The Bartender's Tale is the twenty-third episode of season three of the NBC series Cheers.
Synopsis[]
Carla demands Sam hire a replacement for Diane that he won't lose because of his skirt-chasing. They find an excellent waitress, but her beautiful daughter presents a problem for Sam when Carla insists he keep his hands off her as well, or Carla will quit.
Cast[]
- Shelley Long as Diane Chambers
- Ted Danson as Sam Malone
- Nicholas Colasanto as "Coach" Ernie Pantusso (credit only)
- Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli
- John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin
- George Wendt as Norm Peterson
Recurring / Guest stars:
- Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane
- Tim Cunningham as Tim
- Lila Kaye as Lillian Huxley
- Camilla Moore as Carolyn Huxley
- Rhonda Shear as Sydney
- Brynja Willis as Brenda Wood
- Gregory Snegoff as Bellboy
Plot Summary[]
Trivia and Notes[]
- This was the first episode shot after Nicholas Colasanto's sudden passing. The portrait of Geronimo that belonged to him can now be seen in the Cheers background. Colasanto had kept a picture of Geronimo in his dressing room as a good luck charm, and after his death, that picture was hung on the bar/set wall in memory of "Nicky." This is the first episode in which the picture can be seen, behind Ted Danson after Lila spins him around at the bar and the camera angle changes so that the far wall where the piano stands can be seen. Though it moves around a bit depending on the episode, that photograph stayed on the wall permanently.
- Shelley Long and Rhea Perlman were both pregnant during this season. While Perlman's pregnancy was incorporated into the show as her character becoming pregnant, Long's was hidden, as she wore bulky clothing and hid behind the bar counter for many episodes. This episode begins the story arc of Diane and Frasier traveling to Italy. These scenes, clearly depicting Long with the slender physique she'd had in past seasons, were filmed much earlier in production of season 3 than the other scenes in the final episodes of the season, before Long's pregnancy became noticeable.
- Carla tells Cliff that she clears $500/week after tips, a fact which Norm confirms. After accounting for inflation and assuming that she works year-round, this means she was making the equivalent of US$62,000+ per year, in 2020 dollars.
- Lila Kaye played Lillian Huxley, an English barmaid with a heart of gold and a checkered past. She played a similar role in An American Werewolf in London (1981). (She plays a barmaid for The Slaughtered Lamb, an English pub).