Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the name of the Boston bar where the show takes place?
What is the name of the Boston bar where the show takes place?
Who was the main character of Cheers?
Who was the main character of Cheers?
Which of the following is NOT a social issue addressed on Cheers?
Which of the following is NOT a social issue addressed on Cheers?
What was the name of the spin-off show that starred Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane?
What was the name of the spin-off show that starred Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane?
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Which of the following celebrities did NOT guest star on Cheers?
Which of the following celebrities did NOT guest star on Cheers?
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What was the made-up date on the Cheers sign that Carla chose for numerology purposes?
What was the made-up date on the Cheers sign that Carla chose for numerology purposes?
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What was the name of the production company that produced Cheers?
What was the name of the production company that produced Cheers?
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What was the name of the character played by John Ratzenberger, who was originally auditioning for a different role?
What was the name of the character played by John Ratzenberger, who was originally auditioning for a different role?
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What was the name of the wealthy executive who Sam often tried to scheme with to buy back Cheers?
What was the name of the wealthy executive who Sam often tried to scheme with to buy back Cheers?
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Study Notes
Cheers: A Popular American Television Sitcom
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Cheers is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1982 to 1993 for a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons.
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The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association with Paramount Network Television, and was created by the team of James Burrows and Glen and Les Charles.
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The series is set in a bar in Boston where a group of locals meet to drink, relax, and socialize.
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The main character of the show is Sam Malone, the owner and head bartender of the bar, who is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
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The ensemble cast of the show includes waitresses Diane Chambers and Carla Tortelli, second bartender Coach Ernie Pantusso, and regular customers Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin.
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The show was almost canceled during its first season when it ranked almost last in ratings for its premiere (74th out of 77 shows), but eventually became a Nielsen ratings juggernaut in the United States.
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It spent most of its run on NBC's Thursday night "Must See TV" lineup and earned a top-ten rating during eight of its 11 seasons, including one season at number one.
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The show's widely watched series finale was broadcast in 1993 and became the most-watched single episode of the 1990s.
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Cheers was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series for all 11 of its seasons on the air and earned 28 Primetime Emmy Awards from a record of 117 nominations.
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The show has been successfully syndicated worldwide and is considered one of the most popular series in history, receiving critical acclaim from its start to its end.
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Notable guest appearances on the show include celebrities such as Alex Trebek, Arsenio Hall, Dick Cavett, Robert Urich, and Johnny Carson, as well as political figures like then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral William J. Crowe and then-Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill.
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The show dealt with a variety of social issues, including alcoholism, homosexuality, and adultery, and also addressed themes of social class and feminism.Ownership Changes and Production of Cheers
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Cheers had several owners before Sam, and the bar was opened in 1889.
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The "Est. 1895" on the bar's sign is a made-up date chosen by Carla for numerology purposes.
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Sam sold Cheers to the Lillian Corporation in the fifth-season finale, "I Do, Adieu," due to Shelley Long's departure from the series.
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Sam returns in the sixth-season premiere, "Home is the Sailor," to find the bar under the new management of Rebecca Howe.
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Sam occasionally attempted to buy the bar back with schemes that usually involved the wealthy executive Robin Colcord.
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Sam acquired Cheers again in the eighth-season finale, when it was sold back to him for 85¢ by the Lillian Corporation.
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The character of Sam Malone was originally intended to be a retired football player and was slated to be played by Fred Dryer.
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Shelley Long was recommended by various sources to the producers for the role of Diane Chambers.
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The character of Cliff Clavin was created for John Ratzenberger after he auditioned for the role of Norm Peterson.
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Most Cheers episodes were "filmed before a live studio audience" on Paramount Stage 25 in Hollywood, generally on Tuesday nights.
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Cheers was critically acclaimed in its first season, though it landed a disappointing 74th out of 77 shows in that year's ratings.
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Ratings improved for the summer reruns after the first season.Summary of "Cheers" TV Show
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"Cheers" was a highly successful sitcom that ran for 11 seasons, from 1982 to 1993.
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Although ratings declined in later seasons, it remained a top-performing show and ranked number one for the year in its ninth season.
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The final episode was highly anticipated and aired as a special event, attracting 93 million viewers and ranking 11th all-time in entertainment programming.
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The show was serialized and employed end-of-season cliffhangers, helping to popularize multi-episode story arcs in sitcoms.
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The show began with five main characters and gradually added more, with eight front characters by its tenth season.
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The show and its cast and crew earned numerous awards, including 111 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and 31 Golden Globe nominations.
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"Cheers" was syndicated in 38 countries and had 179 American television markets and 83 million viewers.
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The show has been released on DVD and is available on streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
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"Cheers" inspired the development of Cheers-themed pubs, including the original Cheers bar in Boston.
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The show had successful spin-offs, including "Frasier," and has been referenced in other media, such as "The Simpsons" and "Fallout 4."Possible summary:
Cheers: a TV classic that aired for 11 seasons in the US and became a cultural phenomenon that spawned spin-offs, merchandise, and countless imitators. Here are some details about the show's history and legacy:
- Cheers premiered on NBC in September 1982 and ran until May 1993, totaling 275 episodes that followed the lives of the staff and patrons of a Boston bar called Cheers.
- The show's creator was James Burrows, who also directed many of the episodes. The writing team included Glen and Les Charles, who came up with the concept, as well as David Angell, Ken Levine, and others.
- The main cast consisted of Ted Danson as Sam Malone, a former baseball player and the bar's owner; Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, a graduate student and Sam's love interest; Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, a feisty waitress; George Wendt as Norm Peterson, a regular customer and friend of Sam's; John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin, a know-it-all mailman; Nicholas Colasanto as Ernie "Coach" Pantusso, a lovable but forgetful bartender; and later Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe, a businesswoman who takes over the bar.
- Cheers was not an instant hit, but it gained critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase over time, thanks to its witty writing, strong ensemble cast, and relatable themes of friendship, romance, and everyday struggles.
- The show won 28 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and was nominated for many others. It also ranked high in ratings for several seasons and helped establish NBC as a dominant network in the 1980s.
- Cheers inspired two spin-offs: the short-lived The Tortellis, which followed Carla's ex-husband and his family, and the more successful Frasier, which starred Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist Frasier Crane, who moves from Boston to Seattle and starts a radio show. Frasier ran for 11 seasons and won 37 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series.
- Cheers has been syndicated and rerun on various networks and platforms, such as Nick at Nite, TV Land, and Hulu. It has also been referenced and parodied in many other TV shows, movies, and pop culture works.
- Cheers has been adapted into different formats, such as a video game, a board game, and a comic book. It has also been remade in other countries, such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands, with mixed success.
- In 2013, TV Guide ranked Cheers as the second-greatest TV show of all time, behind only The Sopranos. Many critics and fans still consider it a classic and a benchmark for sitcoms.
- In 2016, a stage version of Cheers called Cheers: Live on Stage premiered in Boston, but it was cancelled after a few performances due to poor reviews and low ticket sales. A potential Irish remake of Cheers has been discussed, but not confirmed.
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Description
How much do you know about the iconic American sitcom Cheers? Test your knowledge with our quiz and see if you can name the main characters, recall memorable quotes, and remember key plot points from the show's 11 seasons. From Sam Malone's baseball career to Diane Chambers' departure, from Norm's barstool to Cliff's trivia facts, this quiz will challenge your trivia skills and nostalgia for one of TV's most beloved comedies. So grab a beer, pull up a seat, and cheers