Cheers
- For other meanings of 'Cheers' see Cheers (disambiguation)
| Cheers | |
|---|---|
| File:Cheers intro logo.jpg Cheers Title Screen | |
| 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. The show premiered on September 30, 1982, and was nearly canceled during its first season when it ranked dead last in ratings[1]. However Cheers eventually became one of the most popular shows on TV in the United States, earning a top-ten rating during seven of its eleven seasons, and spent the bulk of its run on NBC's Must See Thursday lineup. Its widely-watched 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 a bar named Cheers in Boston, Massachusetts where a group of locals met to drink and generally have fun. The show also spawned the character Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who went on to a TV show of his own, Frasier, after Cheers ended. The show and the bar are both named after the toast "Cheers". The show's theme song was written and performed by Gary Portnoy. Its famous refrain, which also became Cheers' 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 throughout its entire run, keeping roughly the same set of characters for the entire run as well. Numerous secondary characters and love interests for these characters, appearing intermittently, complement story lines 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 | none |
| 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 Cliff Clavin was created for John Ratzenberger after he auditioned for Cheers. Ratzenberger was nervous during the audition, but while chatting with producers afterward he asked if they were going to include a "bar know-it-all"[4]. 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[5]. These nominations resulted in a total of 26 Emmys for the series, cast, and crew. 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.
| 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 dissapointing 74th in the ratings that year[6]. 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 survival and eventual success[7][8]. Some critics have denounced Cheers for it's unrealistic portrayal of drinking and alcoholism (see below).
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 lengthy run, larger story arcs began to develop that spanned multiple episodes, seasons, or even the entire show.
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[9]. In later episodes the focus shifted to Sam's new relationship with neurotic corporate executive Rebecca.
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, 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[10].
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[11]. 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 listened to due to her power, while Diane was ignored due to her. 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.
Addiction also plays a role in Cheers, almost exclusively through Sam, although some critics claimed the issue was never really developed[12]. Sam was a recovering alcoholic who's baseball career was ruined by his drinking[13] and who ended up buying a bar. 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[14]. 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[15].
Cheers owners
Cheers evidently had several owners before Sam, especially implied in Cheers's sign that claims the bar was established in 1895. In another episode 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 true storyline surrounding the ownership of Cheers begins in the season 5 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 season 6 premiere, "Home is the Sailor", after his boat has sunk, to find the bar under the new management of Rebecca Howe. He begs for his job back, and ends up being hired by Rebecca as a bartender. Throughout season 6 Sam tries a variety of schemes to buy back Cheers. This plot largely comes to an end in the season 7 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 season 8 finale, it was sold back to him for eighty-seven cents by the Lillian Corporation after he alerted the company of Colcord's embezzlement.
The Finale
NBC dedicated a whole night to Cheers' final episode. 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.[16]
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 always devolved into complex practical jokes. Aside from the very first and very last "Bar Wars" episodes, the Cheers gang always proved the losers 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 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 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[17]. Sam, Diane, and Woody all had individual crossover appearances on Frasier where they came to visit Frasier, and his wife Lillith remained a constant supporting character throughout Frasier. Cliff, Norm, Carla, and two of Cheer's 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. Cheers appeared in The Simpsons episode "Fear of Flying", Homer stumbling into a Cheers-like bar after being kicked out of Moe's. Frasier appears in the episode, but is the only character to remain silent although Grammer is the only actor with a part on The Simpsons (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[18]. Finally, the Star Trek character Morn, who can always be spotted at Quark's Bar, is named for Norm Peterson[19].
Syndication and home video
Cheers has been in long, successful, and continuing syndication run[10], especially on Nick at Nite, since it went off the air[20]. In fact, the quality of some earlier footage of Cheers had started to degrade, but it has undergone a restoration process due to its continued success[21]. 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[22].
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[23], earning about $1.6 million an episode. On the other hand Danson, who had been the highest paid Cheers cast member earning $450,000 dollars an episode in the final season[24], has had a rather limited career after Cheers. Other than a somewhat successful sitcom Becker, Danson has had very 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[25]. 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[26]. 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, merely reaffirming the ruling to reinstate the case in the Superior Court[27]. 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 opening sequence is a common target for parody, such as on YTMND[28].
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[29], though its interior is different from the TV bar. To further capitalize on the show's popularity another bar, Cheers Faneuil Hall[30], 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 of the Bull & Finch Pub.
References
- Cheers. Created by James Burrows, Glen Charles and Les Charles. 1982–1993. Broadcast and DVD.
- ^ Blogcritics.org (2005). Blog on the History of Cheers
- ^ IMDb (2005). Awards for "Cheers"
- ^ Lyrics on Demand (2005). Lyrics to the "Cheers Theme"
- ^ Newport Under the Stars (2005). John Ratzenberger's Newport Under the Stars
- ^ Emmy Awards (2005). Downloadable lists of Emmy winners and facts
- ^ TVParty (2005). How NBC got its Groove back
- ^ Variety (2005). Review - Cheers
- ^ BBC (2005). 'Cheers' - the TV Series
- ^ Television Heaven (2005). Cheers|A Television Heaven Review
- ^ a The Museum of Broadcast Communications (2005). History of Cheers at the MBC
- ^ Dr. Caren Demind. "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.
- ^ The Bemusement Park (2005). The Situation of Comedy
- ^ iMDB (2005). Plot Summary of Cheers]
- ^ The National Association for Christian Recovery (2005). On Addiction
- ^ Mega Essays (2005). Alcoholism
- ^ PoliBlogger (2005). The Last Episode
- ^ Poobala (2005). Notes on Cheers/Frasier crossovers
- ^ Poobala (2005). Notes on Cheers/St. Elsewhere crossover
- ^ TV Acres (2005). Nor-r-rm!
- ^ International Real Estate Digest (2005). Boston Gets a Hollywood 'Cheers' Pub
- ^ Kodak (2005). Cheers restored for a new generation of laughs
- ^ Amazon (2005). The First Season and Seventh Season on Amazon
- ^ Yahoo News (2005). Kelsey Grammer's Yahoo biography
- ^ IMDb (2005). Ted Danson's IMDb Bio
- ^ Travel Channel (2005). Made in America - Travel Channel
- ^ FemaleFirst (2005). Shelley Long's overdose
- ^ E News Online (2005). Wendt and Ratzenberger bring their case to the Supreme Court
- ^ E News Online (2005). Wendt/Ratzenberger's case is reinstated by the Supreme Court
- ^ YTMND (2005). Cheers to YTMND
- ^ Cheers Boston (2005). Cheers Beacon Hill
- ^ Cheers Boston (2005). Cheers Faneuil Hall
External links
