]]). Strong comedic support came from the bar staff, including sassy waitress [[Carla Tortelli]] ([[Rhea Perlman]]) and sometimes-befuddled assistant [[bartender]] [[Ernie Pantusso|Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso]] ([[Nicholas Colasanto]]). Following Colasanto's death in [[1985]], the assistant bartender role was filled by an even more naïve character, [[Woodrow Boyd|Woodrow 'Woody' Boyd]] ([[Woody Harrelson]]). A strong appeal of the series is that the characters are caricatures of people one may meet in real life (one can often classify a real person as a 'Sam-type' or a 'Carla-type'). |
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{| class="wikitable" width="50%" |
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The [[TV producer|producers]], not wanting the show to be construed as promoting drinking, had Sam's character written as a [[Alcoholism|recovering alcoholic]]. |
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|- |
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! Character |
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! Actor/Actress |
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! Position |
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! Other Jobs |
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|- |
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| [[Woody Boyd|Woodrow 'Woody' Boyd]] |
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| [[Woody Harrelson]] |
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| Assistant Bartender |
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| Actor |
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|- |
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| [[Diane Chambers]] |
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| [[Shelley Long]] |
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| Waitress |
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| Writer |
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|- |
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| [[Clifford Clavin]] |
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| [[John Ratzenberger]] |
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| Customer |
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| Mailman |
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|- |
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| [[Frasier Crane]] |
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| [[Kelsey Grammer]] |
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| Customer |
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| [[Psychiatrist]] |
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|- |
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| [[Rebecca Howe]] |
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| [[Kirstie Alley]] |
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| Manager/Waitress |
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| Businesswoman |
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|- |
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| [[Sam Malone]] |
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| [[Ted Danson]] |
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| Bartender/Owner |
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| [[Pitcher]] |
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|- |
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| [[Coach Ernie Pantusso|Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso]] |
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| [[Nicholas Colasanto]] |
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| Assistant Bartender |
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| Sam's [[Coach (sport)|coach]] |
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|- |
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| [[Norm Peterson]] |
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| [[George Wendt]] |
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| Customer |
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| [[Accountancy|Accountant]] |
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|- |
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| [[Lilith Sternin]] |
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| [[Bebe Neuwirth]] |
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| Customer |
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| [[Psychiatrist]] |
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|- |
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| [[Carla Tortelli]] |
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| [[Rhea Perlman]] |
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| Waitress |
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| ''none'' |
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|} |
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The character of Sam Malone was originally intended to be a retired [[American football]] player, but after casting Ted Danson it was decided that a former [[relief pitcher]] for the [[Boston Red Sox]] would be more believable{{ref|dansonfootball}}. The character of Cliff Clavin was created for John Ratzenberger after he auditioned for ''Cheers''. While chatting with producers afterward he asked if they were going to include a "bar know-it-all", the part which he eventually played{{ref|cliffaudition}}. Alley joined the cast when Long left, and Harrelson joined when Colasanto died. Notable repeated guests include [[Jay Thomas]] as [[Eddie LeBec]], [[Dan Hedaya]] as [[Nick Tortelli]], [[Jean Kasem]] as [[Loretta Tortelli]], and [[Roger Rees]] as [[Robin Colcord]]. [[Ted Danson]], [[George Wendt]], and [[Rhea Perlman]] are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series. The actor who played the character of "Paul", a recurring [[barfly]] character, made an earlier appearance in the first season as "Glenn". |
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Most of the early episodes took place entirely within the confines of the bar. When the series became a hit, the characters started venturing further afield, first to other sets and eventually to the occasional exterior location. The exterior location shots of the bar were actually the Bull & Finch Pub, north of [[Boston Common]], which has become a [[tourist attraction]] because of its association with the series. It has since been renamed as [http://www.cheersboston.com/index_bh.htm Cheers Beacon Hill], though its interior is quite different from the TV bar. To additionally capitalize on the show's popularity another bar, [http://www.cheersboston.com/index_fh.htm Cheers Faneuil Hall], was built to be a replica of the show's set to provide tourists with a bar whose interior was closer to the one they saw on TV. It is near [[Faneuil Hall]] within a mile or so of the Bull & Finch Pub. |
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==Awards== |
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NBC dedicated a whole night to ''Cheers''' final episode. It began with a "pre-game" show hosted by [[Bob Costas]], then the final episode itself (which was ninety-eight minutes long), followed by ''Cheers'' tributes during the affliates' local news, and concluding with a special ''[[The Tonight Show|Tonight Show]]'' live from the Bull & Finch Pub (where fans gathered to watch the final episode). Critics called the episode of ''The Tonight Show'' in poor taste because much of the cast was drunk and doing silly things on camera (example: John Ratzenberger had a spitball fight with Woody Harrelson). |
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Over its eleven season run, ''Cheers'' and its cast and crew earned many awards. Most notably, ''Cheers'' earned 117 [[Emmy Awards|Emmy]] nominations, edging out [[ER (TV series)|ER]] with 115 [[as of 2005]] for the most Emmy nominations for a single series{{ref|awards2}}. These nominations resulted in a total of 26 Emmy wins. In addition, ''Cheers'' has earned 31 [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe]] nominations with a total of 6 wins. All ten of the actors who were regulars on the series received Emmy nominations for their roles. ''Cheers'' was also honored as a series by being awarded the Golden Globe for "Best TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" in 1991 and the Emmy for "Outstanding Comedy Series" in 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, and 1992. |
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The following table summarizes awards won by cast members{{ref label|awards2|2|a}}. |
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In the [[Netherlands]] the show was aired by [[NCRV]], who, after the last show, simply started the series all over again. And then again, thus continuously airing the show three times in a row. |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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==Themes== |
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|+ |
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! Actor/Actress |
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! Award |
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|- |
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| rowspan="2" |Kirstie Alley |
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|Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1991) |
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|- |
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|Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1991) |
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|- |
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| rowspan="2" |Ted Danson |
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|Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1990, 1993) |
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|- |
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|Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1990, 1991) |
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|- |
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|Woody Harrelson |
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|Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (1989) |
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|- |
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| rowspan="3" |Shelley Long |
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|Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1983) |
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|- |
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|Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1985) |
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|- |
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|Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (1983) |
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|- |
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|Bebe Neuwirth |
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|Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1990, 1993) |
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|- |
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|Rhea Perlman |
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|Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1984, 1985, 1986, 1989) |
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|} |
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==Critical reactions== |
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Aside from the stormy romance between Diane and Sam which drove the early seasons of the show and Sam's attempts to bed Rebecca in the later seasons, the writers produced other recurring storylines throughout the series entire run: |
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''Cheers'' was critically acclaimed even in its first season, though it landed a disappointing 74th in the ratings that year{{ref|critics1}}. This critical support, coupled with early success at the Emmys and the support of the president of NBC's entertainment division [[Brandon Tartikoff]], is thought to be the main reason for ''Cheers'''s survival and eventual success{{ref|critics2}}{{ref|critics3}}. Some critics have denounced ''Cheers'' for its unrealistic portrayal of drinking and alcoholism (''[[Cheers#Social issues in Cheers|see below]]''). Some critics now use ''Cheers'' and ''[[Frasier]]'' as a model of a successful spin-off for a character from an already successful series to compare to modern spin-offs, such as ''[[Joey (sitcom)|Joey]]'' from ''[[Friends]]''{{ref|popspin1}}{{ref|popspin2}}. |
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NBC dedicated a whole night to the final episode of ''Cheers''. The show began with a "pre-game" show hosted by [[Bob Costas]], followed by the final 98 minute episode itself. Local news then aired tributes to ''Cheers'', and the night concluded with a special ''[[The Tonight Show|Tonight Show]]'' broadcast live from the Bull & Finch Pub. Some critics said the episode of ''The Tonight Show'' was in poor taste because much of the cast was drunk and were doing silly things on camera — such as a spitball fight between John Ratzenberger and Woody Harrelson.{{ref|finale}} |
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*There was a heated rivalry between Sam and the owner of the Olde Towne Tavern, Gary. One episode of every season depicted some wager between Sam and Gary which resulted in either a sports competition or battle of wits. Aside from the very first and very last "Bar Wars" episodes, the Cheers gang always proved the losers to Gary's superior inventiveness. |
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==Plot== |
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*Norm Peterson continually searched for gainful employment as an accountant but spent most of the series unemployed, thereby explaining his constant presence in Cheers at the same stool. The face of his wife, Vera, was never seen onscreen, despite a few fleeting appearences and a couple of vocal cameos. |
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:''For the full list of episodes, see [[List of Cheers episodes]]'' |
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''Cheers'', like most sitcoms, featured an abundance of standalone episodes with sub-plots and characters that had little to no bearing on the overall show. However unlike many sitcoms, possibly due to ''Cheers'''s lengthy run, larger [[story arc|story arcs]] began to develop that spanned multiple episodes or seasons. |
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===Romance=== |
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*Cliff Clavin seemed unable to shake the constant presence of his mother. Though she didn't appear in every episode he would refer to her quite often, mostly as both a burden and a smothering parent. |
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[[Image:Cheers sam diane kiss.jpg|150px|thumb|Sam and Diane kiss]] |
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The show's main theme in its early seasons was the stormy romance between upper-class, over-educated server Diane Chambers and earthy ex-[[Pitcher|baseball pitcher]] and bar owner Sam Malone{{ref|story1}}. In later episodes the focus shifted to Sam's new relationship with neurotic corporate executive Rebecca. Both romances stretched to fill the entire show with varying levels to the relationship, from Sam and Diane/Rebecca hating one another to dating and intimacy. Both relationships are characterized as "will they or won't they" relationships with [[sexual tension]] between two main characters that draw viewers in to see if the tension is resolved{{ref|willthey}}. |
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===Social issues in ''Cheers''=== |
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*Carla Tortelli carried a reputation of being both extremely fertile and matrimonially inept. The last husband she had on the show, Eddie Lebeck, was a washed-up hockey player who wound up dying in a bizarre ice show accident (he was run over by a zamboni while pushing a colleague out of its way). Carla later discovered that Eddie had cheated on her, marrying another woman in Kenosha when he got her pregnant. Carla's sleazy first ex-husband, Nick Tortelli, also made frequent appearances, mostly to torment Carla with a new custody battle or some other legal scam that grew out of their divorce. |
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[[Social class]] was a strong subtext of the show. The 'upper class', represented by characters like Diane Chambers, Frasier Crane, Lilith Sternin and (initially) Rebecca Howe, rubbed shoulders with middle- and working-class characters, like Sam Malone, Carla Tortelli, Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin. An extreme example of this is the relationship between farmboy Woody Boyd and millionaire's daughter Kelly Gaines. Strong comedic support came from the bar staff, including sassy waitress Carla Tortelli and sometimes-befuddled assistant [[bartender]] Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso ([[Nicholas Colasanto]]). Following Colasanto's death in 1985, the assistant bartender role was filled by an even more naïve character, Woody Boyd. Many viewers enjoyed ''Cheers'' in part because of this heavy focus on character development{{ref|chardevelop}}. |
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[[Feminism]] and the role of women was also a recurring theme throughout the show, with each of the major female characters being a flawed feminist in her own way{{ref|feminism1}}. Diane was a very vocal feminist, but Sam was the [[epitome]] of everything she hated: a [[womanizer]] and a [[Male chauvinism|male chauvinist]]. Their relationship led Diane to several diatribes on Sam's promiscuity. Carla, on the other hand, was always listened to but did not speak out like Diane. Carla was respected due to her power, while Diane was ignored as she commanded little respect. Finally, Rebecca is a stereotypical [[ambitious]] and [[Age disparity in sexual relationships|golddigging]] woman, seeking relationships with her superiors at the Lillian Corporation, most notably [[Robin Colcord]], to gain promotions or raises. However, she encounters a [[glass ceiling]] and ends the show far from her original rich dreams by marrying a plumber. |
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*The "glass ceiling" concept was personified in Rebecca. She often lamented both her inability to move up the corporate ladder and marry a rich man. Because of her involvement with a billionaire corporate shark, Robin Colcord, she was fired from her job when he used her as a source in his bid to take over the company. |
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[[Homophobia]] was dealt with from the very first season, a rare move for American network television in the [[1980s]]. In the first season episode "The Boys In The Bar" (a nod to the [[1970s]] film ''[[The Boys in the Band]]'') where a college friend and fellow teamate of Sam "comes out" in his [[autobiography]]. Some of the male regulars pressure Sam to take action to ensure that Cheers does not became a gay bar. The episode won an award from the [[Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]]{{ref|gay1}}, and the script's writers, Ken Levine & David Isaacs, both won an Emmy Award for their writing{{ref label|awards2|2|b}}. [[Harvey Fierstein]] would later appear in the [[1990s]] as "Mark Newberger", Rebecca's old high school sweetheart who is gay. Finally, the finale episode included a gay man who gets into trouble with his boyfriend after agreeing to pose as Diane's husband. |
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*Small-town values were vested in Woody Boyd and his opinions were often shaped by his upbringing in Hanover, Indiana. |
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[[Addiction]] also plays a role in ''Cheers'', almost exclusively through Sam, although some critics believed the issue was never really developed{{ref|alcocritic}}. Sam was a recovering [[alcoholism|alcoholic]] who ended up buying a bar after his baseball career was ruined by his drinking{{ref|plotsum}}. Frasier also has a notable bout of drinking in the fourth season episode "The Triangle", although Sam is the primary alcoholic figure on the show. Some critics believe Sam was a generally [[Addiction|addictive personality]] who had largely conquered his alcoholism but was still a [[Sexual addiction|sexual addict]], shown through his womanizing{{ref|alcocritic2}}. Still other critics believed ''Cheers'' was an unrealistic representation of alcoholism and drinking, with all of the comedic aspects but none of the more serious effects{{ref|alcocritic3}}. |
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==Theme Song== |
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The show's theme tune is "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" written and performed by [http://www.garyportnoy.com/ Gary Portnoy] |
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{{spoiler}} |
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==Trivia== |
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*[[Ted Danson]] ([[Sam Malone]]), [[George Wendt]] ([[Norm Peterson]]) and [[Rhea Perlman]] ([[Carla Tortelli]]) are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series. |
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===''Cheers'' owners=== |
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*All ten of the actors who were regulars on the series received Emmy nominations for their roles. |
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[[Image:Cheers_sign.jpg|thumb|right|175px|The ''Cheers'' sign]] |
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*"'''Cheers'''" is [[television syndication|syndicated]] worldwide. On Australia's [[Nine Network]], a rerun of "'''Cheers'''" replaced "'''[[Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos]]'''," which was cancelled in mid-episode on its premiere broadcast by station owner [[Kerry Packer]] for sexually explicit content. |
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Cheers evidently had several owners before Sam, especially implied in the bar's sign that claims it was established in 1895. In the second episode, "Sam's Women", Norm tells a customer looking for the owner of Cheers that the man he thought was the owner has been replaced, and his replacement replaced by Sam. The biggest storyline surrounding the ownership of Cheers begins in the fifth season finale, "I Do, Adieu", when Sam and Diane part ways, Shelley Long leaves the regular cast, and Sam leaves to attempt [[Circumnavigation|circumnavigating]] the earth. Before he leaves, Sam sells Cheers to the fictional Lillian Corporation. Sam 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. Throughout the sixth season, Sam tries a variety of schemes to buy back Cheers. This plot largely comes to an end in the seventh season premiere, "How to Recede in Business", when Rebecca is fired and Sam promoted to manager. From there, Sam would occasionally attempt to buy the bar back with schemes that usually involved wealthy executive [[Robin Colcord]]. Cheers did eventually end up back in Sam's hands in the eighth season finale when it was sold back to him for eighty-seven [[Cent (U.S. coin)|cents]] by the Lillian Corporation after he alerted the company of Colcord's [[embezzlement]]. |
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*"The Tortellis" was the first series spin-off from "Cheers". The show featured Carla's husband Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedeya) and his wife Loretta (Jean Kasem). The show was cancelled after 13 episodes, and drew protests for its stereotypical depictions of Italian-Americans. |
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*The [[Star Trek]] character [[Morn]], who can always be spotted at Quark's Bar, is named for Norm Peterson. |
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===Other recurring themes=== |
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Aside from the storylines that spanned across the series, ''Cheers'' had several themes that followed no storylines but that recurred throughout the series. There was a heated rivalry between Cheers and the rival bar, Olde Towne Tavern, owned by a man named Gary. One episode of every season depicted some wager between Sam and Gary which resulted in either a sports competition or a battle of wits which devolved into complex practical jokes. Aside from the very first and very last [[References to Star Wars#Cheers .281982-1993.29|"Bar Wars" episodes]], the Cheers gang always lost to Gary's superior ingenuity. |
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Norm Peterson continually searched for gainful employment as an accountant but spent most of the series unemployed, thereby explaining his constant presence in Cheers at the same stool. The face of his wife, Vera, was [[List of unseen characters#Heard but never completely seen|never fully seen onscreen]], despite a few fleeting appearances and a couple of vocal cameos. Cliff Clavin seemed unable to shake the constant presence of his mother. Though she didn't appear in every episode he would refer to her quite often, mostly as both a burden and a smothering parent. |
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Carla Tortelli carried a reputation of being both extremely fertile and matrimonially inept. The last husband she had on the show, [[Eddie LeBec]], was a washed-up [[ice hockey]] [[goalie]] who ended up dying in an ice show accident. Carla later discovered that Eddie had cheated on her, marrying another woman when he got her pregnant. Carla's sleazy first husband, [[Nick Tortelli]], also made frequent appearances, mostly to torment Carla with a new custody battle or some other legal scam that grew out of their divorce. Carla's eight kids were also notoriously ill-behaved. |
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{{endspoiler}} |
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==Spinoffs and Crossovers== |
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''Cheers'' was a successful enough show to launch the careers of several young actors, some bringing their characters from ''Cheers'' directly into other shows. |
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[[Image:Cheers on the simpsons.jpg|thumb|right|Woody, Cliff, and Norm on ''The Simpsons'']] |
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The most successful ''Cheers'' spin-off was the show ''[[Frasier]]'', which directly followed Frasier Crane after moving back to [[Seattle, Washington]], where he lived with his family and hosted a call-in radio show. Ironically, Frasier was originally supposed to be a small disliked character who only existed to further Diane and Sam's relationship, but Grammer's acting turned what were supposed to be unfunny lines into comedy the audience enjoyed{{ref|frasiercross}}. Sam, Diane, and Woody all had individual crossover appearances on ''Frasier'' where they came to visit Frasier, and his ex-wife [[Lilith Sternin|Lilith]] remained a constant supporting character throughout ''Frasier''. Cliff, Norm, Carla, and two of Cheers' regular background barflies Paul and Phil had a crossover together in the [[List of Frasier episodes|''Frasier'' episode]] "Cheerful Goodbyes". Frasier, on a trip to Boston, meets the Cheers gang and Cliff thinks Frasier has flown out for his retirement party, which Frasier ends up attending. ''Frasier'' was on the air as long as ''Cheers'', going off the air in 2004 after an eleven season run. |
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Although ''Frasier'' was the most successful spin-off, ''The Tortellis'' was the first series to spin-off from ''Cheers'', premiering in [[1987]]. The show featured Carla's husband [[Nick Tortelli]] and his wife [[Loretta Tortelli|Loretta]]. The show was cancelled after 13 episodes and drew protests for its stereotypical depictions of Italian-Americans. |
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In addition to direct spin-offs, several ''Cheers'' characters had guest appearance crossovers with other shows. In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Fear of Flying (Simpsons)|Fear of Flying]]", Homer stumbles into a Cheers-like bar after being kicked out of [[Moe Szyslak|Moe's]]. Most of the central cast appears in the episode, including Frasier, but he is the only character to remain silent because Grammer voices the recurring character [[Sideshow Bob]]). The tagline for Moe's Tavern "...Where nobody knows your name" is also a reference to ''Cheers''. Characters also had crossovers with ''[[Wings (TV series)|Wings]]'' — which was created by ''Cheers'' producers / writers — and ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' in a somewhat rare comedy-drama crossover{{ref|elsewherecross}}. Finally, the [[Star Trek]] character [[List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters#Morn|Morn]], who can always be spotted at [[Quark (Star Trek)|Quark's Bar]], is named for Norm Peterson{{ref|morn}}. |
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==Syndication and home video== |
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[[Image:B0001NBNIY.jpg|thumb|130px|Season 3 DVD]] |
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''Cheers'' has been in long, successful, and continuing syndication run{{ref label|chardevelop|15|a}}, especially on ''[[Nick at Nite]]'', since it went off the air{{ref|synd1}}. In fact, the quality of some earlier footage of ''Cheers'' had begun to degrade, but it underwent a careful restoration in [[2001]] due to its continued success{{ref|restoration}}. Notably, a ''Cheers'' rerun replaced ''[[Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos]]'' on Australia's [[Nine Network]]. The latter was cancelled mid-episode on its only broadcast by [[Kerry Packer]] who pulled the plug after a phone call. ''Cheers'' was aired by [[NCRV]] in the [[Netherlands]]. After the last episode, they simply began re-airing the series, and then again, thus airing the show three times in a row, showing an episode nightly. [[Paramount Studios]] began to release individual seasons of ''Cheers'' on [[DVD]] with the first seasons on May 20, 2003, the seventh season being the most recently released on November 15, 2005{{ref|dvdrelease}}. |
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==Post-Cheers== |
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The cast of ''Cheers'' has had a rocky history in finding work after the hit run. Grammer was by far the most successful with his spin-off ''Frasier'' which lasted as long as ''Cheers'', eleven seasons. By the final season of ''Frasier'' Grammer had become the highest paid actor on television{{ref|grammerpay}}, earning about [[United States dollar|$]]1.6 million an episode. On the other hand Danson, who had been the highest paid ''Cheers'' cast member earning $450,000 an episode in the final season{{ref|dansonpay}}, has had a rather limited career after ''Cheers''. Other than a somewhat successful sitcom ''[[Becker]]'', Danson has had few starring roles after his portrayal of Sam Malone. Harrelson has also had a successful film career following ''Cheers''. Ratzenberger currently hosts a [[Travel Channel]] show ''Made in America''{{ref|madeinamerica}}. In the show, Ratzenberger travels around the [[United States]] showing the stories of small towns and the goods they produce. Ironically, Ted Danson starred in a film also called ''[[Made in America (film)|Made in America]]''. |
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[[Image:Fat actress.jpg|thumb|right|125px|Kirstie Alley in ''Fat Actress'']] |
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In addition to a somewhat unsuccessful career after ''Cheers'', some of the cast members have had personal problems. Despite originally leaving the show to further her career, Shelley Long grew [[depression|depressed]] after divorcing her husband of 23 years and appears to have attempted suicide by overdosing on drugs{{ref|longoverdose}}. Her friends report she has continued to sink into depression, eating improperly and sometimes refusing to leave bed. Kirstie Alley gained a significant amount of weight after ''Cheers'', which somewhat stunted her career. She went so far as to write and star in a show semi-based on her life and weight gain, ''[[Fat Actress]]''. |
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Ratzenberger and Wendt have also filed a groundbreaking [[lawsuit]] against [[Paramount Pictures]], claiming that the company is illegally earning money off their images without their permission{{ref||supreme1}}. Paramount wants to license the Cliff and Norm characters to a company that would open several Cheers-style bars with robots that mimicked the characters. Ratzenberger and Wendt claim that Paramount cannot earn off of their images simply because the robots are dressed like the characters Paramount still holds rights over. The case was twice dismissed by [[Superior court|Los Angeles Superior Court]] judges, though a [[United States federal judge|federal judge]] reinstated the case in the LA court. The two men tried to bring the case before the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] but the court refused to hear the case, instead merely reaffirming the ruling to reinstate the case in the Superior Court{{ref|supreme2}}. The case is considered by some to have potentially far-reaching effects on [[Hollywood]], as its outcome will determine whether rights over a character imply rights to reproduce the actor's image with or without his or her permission, so long as the image is of the actor as the character. In addition to the characters, ''Cheers'''s [[Title sequence|opening sequence]] has become iconic. Because of this, the sequence is a common target for [[parody]], such as on [[YTMND]]{{ref|ytmnd}}. |
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===Outside the bar=== |
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[[Image:Cheers bar.JPG|thumb|right|185px|right|The bar set]] |
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Most early episodes took place entirely within the confines of the bar. 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 were actually of the Bull & Finch Pub, north of [[Boston Common]], which has become a [[tourist attraction]] because of its association with the series. It has since been renamed as Cheers Beacon Hill{{ref|realcheers1}}, though its interior is different from the TV bar. To further capitalize on the show's popularity another bar, Cheers Faneuil Hall{{ref|realcheers2}}, was built to be a replica of the show's set to provide tourists with a bar whose interior was closer to the one they saw on TV. It is near [[Faneuil Hall]] about a mile from the Bull & Finch Pub. The bar set itself is now on permanent display at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum{{ref|hem}}. |
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==References== |
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<div style="font-size:90%"> |
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:''Cheers''. Created by [[James Burrows]], [[Glen Charles]] and [[Les Charles]]. 1982-1993. Broadcast and DVD. |
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# {{note|ratings1}} Blogcritics.org (2006). [http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/01/22/210120.php Blog on the History of ''Cheers''] |
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# {{note|awards1}}{{note label|awards2|2|a}}{{note label|awards2|2|b}} IMDb (2006). [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083399/awards Awards for ''Cheers''] |
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# {{note|songtheme}} Lyrics on Demand (2006). [http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/cheerslyrics.html Lyrics to the "''Cheers'' Theme"] |
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# {{note|dansonfootball}} TV1 (2006). [http://www.tv1.com.au/show.asp?id=17&content=trivia TV1 - ''Cheers''] |
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# {{note|cliffaudition}} Newport Under the Stars (2006). [http://newportunderthestars.com/newport/johnsbio.html John Ratzenberger's Newport Under the Stars] |
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# {{note|awards2}} Emmy Awards (2006). [http://www.emmys.tv/downloads/ Downloadable lists of Emmy winners and facts] |
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# {{note|critics1}} TVParty (2006). [http://www.tvparty.com/80nbc3.html How NBC got its Groove back] |
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# {{note|critics2}} Variety (2006). [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117921154?categoryid=1023&cs=1 Review - ''Cheers''] |
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# {{note|critics3}} BBC (2006). [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1084619 ''Cheers'' - the TV Series] |
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# {{note|popspin1}} Zap2It (2006). [http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C82470%7C1%7C,00.html A Fine How-You-Doin': NBC Orders ''Friends'' Spinoff ''Joey''] |
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# {{note|popspin2}} BusinessWeek Online (2006). [http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/aug2004/nf20040818_3079_db011.htm Filling the Shoes of Missing Friends] |
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# {{note|finale}} PoliBlogger (2006). [http://www.poliblogger.com/index.php?p=3494 The Last Episode] |
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# {{note|story1}} Television Heaven (2006). [http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/cheers.htm ''Cheers''|A Television Heaven Review] |
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# {{note|willthey}} TV Tropes (2006). [http://www.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WillTheyOrWontThey Will They or Won't They?] |
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# {{note|chardevelop}}{{note label|chardevelop|15|a}} The Museum of Broadcast Communications (2006). [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cheers/cheers.htm History of ''Cheers'' at the MBC] |
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# {{note|feminism1}} 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. |
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# {{note|gay1}} IMDb (2006). [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083399/trivia IMDb Trivia for Cheers] |
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# {{note|alcocritic}} The Bemusement Park (2006). [http://markhasty.com/archives/2004/05/07/the-situation-of-comedy/ The Situation of Comedy] |
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# {{note|plotsum}} IMDb (2006). [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083399/plotsummary IMDb Plot Summary of Cheers]] |
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# {{note|alcocritic2}} The National Association for Christian Recovery (2006). [http://www.nacronline.com/dox/library/daler/addictio.shtml On Addiction] |
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# {{note|alcocritic3}} Mega Essays (2006). [http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/15290.html Alcoholism] |
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# {{note|frasiercross}} Poobala (2006). [http://www.poobala.com/cheersandfrasier.html Notes on ''Cheers'' / ''Frasier'' crossovers] |
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# {{note|elsewherecross}} Poobala (2006). [http://www.poobala.com/cheersandelsewhere.html Notes on ''Cheers'' / ''St. Elsewhere'' crossover] |
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# {{note|morn}} TV Acres (2006). [http://www.tvacres.com/greetings_norm.htm Nor-r-rm!] |
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# {{note|synd}} International Real Estate Digest (2006). [http://www.ired.com/news/2001/0108/cheers.htm Boston Gets a Hollywood ''Cheers'' Pub] |
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# {{note|restoration}} Kodak (2006). [http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newsletters/inCamera/oct2001/cheers.shtml ''Cheers'' restored for a new generation of laughs] |
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# {{note|dvdrelease}} Amazon (2006). The [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008NV4G/qid=1135136533/sr=8-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-3513880-7059833?n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance First Season] and [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B5XOTS/qid=1135136533/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3513880-7059833?n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance Seventh Season] on Amazon |
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# {{note|grammerpay}} Yahoo News (2006). [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800020246/bio Kelsey Grammer's Yahoo biography] |
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# {{note|dansonpay}} IMDb (2006). [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001101/bio Ted Danson's IMDb Bio] |
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# {{note|madeinamerica}} Travel Channel (2006). [http://travel.discovery.com/fansites/jrmia/jrmia.html ''Made in America'' - Travel Channel] |
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# {{note|longoverdose}} FemaleFirst (2006). [http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/15512004.htm Shelley Long's overdose] |
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# {{note|supreme1}} E News Online (2006). [http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,7144,00.html Wendt and Ratzenberger bring their case to the Supreme Court] |
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# {{note|supreme2}} E News Online (2006). [http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,7176,00.html Wendt/Ratzenberger's case is reinstated by the Supreme Court] |
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# {{note|ytmnd}} YTMND (2005). [http://cheerstoyourthemannowdog.ytmnd.com/ Cheers to YTMND] |
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# {{note|realcheers1}} Cheers Boston (2006). [http://www.cheersboston.com/index_bh.htm Cheers Beacon Hill] |
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# {{note|realcheers2}} Cheers Boston (2006). [http://www.cheersboston.com/index_fh.htm Cheers Faneuil Hall] |
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# {{note|hem}} Hollywood Entertainment Mueseum (2006). [http://www.seeing-stars.com/Museums/HollywoodEntertainment.shtml Hollywood Entertainment Mueseum] |
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</div> |
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<!-- When adding a ref/note, please be sure to conform to the style already used in this page. Thank you! --> |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{wikiquote}} |
{{wikiquote}} |
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*{{imdb title|id=0083399|title=Cheers}} |
*{{imdb title|id=0083399|title=Cheers}} |
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*[http://www.rsmith.org.uk/frasier/multimedia/cheers_theme.mp3 ''Cheers'' Theme Song (.mp3 format)] |
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*[http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cheers/cheers.htm Encyclopedia of Television] |
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*[http://www.cheersboston.com/ The Cheers bar in Boston] |
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* Shelley Long Links [http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/shelleylonglinks/] |
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Revision as of 01:31, 16 January 2006
- For other meanings of 'Cheers' see Cheers (disambiguation)
Cheers | |
---|---|
File:Cheers intro logo.jpg | |
Created by | James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles |
Starring | Ted Danson Shelley Long Kirstie Alley Nicholas Colasanto Rhea Perlman John Ratzenberger Woody Harrelson Kelsey Grammer Bebe Neuwirth and George Wendt |
Country of origin | USA |
No. of episodes | 273 |
Production | |
Running time | approx. 0:24 (per episode) |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | September 30, 1982 – May 20, 1993 |
Cheers was a long-running American situation comedy produced by Charles-Burrows-Charles Productions in association with Paramount Television for NBC. The show was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. After premiering on September 30, 1982, it was nearly cancelled during its first season when it ranked dead last in ratings[1]. However, Cheers eventually became one of the most popular television shows in the United States, earning a top-ten rating during seven of its eleven seasons and spending the bulk of its run on NBC's Must See Thursday lineup. Its widely-watched series finale was broadcast on May 20, 1993, and the show has now entered into a long and successful syndication run. During its eleven seasons, 273 Cheers episodes were made. The show earned 26 Emmy Awards, out of a total of 117 nominations[2].
The show was set in the eponymous Cheers bar in Boston, Massachusetts, where a colorful group of locals met to drink and generally have fun. The show and the bar are both named after the toast "Cheers". The character Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) later starred in his own show, Frasier, after Cheers ended. The show's theme song was written and performed by Gary Portnoy. Its famous refrain, which also became the show's tagline, was "where everybody knows your name"[3].
Cast
- For a full list of characters with articles, see the individual character articles
Cheers maintained an ensemble cast, keeping roughly the same set of characters for the entire run. Numerous secondary characters and love interests for these characters appeared intermittently to complement storylines that generally revolve around this core group.
The table below summarizes the main cast of Cheers.
Character | Actor/Actress | Position | Other Jobs |
---|---|---|---|
Woodrow 'Woody' Boyd | Woody Harrelson | Assistant Bartender | Actor |
Diane Chambers | Shelley Long | Waitress | Writer |
Clifford Clavin | John Ratzenberger | Customer | Mailman |
Frasier Crane | Kelsey Grammer | Customer | Psychiatrist |
Rebecca Howe | Kirstie Alley | Manager/Waitress | Businesswoman |
Sam Malone | Ted Danson | Bartender/Owner | Pitcher |
Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso | Nicholas Colasanto | Assistant Bartender | Sam's coach |
Norm Peterson | George Wendt | Customer | Accountant |
Lilith Sternin | Bebe Neuwirth | Customer | Psychiatrist |
Carla Tortelli | Rhea Perlman | Waitress | none |
The character of Sam Malone was originally intended to be a retired American football player, but after casting Ted Danson it was decided that a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox would be more believable[4]. The character of Cliff Clavin was created for John Ratzenberger after he auditioned for Cheers. While chatting with producers afterward he asked if they were going to include a "bar know-it-all", the part which he eventually played[5]. Alley joined the cast when Long left, and Harrelson joined when Colasanto died. Notable repeated guests include Jay Thomas as Eddie LeBec, Dan Hedaya as Nick Tortelli, Jean Kasem as Loretta Tortelli, and Roger Rees as Robin Colcord. Ted Danson, George Wendt, and Rhea Perlman are the only actors to appear in every episode of the series. The actor who played the character of "Paul", a recurring barfly character, made an earlier appearance in the first season as "Glenn".
Awards
Over its eleven season run, Cheers and its cast and crew earned many awards. Most notably, Cheers earned 117 Emmy nominations, edging out ER with 115 as of 2005 for the most Emmy nominations for a single series[6]. These nominations resulted in a total of 26 Emmy wins. In addition, Cheers has earned 31 Golden Globe nominations with a total of 6 wins. All ten of the actors who were regulars on the series received Emmy nominations for their roles. Cheers was also honored as a series by being awarded the Golden Globe for "Best TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" in 1991 and the Emmy for "Outstanding Comedy Series" in 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991, and 1992.
The following table summarizes awards won by cast members[2].
Actor/Actress | Award |
---|---|
Kirstie Alley | Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1991) |
Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1991) | |
Ted Danson | Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1990, 1993) |
Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1990, 1991) | |
Woody Harrelson | Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (1989) |
Shelley Long | Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1983) |
Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1985) | |
Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (1983) | |
Bebe Neuwirth | Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1990, 1993) |
Rhea Perlman | Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1984, 1985, 1986, 1989) |
Critical reactions
Cheers was critically acclaimed even in its first season, though it landed a disappointing 74th in the ratings that year[7]. This critical support, coupled with early success at the Emmys and the support of the president of NBC's entertainment division Brandon Tartikoff, is thought to be the main reason for Cheers's survival and eventual success[8][9]. Some critics have denounced Cheers for its unrealistic portrayal of drinking and alcoholism (see below). Some critics now use Cheers and Frasier as a model of a successful spin-off for a character from an already successful series to compare to modern spin-offs, such as Joey from Friends[10][11].
NBC dedicated a whole night to the final episode of Cheers. The show began with a "pre-game" show hosted by Bob Costas, followed by the final 98 minute episode itself. Local news then aired tributes to Cheers, and the night concluded with a special Tonight Show broadcast live from the Bull & Finch Pub. Some critics said the episode of The Tonight Show was in poor taste because much of the cast was drunk and were doing silly things on camera — such as a spitball fight between John Ratzenberger and Woody Harrelson.[12]
Plot
- For the full list of episodes, see List of Cheers episodes
Cheers, like most sitcoms, featured an abundance of standalone episodes with sub-plots and characters that had little to no bearing on the overall show. However unlike many sitcoms, possibly due to Cheers's lengthy run, larger story arcs began to develop that spanned multiple episodes or seasons.
Romance
The show's main theme in its early seasons was the stormy romance between upper-class, over-educated server Diane Chambers and earthy ex-baseball pitcher and bar owner Sam Malone[13]. In later episodes the focus shifted to Sam's new relationship with neurotic corporate executive Rebecca. Both romances stretched to fill the entire show with varying levels to the relationship, from Sam and Diane/Rebecca hating one another to dating and intimacy. Both relationships are characterized as "will they or won't they" relationships with sexual tension between two main characters that draw viewers in to see if the tension is resolved[14].
Social issues in Cheers
Social class was a strong subtext of the show. The 'upper class', represented by characters like Diane Chambers, Frasier Crane, Lilith Sternin and (initially) Rebecca Howe, rubbed shoulders with middle- and working-class characters, like Sam Malone, Carla Tortelli, Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin. An extreme example of this is the relationship between farmboy Woody Boyd and millionaire's daughter Kelly Gaines. Strong comedic support came from the bar staff, including sassy waitress Carla Tortelli and sometimes-befuddled assistant bartender Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto). Following Colasanto's death in 1985, the assistant bartender role was filled by an even more naïve character, Woody Boyd. Many viewers enjoyed Cheers in part because of this heavy focus on character development[15].
Feminism and the role of women was also a recurring theme throughout the show, with each of the major female characters being a flawed feminist in her own way[16]. Diane was a very vocal feminist, but Sam was the epitome of everything she hated: a womanizer and a male chauvinist. Their relationship led Diane to several diatribes on Sam's promiscuity. Carla, on the other hand, was always listened to but did not speak out like Diane. Carla was respected due to her power, while Diane was ignored as she commanded little respect. Finally, Rebecca is a stereotypical ambitious and golddigging woman, seeking relationships with her superiors at the Lillian Corporation, most notably Robin Colcord, to gain promotions or raises. However, she encounters a glass ceiling and ends the show far from her original rich dreams by marrying a plumber.
Homophobia was dealt with from the very first season, a rare move for American network television in the 1980s. In the first season episode "The Boys In The Bar" (a nod to the 1970s film The Boys in the Band) where a college friend and fellow teamate of Sam "comes out" in his autobiography. Some of the male regulars pressure Sam to take action to ensure that Cheers does not became a gay bar. The episode won an award from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation[17], and the script's writers, Ken Levine & David Isaacs, both won an Emmy Award for their writing[2]. Harvey Fierstein would later appear in the 1990s as "Mark Newberger", Rebecca's old high school sweetheart who is gay. Finally, the finale episode included a gay man who gets into trouble with his boyfriend after agreeing to pose as Diane's husband.
Addiction also plays a role in Cheers, almost exclusively through Sam, although some critics believed the issue was never really developed[18]. Sam was a recovering alcoholic who ended up buying a bar after his baseball career was ruined by his drinking[19]. Frasier also has a notable bout of drinking in the fourth season episode "The Triangle", although Sam is the primary alcoholic figure on the show. Some critics believe Sam was a generally addictive personality who had largely conquered his alcoholism but was still a sexual addict, shown through his womanizing[20]. Still other critics believed Cheers was an unrealistic representation of alcoholism and drinking, with all of the comedic aspects but none of the more serious effects[21].
Cheers owners
Cheers evidently had several owners before Sam, especially implied in the bar's sign that claims it was established in 1895. In the second episode, "Sam's Women", Norm tells a customer looking for the owner of Cheers that the man he thought was the owner has been replaced, and his replacement replaced by Sam. The biggest storyline surrounding the ownership of Cheers begins in the fifth season finale, "I Do, Adieu", when Sam and Diane part ways, Shelley Long leaves the regular cast, and Sam leaves to attempt circumnavigating the earth. Before he leaves, Sam sells Cheers to the fictional Lillian Corporation. Sam 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. Throughout the sixth season, Sam tries a variety of schemes to buy back Cheers. This plot largely comes to an end in the seventh season premiere, "How to Recede in Business", when Rebecca is fired and Sam promoted to manager. From there, Sam would occasionally attempt to buy the bar back with schemes that usually involved wealthy executive Robin Colcord. Cheers did eventually end up back in Sam's hands in the eighth season finale when it was sold back to him for eighty-seven cents by the Lillian Corporation after he alerted the company of Colcord's embezzlement.
Other recurring themes
Aside from the storylines that spanned across the series, Cheers had several themes that followed no storylines but that recurred throughout the series. There was a heated rivalry between Cheers and the rival bar, Olde Towne Tavern, owned by a man named Gary. One episode of every season depicted some wager between Sam and Gary which resulted in either a sports competition or a battle of wits which devolved into complex practical jokes. Aside from the very first and very last "Bar Wars" episodes, the Cheers gang always lost to Gary's superior ingenuity.
Norm Peterson continually searched for gainful employment as an accountant but spent most of the series unemployed, thereby explaining his constant presence in Cheers at the same stool. The face of his wife, Vera, was never fully seen onscreen, despite a few fleeting appearances and a couple of vocal cameos. Cliff Clavin seemed unable to shake the constant presence of his mother. Though she didn't appear in every episode he would refer to her quite often, mostly as both a burden and a smothering parent.
Carla Tortelli carried a reputation of being both extremely fertile and matrimonially inept. The last husband she had on the show, Eddie LeBec, was a washed-up ice hockey goalie who ended up dying in an ice show accident. Carla later discovered that Eddie had cheated on her, marrying another woman when he got her pregnant. Carla's sleazy first husband, Nick Tortelli, also made frequent appearances, mostly to torment Carla with a new custody battle or some other legal scam that grew out of their divorce. Carla's eight kids were also notoriously ill-behaved.
Spinoffs and Crossovers
Cheers was a successful enough show to launch the careers of several young actors, some bringing their characters from Cheers directly into other shows.
The most successful Cheers spin-off was the show Frasier, which directly followed Frasier Crane after moving back to Seattle, Washington, where he lived with his family and hosted a call-in radio show. Ironically, Frasier was originally supposed to be a small disliked character who only existed to further Diane and Sam's relationship, but Grammer's acting turned what were supposed to be unfunny lines into comedy the audience enjoyed[22]. Sam, Diane, and Woody all had individual crossover appearances on Frasier where they came to visit Frasier, and his ex-wife Lilith remained a constant supporting character throughout Frasier. Cliff, Norm, Carla, and two of Cheers' regular background barflies Paul and Phil had a crossover together in the Frasier episode "Cheerful Goodbyes". Frasier, on a trip to Boston, meets the Cheers gang and Cliff thinks Frasier has flown out for his retirement party, which Frasier ends up attending. Frasier was on the air as long as Cheers, going off the air in 2004 after an eleven season run.
Although Frasier was the most successful spin-off, The Tortellis was the first series to spin-off from Cheers, premiering in 1987. The show featured Carla's husband Nick Tortelli and his wife Loretta. The show was cancelled after 13 episodes and drew protests for its stereotypical depictions of Italian-Americans.
In addition to direct spin-offs, several Cheers characters had guest appearance crossovers with other shows. In The Simpsons episode "Fear of Flying", Homer stumbles into a Cheers-like bar after being kicked out of Moe's. Most of the central cast appears in the episode, including Frasier, but he is the only character to remain silent because Grammer voices the recurring character Sideshow Bob). The tagline for Moe's Tavern "...Where nobody knows your name" is also a reference to Cheers. Characters also had crossovers with Wings — which was created by Cheers producers / writers — and St. Elsewhere in a somewhat rare comedy-drama crossover[23]. Finally, the Star Trek character Morn, who can always be spotted at Quark's Bar, is named for Norm Peterson[24].
Syndication and home video
Cheers has been in long, successful, and continuing syndication run[15], especially on Nick at Nite, since it went off the air[25]. In fact, the quality of some earlier footage of Cheers had begun to degrade, but it underwent a careful restoration in 2001 due to its continued success[26]. Notably, a Cheers rerun replaced Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos on Australia's Nine Network. The latter was cancelled mid-episode on its only broadcast by Kerry Packer who pulled the plug after a phone call. Cheers was aired by NCRV in the Netherlands. After the last episode, they simply began re-airing the series, and then again, thus airing the show three times in a row, showing an episode nightly. Paramount Studios began to release individual seasons of Cheers on DVD with the first seasons on May 20, 2003, the seventh season being the most recently released on November 15, 2005[27].
Post-Cheers
The cast of Cheers has had a rocky history in finding work after the hit run. Grammer was by far the most successful with his spin-off Frasier which lasted as long as Cheers, eleven seasons. By the final season of Frasier Grammer had become the highest paid actor on television[28], earning about $1.6 million an episode. On the other hand Danson, who had been the highest paid Cheers cast member earning $450,000 an episode in the final season[29], has had a rather limited career after Cheers. Other than a somewhat successful sitcom Becker, Danson has had few starring roles after his portrayal of Sam Malone. Harrelson has also had a successful film career following Cheers. Ratzenberger currently hosts a Travel Channel show Made in America[30]. In the show, Ratzenberger travels around the United States showing the stories of small towns and the goods they produce. Ironically, Ted Danson starred in a film also called Made in America.
In addition to a somewhat unsuccessful career after Cheers, some of the cast members have had personal problems. Despite originally leaving the show to further her career, Shelley Long grew depressed after divorcing her husband of 23 years and appears to have attempted suicide by overdosing on drugs[31]. Her friends report she has continued to sink into depression, eating improperly and sometimes refusing to leave bed. Kirstie Alley gained a significant amount of weight after Cheers, which somewhat stunted her career. She went so far as to write and star in a show semi-based on her life and weight gain, Fat Actress.
Ratzenberger and Wendt have also filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, claiming that the company is illegally earning money off their images without their permissionsupreme1. Paramount wants to license the Cliff and Norm characters to a company that would open several Cheers-style bars with robots that mimicked the characters. Ratzenberger and Wendt claim that Paramount cannot earn off of their images simply because the robots are dressed like the characters Paramount still holds rights over. The case was twice dismissed by Los Angeles Superior Court judges, though a federal judge reinstated the case in the LA court. The two men tried to bring the case before the Supreme Court of the United States but the court refused to hear the case, instead merely reaffirming the ruling to reinstate the case in the Superior Court[32]. The case is considered by some to have potentially far-reaching effects on Hollywood, as its outcome will determine whether rights over a character imply rights to reproduce the actor's image with or without his or her permission, so long as the image is of the actor as the character. In addition to the characters, Cheers's opening sequence has become iconic. Because of this, the sequence is a common target for parody, such as on YTMND[33].
Outside the bar
Most early episodes took place entirely within the confines of the bar. 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 were actually of the Bull & Finch Pub, north of Boston Common, which has become a tourist attraction because of its association with the series. It has since been renamed as Cheers Beacon Hill[34], though its interior is different from the TV bar. To further capitalize on the show's popularity another bar, Cheers Faneuil Hall[35], was built to be a replica of the show's set to provide tourists with a bar whose interior was closer to the one they saw on TV. It is near Faneuil Hall about a mile from the Bull & Finch Pub. The bar set itself is now on permanent display at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum[36].
References
- Cheers. Created by James Burrows, Glen Charles and Les Charles. 1982-1993. Broadcast and DVD.
- ^ Blogcritics.org (2006). Blog on the History of Cheers
- ^ a b IMDb (2006). Awards for Cheers
- ^ Lyrics on Demand (2006). Lyrics to the "Cheers Theme"
- ^ TV1 (2006). TV1 - Cheers
- ^ Newport Under the Stars (2006). John Ratzenberger's Newport Under the Stars
- ^ Emmy Awards (2006). Downloadable lists of Emmy winners and facts
- ^ TVParty (2006). How NBC got its Groove back
- ^ Variety (2006). Review - Cheers
- ^ BBC (2006). Cheers - the TV Series
- ^ Zap2It (2006). A Fine How-You-Doin': NBC Orders Friends Spinoff Joey
- ^ BusinessWeek Online (2006). Filling the Shoes of Missing Friends
- ^ PoliBlogger (2006). The Last Episode
- ^ Television Heaven (2006). Cheers|A Television Heaven Review
- ^ TV Tropes (2006). Will They or Won't They?
- ^ a The Museum of Broadcast Communications (2006). History of Cheers at the MBC
- ^ 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.
- ^ IMDb (2006). IMDb Trivia for Cheers
- ^ The Bemusement Park (2006). The Situation of Comedy
- ^ IMDb (2006). IMDb Plot Summary of Cheers]
- ^ The National Association for Christian Recovery (2006). On Addiction
- ^ Mega Essays (2006). Alcoholism
- ^ Poobala (2006). Notes on Cheers / Frasier crossovers
- ^ Poobala (2006). Notes on Cheers / St. Elsewhere crossover
- ^ TV Acres (2006). Nor-r-rm!
- ^ International Real Estate Digest (2006). Boston Gets a Hollywood Cheers Pub
- ^ Kodak (2006). Cheers restored for a new generation of laughs
- ^ Amazon (2006). The First Season and Seventh Season on Amazon
- ^ Yahoo News (2006). Kelsey Grammer's Yahoo biography
- ^ IMDb (2006). Ted Danson's IMDb Bio
- ^ Travel Channel (2006). Made in America - Travel Channel
- ^ FemaleFirst (2006). Shelley Long's overdose
- ^ E News Online (2006). Wendt and Ratzenberger bring their case to the Supreme Court
- ^ E News Online (2006). Wendt/Ratzenberger's case is reinstated by the Supreme Court
- ^ YTMND (2005). Cheers to YTMND
- ^ Cheers Boston (2006). Cheers Beacon Hill
- ^ Cheers Boston (2006). Cheers Faneuil Hall
- ^ Hollywood Entertainment Mueseum (2006). Hollywood Entertainment Mueseum