There is something deeply comfortable about the bar owned by Sam Malone (Ted Danson) on "Cheers," a kind of vintage Americana that can take almost any viewer back to "a place where everybody knows your name," like the theme song says. Its brick walls, wood paneling, and old-school jukebox evoke both its Boston setting and something broader, the kind of place one might expect to find nestled down a random street in any major American city, but it was actually based on a very real bar that the series creators visited while first developing the show! While that sounds like it could really be a great thing for a bar, given how immensely popular "Cheers" was in the 1980s, it actually ended up causing some rather interesting problems, especially for the bar's regulars.
In the book "Cheers: A Cultural History" By Joseph J. Darowski and Kate Darowski, the authors shared...
In the book "Cheers: A Cultural History" By Joseph J. Darowski and Kate Darowski, the authors shared...
- 4/13/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
You know, a wise man once said that sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.
"Cheers" is one of the best and most popular sitcoms of all time. That's not hyperbole, either — critics and fans alike will sing the praises of the show until you can't stand it anymore. "Okay, I get it!" you'll say. "You love 'Cheers'! Leave me alone!" Running for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, and starring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson, and more, "Cheers" was actually a flop during its first season, finishing last in the ratings during its premiere. Things were so bad, in fact, that the network almost pulled the plug. Eventually, though, "Cheers" found its audience, and that audience couldn't get enough of the barflies and bartenders who called the show home.
The show sprang forth from creators Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows, and as it turns out,...
"Cheers" is one of the best and most popular sitcoms of all time. That's not hyperbole, either — critics and fans alike will sing the praises of the show until you can't stand it anymore. "Okay, I get it!" you'll say. "You love 'Cheers'! Leave me alone!" Running for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, and starring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson, and more, "Cheers" was actually a flop during its first season, finishing last in the ratings during its premiere. Things were so bad, in fact, that the network almost pulled the plug. Eventually, though, "Cheers" found its audience, and that audience couldn't get enough of the barflies and bartenders who called the show home.
The show sprang forth from creators Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows, and as it turns out,...
- 3/16/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
When "Cheers" wrapped up in 1993, it looked a lot different from the show that began airing in 1982. The finale not only brought in almost 100 million viewers, it became one of the most-watched installments of any TV show ever made — even courting the attention of then-President Bill Clinton, who was eyeing up a cameo in the finale before forcing the writers to scrap those plans at the last minute.
But back when "Cheers" debuted, it almost crashed and burned with its very first season. In fact, it would take until the end of the third season for the show to really find its footing, ratings-wise. Sadly, one of the central characters who'd help solidify the series' huge success would no longer be around to enjoy the glory years to come.
Coach Ernie Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto), affectionately known by the Cheers bar crew as "Coach," was a central part of the show since the off.
But back when "Cheers" debuted, it almost crashed and burned with its very first season. In fact, it would take until the end of the third season for the show to really find its footing, ratings-wise. Sadly, one of the central characters who'd help solidify the series' huge success would no longer be around to enjoy the glory years to come.
Coach Ernie Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto), affectionately known by the Cheers bar crew as "Coach," was a central part of the show since the off.
- 3/9/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
By the end of its fifth season, "Cheers" had become one of the most popular sitcoms on television. Every Thursday night, viewers tuned in to hang with the regulars at the Boston pub where everybody knows your name, and the gang always delivered. You could put the "Cheers" gang up against the very best in the history of the medium.
Most amazingly, the series didn't miss a beat when Woody Harrelson stepped in for Nick Colasanto after the latter's unexpected death. It just became a different kind of excellent.
And yet, as the show headed into its sixth season, no one was sure if "Cheers" could survive the departure of Shelley Long. The actor's combustible, Tracy-Hepburn chemistry with Ted Danson gave every episode the charge of the unexpected, and kept everyone in their orbit perpetually unsettled. Without her, the entire dynamic of the show might change, turning fans off a...
Most amazingly, the series didn't miss a beat when Woody Harrelson stepped in for Nick Colasanto after the latter's unexpected death. It just became a different kind of excellent.
And yet, as the show headed into its sixth season, no one was sure if "Cheers" could survive the departure of Shelley Long. The actor's combustible, Tracy-Hepburn chemistry with Ted Danson gave every episode the charge of the unexpected, and kept everyone in their orbit perpetually unsettled. Without her, the entire dynamic of the show might change, turning fans off a...
- 2/11/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
One of the most quoted pieces of Hollywood wisdom holds that 90 percent of directing is casting. You bring the right actors together, and you're off to the races. This is, of course, laughably simplistic. You could argue that 90 percent of directing is writing because there's no movie or show to make if there's nothing on the page. And many directors will tell you that their films don't truly come together until they're hunkered down with their editor in post-production.
The truth, obviously, is that film and television production is a collaborative process that requires numerous people with expertise in different disciplines to do what they do at the highest level possible. And when it comes to casting, there is absolutely an art to finding, after untold hours of reels and cold reads, the ideal actor for each role — especially if you're trying to launch a successful television series. Because no...
The truth, obviously, is that film and television production is a collaborative process that requires numerous people with expertise in different disciplines to do what they do at the highest level possible. And when it comes to casting, there is absolutely an art to finding, after untold hours of reels and cold reads, the ideal actor for each role — especially if you're trying to launch a successful television series. Because no...
- 1/13/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The current generation will likely know John Cleese for his Tweets and his Gb News project "The Dinosaur Hour," which recently saw him trading witticisms with Stephen Fry in a 12th-century castle for some reason. Which is a shame because at one time he was pretty much unanimously viewed as a British national treasure and comedy great. So much so that when he dropped in on the "Cheers" crowd back in the '80s, he basically caused the whole show to buckle under the weight of his reputation, at least until the writers managed to compose themselves enough to get his episode back on track.
Appearing in the season 5 installment "Simon Says," Cleese played Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, a renowned marriage counselor and friend of Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, who at one time attended Oxford with the distinguished doctor. Presumably, in the "Cheers"-verse, Finch-Royce was also a friend of Alan Cornwall,...
Appearing in the season 5 installment "Simon Says," Cleese played Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, a renowned marriage counselor and friend of Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, who at one time attended Oxford with the distinguished doctor. Presumably, in the "Cheers"-verse, Finch-Royce was also a friend of Alan Cornwall,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
When you think about it, "Frasier" is one of the most unlikely success stories in TV history. Running from 1993 to 2004, the show is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time and has recently returned some 20 years after it went off-air for a revival series currently streaming on Paramount+.
But a lot had to happen in order for this impressive multi-decade run to pan out. After the show on which Frasier Crane first debuted, "Cheers," almost crashed and burned during its first season, it went on to become the most celebrated sitcom of the '80s and still enjoys a legacy as one of the finest TV shows ever. In season 3 of the series, we were introduced to Dr. Crane for the first time. Originally intended to be a character that appeared in a few episodes as a way to further the will-they-won't-they romance storyline between Ted Danson's...
But a lot had to happen in order for this impressive multi-decade run to pan out. After the show on which Frasier Crane first debuted, "Cheers," almost crashed and burned during its first season, it went on to become the most celebrated sitcom of the '80s and still enjoys a legacy as one of the finest TV shows ever. In season 3 of the series, we were introduced to Dr. Crane for the first time. Originally intended to be a character that appeared in a few episodes as a way to further the will-they-won't-they romance storyline between Ted Danson's...
- 12/30/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Actors beloved for a long-running television role carry a funny kind of baggage with them. It didn't matter where Andy Griffth showed up in TV or film, the shadow of amiable Sheriff Andrew Jackson "Andy" Taylor and, during the actor's twilight years, the irascible defense attorney Ben Matlock always hung heavily over his head. Likewise, for all of Angela Lansbury's many, many accomplishments performing on the stage and screen, certain people could only ever look at her and see their favorite cardigan-loving author-sleuth, Jessica Fletcher.
Lucille Désirée Ball was firmly cognizant of just how strongly the masses identified her with her incorrigible onscreen counterpart, Lucille Esmeralda "Lucy" McGillicuddy Ricardo, from "I Love Lucy," having played the iconic trouble-maker across the series' 180 episodes in the 1950s. This was also the main factor that led to her passing on another classic sitcom, "Cheers," decades later.
Despite the show garnering near-catastrophic ratings...
Lucille Désirée Ball was firmly cognizant of just how strongly the masses identified her with her incorrigible onscreen counterpart, Lucille Esmeralda "Lucy" McGillicuddy Ricardo, from "I Love Lucy," having played the iconic trouble-maker across the series' 180 episodes in the 1950s. This was also the main factor that led to her passing on another classic sitcom, "Cheers," decades later.
Despite the show garnering near-catastrophic ratings...
- 12/28/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
In 1982, "Cheers" premiered and started one of the great runs in TV history, staying on-air for 11 seasons and 275 episodes — not bad for a show that almost crashed and burned in its first season. Of course, I, being born in 1988, missed most of that run. But I've always been aware of the series' massive influence and lasting legacy as one of the finest sitcoms ever made. "Cheers" maintains that standing 30 years after the final episode aired.
Aired on May 20, 1993, "One for the Road" quickly became the second-highest-rated series finale of all time, just losing out to CBS's "M*A*S*H" series finale. But it wasn't just the people watching from home that made the end of "Cheers" so momentous. As Upi reported at the time, "Thousands gathered at bars and parties across the nation to watch." In other words, the 90-minute finale episode was somewhat of a national moment.
Aired on May 20, 1993, "One for the Road" quickly became the second-highest-rated series finale of all time, just losing out to CBS's "M*A*S*H" series finale. But it wasn't just the people watching from home that made the end of "Cheers" so momentous. As Upi reported at the time, "Thousands gathered at bars and parties across the nation to watch." In other words, the 90-minute finale episode was somewhat of a national moment.
- 12/23/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
When "Cheers" premiered in 1982 on NBC, fans became immediately invested in the Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) romance. First, there was the will they/won't they dynamic, and then they got together. However, these very mismatched love birds broke up at the end of the second season. Enter her new psychologist, Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). We didn't know it at the time, but this very pretentious boyfriend was going to have not one, but two series set around him. I never did get his appeal during the run of "Cheers." I really hated his character ... and yet somehow found myself watching his NBC spinoff "Frasier." Yes, I bought into the tossed salad and scrambled eggs of it all like the rest of the world. Well, most of the rest of the world.
According to a 2018 feature in The Hollywood Reporter to celebrate 25 years since the end of "Cheers,...
According to a 2018 feature in The Hollywood Reporter to celebrate 25 years since the end of "Cheers,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
"Cheers" dominated the TV landscape in the 1980s. Viewers were caught up in the relationship between bartender/bar owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and the barmaid who felt like she was too good for the job, Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Would she unbend enough actually to have fun with Sam? Could he manage to stand how pretentious she was? Hanging out with Sam, Diane, and the bar denizens of "Cheers" was like visiting old friends, gossiping about their lives, and getting invested in relationships that we weren't part of.
As it turns out, Shelley Long was as invested as fans were in the Sam and Diane storyline. In fact, there was an episode early on that had the actor breaking down behind the scenes, according to a 25th-anniversary feature in The Hollywood Reporter from 2018. That episode involved a moment between Sam and Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) that Diane wasn't even there for.
As it turns out, Shelley Long was as invested as fans were in the Sam and Diane storyline. In fact, there was an episode early on that had the actor breaking down behind the scenes, according to a 25th-anniversary feature in The Hollywood Reporter from 2018. That episode involved a moment between Sam and Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) that Diane wasn't even there for.
- 12/10/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
When NBC premiered "The Cosby Show" on September 20, 1984, the network effectively claimed ownership of Thursday night primetime television for several decades. This was the unofficial beginning of Must-See TV (the moniker wouldn't be coined until 1993), and the series' ratings prominence throughout the mid- to late-'80s anchored NBC's lineup, allowing them to switch out sitcoms in the 8:30 and 9:30 slots as needed.
The other Thursday half-hour slot deemed untouchable by the network was the 9 p.m. post dominated by "Cheers." Created by James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles, the show built around a neighborhood Boston bar where everybody knows your name bounced around during its first two seasons before permanently bellying up to 9 p.m. for the rest of its 11-season run. It was the lightly ribald counterpart to the family-friendly antics of "The Cosby Show," and it never had a bad season.
These two series changed television history forever,...
The other Thursday half-hour slot deemed untouchable by the network was the 9 p.m. post dominated by "Cheers." Created by James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles, the show built around a neighborhood Boston bar where everybody knows your name bounced around during its first two seasons before permanently bellying up to 9 p.m. for the rest of its 11-season run. It was the lightly ribald counterpart to the family-friendly antics of "The Cosby Show," and it never had a bad season.
These two series changed television history forever,...
- 11/12/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Once upon a time in Boston, there was a bar where everybody knew your name. That bar was the setting for the NBC series "Cheers," which ran for 11 seasons from 1982-1993. Behind this bar was bartender/owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson), a former baseball player and alcoholic who had an on-again-off-again romance with the more cultured (at least she thought so) barmaid Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) started his TV life here, later going on to have his own show, with a revival currently running on Paramount+. George Wendt played the accountant Norm, whose name was yelled every time he walked through the door. Rhea Perlman was Carla, the acerbic cocktail waitress. The show had so many incredible characters, but my favorite was always Cliff Clavin.
Played by John Ratzenberger, Cliff Clavin was a mailman who frequented the bar and always had a string of lovable...
Played by John Ratzenberger, Cliff Clavin was a mailman who frequented the bar and always had a string of lovable...
- 10/29/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
One of the keys to crafting a great sitcom is choosing a unique location. Most television writers live in Los Angeles or New York City, but to be a writer of consequence you've got to be curious about the world around you. This is why so many of the best series take place in cities that aren't major production centers. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" took place in the wintry metropolis of Minneapolis. "The Andy Griffith Show" acquainted us with the offbeat rural denizens of (the fictional) Mayberry, North Carolina. And "Wkrp in Cincinnati" captured the charm of Ohio's Queen City via a struggling Am radio station.
When it comes to identifying a city with a sitcom, there is not a more iconic show than "Cheers." Boston is a very strange, very old city (founded in 1630). It has a rich, if troubling racial history. It's also got a chip on its shoulder.
When it comes to identifying a city with a sitcom, there is not a more iconic show than "Cheers." Boston is a very strange, very old city (founded in 1630). It has a rich, if troubling racial history. It's also got a chip on its shoulder.
- 10/28/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Tonight, the doctor is in again as Kelsey Grammer returns to the small screen as Frasier Crane in the Paramount+ comedy Frasier. The sequel series, with an almost entirely new cast, will drop the first two episodes of Season 1 at midnight Pt.
The titular character made his television debut in Season 3 of NBC’s Emmy-winning series Cheers, which aired originally in 1984. When Cheers concluded in 1993, Frasier moved to Seattle and his story continued in the eponymous spinoff series. Grammer will come full circle in Season 1 of the Paramount+ series as his character returns to Boston, the city where it all began for him, and where the bar where everybody knows your name is located.
For a third time as part of the Cheers-verse, Grammer reunited with renowned TV producer and director James Burrows. Burrows co-created Cheers alongside Glen and Les Charles and also directed multiple episodes of the Og Frasier.
The titular character made his television debut in Season 3 of NBC’s Emmy-winning series Cheers, which aired originally in 1984. When Cheers concluded in 1993, Frasier moved to Seattle and his story continued in the eponymous spinoff series. Grammer will come full circle in Season 1 of the Paramount+ series as his character returns to Boston, the city where it all began for him, and where the bar where everybody knows your name is located.
For a third time as part of the Cheers-verse, Grammer reunited with renowned TV producer and director James Burrows. Burrows co-created Cheers alongside Glen and Les Charles and also directed multiple episodes of the Og Frasier.
- 10/12/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
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Before "Cheers" ever got to rolling cameras on its very first episode, "Give Me a Ring Sometime," the show went through a great deal of evolution. In fact, the central "will they or won't they" relationship at the heart of the show's first five seasons between barkeep Sam Malone and waitress Diane Chambers didn't exist. The original pitch was to have Sam be a barkeep with a female boss, a dynamic the series would come back around to when Kirstie Alley joined the cast in season 6.
Television, maybe more so than any other storytelling medium, lends itself to constant evolution and change. Not only is there constant writing and rewriting while you are making an episode, you have audience feedback that informs how you tell your story as it goes. And sometimes a collaborator comes in that forces the creators...
Before "Cheers" ever got to rolling cameras on its very first episode, "Give Me a Ring Sometime," the show went through a great deal of evolution. In fact, the central "will they or won't they" relationship at the heart of the show's first five seasons between barkeep Sam Malone and waitress Diane Chambers didn't exist. The original pitch was to have Sam be a barkeep with a female boss, a dynamic the series would come back around to when Kirstie Alley joined the cast in season 6.
Television, maybe more so than any other storytelling medium, lends itself to constant evolution and change. Not only is there constant writing and rewriting while you are making an episode, you have audience feedback that informs how you tell your story as it goes. And sometimes a collaborator comes in that forces the creators...
- 8/5/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Thirty years after “Cheers” came to an end, the cast and creatives got back together on Friday night, courtesy of the Atx TV Festival in Austin, Texas. The reunion panel, hosted by Variety‘s Michael Schneider, included co-creators James Burrows, Les Charles and Glen Charles and actors Ted Danson, George Wendt and John Ratzenberger.
During the conversation, the iconic creators reflected on the making of the show and the cast opened up about how they joined the series and how it’s affected their lives over the years.
“Teddy and Shelly auditioned together and they had chemistry that only makes writing better,” Burrows said of casting Danson and Shelley Long, who portrayed Diane Chambers, Sam’s love interest for five seasons.
For Danson, he praised Long, who wasn’t in attendance: “I don’t think we’d seen a character like that since Lucille Ball. I do believe I was on ‘Cheers’ because of Shelley,...
During the conversation, the iconic creators reflected on the making of the show and the cast opened up about how they joined the series and how it’s affected their lives over the years.
“Teddy and Shelly auditioned together and they had chemistry that only makes writing better,” Burrows said of casting Danson and Shelley Long, who portrayed Diane Chambers, Sam’s love interest for five seasons.
For Danson, he praised Long, who wasn’t in attendance: “I don’t think we’d seen a character like that since Lucille Ball. I do believe I was on ‘Cheers’ because of Shelley,...
- 6/3/2023
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
Updated, 9:10 Am: The Atx TV Festival has announced some additions to its Season 12 lineup. Caitriona Balfe and Sophie Skelton will join creatives for the “Women of Outlander” panel. Also scheduled is “State of the Union: A Conversation with TV’s Leaders” panel featuring creative presidents from Paramount, Universal and NBCUniversal. Tony Gilroy of Disney+’s Andor will join writer Beau Willimon for a conversation about the series’ first season. Additional programming will include Fox’s HouseBroken, Prime Video’s The Ride, FX Networks Mayans M.C. and a “Leading Ladies of Prime Video” panel with Justina Machado, Emeraude Toubia and Gloria Calderón Kellett, among others.
Previous, April 23: The world premiere of FX’s Justified: City Primeval is among the events scheduled for Opening Night of Season 12 of the Atx TV Festival, which runs June 1-4 in Austin.
From showrunners/executive producers Dave Andron and Michael Dinner based on...
Previous, April 23: The world premiere of FX’s Justified: City Primeval is among the events scheduled for Opening Night of Season 12 of the Atx TV Festival, which runs June 1-4 in Austin.
From showrunners/executive producers Dave Andron and Michael Dinner based on...
- 4/27/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Atx TV Festival said Monday that opening night of the June 1-4 event will feature the world premiere of FX’s Justified: City Primeval.
The 12th iteration of the Austin-based television festival also will include a Dawson’s Creek 25th anniversary screening and conversation as well as a discussion with the cast and creatives of Outlander.
Justified: City Primeval, from showrunners/executive producers Dave Andron and Michael Dinner and based on the novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, is an eight-part limited series that picks up 15 years after U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) left the hollers of Kentucky in FX’s Justified. Following the screening will be a conversation with the creatives and cast of the show, which premieres this summer on FX and streams the following day on Hulu.
The Dawson’s Creek retrospective, presented by Sony Pictures Television Studios, will include a screening of the pilot episode,...
The 12th iteration of the Austin-based television festival also will include a Dawson’s Creek 25th anniversary screening and conversation as well as a discussion with the cast and creatives of Outlander.
Justified: City Primeval, from showrunners/executive producers Dave Andron and Michael Dinner and based on the novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, is an eight-part limited series that picks up 15 years after U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) left the hollers of Kentucky in FX’s Justified. Following the screening will be a conversation with the creatives and cast of the show, which premieres this summer on FX and streams the following day on Hulu.
The Dawson’s Creek retrospective, presented by Sony Pictures Television Studios, will include a screening of the pilot episode,...
- 4/3/2023
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the NBC comedy Cheers, George Wendt often stole the show as Norm. Norm was Cheers’ most loyal regular. Every episode when he entered the whole bar shouted his name, and he had a different one liner for every entrance. Cheers ended in 1993 after 11 seasons and Wendt has been busy ever since.
Rhea Perlman and George Wendt | NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
If you’re looking for Wendt today, Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to help. Here’s what Wendt has been up to.
How George Wendt got the role of Norm on ‘Cheers’
After some small roles in films like Bronco Billy and My Bodyguard, and a deleted scene from Somewhere in Time, Wendt moved to Los Angeles in 1980. He got some solid TV appearances including episodes of Hart to Hart, Soap, Alice, and Taxi. It was Taxi that really made an impression, as writers Glen and Les Charles...
Rhea Perlman and George Wendt | NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
If you’re looking for Wendt today, Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to help. Here’s what Wendt has been up to.
How George Wendt got the role of Norm on ‘Cheers’
After some small roles in films like Bronco Billy and My Bodyguard, and a deleted scene from Somewhere in Time, Wendt moved to Los Angeles in 1980. He got some solid TV appearances including episodes of Hart to Hart, Soap, Alice, and Taxi. It was Taxi that really made an impression, as writers Glen and Les Charles...
- 4/2/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Since the NBC comedy Cheers lasted 11 seasons, you could always check in with the regulars. John Ratzenberger played Cliff Clavin on all 11 seasons of the show. Cheers ended in 1993 and Ratzenberger hasn’t stopped working since. Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to catch you up and tell you where to find him now.
John Ratzenberger | NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin on ‘Cheers’
Cliff was in all but one or two episodes of Cheers. He was not a character in the original pilot and Ratzenberger was initially hired as a guest star before they made him a regular.
The story goes that Ratzenberger actually auditioned for the role of Norm. Sensing he was wrong for the part and the audition went badly, Ratzenberger pitched creators Glen and Les Charles on “a bar know-it-all.” They agreed and his first episodes proved Cliff was a vital part of the Cheers gang.
John Ratzenberger | NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin on ‘Cheers’
Cliff was in all but one or two episodes of Cheers. He was not a character in the original pilot and Ratzenberger was initially hired as a guest star before they made him a regular.
The story goes that Ratzenberger actually auditioned for the role of Norm. Sensing he was wrong for the part and the audition went badly, Ratzenberger pitched creators Glen and Les Charles on “a bar know-it-all.” They agreed and his first episodes proved Cliff was a vital part of the Cheers gang.
- 3/30/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Atx TV Festival has added the premieres of “Righteous Gemstones” Season 3 and the second season of Freeform’s “Cruel Summer” to the lineup of its 12th edition, taking place June 1-4 in Austin, Texas.
HBO will host the world premiere screening of the third season of televangelist comedy “The Righteous Gemstones” at the festival, followed by a conversation with Danny McBride, the show’s star, creator, writer and executive producer. Season 3 of the series premieres this summer.
“Cruel Summer,” Freeform’s hit anthology series, will also premiere its second season at the fest. Season 2 features an all-new cast and Pacific Northwest setting, and will explore three timelines centered on the Y2K era. After the screening, cast and creatives will participate in a panel discussion.
The lineup also includes conversations with the cast and showrunner of “Grown-ish,” Seth Meyers of “Late Night,” several hosts from iHeartPodcasts, the executive producer...
HBO will host the world premiere screening of the third season of televangelist comedy “The Righteous Gemstones” at the festival, followed by a conversation with Danny McBride, the show’s star, creator, writer and executive producer. Season 3 of the series premieres this summer.
“Cruel Summer,” Freeform’s hit anthology series, will also premiere its second season at the fest. Season 2 features an all-new cast and Pacific Northwest setting, and will explore three timelines centered on the Y2K era. After the screening, cast and creatives will participate in a panel discussion.
The lineup also includes conversations with the cast and showrunner of “Grown-ish,” Seth Meyers of “Late Night,” several hosts from iHeartPodcasts, the executive producer...
- 3/3/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
The Righteous Gemstones and Cruel Summer are among the additional programming revealed Friday for the 2023 Atx TV Festival.
The 12th edition of the festival, set for June 1-4 in Austin, Texas, will feature the world premiere of season three of the hit HBO show starring Danny McBride, John Goodman, Edi Patterson and Adam Devine. The screening will be followed by a conversation with McBride, who is also the creator, writer and executive producer, and other castmembers.
Season two’s premiere of Cruel Summer, Freeform’s hit anthology series, will be screened at the festival. A panel with some of the new cast will be held afterward.
Also on tap for the festival is a panel with the cast and showrunner of grown-ish, an Emmy-nominated series starring Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner, Diggy Simmons, Trevor Jackson and Daniella Perkins, as well as an exclusive first look at the sixth season.
For the first time,...
The 12th edition of the festival, set for June 1-4 in Austin, Texas, will feature the world premiere of season three of the hit HBO show starring Danny McBride, John Goodman, Edi Patterson and Adam Devine. The screening will be followed by a conversation with McBride, who is also the creator, writer and executive producer, and other castmembers.
Season two’s premiere of Cruel Summer, Freeform’s hit anthology series, will be screened at the festival. A panel with some of the new cast will be held afterward.
Also on tap for the festival is a panel with the cast and showrunner of grown-ish, an Emmy-nominated series starring Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner, Diggy Simmons, Trevor Jackson and Daniella Perkins, as well as an exclusive first look at the sixth season.
For the first time,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cheers is streaming in its entirety on Peacock and Paramount+, and a few seasons are still on Hulu. 11 seasons gives you 273 total episodes to watch, but let’s say you’ve already watched them all. At under 30 minutes each, it would only take you 136 hours, so less than a week if you don’t sleep. Anyway, here are five other shows you might like if you also like Cheers.
L-r: Bebe Neuwirth, Kelsey Grammer, and Ted Danson | CBS via Getty Images ‘Taxi’ was the show that led to ‘Cheers’
Glen and Les Charles were writers on Taxi when they enlisted director James Burrows to create Cheers with them. So, in many ways it’s an origin story. The cast of Taxi checked into their dispatch center where they would commiserate over the wacky passengers and shenanigans that had ensued.
The cast included Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Jeff Conaway,...
L-r: Bebe Neuwirth, Kelsey Grammer, and Ted Danson | CBS via Getty Images ‘Taxi’ was the show that led to ‘Cheers’
Glen and Les Charles were writers on Taxi when they enlisted director James Burrows to create Cheers with them. So, in many ways it’s an origin story. The cast of Taxi checked into their dispatch center where they would commiserate over the wacky passengers and shenanigans that had ensued.
The cast included Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Jeff Conaway,...
- 2/27/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The NBC comedy Cheers comes from a bygone era of television, one in which theme songs were integral to the series. The Cheers theme song was memorable with its chorus “where everybody knows your name.” Today, most shows can’t spare 30 seconds for a theme song. The new Night Court throws fans a bone with just 10 seconds of it. NBC had other issues with the opening of Cheers in the ‘80s.
L-r: Nicholas Colasanto, Rhea Perlman, Shelley Long, and Ted Danson | Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Cheers writer Ken Levine revealed the 2 issues the Cheers theme song and opening titles caused the network on his Hollywood & Levine podcast. It wasn’t the lyrics, which the creators of the show changed prior to the pilot.
‘Cheers’ opening titles didn’t show cast photos
As “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” played, Cheers did not show photographs of the actors. Instead,...
L-r: Nicholas Colasanto, Rhea Perlman, Shelley Long, and Ted Danson | Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Cheers writer Ken Levine revealed the 2 issues the Cheers theme song and opening titles caused the network on his Hollywood & Levine podcast. It wasn’t the lyrics, which the creators of the show changed prior to the pilot.
‘Cheers’ opening titles didn’t show cast photos
As “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” played, Cheers did not show photographs of the actors. Instead,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
It’s almost time for TV camp. Atx TV Festival, which will take place June 1-4 in Austin, Texas, announced its first batch of programming for Season 12 on Thursday.
At the 2023 event, producer and creator James Burrows will be presented with the annual “Achievement in Television eXcellence” Award. The co-creator of “Cheers” will participate in a conversation about his career; Burrows has directed more than 1,000 episodes of hit TV, including credits on “Taxi,” “Friends” and “Will & Grace.”
“James Burrows’ imprint on TV as a medium is unparalleled, and his impact on so many TV fans’ lives — including our own — cannot be overstated,” says director of programming Jennifer Morgan. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate his indelible career and the joy his work continues to bring to the industry and viewers alike.”
The “Achievement in Television eXcellence” Award was first given out in 2014. Burrows joins previous honorees Henry Winkler,...
At the 2023 event, producer and creator James Burrows will be presented with the annual “Achievement in Television eXcellence” Award. The co-creator of “Cheers” will participate in a conversation about his career; Burrows has directed more than 1,000 episodes of hit TV, including credits on “Taxi,” “Friends” and “Will & Grace.”
“James Burrows’ imprint on TV as a medium is unparalleled, and his impact on so many TV fans’ lives — including our own — cannot be overstated,” says director of programming Jennifer Morgan. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate his indelible career and the joy his work continues to bring to the industry and viewers alike.”
The “Achievement in Television eXcellence” Award was first given out in 2014. Burrows joins previous honorees Henry Winkler,...
- 11/10/2022
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
David Davis, the Emmy-winning writer and producer whose heyday in the 1970s included invaluable work on the enduring network sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi, has died. He was 86.
Davis died Friday in Los Angeles, his daughter Samantha Davis-Friedman told The Hollywood Reporter.
Survivors include his wife, actress Julie Kavner, best known as the voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons. Davis recommended her for the part of Brenda Morgenstern, Valerie Harper‘s insecure sister on Rhoda — it was her first paying job as an actress — and they were together since 1976.
Rhoda “gave me my life, it gave me my career, it gave me the love of my life, David Davis,” Kavner said in a 2009 interview.
A member of the Mtm Enterprises production company founded by Grant Tinker and Mary Tyler Moore, Davis started out on Mtm’s inaugural series,...
David Davis, the Emmy-winning writer and producer whose heyday in the 1970s included invaluable work on the enduring network sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, The Bob Newhart Show and Taxi, has died. He was 86.
Davis died Friday in Los Angeles, his daughter Samantha Davis-Friedman told The Hollywood Reporter.
Survivors include his wife, actress Julie Kavner, best known as the voice of Marge Simpson on The Simpsons. Davis recommended her for the part of Brenda Morgenstern, Valerie Harper‘s insecure sister on Rhoda — it was her first paying job as an actress — and they were together since 1976.
Rhoda “gave me my life, it gave me my career, it gave me the love of my life, David Davis,” Kavner said in a 2009 interview.
A member of the Mtm Enterprises production company founded by Grant Tinker and Mary Tyler Moore, Davis started out on Mtm’s inaugural series,...
- 11/5/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It was almost cancelled after the first season due to low ratings. However, critical praise, studio support and a strong showing at the Emmys saved this little series from extinction, and it went on to become one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since the debut of “Cheers” on September 30, 1982.
Director James Burrows and writers Glen Charles and Les Charles created a premise that was simple and a nod to the successful screwball comedies of old: a prissy, elitist feminist meets a womanizing, flippant “commoner” and the sparks fly. Set in a bar with a wise-cracking waitress, a befuddled bartender and a couple of beer-guzzling barflies, there were endless opportunities for crazy situations and to introduce oddball characters. Thus began our love affair with Sam Malone (Ted Danson), Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman), Ernie “Coach” Pantusso...
Director James Burrows and writers Glen Charles and Les Charles created a premise that was simple and a nod to the successful screwball comedies of old: a prissy, elitist feminist meets a womanizing, flippant “commoner” and the sparks fly. Set in a bar with a wise-cracking waitress, a befuddled bartender and a couple of beer-guzzling barflies, there were endless opportunities for crazy situations and to introduce oddball characters. Thus began our love affair with Sam Malone (Ted Danson), Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman), Ernie “Coach” Pantusso...
- 9/23/2022
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It was almost cancelled after the first season due to low ratings. However, critical praise, studio support and a strong showing at the Emmys saved this little series from extinction, and it went on to become one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since the debut of “Cheers” on September 30, 1982.
Director James Burrows and writers Glen Charles and Les Charles created a premise that was simple and a nod to the successful screwball comedies of old: a prissy, elitist feminist meets a womanizing, flippant “commoner” and the sparks fly. Set in a bar with a wise-cracking waitress, a befuddled bartender and a couple of beer-guzzling barflies, there were endless opportunities for crazy situations and to introduce oddball characters. Thus began our love affair with Sam Malone (Ted Danson), Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman), Ernie “Coach” Pantusso...
Director James Burrows and writers Glen Charles and Les Charles created a premise that was simple and a nod to the successful screwball comedies of old: a prissy, elitist feminist meets a womanizing, flippant “commoner” and the sparks fly. Set in a bar with a wise-cracking waitress, a befuddled bartender and a couple of beer-guzzling barflies, there were endless opportunities for crazy situations and to introduce oddball characters. Thus began our love affair with Sam Malone (Ted Danson), Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman), Ernie “Coach” Pantusso...
- 9/23/2022
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
ABC is celebrating Norman Lear’s 100th birthday with a television special on Sept. 22.
Variety was on hand for exclusive interviews with Lear and his starry guests as they made their way into the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel earlier this month for the filming of the show, “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter.”
Lear, who turned 100 on July 27, has famously credited laughing as the key to living a long life. He also told me that staying in the present is equally as important. “We don’t pay enough attention to the words ‘over’ and ‘next,'” he said. “When something is over, it’s over and we’re all onto the next. If there was a hammock in the middle, that would be the best description I could offer for living in the moment.”
Below, Lear’s friends and the stars of his most famous sitcoms recall meeting the icon for the first time.
Variety was on hand for exclusive interviews with Lear and his starry guests as they made their way into the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel earlier this month for the filming of the show, “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter.”
Lear, who turned 100 on July 27, has famously credited laughing as the key to living a long life. He also told me that staying in the present is equally as important. “We don’t pay enough attention to the words ‘over’ and ‘next,'” he said. “When something is over, it’s over and we’re all onto the next. If there was a hammock in the middle, that would be the best description I could offer for living in the moment.”
Below, Lear’s friends and the stars of his most famous sitcoms recall meeting the icon for the first time.
- 9/22/2022
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
On a Thursday night in September 1982, a new NBC sitcom, Cheers, debuted to the sound of crickets. Eleven years later, 80 million people tuned in to watch its series finale. During the course of a little more than a decade, how did an ensemble cast of loveable losers at a Boston bar — real people with real problems — manage to become television's top comedy and ratings juggernaut?
Created by director James Burrows and writer-producers Glen and Les Charles, Cheers succeeded by replacing set-up and punchlines with smart comedy, conversations and characters, stories and structure in a sea of ...
Created by director James Burrows and writer-producers Glen and Les Charles, Cheers succeeded by replacing set-up and punchlines with smart comedy, conversations and characters, stories and structure in a sea of ...
- 5/20/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
We all know about Frasier, but what about the Cheers spinoffs that didn't happen? Recently, creators James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles spoke with Variety about the legacy of the NBC TV show.The long-running sitcom starred Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Nicholas Colasanto, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, and Kelsey Grammer. The show ran for 11 seasons before ending in 1993.Read More…...
- 5/19/2018
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
In the cutthroat environment of the prime-time landscape, it’s not unheard of for a series to make its debut and receive its walking papers within the same week. For a sitcom to end its first season rated #74 out of 77 shows yet still survive to see a second season, that’s nothing short of miraculous. Yet that’s exactly what happened with “Cheers” — and look how things worked out: Not only did this conceptually simple show about a Boston bar owned and its stable of regulars find its way out of its ratings doldrums, it became the top-rated television series in America, carrying on for eleven seasons before anyone said, “Last call!”
When “Cheers” closed its doors on May 20, 1993, NBC pulled out all the stops, promoting the finale so vociferously that any series would’ve had trouble living up to the hype. Thankfully, the episode was every bit the ratings...
When “Cheers” closed its doors on May 20, 1993, NBC pulled out all the stops, promoting the finale so vociferously that any series would’ve had trouble living up to the hype. Thankfully, the episode was every bit the ratings...
- 5/18/2018
- by Will Harris
- Variety Film + TV
Cheers Season 1, Episode 1 ‘Give Me A Ring Sometime’
Written by Glen Charles & Les Charles
Directed by James Burrows
Aired 9/30/1982 on NBC
Every time I watch the Cheers pilot, I’m always amazed at just how low-key it is. ‘Give Me a Ring Sometime’ doesn’t try to get anybody’s attention with flashy characters or some convoluted premise: as the cold open suggests, this is just another day at a bar in Boston, where an ex-baseball player serves his friends and lends his ear to the working man. It’s suck a quiet, unassuming scene, it’s no surprise that it didn’t draw in a huge audience for the second episode (or the entire first season, really). As Sam prepares the bar for work, a clearly underage kid comes in and tries to order a beer with a military ID. Sam can see the it coming a mile away,...
Written by Glen Charles & Les Charles
Directed by James Burrows
Aired 9/30/1982 on NBC
Every time I watch the Cheers pilot, I’m always amazed at just how low-key it is. ‘Give Me a Ring Sometime’ doesn’t try to get anybody’s attention with flashy characters or some convoluted premise: as the cold open suggests, this is just another day at a bar in Boston, where an ex-baseball player serves his friends and lends his ear to the working man. It’s suck a quiet, unassuming scene, it’s no surprise that it didn’t draw in a huge audience for the second episode (or the entire first season, really). As Sam prepares the bar for work, a clearly underage kid comes in and tries to order a beer with a military ID. Sam can see the it coming a mile away,...
- 7/1/2013
- by Randy
- SoundOnSight
The Sopranos was named the best-written show in television history by the Writers Guild of America, edging out an eclectic collection of some of the most beloved and admired series. Members of the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) voted online for the 101 Best Written TV Series, with David Chase’s iconic “family” drama topping Seinfeld, The Twilight Zone, All in the Family, and M*A*S*H*.
“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers...
“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers...
- 6/3/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside TV
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