Cheers

There aren't very many shows that I deem almost (or absolutely) perfect. 'Cheers' is, by far, definitely one of them. On the top. 'Seinfeld', 'Roseanne', 'Bewitched', 'Frasier'...(Those are just a few of the others that I think are great.)

'Cheers' is the perfect show because it has something for everyone. There are so many different character personalities to chose from in that one, simple bar that you can't NOT have a favorite. I don't think anyone (anyone that's ever watched the show) could say "I don't like it, I don't like any of them!" ...But how could you not? For the people that want an (at least) semi-intellectual character (instead of everyone being a complete moron) they have Frasier, Diane, Lilith. Everyone loves Norm's witty one-liners as he enters the bar. Coach and Woody are goofily funny in their own stupidity. Carla has her crude, sarcastic zingers. Sam and his "little black book." Cliff with his "know-it-all" attitude when in actuality he doesn't know a thing. Rebecca's a great, all-around character...

It also has the backup of being CONSTANTLY funny, some episodes aren't completely boring, then the next, twenty times funnier than the one before (though, I admit, some are absolutely hilarious!) It gets better and better with each year, not old and drawn out, just more jokes! That's why it lasted so long.

So, if any of you read this, look in you're TV guides to see when it's on. After just a few, you'll know and love the characters, and you'll be completely hooked!

At it's best Cheers fully deserves it's place as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Well cast, sharply written and made all the more impressive when you consider that most of the episodes rarely stray from the bar setting.

Cheers fans though are a divided bunch. Some prefer the Coach years, others prefer the Woody years. The Diane or Rebecca dispute is far more controversial.

For me I enjoyed the Diane years more. The chemistry between Shelly Long and Ted Danson was great and their characters on/off relationship gave viewers something extra to invest in whilst watching the antics of the other patrons.

Upon watching the later seasons the standard is far lower though, with weaker plots and the characters far too exaggerated from their original form. It happens with a lot of long running sitcoms I know, but when a Cheers episode was poor, it really was poor.

I forgive and forget the latter years though and celebrate the first five because that for me was when Cheers was well worth drinking to

I am 23 years old so this show ran and ended before I was even born. I never watched the show at all even when re-runs were on tv. I saw the show was ranked as one of the best sitcoms of all time so I decided to give it a chance when i saw it on Netflix. I'm so glad I did and the show really is funny. You start to feel connections to the characters and you look forward to what new journey the crew will face on the next episode. Very easy to binge and I ended up going through a season in 2-3 days because I would constantly want to come back to see how the story progressed. The show is centered around a bar in Boston & after watching this show you really see how it paved the way for future sitcoms. I was a big fan of 'Friends' growing up and after watching cheers it's kinda eerie how many episode ideas in friends came from cheers. Even the opening scenes have very similar themes lol. After watching cheers I looked at other sitcoms differently and truly saw how much of an impact this sitcom had on others. The show is still funny in 2019 & I could easily see myself coming back to rewatch this show over and over again.

The perfect setting for any tv show in my opinion, was this little bar in Boston. After a couple of so so seasons (NBC claims to have left it on because they had nothing else to air) the show really hit its stride in the mid 80s, with the core being the romance between Sam and Diane. But lending a comic hand were Norm, the unemployed accountant, Cliff the know-it-all mailman, Carla the spitfire waitress, Coach the dim-witted bartender (who passed away in the 85 season), Woody the second dim-witted bartender, and in later years Frasier the neurotic shrink. After the 87 season Shelley Long (Diane)left the show to pursue a film career, unsuccessfully. She was replaced, by my personal preference, with Kirstie Alley as Sams love interest and female foil. Too many high points along the years to mention, but top episodes would be the one where Woody and Sam try and kiss Rebecca, any episode dealing with Garys Old Towne Tavern, Rebeccas visiting sister, and maybe the night at the opera episode. ("Get a load of the warheads on that cellist!") Only real downside was the final episode, which didnt really tie up loose ends very well. None of the characters had any real life changes, the bar wasnt sold or destroyed, everyone stayed put, and the overall amount of laughs werent very strong. But there were so many other great moments that a bad send off can easily be overlooked.

The difference between Cheers and about 90% of the other sitcoms that have come and gone, is that in Cheers, nothing seems forced. The characters interact with such chemistry, that all you have to do is tune and it's like sitting at a bar listening to you're best friends tell tall tales. The characters, especially Sam Malone and Coach, are so well-rounded that the joy comes simply from watching them interact. As far as I can remember almost every episode of Cheers ended with someone smiling or laughing, and it's that sense of warmth that is so rare in television, that it makes Cheers stand tall amongst any competitor, then OR now. I feel wholly justified in calling Cheers the best program ever made. It's just that good.

PS-I hope in Heaven I can sit at Cheers, and watch Sam hit on girls, listen to Carl tell useles trivia, and see Norm catch curving beer bottles around the corner of the bar.

MIke Renzella