Ted Danson Movies
The son of a prominent archaeologist/museum director, American actor Ted Danson grew up near the Navajo reservation in Arizona. He played basketball while at Kent School Connecticut, and then moved on to Stanford University. It was in the process of getting acquainted with an aspiring actress at Stanford that Danson found himself attending his first audition-- and by years' end had transferred to the drama department at Carnegie Tech. Marking time in non-speaking roles, Danson left the stage for the more lucrative world of TV commercials, some of which have been well-circulated on videotape since Danson has become famous. Danson's first steady TV work was as a slimy villain on the NBC soap opera Somerset. Shortly afterward, the actor attained his first film role, as a murdered cop, in The Onion Field (1978). After seeing Danson in the movie Body Heat (1981) and in an episode of the TV series Taxi, producer Glen Charles cast the actor as Sam Malone, ex-sports star and full-time barkeeper and womanizer, on the long-running, well-loved sitcom Cheers He won Emmys for the 1989-90 and 1992-93 seasons. Frequently making attempts at film stardom during the 11-season run of Cheers, Danson finally struck gold in Three Men and a Baby (1987) and its sequel Three Men and a Little Lady (1990). Danson's most recent work includes the 1996 starring role in the TV miniseries Gulliver's Travels and a co-starring role, opposite his new wife Mary Steenburgen, in the television sit-com Ink (also 1996). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Actor Saul Rubinek made his directorial debut with this crime comedy adapted by Rick Cleveland and from his own 1994 one-act play. Hit man Tom (Joe Mantegna) and his apprentice Jerry (Sam Rockwell), wait in a deserted Chicago bar for the phone-call command to execute the hooded Stanley (Peter Riegert), sitting before them in a chair. To pass the time, Stanley tells a few jokes. Background is established as they make various hits before returning to the situation seen in the opening. The film features highly unusual visual transitions from one setting to another. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Mantegna, Sam Rockwell, (more)
In this comedy thriller, set in northern California, inept but lovable pot farmers Jack Madsen (Billy Bob Thornton) and Carter (Hank Azaria) work for San Francisco entrepreneur Malcolm Stockman (John Lithgow), who arrives for a visit via copter. As soon as Malcolm steps out, the copter pilot shoots him and takes off, leaving the two aghast along with apprentice Harlan (Ryan Phillippe). Minus a boss, the naive trio deduces no paychecks are forthcoming, so they collect cannabis for a big payoff and head to the nearby town where they meet up with go-between Lucy (Kelly Lynch). However, their explanations of Malcolm's whereabouts and their sudden need to sell some of the crop arouse suspicions, while their lazy days on the dope farm have left them unprepared as businessmen seeking buyers for millions in contraband. They soon find themselves in a shadowy new world of greed, paranoia, and duplicity. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, John Lithgow, (more)
Originally aired on the NBC network as a two-part miniseries, this all-star adventure is perhaps one of the most complete and faithful retellings of 18th-century author Jonathan Swift's epic social satire on film. Nine years after he set sail from England, a bedraggled, disoriented Dr. Lemuel Gulliver (Ted Danson) returns to his home. His faithful wife (Mary Steenburgen) is delighted to see him, but also troubled, for in Gulliver's absence the conniving Dr. Bates (James Fox) has taken over Gulliver's home and practice and is also trying to force Gulliver's wife to marry him. During his recovery, Gulliver raves and acts out his fantastic adventures at sea wherein he encountered the diminutive but contentious Lilliputians, the gigantic Brobdingnag's and their egalitarian society, the Laputas, who live upon a flying island, and the Houyhnhnmland, intelligent talking horses living in a land populated by wild humans. Scenes of his adventures are deftly interspersed with Gulliver's present predicament in which Dr. Bates, wanting Lemuel's wife and son, has placed the traveller in Bedlam, London's famous insane asylum where he awaits a hearing to determine his sanity. Gulliver's young son holds the key to his release. Filmed on location in Portugal and England, this miniseries is set apart by a top-notch cast and exceptional special effects. In addition to the aforementioned actors, the cast includes Peter O'Toole, Geraldine Chaplin, Sir John Gielgud, Omar Sharif and Alfre Woodard. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson
- 1995
Another of Kelsey Grammer's former Cheers co-stars makes a guest appearance on Frasier. This time it is Ted Danson, reprising his role as ballplayer-turned-bartender Sam Malone. Upon linking up with Frasier, Sam claims he has come to Seattle to get a tryout with the Mariners. Before long, however, the truth comes out: Sam has run away from his own wedding. Frasier offers to help his old friend--only to regret these words upon discovering that he himself has had a "close encounter" with Sam's fiancée, Sheila (Téa Leoni). Inside jokes abound in this episode, including a reference to Frasier's "late" father (who of course isn't late yet) and an annotated update on the gang from the Boston tavern "where everybody knows your name." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A scientist finds himself walking a fine line between reason and fantasy in this family-oriented drama. Dr. Jonathan Dempsey (Ted Danson) is an American scientist who has devoted his career to searching out the truth behind contemporary legends and psudeo-scientific phenomena like Bigfoot, which has not gained him much credibility among his peers. Dempsey's superior, Dr. Mercer (Harris Yulin), has a new project that would seem to be right up his alley -- Mercer wants Dempsey to travel to Scotland to prove once and for all that there is no such thing as the Loch Ness Monster. Dempsey takes the assignment and settles into a small hotel near the Loch run by Laura MacFeteridge (Joely Richardson), a single mother with a young daughter, Isabel (Kirsty Graham). Isabel strikes up an immediate friendship with Dempsey while her mother soon takes a more mature interest in the American scientist, but most of the locals don't take kindly to the notion of an outsider flying in to prove that Nessie isn't real, especially the town's self-proclaimed monster expert the Water Bailiff (Ian Holm). What Dempsey does learn about Nessie surprises him a great deal -- and so does his decision about what to do with his findings. Jim Henson's Creature Shop pitched in for the special effects sequences with Nessie. Loch Ness was released theatrically in Europe, but had its American premiere as a network television presentation. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Joely Richardson, (more)
A dysfunctional family reunites during the Apollo XI moon landing in this drama starring real-life couple Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. In 1969, eccentric teacher Washington Bellamy (Danson) turns the arrival of men on the moon into a science project for his son Andy (Ryan Todd). They drive across the country to Idaho's Spires of the Moon National Park, where the odometer of Washington's classic Pontiac Chief will read 238,857, the exact mileage traveled by Apollo XI. Left behind is wife and mother Katherine (Steenburgen), an agoraphobic who never recovered emotionally from a miscarriage seven years earlier. On the road, Washington and Andy encounter a Native American soldier (Eric Schweig), a flirty barfly (Cathy Moriarty) and Washington's long-lost brother (Max Gail). Back home, Katherine nervously ventures outside to follow her family. When Washington's car breaks down, he steals a new engine, bringing the authorities after him and leading to a rendezvous at the park between father, son, mother, and cops, as the astronauts simultaneously land on the moon. Pontiac Moon (1994) was a critical lemon for director Peter Medak, who enjoyed more success with his British crime dramas such as The Krays (1990) and Let Him Have It (1991). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, (more)
A criminal trying to reform is forced to endure the most humiliating punishment of all -- hanging out with his son -- in this family comedy. Ray Gleason (Ted Danson) is a thief whose ambitions far outstrip both his skill and his intelligence; Ray is just bright enough to have realized this, and he's decided to go straight and open a bake shop (he learned how to decorate cakes during his last stay in prison). However, Ray needs to raise some working capital, so in association with his buddies Bobby (Saul Rubinek) and Carl (Gailard Sartain) he is planning his last heist, in which they hope to walk away with a highly valuable collection of rare coins. Ray also happens to have an 11-year-old son, Timmy (Macaulay Culkin), whose mother died several years ago; Timmy has been living with his aunt, but when she gets married and goes away on her honeymoon, Timmy ends up staying with Ray. Timmy is a lot smarter than his dad and quickly figures out what Ray and his cronies have been up to; he's long felt a great deal of resentment toward his father for not being around when he needed him, so Timmy steals the loot from the robbery and uses it to blackmail Ray into spending some quality time with him. Timmy also thinks that it's high time Ray settled down, so when he notices that Theresa (Glenne Headly), an undercover cop, has been following Ray's trail, Timmy tries to play matchmaker and bring them together. Getting Even with Dad would prove to be the next-to-last screen appearance for former pre-teen superstar Macaulay Culkin; he was 14 when this film was released, and within five years he was a married man attending the Rhode Island School of Design. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Macaulay Culkin, Ted Danson, (more)
Richard Benjamin directed this farce that plays like "Guess Who's Coming for Insemination?" Whoopi Goldberg stars as Sarah Matthews, who runs an African-American oriented bookstore in Oakland. She is raising her daughter, a beautiful high school student named Zora (Nia Long), on her own after her husband's death many years earlier. As a result of a science class blood test, Zora discovers that the man she thought was her father actually wasn't. Instead Zora finds she was the result of artificial insemination. After researching the sperm bank's records, Zora discovers, much to the surprise of Sarah and herself, that the anonymous sperm donor is in fact, Hal Jackson (Ted Danson), a loud, crude obnoxious (and white) used-car dealer who advertises on late-night television. Zora visits Hal while he is filming a commercial and Hal brushes her off. Enraged, Sarah tells Hal off, but after meeting Zora he now feels a paternal itch. Not only that, but he is beginning to feel an attraction to Sarah. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Danson, (more)
- 1992
Jason and Justine Bateman help teens work through challenging issues in How Can I Tell If I'm Really in Love?. Discussing dating and intimacy, the brother and sister celebrities speak casually but candidly. They offer personal advice and tackle hard questions, explaining why sex is not love, and how best to tell if you're really in love with another person. The actor siblings' tone is upbeat and never condescending. Students from University High School in Los Angeles participate in the lively discussion. ~ Betsy Boyd, All Movie Guide
Although Cheers had dropped from first to eighth place in the ratings from 1990 to 1992, its 11th and final season still enjoyed a very healthy viewership; in fact, its closing episode ranks as the fourth highest-rated series finale in TV history. Highlighting the show's climactic season was the new design for Cheers (necessitated by a fire precipitated by a chain-smoking Rebecca [Kirstie Alley]); the breakup of the marriage of Frasier and Lilith Crane (Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth); the election of newly-married Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) to Boston's city council; and the very last scene of the very last show, in which the garrulous Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) finally revealed the meaning of life: "Shoes." The biggest event of season eleven was, of course, the long-awaited return of former series regular Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, which occurred during the aforementioned two-hour finale (actually 90 minutes if one discounts the series retrospective that ran just before the episode, itself). Now a successful TV writer, Diane was invited back to Boston by Sam Ted Danson, whereupon they both spun tall tales about their nonexistent happy marriages before coming to the realization that they were still very much in love. Once again, Sam proposed; once again, Diane accepted; and once again, the marriage never came off, prompting Sam to close Cheers permanently. While the bar's customers and crew pondered over their futures, the audience was assured that least one of the regulars, Frasier, would be headlining his own sitcom come September. Going out in a blaze of glory, Cheers won the last of its multitude of Emmy awards. On this occasion, the statuettes went to Danson (for the second time) and film editor Robert Bramwell, who had assembled the valedictory episode "One for the Road." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, (more)
Picking up where season nine left off, the tenth season of Cheers began with Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) reluctantly agreeing to be the mother of Sam Malone's (Ted Danson) child. Romance did not enter into the picture: Both Rebecca and Sam were responding to the incessant ticking of their respective biological clocks. Ultimately, the consummation never came off, and the two agreed to stay friends, and friends only. Having spent several seasons as a recurring character, Lilith Sternin-Crane (played by Emmy-winner Bebe Neuwirth) was elevated to "also starring" status, although she still did not appear in every episode. Meanwhile, Lilith's husband, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), finally grew the beard that would remain his trademark until the series finally breathed its last. Season ten concluded with the series' first hour-long episode, in which Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) and Kelly Gaines (Jackie Swanson) were married. The event was deemed worthy of a TV Guide cover -- and it certainly did not disappoint, filled as it was with such last-minute complications as a dead minister and a gun-wielding jealous husband. Having attained the number one slot during its previous season, Cheers dropped back to fourth place, tied with ABC's Home Improvement. For the first time since the series debuted in 1982, Cheers was not honored with an Emmy, although it earned eight nominations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, (more)
Season nine of Cheers picked up where the eighth had left off, with Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) poised to consummate their newfound romance on the couch in Sam's office. "Interruptus" came in the form of Rebecca's billionaire boyfriend Robin Colcord (Roger Rees), now on the lam from the law for illegal stock trading. Gradually, Sam came to realize that his relationship with Rebecca was not to be -- although upon agreeing to marry the newly-released Robin, Rebecca developed an acute case of cold feet at the very last minute, leaving her technically free for a unique "business arrangement" dreamed up by Sam. Elsewhere, Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) continued juggling careers as a bartender and actor, and also persisted in his romantic relationship with wealthy Kelly Gaines (Jackie Swanson), despite the interference of Kelly's amorous French acquaintance Henri (Anthony Cistaro). Sam Malone likewise had a new nemesis in the form of the imperious John Hill (Keene Curtis), landlord of the building housing Cheers and the owner of the posh restaurant Melville's, which occupied the building's second floor. After babysitting for new parents Frasier and Lilith Crane (Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth), a profoundly affected Sam decided that he, too, would like to be a father. It so happened that he had also selected the perfect mother for his child: Rebecca. And on this discordant note, season nine came to a close. This was the year that Cheers finally graduated to number one in the ratings, enjoying a 21.3 share. It also earned four more Emmys -- Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Direction (James Burrows), Outstanding Lead Actress (Kirstie Alley), and Outstanding Supporting Actress (the second such honor for Bebe Neuwirth) -- not to mention nominations in nine other categories. And finally, this was the year that former series regular Shelley Long returned -- albeit briefly, and at a considerable distance from her former co-stars -- during an NBC special celebrating Cheers' 200th episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, (more)
Emile Ardolino directed this treacly sequel to Three Men and a Baby. The middle-aged trio of doting fathers -- Peter the architect (Tom Selleck), Michael the cartoonist (Steve Guttenberg) and Jack the actor (Ted Danson) -- have returned, sublimating their swinging bachelor instincts in order to raise 5-year-old Mary (Robin Weisman). The child of Jack and Sylvia (Nancy Travis), Mary was abandoned by Sylvia in the foyer of the boys' apartment house in the first film. In five years, Mary has grown from a diaper-filling infant to a cute kid who insists that the guys sing rap songs to her before she goes to bed. Sylvia now also lives with the bachelors as she pursues a promising Broadway career. Peter, Michael, and Jack dote on the moppet and parenthood has rarely seemed more idyllic. But Sylvia once again disrupts their placid existence. Accepting the marriage proposal of British director and surly cad Edward (Christopher Cazenove), she announces that she and Mary are going to move to England, leaving the boys high and dry. When it turns out that Edward is secretly planning to ship Mary away to a boarding school after the marriage, the three guys race frantically to disrupt Sylvia's wedding. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, (more)
- 1990
A cast of celebrities gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. It is an entertaining special that points out the crisis state of our planet's environment. It provides scientific facts and detailed analysis. The show provides ways in which everyone can participate in saving the planet. There are ways we can do this everyday with the choices we make. It strives to make us all take responsibility for the condition of the environment. The cast entertains and teaches through comedy, singing, and storytelling. The Earth Day Special is an entertaining motivational tool that encourages everyone to do their part in saving the earth. ~ Beth Deki, 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
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, (more)
In this romantic comedy, two people brought together by marriage are brought even closer by their mates. Maria Hardy (Isabella Rossellini) and Larry Konzinski (Ted Danson) first meet at a wedding, where Maria's mother and Larry's uncle are tying the knot. However, the new cousins also have something else in common: Maria's husband Tom (William L. Petersen) is having an affair with Larry's wife, Tish (Sean Young). Maria and Larry get to talking at the wedding reception after their spouses go missing for a while, and they develop a rapport. A friendship grows between them, and they start seeing each other on a regular basis. When Maria confronts Tom about his infidelity, he responds by asking her if she's sleeping with Larry. As Maria and Larry become aware of what's happening between their not-so-better halves, they decide to get revenge by pretending to have an affair as well. However, the longer they pretend to be in love, the more they realize that they aren't pretending after all. Cousins was based on the popular French film Cousin Cousine. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini, (more)
- 1989
This 1989 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Ted Danson and features musical guest Luther Vandross. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Luther Vandross, (more)
Looking like death warmed over, Jack Lemmon plays the aging father of Ted Danson. Always proud of being able to fend for himself, Lemmon despises being reliant upon others, but his enfeebled state does not allow him his old independence. For his part, Danson resents having to care for his dad as he would for an infant. Things take an upward turn when a "Doctor Feelgood" (Zakes Mokae) enters the scene, pumping Lemmon full of self-confidence. But then Lemmon is stricken with cancer, an affliction that he can't jolly himself out of. As the reality of his imminent death strikes everyone around him, Lemmon retreats into fantasy, recalling the past happy events of his life as though they're happening here and now. The rest of the family humors their dying dad, and in so doing draws closer together than they've been in years. TV sitcom maestro Gary David Goldberg co-produced and directed Dad, and also adapted the screenplay from the novel by William Wharton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Ted Danson, (more)
Although, at 22 episodes, the seventh season of Cheers' was the series' shortest since 1983, there was no lack of fascinating plot developments nor any shortage of colorful new characters. Having lost her job as manager of Cheers, Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) swallowed her pride and went to work as the subordinate of the bar's new manager (and former owner) Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Sam continued hoping to make his relationship with Rebecca personal as well as professional, but she wasn't buying. Determined to land a man of wealth who could advance her career, Rebecca was unflagging in this mission. More successful in affairs of the heart were psychologists Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth), now husband and wife -- with a baby on the way. Bartender and erstwhile actor Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) also found the love of his life, a pampered young socialite named Kelly Gaines (Jackie Swanson). Postal worker Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) endured the first of three amorous confrontations with mixed-up Margaret O'Keefe (Annie Golden). And Carla (Rhea Perlman) began to wonder if she could place her trust in her oft-absent hockey player husband Eddie LeBec (Jay Thomas). Perhaps because the series' seventh season began relatively late (October rather than September), Cheers slipped slightly in the overall ratings, from third to fourth place. Even so, the show was again honored generally at Emmy time, with Perlman taking home her fourth Outstanding Supporting Actress statuette and Harrelson winning in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category. (There were also four other Emmy nominations). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, (more)
- 1987
The made-for-TV We are the Children stars Ally Sheedy as an idealistic doctor, working in Ethiopia. When famine hits the land, Sheedy struggles valiantly to protect the hundreds of men, women and children in the village where she works. While so doing, she falls in love with adventurous photojournalist Ted Danson. This story element smacks of contrivance and exploitation when compared to the rest of the film, which features terrific performances by Judith Ivey as a nun and Khadija Ali Ahmed as an anguished Ethiopian mother. Filmed on location in Northern Kenya, We are the Children was first telecast March 16, 1987. ~ 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
- Starring:
- Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, (more)
Three Men and a Baby is an Americanized remake of the 1985 French comedy hit Three Men and a Cradle. Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg play three upwardly mobile New York bachelors who share an apartment. Their even-keel lifestyle is thrown out of whack when a young woman leaves a baby on their doorstep, suspecting that film director Danson is the father. The balance of the film is devoted to milking as much humor as possible out of the situation of three urbane young men trying to play nursemaid with nary a clue of what they're doing (at one point, a desperate Selleck offers Guttenberg a thousand dollars if Guttenberg will change a diaper). A subplot involving drug dealers is thrown in to sustain audience interest after our trio of heroes become accustomed to a baby around the apartment. "Urban legend" aficionados please note: That cardboard cutout of Ted Danson briefly glimpsed in one scene of Three Men and a Baby is not the ghost of a little boy who died in the bachelors' apartment before filming started. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, (more)
