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Cheers finished a lowly 77th in the ratings after its first season in 1982-83, performing poorly against Simon & Simon and Too Close for Comfort in its 9 p.m. Thursday time slot. Both Paramount and NBC believed in the show, however, and their tenacity certainly paid off. Cheers ended after 11 seasons, but only because Ted Danson decided to call it quits.
1. Why Sam Malone was originally a football player
The final two actors in contention for the role of ex-jock-turned-bar-owner Sam Malone were Fred Dryer and Ted Danson. The show’s original concept called for Sam to be a retired football player, and Dryer seemed perfect since he had spent 13 years as a defensive end in the NFL. But while Fred was new to acting, Ted had accumulated a handful of TV and film roles in the late 1970s and early 1980s. When Danson won the role, the back story was changed to make the character a former relief pitcher to better match Danson’s physique. Ted later revealed that he’d spent two weeks attending a bartending school in Burbank to prepare for his audition, only to find that (like most bartenders) most of his mixology was performed below sight level of the bar, out of camera range.
DID YOU KNOW? Fred Dryer appeared on a few Cheers episodes as TV sportsman Dave Richards. In real life, Dryer tried his hand at sportscasting after leaving the NFL, but decided he wasn’t cut out for it. Although he missed out with Cheers, Fred embarked on his own long-running TV series a couple years later: Hunter.
2. The Secret Behind the Crack in the Bar
Designed by Richard Sylbert, the Cheers set was loosely based on Boston’s Bull and Finch bar. Look closely and you’ll notice a “seam” down the center of the bar; it was built on a hinge so that the right half could swing out, allowing the wall to slide open to reveal Sam’s office. Designers installed lights underneath the bar so that Nick “Coach” Colasanto (who had difficulty memorizing lines) could read the script pages taped to the counter. It took 30 to 40 extras to fill up the pub set as “customers”; any less, and the bar looked too empty.
DID YOU KNOW? Kirstie Alley (as Rebecca Howe) appeared in more episodes of Cheers than did Shelley Long (as Diane Chambers).
3. How Cliff Clavin Lobbied for his Job
John Ratzenberger originally auditioned for the role of barfly Norm Peterson. When he lost that role to George Wendt, Ratzenberger asked the producers if they had written a “resident know-it-all” into their show. All bars have one, he pointed out. Thanks to his persistence, the character of mail carrier Cliff Clavin became a regular Cheers patron. Likewise, psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane was brought in at the beginning of Season 3 as a plot device to further the relationship between Sam and Diane. While he wasn’t intended to become a permanent cast member, Kelsey Grammer had a knack for making even the most mundane dialog funny. The audience loved him, so it wasn’t long before Frasier became a regular on the show.
DID YOU KNOW? Before John Ratzenberger made it big on Cheers, he had bit roles in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, including The Empire Strikes Back, Superman, and Gandhi.
4. The Secret of Norm’s Brew
Although the Cheers bar was fully functional (and many NBC after-hours parties were held on the set), the suds served to George Wendt weren’t exactly a tasty microbrew. In fact, it was “near beer,” with an alcohol content of 3.2 percent, and a pinch of salt added so that the mug kept a foamy head under the hot studio lights. And yes, poor George had to periodically sip that ghastly concoction in order to keep his character “real.”
DID YOU KNOW?: A few members of the Cheers cast had memorable roles in horror films: Ted Danson appeared in Creepshow, George Wendt in House, and Shelley Long in Caveman. (Okay, Caveman wasn’t horror, but it was horrible.)
5. Babies in the Bar?
Both Shelley Long and Rhea Perlman were pregnant at different times during the filming of Cheers. Shelley was with child near the end of the third season, and the producers opted to hide her under aprons and behind the bar. Rhea Perlman was allowed to “let it all hang out” when she was carrying her daughter at the end of season one because her character was known for being particularly fecund. The “Rebecca wants Sam to father her baby” story line was originally incorporated into the script because Kirstie Alley was pregnant. Sadly, she miscarried, so that plot was abandoned.
DID YOU KNOW? Rhea Perlman’s father, Phil, appeared as a bar patron in several episodes of Cheers over the years.
6. Loose Lips Sink Careers
Jay Thomas was the morning DJ at LA’s KPWR-Power 106 when he auditioned for (and won) the role of hockey star Eddie LeBec. He was brought back for several episodes in order to give Carla a story arc, and Eddie and Carla eventually wed on the show. Eddie might have made it to the series finale had Jay Thomas not taken a call on the air one morning asking him “What’s it like working on Cheers?” Thomas made several unflattering remarks about Rhea Perlman and having to kiss her… and Rhea happened to be listening to his show. Not surprisingly, a few weeks later Eddie LeBec was killed in a bizarre Zamboni accident.
DID YOU KNOW? Leah Remini, later to star in The King of Queens, appeared in two Cheers episodes as one of Carla’s daughters, Serafina.
As always, you’re welcome to weigh in with your opinions on Diane versus Rebecca, Coach versus Woody, and how a bar managed to function for 11 years when none of the patrons ever seemed to pay their tabs.
Wait a sec… No mention of Nick Tortelli?! I’m gonna assume you’re holding out for a full feature on Dan Hedeya.
posted by Jim on 1-17-2008 at 5:10 pm
To add to the horror movie collection - John Ratzenberger was in Motel Hell
posted by Farmer Vincent on 1-17-2008 at 5:12 pm
Did you know that John Ratzenberger was the amazing electrician/adventurer in House II, the deliciously terrible sequel to House? I believe Bill Maher was also in that one.
posted by frumpiefox on 1-17-2008 at 5:12 pm
Gotta add Wendt’s turn in Dreamscape to the list.
-Diane
-Both Coach & Woody were perfect as the aloof character, but Coach was first and therefore a tad better imho
posted by Johnny Cat on 1-17-2008 at 5:38 pm
So cool my wife read it (she typically doesn’t do the MentalFloss thing. We DVR Cheers every night, we LOVE IT!
posted by Witty Nickname on 1-17-2008 at 5:42 pm
I was an extra while “Cheers” was being produced, and let me tell you, every extra in life wanted to work on that show. They were legendary for treating their “background” well, for example: Most extras are trying to get the chance to say a line on screen, as this gets them into the union, and potentially allows them to audition for speaking parts, thereby busting them out of the extras racket (This move was known as the “Taft-Hartley.”) While watching “Cheers,” take notice of the actor or actress who feeds Norm his entering straight line. You’re usually seeing an extra on the best workday of his or her life…
Never got on, myself!
posted by Joe Maz on 1-17-2008 at 8:12 pm
3.2% beer isn’t “near beer”. Near beer is 1/2% or less. In my misbegotten yoot, we drove to nearby 3.2 states where it was legal to drink at 18. We were 15-16 with fake IDs. Strangely, I can vividly recall driving the 60 miles home from Kansas at 2AM on a road that had duplicate white lines. And signs. And curves. With occasional vomit stops. Ah, good times. rb
posted by arby on 1-17-2008 at 8:44 pm
Jay Thomas had the nerve to criticize Rhea? The man’s fugly!
posted by Manny1964 on 1-17-2008 at 9:27 pm
My husband and I love cheers. I have a great aunt named Loretta and we always pronounce her name just like Nick Tortelli did; “Lo-ret-ta”. It never seems to get old.
posted by Alicia on 1-17-2008 at 10:02 pm
Anyone else remember the Simpsons episode where Homer walks into Cheers?
-Norm: Woody…gimme a beer.
-Woody: I think you’ve had enough, Mr. Peterson. My chiropractor says I can’t carry you home any more.
-Norm: Just gimme another beer, you brain-dead hick! [Smashes mug] I’ll kill you! I’ll kill all of you!
posted by Peter on 1-18-2008 at 1:57 am
I would have to take Rebecca over Diane. Just because Shelly Long got too big for her britches and chose slop like the Money Pit and Troop Beverly Hills over Cheers.
Tough one on the Coach vs. Woody. So I am going to go to the two songs that they sang that are etched in my memory…
Coach helping Sam with his GED I think: “Albania, Albania, border on the Adriatic…”
Woody to Kelly: “K-E-L-L-Y. Why? Because you’re Kelly, Kelly, Kelly of mine…”
I am going with Woody because I cannot meet someone named Kelly without singing that in my head.
posted by Yerg on 1-18-2008 at 7:23 am
The Simpsons moment Peter mentions is great! There’s also the episode of The Family Guy where Peter (different Peter!) is stuck at home (house arrest, I think) and, since he can’t go to the Clam (his usual bar) he watches Cheers on TV and plays along. Good stuff.
(Is there a grammatical limit to the number of parentheticals you can have in a sentence?)
posted by Roger on 1-18-2008 at 8:27 am
Love Cheers and always have… Let me pose a comment/question: I think that Shelley Long’s turn on Cheers is singularly the best actor on that show (and its hard to surpass her on other sitcoms of that era or another) and without her acting, delivery of lines and specifically her physicality, the show would not have been successful. You didn’t really like her much, but she still made you like her which is always a tough feat in the acting game.
I think you could replace ANY of the other characters on the show and it would have been successful, save Shelley Long. Sure, Kirstie Alley replaced her after she left, and she had a crap career after, but for that place and time, no one could have done what she did for the show.
posted by Crispin on 1-18-2008 at 9:04 am
@frumplefox
House II is my favorite 80’s cheese-horror movie just because of that scene Ratzenberger did as the electrician/adventurer. That’s the best part of the whole film. And yes, Bill Maher was in it as some yuppie jerk who stole the lead’s girlfriend.
posted by Andie on 1-18-2008 at 11:54 am
I dont remember Kirstie Alley as Rebecca… How many seasons was she on? I liked Diane. She was such a hilarious know-it-all.
I also liked Woody better. Coach was a little too vacant for my taste.
posted by GTT on 1-18-2008 at 11:57 am
Shelly did not choose the crap jobs, she was simply among the first to learn about T.V. corporate economics. She thought she was central to a large cast. Diane wins it over Rebecca and Coach over Woody, although the two were pen pals.
posted by gus on 1-18-2008 at 4:43 pm
I actually prefer Rebecca and Woody to Diane and Coach. I liked Rebecca because she was so unstable and sultry, yet tried to maintain such a professional appearance. It was her constant failure that made the character funny. I liked Woody, because he was much more innocent, and yet somewhat mischievous. Coach’s lines got old and the show was too dramatic/serious with Diane.
posted by Abbasmurf on 1-18-2008 at 4:57 pm
I liked both Diane and Rebecca, and I also liked that Rebecca wasn’t a pale imitation of Diane - they were two very different characters who added to the dynamic of the bar. I must admit that I never cared much for Coach - I thought his short-term memory problems were a one-note joke, and made him seem more pitiful than funny. I liked Woody with his naivete and innocence; the resulting jokes weren’t at the expense of his mental deterioration.
posted by Jill on 1-19-2008 at 2:58 pm
As for me, I disliked the character, Diane [Shelly Long] SO INTENTLY that I refused to watch CHEERS until she was written out of the story line. My vote is for Rebecca.
To this day, Shelly Long’s voice affects me like “fingernails down a blackboard.”
posted by weefuddled on 1-23-2008 at 10:21 am
Totally agree that Diane was essential to getting the show started. She left at a great time; the on-again/off-again with Sam had run its course. I enjoyed when Diane’s inner child came out and we saw that she wasn’t as cool and sophisticated and she lied to put on.
I also liked the Harry Anderson episodes — (is that the right name). The quintessential conman.
posted by alisa on 1-23-2008 at 4:06 pm
I’ve worked in the same bar for 15 years and the hard-regulars rarely pay their tabs. They couldn’t afford it! It’s the people who come and go you hit up to pay a tab. The regulars are like family and watch your back.
posted by Holly on 1-23-2008 at 4:49 pm
A little-known fact about George Wendt: He attended Notre Dame briefly but dropped out.
An urban legend about George Wendt: He and his friends went on a ski trip to Colorado. When his friends eventually went back to Notre Dame, he decided to keep skiing.
Another fact: During a 1990 pep rally for the Notre Dame football team (before a big game against the University of Miami), the guest speaker was George Wendt.
posted by Paul on 1-24-2008 at 11:43 am
I wanted to echo the comments in praise of Shelley Long. When watching the show during its original run, I didn’t particularly think much of Shelly Long’s acting ability. Upon viewing reruns of Cheers on TVLand over the last few months, the blinders fell off, and I noticed for the first time what fine work Shelley Long did on the show. She really seemed to inhabit the character of Diane fully, which lent an endearing humanity to all of Diane’s quirks. A belated “thank you” to Shelley for consistently giving wonderful performances as Diane.
posted by Goo Goo McCluster on 1-26-2008 at 9:45 pm
I absolutely loved Cheers - and Fraser Crane was the best character they introduced. I will always remember him in one episode trying to be a risk-taker and running around the bar with scissors in his hand.
posted by deb on 1-27-2008 at 7:25 pm
Cheers is one of my all time favorites. But, Dr. Frasier Crane was actually in the first episode. Originally, Frasier and Diane were going to get married when they stumbled into the bar. He didn’t have a larger role until later in the series.
There is also one episode where Frasier mentions his father, a psychiatrist, not a police man as carried in Frasier.
posted by Saddleburr on 1-27-2008 at 8:24 pm
Actually, I believe it was Sumner Sloane who appeared in the first episode as Diane’s fiance, not Frasier Crane.
posted by Jill on 1-28-2008 at 2:49 am
I liked Shelley Long too, and I must admit Troop Beverly Hills is one of my favourite movies.
posted by Maga on 2-7-2008 at 10:40 am
The actor that later played Frasier’s father on Frasier played the man hired to write a radio jingle for Cheers on Cheers.
Diane’s delivery of lines worked better with some characters than others, depending on the joke as well. Rebecca was a little more universal, but her character was a little more accessible, so that is nearly automatic. Both were great.
posted by Rob on 2-19-2008 at 4:02 am
Coach and Woody are too difficult to choose between,
originally i started watching when rebecca was in and i didnt like the old episodes with diane until i bought the dvds and realised that diane was really good in it.
also randomly frasier cranes mother appeares in an episode and she’s played by the actress that played tonys mother in sopranos and she was just as evil in cheers, even threatened to kill diane!
posted by Kevin on 3-13-2008 at 10:16 am