Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993.
About[]
The show is set in the Cheers bar (named for the toast "Cheers") in Boston, Massachusetts, where a group of locals meet to drink and have fun.
Starring[]
- Ted Danson as Sam Malone seasons 1-11
- Shelley Long as Diane Chambers 1-5, 11
- Nicholas Colasanto as Ernie "Coach" Pantusso seasons 1-3
- Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli seasons 1-11
- John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin seasons 1-11
- Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd seasons 4-11
- George Wendt as Norm Peterson seasons 1-11
- Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane seasons 3-11
- Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Sternin seasons 4-11
- Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe seasons 6-11
Recurring cast
- Jackie Swanson as Kelly Gaines (24 episodes)
- Woody's rich, naive girlfriend and later wife.
- Roger Rees as Robin Colcord (17 episodes)
- wealthy businessman and love interest for Rebecca.
- Keene Curtis as John Allen Hill (15 episodes)
- proprietor of Melville's in later episodes, who Sam feuds with.
- Jay Thomas as Eddie LeBec (9 episodes)
- Goalie for the Bruins that Carla falls in love with and later marries.
- Richard Doyle as Walter Gaines (8 episodes)
- Kelly's wealthy, aristocratic father.
- Frances Sternhagen as Esther Clavin (7 episodes)
- Cliff's overbearing mother
- Christopher and Kevin Graves as Frederick Crane (6 episodes)
- Frasier and Lilith's son
- Jean Kasem as Loretta Tortelli (6 episodes)
- Nick Tortelli's airheaded wife.
- Dan Hedaya as Nick Tortelli (6 episodes)
- Carla's gruesome ex-husband
- Harry Anderson as Harry "The Hat" Gittes (6 episodes)
- Local con man Sam distrusts intensely
- Gary (6 episodes)
- Rival bar owner that Sam has an increasingly elaborate feud with.
- Evan Drake (6 episodes)
- Corporate head and oblivious love interest of Rebecca's.
- Bernadette Birkett as Vera Peterson (voice) (5 episodes)
- Norm's wife
- Anthony Tortelli (5 episodes)
- one of Carla's sons.
- Annie Tortelli (5 episodes)
- Anthony Tortelli's girlfriend and later wife.
- Anthony Cistaro as Henrí (5 episodes)
- French girl-chaser and layabout, Kelly's friend and Woody's rival for her affection
Guest starring
- Josh Lozoff as Gino Tortelli (4 episodes)
- Carla's lothario son
- Annie Golden as Margaret O'Keefe (4 episodes)
- Cliff's on-again, off-again girlfriend.
- Derek McGrath as Andy Schroeder (4 episodes)
- a psychotic ex-felon obsessed with Diane
- Fred Dryer as Dave Richards (4 episodes)
- former teammate of Sam's and fellow girl-chaser, working in television.
- Eric Christmas as Father Barry (4 episodes)
- Local Catholic priest
- Michael McGuire as Sumner Sloan (3 episodes)
- Diane's former paramour, and professor
- Raye Birk as Walt Twitchell (3 episodes)
- Cheers's postal carrier and a rival of Cliff's.
- Thomas Tulak as Jesse LeBec (3 episodes)
- Danny Kramer as Elvis LeBec (3 episodes)
- The twins Carla and Eddie had.
- Robert Machray as Fire Marshall Dobbins (3 episodes)
- Stern local fire marshall
- Jarrett Lennon as Ludlow Tortelli (3 episodes)
- Carla's precocious son by Dr. Bennett Ludlow.
- Doris Grau as Corrine (3 episodes)
- a relief waitress at Cheers and also a waitress at the Hungry Heifer.
- Webster Williams as Miles (3 episodes)
- Robin's chauffeur
- Leah Remini as Serafina Tortelli (2 episodes)
- one of Carla's daughters
- Peter Keleghan as Kirby (2 episodes)
- man who buys Sam's Corvette.
- Sam Scarber as Lewis (2 episodes)
- Cliff's big scary friend from the post office.
- Peter Vogt as Louis Pascal (2 episodes)
- Lilith's colleague that briefly steals her away from Frasier.
- Gerald Hiken as Dennis (2 episodes)
- Martin Teal's assistant with a gift for sarcasm.
- Tom Berenger as Don Santry (2 episodes)
- A plumber who dates and later proposes to Rebecca.
- Mark King as Marshall Lipton (2 episodes)
- professor at MIT and occasional visitor to Cheers
- Alex Nevil as Martin Teal (2 episodes)
- young corporate bigwig that takes an interest in Rebecca.
- Anne De Salvo as Gloria LeBec (2 episodes)
- Eddie's 'other' wife that Carla discovers after Eddie dies.
- Dean Dittman as Harrison Fiedler (2 episodes)
- Local justice of the peace
- Amanda Wyss as Beth Curtis (2 episodes)
- Woody's ex-girlfriend from Indiana.
- Duncan Ross as Boggs (2 episodes)
- Diane's mother's butler, and later her step-father.
- Robert Cornthwaite as Hives (2 episodes)
- Mr. Gaines's butler.
- Kevin Conroy as Darryl Mead (2 episodes)
- a ballplayer that Carla likes.
- Georgia Brown as Madame Lazora (2 episodes)
- Carla's spiritualist guide.
- Thomas Haden Church as Gordie Brown (1 episode)
- A colleague of Eddie who informs Carla of his death.
Production[]
It was produced by Charles-Burrows-Charles Productions in association with Paramount Television for NBC, having been created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles.
The concept for Cheers was the end result of a long consideration process. The original idea was a group of workers who interacted like a family, hoping to be similar to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. They considered making an American version of the British Fawlty Towers centered around a hotel or an inn. When the creators settled on a bar as their setting the show began to resemble the radio show Duffy's Tavern. They liked the idea of a tavern as it provided a continuous stream of new people arriving, giving them a constant supply of characters. Picture of Bull & Finch Pub in Boston in 2005. This view is similar to the opening credits of the show.
After choosing a main plot, the three had to choose a location. Early discussions centered around Barstow, California, then Kansas City, Missouri. They eventually turned to the East Coast and Boston. The Bull & Finch Pub in Boston that Cheers was styled after was originally chosen from a phone book. When Glen Charles asked the owner to shoot initial exterior and interior shots the owner agreed, charging $1. He has since gone on to make millions, licensing the pub's image and selling a variety of Cheers memorabilia, making the Bull & Finch the 42nd busiest outlet in the American food and beverage industry in 1997. Coincidentally, during the casting of Shelley Long (who was in Boston at the time filming A Small Circle of Friends), Long remarked that the bar in the script resembled a bar she had come upon in Boston, which turned out to be the Bull & Finch.
Most Cheers episodes were shot before a live studio audience on Paramount Stage 25, generally on Tuesday nights. Scripts for a new episode were issued the Wednesday before for a read-through, Friday was rehearsal day, and final scripts were issued on Monday. Nearly 100 crewmembers were involved in the shooting of any given episode. Burrows, who directed most episodes, insisted on shooting on film rather than videotape. He was also noted for using motion in his directorial style, trying to always keep characters moving rather than standing still.
Crew[]
The crew of Cheers numbered in the hundreds; as such, this section only provides a brief summary of the many crewmembers for the show. The three creators — James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles — stayed on throughout the series as executive producers along with Tom Palmer. In fact, the two Charles brothers kept offices on Paramount's lot for the duration of the Cheers run. In the final seasons, however, they handed over much of the show to Burrows. Burrows is regarded as being a factor in the show's longevity, directing 243 of the episodes and supervising the show's production. David Angell was also a part of the crew from the start, writing many Cheers episodes. The show was often noted for its writing, which most credit, along with other production factors and the ensemble cast, for the show's success.
Trivia[]
The show's three creators, as as future Cheers writer Sam Simon, previously worked with each other when they were involved with the sitcom Taxi. Taxi also guest appearances by Cheers regular Rhea Perlman and Ted Danson. Though he served as the employer of the Cheers creators during the Taxi years, legendary television and film producer James L. Brooks had no direct public involvement with the production of Cheers. However, like Taxi, Cheers was produced by Paramount Televison.