Les Charles Movies

Originally telecast as a two-hour special (including a 25-minute retrospective of series highlights), the famous final episode of Cheers has since been re-edited as three separate half-hour installments for syndication. In the concluding 30 minutes of this fourth-highest-rated series finale in TV history, Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) have rekindled their romance and are on the verge of getting married. But this would require Sam to relocate to California -- and to close up Cheers. And what will become of the rest of the gang? Well, at least we know what happened to Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast as a two-hour special (including a 25-minute retrospective of series highlights), the famous final episode of Cheers has since been re-edited as three separate half-hour installments for syndication. In part one, Sam (Ted Danson) is surprised to see his former fiancée Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) on TV, accepting a screenwriting award. Phoning Diane to congratulate her, Sam saves face by claiming that he's happily married -- and she, for the same reason, says the same thing. Meanwhile, plumber Don Santry (Tom Berenger) proposes to Rebecca (Kirstie Alley), who finds it extremely hard to accept even though all of her wants to do so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sylvester Stallone gives comedy another try in this farce set in the 1930s. Angelo "Snaps" Provelone (Stallone) is the wealthy and powerful head of the Chicago mob, but his ailing father (Kirk Douglas) doesn't approve of his life in crime, and on his deathbed, Dad makes Snaps promise to go straight. Determined to honor his late father's wishes, Snaps decides to go into banking -- just as his life has fallen into chaos. Anthony Russano (Vincent Spano) informs Snaps that he's hijacked $50,000 of his money and wants to marry his daughter. Snaps discovers that his daughter Lisa (Marisa Tomei) is actually involved with the chauffeur, Oscar (Jim Mulholland), but Anthony's girlfriend Theresa (Elizabeth Barondes) has convinced her beau that Snaps is her father. Snaps hopes to use this misunderstanding as a way of getting his money back, but in the meantime, he has to deal with a wary banking board, rival mob boss Vendetti (Richard Romanus), prissy elocution coach Thornton (Tim Curry), and Snaps' one-time girlfriend Roxanne (Linda Gray). Oscar's stellar supporting cast includes Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, Harry Shearer, Eddie Bracken, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Bruce Davison. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

As Cheers entered its eighth season, viewers began to wonder if the long-awaited romance between Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) would ever blossom. Certainly Rebecca had not backed down from her determination to marry into wealth, as witnessed by her torrid relationship with Trump-like billionaire corporate raider Robin Colcord (Roger Rees). Perhaps hoping to prove his value in Rebecca's eyes, Sam spent most of season eight trying to buy back Cheers -- only to realize this goal in a most surprising fashion. In other developments, psychiatrists Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) became parents with the birth of baby Frederick. Not long afterward, the much-married Carla (Rhea Perlman) became a widow when her hockey-star husband Eddie LeBec died in a freak accident; Carla's grief quickly turned to rage when she discovered that, not only had Eddie been unfaithful to her, but he'd had another wife in another town all along. Meanwhile, the romance between guileless bartender Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) and wealthy Kelly Gaines (Jackie Swanson) continued along its bumpy but generally satisfying path. The season came to a riotous conclusion when Rebecca's boyfriend Robin was arrested for illegal insider training -- with Sam turning Colcord in out of fear that Rebecca would be implicated. Out of gratitude, the corporation that owned Cheers gave the bar to Sam as a present, leading Rebecca to conclude that Sam had blown the whistle on Robin out of greed. But before Rebecca could renounce Sam once and for all, the couple found themselves locked in a very amorous embrace on the couch in Sam's office -- at which point the seventh season reached its cliffhanger ending. Cheers returned to third place in the ratings during the 1989-90 season, beaten out only by The Cosby Show and the sophomore season of Roseanne. Three Emmys were bestowed upon the series: Ted Danson finally copped a statuette as Outstanding Lead Actor in a comedy; Bebe Neuwirth (not yet a an "official" regular) won as Outstanding Supporting Actress; and the series' sound-mixing team (Robert Crosby, Thomas J. Huth, Sam Black, and Robert Douglass) walked away with its fourth award. Finally, although Cheers spawned no spin-offs this season, it can be said to have godfathered a similar ensemble sitcom assembled by two former Cheersstaffers: Wings, which began a long and healthy run in April 1990, and in the Thursday-night time slot following its "parent" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fans of Cheers greeted the series' sixth season in a heightened state of anticipation and anxiety: Now that series regular Shelley Long (Diane Chambers) had left the show, would her replacement be on the same lofty, laugh-getting level? And how would Cheers owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson) respond to a new female sparring partner? Well, for one thing, Sam no longer owned Cheers. When his marriage to Diane fell through, Sam sold the bar to a huge corporation and used the money to purchase an expensive yacht, whereupon he embarked on a round-the-world cruise. Season six picked up six months after Sam's impulsive act; by this time, the yacht had sunk and Sam was flat broke. Returning to Cheers, Sam hoped to at least secure employment as a bartender, but his prospects looked dim indeed when he found himself clashing with the bar's new manager: Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), a smart, sassy, and sexy young woman who had no intention of succumbing to Sam's charms. Indeed, she declared early on that she was interested only in wealthy men who could advance her career -- men like her immediate boss, Evan Drake (Tom Skerritt). Despite getting off on the wrong foot with Rebecca, Sam was re-hired -- as an assistant to head bartender Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), who had, himself, been hired by Sam two years earlier. Other changes amongst the regulars: Waitress Carla (Rhea Perlman), now married to hockey player Eddie LeBec (Jay Thomas), gave birth to twins (Elvis and Jesse), bringing the number of children under Carla's roof to eight (and she became a grandmother during this season!). Also electing to make their union legal were psychologists Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth). And when not tending bar, Woody began pursuing an acting career, while accountant Norm Peterson (George Wendt) occasionally moonlighted as a house painter. Having spent the better part of season six trying to get into the pants of the rich and desirable Evan, Rebecca was left in the lurch when Drake was transferred to Japan. Would she finally "give in" to the persistent Sam or would she start casting about for another millionaire swain? (The answer, of course, would not be forthcoming until the following season). The departure of Shelley Long apparently had no negative effect on Cheers' popularity: The series remained comfortably in third place in the ratings, just below its Thursday-night NBC "neighbors" The Cosby Show and A Different World. The series also managed to earn another Emmy award, this time for editor Andy Ackerman, and was nominated in ten additional categories. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season six of Cheers picks up some six months after the end of season five, when Sam Malone (Ted Danson) bade farewell to Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) a scant few hours before they were to have become man and wife. Having sold Cheers to a large corporation, Sam purchased a boat and headed off for an around-the-world voyage to forget his troubles. Alas, the boat has sunk, and now an impoverished Sam is back at Cheers, seeking employment at the pub he once owned. The only job open is as assistant bartender -- and in an even more humiliating development, the super-chauvinistic Sam must now take orders from Cheers' new female manager, who is utterly impervious to his manly charms. Kirstie Alley makes her first appearance as Rebecca Howe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As in earlier years, the action in the first episode of Cheers' fourth season was driven by the plot lines left dangling during the previous one. Having ended their romance in Europe, Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) and Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) returned separately to Boston. Diane entered a local convent to pay penance for the "debauchery" she indulged in overseas, while Frasier repaired to Cheers to cry in his beer. Eventually, Diane gave up the cloistered life to return to her waitressing job at Cheers, prompting owner/bartender Sam Malone (Ted Danson) to renew his efforts to rekindle his own romance with her. Just when it seemed that couple was an "item" again, along came attractive Boston councilwoman Janice Eldridge (Kate Mulgrew), who deftly managed to wrap Sam around her little finger. This precipitated the series' three-part fourth season finale, in which Sam and Diane angrily broke off their relationship yet again. But there was a last-minute twist for those who stuck around until the episode's fade-out. As for the other regulars, accountant Norm Peterson (George Wendt) continued his search for a new job and kvetching about his never-seen wife Vera, and postman Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) persisted in spouting useless information to anyone who would listen. Abrasive Cheers waitress Carla (Rhea Perlman), now with six children to support, redoubled her efforts to find a new husband -- and to fend off her slimy ex, Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedaya). With the death of series regular Nicholas Colasanto in February 1985, Cheers was in need of a capable bartender to replace the beloved Coach (whose own demise was finally acknowledged). The man needed was the man found: Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), a gangly naif from Indiana who came into Cheers to meet Coach, with whom he had carried on a correspondence course in bartending. Woody was hired by Sam on the spot. Another future Cheers regular showed up briefly during the February 6, 1986, episode "Second Time Around." As originally conceived, uptight, patronizing, female psychologist Lilith Sternin was supposed to have been a one-shot character, merely another of the many women whom Frasier unsuccessfully tried to date after his split with Diane. But audience response was so positive to Bebe Neuwirth's portrayal of Lilith that the producers decided to bring her back on a recurring basis during the 1986-87 season. Up from 12th to fifth place in the ratings, Cheers not only continued to please the crowd, but also garnered more Emmy awards for its already-burgeoning collection. That year, Emmys were bestowed upon Rhea Perlman for the third time as Outstanding Supporting Actress and the series' sound-mixing crew (Michael Ballin, Robert Douglass, Douglas Gray, and Thomas J. Huth) for the second time. The series also earned nine nominations in other categories. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As season three of Cheers begins, Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane (Shelley Long) are still blaming each other for the breakup of their romance. Diane has herself committed to a mental institution, while Sam goes back to heavy drinking. At the behest of Coach (Nicholas Colasanto), Diane returns to the outside world in hopes of drying Sam out -- with the help of her new boyfriend, psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer, in his first series appearance). This is the first episode of a two-part story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In episode one of Cheers' two-part season two finale, Diane (Shelley Long) is outraged that the public at large still regards Sam (Ted Danson) as being "available." To patch things up with Diane, Sam arranges to have her portrait painted. Unfortunately, the artist, an arrogant poseur named Phillip Semenko (Christopher Lloyd) so enrages Sam that he calls the whole project off -- just as Diane is warming up to the idea. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Just as everyone had anticipated throughout season one of Cheers, season two opened with Boston bar owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) declaring their mutual passion. But romance does not always translate into love, and, after a turbulent 22 episodes, Sam and Diane had broken up over a silly triviality -- or had they? In other developments, Cheers' other waitress, acerbic single mother Carla (Rhea Perlman), again gave birth (her fifth child), and had to endure the wedding of her slime ball ex-husband Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedaya) to the equally odious Loretta (Jean Kasem). And one of Cheers' best customers, trivia-happy postman Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger), heretofore only a recurring character, was now billed among the series' regular stars. While the show had still not cracked the Top 25 in the ratings, it was far more popular than its ABC competition (the now-forgotten It's Not Easy) and gradually catching up to its Thursday-night CBS rival Simon and Simon. Once again, the series took home a shelf-full of Emmy awards -- for Outstanding Comedy Series (second year in a row), Outstanding Supporting Actress (Perlman), Outstanding Film Editing (Andrew Chulack), and Outstanding Writing (David Angell, who like Chulack, won for the episode entitled "Old Flames") -- in addition to eight other nominations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of Cheers' two-part season one finale, Sam's brother Derek (George Ball), a natural-born charmer, pays a visit to the gang. It doesn't take long for Derek to win everyone over -- everyone but Sam, who jealously remains impervious to his brother's appeal. Sam reaches his limit, however, when Derek asks Diane (Shelley Long) to accompany him to Paris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Seldom has a television sitcom opened with such assurance as Cheers. Within the very first episode, the basic setting was firmly established, the characters clearly drawn, and the interrelationships fully defined. Although there would be plenty of "fleshing out" over the next 11 seasons, Cheers knew exactly where it was going from its beginning. Sam Malone (Ted Danson), former star pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and a recovering alcoholic, was the owner and main bartender of the nearly-century-old Boston watering hole Cheers. Assisting Sam behind the counter was Ernie "Coach" Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto), a retired baseball coach and manager with a veritable fountain of colorful anecdotes and sage advice and Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman), acerbic waitress and single mother (she had recently been divorced from the slimy Nick Tortelli, who would not appear on camera until the show's second season). Cheers' regular patrons included Norm Peterson (George Wendt), a perennially underemployed accountant and full-scale worry wart who was forever grousing about his marriage to the never-seen Vera; and, less frequently than Norm during the first season, trivia-spouting, know-it-all postal worker Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger). Other recurring patrons filled in the background, with the notable exception of local scam artist Harry "The Hat" Gittes, played by Harry Anderson as something of a dry run for his starring stint on another sitcom, Night Court. The one square peg in the round hole known as Cheers was Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), an attractive, intellectual graduate student who came into the bar early in the first episode to await the arrival of her boss and fiancé, Professor Sumner Sloan (Michael McGuire). Upon realizing that Sloan had jilted her, the now-unemployed Diane, with no discernible practical skills, was forced to accept a job as a Cheers waitress. This delighted Sam, an inveterate womanizer who regarded Diane as a hot prospect, but was greeted with less than enthusiasm by Carla, who never had a good word to say about anyone. Gradually, Sam came to resent the well-meaning but inherently annoying Diane as much as Carla, but viewers knew that this constantly combative couple were secretly attracted to one another -- even if they would not declare that attraction until the very last episode of season One. Although Cheers' audience was relatively small during its first year, this was more symptomatic of the sorry state of NBC's sitcom lineup in 1982 than any lack of quality. Indeed, only two NBC series even made the Top 25 during that season, and neither was a comedy. Nonetheless, those who did tune in Cheers instead of its chief competition, CBS's Simon and Simon, were enthusiastic in their support, and the series was warmly embraced by the TV industry as a whole. Upon completing its freshman season, Cheers walked away with five Emmy awards: Outstanding Comedy Series; Outstanding Directing (James Burrows for the season finale); Outstanding Lead Actress (Long); Outstanding Writing (Glen and Les Charles for the opener); Outstanding Individual Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences (James Castle and Bruce Bryant); and eight total nominations, including one for the series' now-classic theme song ("Where Everybody Knows Your Name," by Judy Hart-Angelo and Gary Portnoy). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide