Reid Shelton

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

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

Season six of the raunchy HBO football sitcom 1st & Ten is subtitled "Do it Again" -- meaning that the California Bulls are championship-bound again after a three-year dry spell. Sexy team owner Kristy Fulbright (Shannon Tweed) and foul-mouth coach Ernie Denardo (Reid Shelton) have placed their championship homes on their new star player, Vito Del Greco, alias Johnny Gunn -- played by a decidedly pre-Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Christopher Meloni. Episode titles this season include: "The Book According to Zagreb," "The Con," "False Start," "Mind Games," "Love and Marriage," "Clean and Sober," "Blood Money," "Vindication" "Gunn and Bullette," "Heaven Help Me," "Surprise Surprise," "All is Fair in Love and Football," "Earn This One for Ernie," and "Who Stole Johnny Gunn?". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After two "short" seasons of six and four episodes each, the raunchy HBO football sitcom 1st and Ten offers a full complement of 13 half-hour installments as the series enters season four. This year, the series' subtitle is "Going for Broke," indicating not only the game plan of the California Bulls, but also their perilous financial status. As ever, the three main characters are Delta Burke as voluptuous team owner Diane Barrow, Reid Sheltonas profanity-spewing coach Ernie Denardo, and O.J. Simpson (still a celebrity by accomplishment rather than notoriety during this period) as former quarterback T.D. Parker, now the team's general manager. Episode titles this season include "Ernie's Last Quarter," "A Second Chance Once Removed," "A Loaded Gun," "The Comeback Trail," "Illegal Use of Love," "The Bulls Change Hands," "A Mutiny on the Bull Team," "The Brink of Death," "Call for the Hall," "Blood on the Moon," "Land of the Free (Agent)," "Of Scalpers and Superstars," and "Championship Game Jinx." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season three of the racy HBO football sitcom 1st & Ten bears the subtitle "The Championship," which may or may not bode well for our heroes on the California Bulls. In addition to returning regulars Delta Burke as the Bulls' sexy owner Diane Barrow, and Reid Shelton, as bombastic team coach Ernie Denardo, special emphasis is placed upon quarterback Tom Yinessa, played by Jason Beghe; indeed, the first of the season's four episodes is titled "Yinessa's Interview" (other episodes include "Easy Come, Easy Go," "A Family Affair," and "The Big One"). In another development, quarterback T.D. Parker (played by none other than O.J. Simpson) decides that his playing days are over -- and in a twinkling, he is appointed the Bulls' assistant coach. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Delta Burke as glamorous team owner Diane Barrow and Reid Shelton as unglamorous coach Ernie Denardo continue to guide the destinies of the California Bulls pro football team in the second season of HBO's 1st and Ten. Added to the cast this season is O.J. Simpson -- yes, that O.J. Simpson! -- as veteran quarterback T.D. Parker. The season two episodes all bear the subtitle "Training Camp: The Bulls are Back." This should give the viewer a clue of what to expect in the season's bounty of six half-hour episodes, though the viewer will have to watch the episodes themselves in order to savor their R-rated dialogue, their ample display of female nudity, and their grimy, sweaty gridiron sequences. Episode titles this year include "The Rookies," "The Veterans," "Second Chance," "Quarterbacks Tell No Tales," "California Freeze Out," and "The Unkindest Cut." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast from December 2, 1984 to August 30, 1991, the HBO sitcom First and Ten (aka 1st & Ten) was a raunchy slant on the world of pro football. Delta Burke starred in this pilot and the series' first four seasons as Diane Barrow, who as part of a divorce settlement found herself the owner of the tenth-rate California Bulls. Diane is also saddled with some of the most lewd and lascivious football players ever seen outside of Dallas, including John Manzak (John Matuszak), "Dr. Death" Crunchner (Don Gibb), Zagreb Shkenusky (John Kassir), Tom Yinessa (Jason Beghe), Elvis Putts (Jeff Hochendonner) and "Mad Dog" Smears (Tony Longo). Also on hand were Reid Shelton as Coach Ernie Denardo and the one-and-only O.J. Simpson as General Manager T. D. Parker. Highlights from the first season of First and Ten (minus O.J., who didn't sign on until season two) have been assembled in this 88-minute "feature film." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the wake of such Satanic-themed thrillers as Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist and The Omen comes The Sentinel. When New York fashion model (Cristina Raines) splits with her fiance (Chris Sarandon) and moves into an old brownstone, she soon discovers she has more than she bargained for in the lease. As luck would have it, a mysterious blind priest (John Carradine) who lives upstairs happens to be guarding the doorway to Hell, and she has been chosen as his replacement. Incidentally, when the door is finally opened, out spills an assortment of deformed humans whom director Michael Winner hand-picked from hospital wards and circus sideshows. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide