It was an all around great cast but the depth of character in Diane was above the rest. She could be genuinely smart, neurotic, annoying, sweet, crazy, conflicted and seriously sexy all while being really funny and charming and all without abandoning the core of her character. I think she’s a little underrated.
I'm with you...the ending was heartbreaking...cause Sam really loved her. Shelley was head and shoulders better than Kirstie. That last dance when they were both elderly can bring a tear to your eye. I wish that somehow, someway...Diane could've returned to Cheers during the last few weeks of the show...and her and Sam would've tied the knot on the last episode.
Tom, hoping against hope Frasier will mention Sam and Diane found each other again in the Frasier reboot. Ted Danson and Shelly Long guest starring is a long shot, but you never know. They're almost as old as they were in Sam's fantasy!
I totally feel her. I've always been the boring person who just wants to do her job and doesn't really have much to say when others are goofing around. It's sad that even in showbiz that makes you an outcast
I can empathise with Steph and Donna. I worked in management for most of my working life and every member of staff has their own personality and that has to be respected. I always tried to make the work fun for everyone but realised that fun for some was not fun for some others so you make sure they are included in other ways.
It ended with Sam, all alone in the bar after everyone left, straightening out a picture frame hanging on the wall. Then he said "I'm the luckiest guy on earth"? Something like that, then walks into the back pool room. Exactly like the first scene in episode 1.
Scotty Scotty but that is also wrong. If Sam just loved himself, he wouldn’t have gone over the edge at least twice when Dianne left him. Remember, that she left him and he let her go for her own sake.
Shelly Long had the most challenging role on Cheers. Her character was a pseudo intellectual who often talked down to the characters and she walked a fine line with her role. It would have been so easy not to like her but yet despite her character’s snobbish nature, you still, not only liked her, but often rooted for her. That sometimes caused tension with her and the writers and the cast, but it doesn’t matter because the results on the the tv screen. She was amazing! Thanks for posting this!
William Leary yeah but you can see a level of regret when she came back for the reunion episode and no one on the set could stand her. Evidently she was a prima donna from day one as she had already had a very successful career on stage. That wasn’t everyone else’s fault. I agree that she did a great job similar to how Frasier was played on the spin off.
I think the very same things you just mentioned about "Diane" is the very reason she became very tiresome (in my own mind). As you said, I found myself actually beginning to not like her so much as the seasons progressed. I think, maybe, the writers made her character TOO overbearing. When she left at the end of S 5, I thought she'd be back for 6. I was satisfied that she didn't show.
I don’t think there was anything pseudo regarding her character’s intellectualism, I think her pursuits were always sincere, and she was obviously intelligent, but was always conflicted and had difficulty finding direction.
I couldn’t believe it when she walked away and no, the show was never the same-just a different texture with KA, who brought her own incredible touch to the show. Years later I watched a reunion panel where KA talked about filling SL’a shoes and the anxiety she felt at making the audience like her. But she paid a lot of respect to SL. You just don’t have tv shows like that anymore that can run 8,9,10 seasons strong like that. Btw, always love and respect your channel. The episode you did on Ja’net Dubois was so respectful and captured the true the power of her acting and overall talent as a singer. Great work as always!
Of course they made the show. But, so did Sam and Shelly did too. Can't forget Danny Devito's wife. The little spitfire waitress. She really rocked. I'm so bad with names. I'm experiencing some memory loss. But, I did love the show. Then there was the shrink, which changed things up. People with different backgrounds, certainly make any show interesting.
Funnies scene was when Cliff's gf said (paraphrasing so bare with me) "But who will keep me warm on those long, cold, lonely night?". Cliff replied "Don't worry....woman have an extra layer of fat so you'll be just fine". I thought I was gonna die.
Here's a little known fact: Cliff was originally suppose to be Norm, but then Norm came in and everyone said, "Norm!", so Norm became Norm and instead Cliff became Cliff, because every Norm needs a Cliff.
Shelley Long was a positive role model.was just chill watching her and her ambitious ways She rarely ever spoke bad about anyone..Why I love her. Her vibe and energy was everything.
I can't imagine the show would have lasted six more seasons with the same Sam & Diane formula, even if they had them get married. Once "Will they or won't they?" is resolved, the thing that made it popular is gone.
Not me, coach was way better than woody. That's why Frasier was made a permanent character, to make the cast stronger because woody alone wasn't strong enough to fill the void missing by coach. Rebecca was a stronger replacement for Diane than than Woody was for coach, but to suggest the show wouldn't have continued with Shelley Long is preposterous. Sam and Diane would have simply gone through spells of dating other people, meaning a revolving cast of temporary characters. Again, this was the original intention for Fraser Crane, until Coach died, but he was upgraded to the main cast to support it due to Woody's character alone not being considered strong enough on it's own, after coach died. But hey, that's showbiz!
Well it wasn't all about will they won't they. By the time she had left, they had been together a while and it was still funny. Because the other characters had come to the front more and more, and were becoming extremely popular. Because if this was what made it popular, and what people watched for, the show would have died immediately after she left. But it stayed just as popular afterwards, if not moreso. I remember watching it at the time, and I preferred it with Kirsty Alley.
I've been binging CHEERS on Netflix since the SIP, and had forgotten how incredible this show was. Truly one of the best sitcoms, ever, and Shelley Long, as was everyone in the cast, note-perfect. Her last scene with Sam (before she came back for the series' final show) still leaves a lump in my throat, when he says, "Have a great life." (Mr. Sundstrom, I just recently became a subscriber to your channel, and just love your insights - wonderful research, voice and presentation - about the best shows in TV history.)
The character of Diane (beautiful and smart girl) was most interesting because her contrasts with Sam (the dumb jock). Opposites do attract and often have the most magical of relationships. It reminded me of high school where we had our own Diane and Sam; they were always together and very much in love. Salute to Cheers for bringing back great memories.
Norm was right when he said, “You could never be unfaithful to your one true love. You’ll always come back to her.” For Sam, his one true love was Cheers. At the very lowest points of his life, Cheers was Sam’s life preserver. The good and the bad, Cheers reciprocated the love that Sam never got from anyone else because it never judged him for his alcoholism and sexual addiction; the bar loved him regardless. He was married to the bar, and that’s why he always returned to her; Cheers.
Yeah, I kept tuning into see if Sam would get with the bar. GTFO. Jealous Rhea Perlman and her bitch sister making her life miserable drove Shelley away. The 'bar as true love' was Burrows revenge because Shelley quit. He can KMA Alley the no talent scientology wackoff ruined the show. Danson's apologies were too little, too late but Shelley's too nice. I would've told him what he could do. Diane WAS Cheers
@@jdsundstrom: Yeah, that's how I first knew of Kirstie Alley. My older sister was crazy about all things "Star Trek" at the time, and dragged us to "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"!
@@jdsundstrom Very true, Dave. Kirstie was terrific in "Star Trek 2," but after the success of that movie she and her manager expected as much money as some of the long time cast members. Paramount disagreed, so Kirstie was no longer part of the franchise. She still got work, but it was "Cheers" that really made her a household name. Perhaps the "Star Trek" experience was a good lesson, and so she was able to enjoy a lengthy run with "Cheers."
@@gallery7596: I have to say that your post answers a question I had about why Kirstie Alley wasn't seen again in "ST3: TSFS" or any further "Star Trek" films...
@Zeus1955 to me the relationship between sam and diane had run its course. there was nothing sam could do that would please diane. had they married diane would have emasculated sam. it became painful to constantly watch diane humiliate sam. shelly left at the right time.
it is a tradeoff: on one hand, nothing could replace the chemistry sam and diane had. that was palpable. on the other hand, the rest of the cast flourished once diane left as they had much more air time and plots were created around them (norm, cliff, carla). as a comedy, it got better, as a love story, diane years were better
Thank you Dave for this one, Cheers was my all time favorite show in the 80's! I still watch it almost nightly and was very sad when Shelley left, she was in my opinion one of the best characters on the show. Great vid:)
To this day still a favorite go to show when just want to tune in and laugh back in the simple days and times. She really was amazing, a true talent and Diane such a unique character. Great video Dave.
She was the funniest character Until FRASIER. Playing all her lines straight. The “ode to the Cornish hen” shows how funny she truly is. To be restrained is so sexy and sharp. Love her.
Luke I think one reason for the show’s success was that they didn’t bring in clones to replace the people who left. Woody didn’t try yo be a younger version of Coach and Rebecca was a totally different person from Diane.
I totally disagree - what makes a show great are not just the jokes but the magic of the interaction between the actors - that magic was gone when she was gone Kirstie Alley was a better comic actor but did not have the magic that Shelley brought to the show It became a good show but not a great show after she left
It can always be a little dodgy replacing favored characters; however, this show had a magic touch. To this day, I haven't seen a quick and more seamless transition than Woody taking over for Coach; the writing, combined with Harrelson's performance, was perfection. As for Diane and Rebecca, apples and oranges. I rarely see much point in making comparisons between new and previous actors. The only question: Is the product still good? The producers and writers had to make some initial adjustments when they realized a romance thing wasn't working between Sam and Rebecca. What they grew her character into served the show and Kirstie Ally quite well. 'Cheers' evolved; the dynamic wasn't the same, but the characters were no less interesting, the show no less entertaining.
That is an excellent point, and they replaced them with different characters. _Night Court_ had a ton of changes and handled them pretty well, and it aired after _Cheers_ for several years.
I enjoyed this series throughout, but for me, it is Shelley that stood out the best. There never quite was an intellectual character like Diane on a sitcom before in a prominent role so her performance was quite interesting. Plus, the fact that she was the opposite of the man that she was in love with made for quite an interesting dynamic.
I've known many young women who said that in an age when women were mostly just the 'straight man' or the foil to male leads and actors, and all they had was the madonna factor in music, they really bonded with the Dianne character, although some said that falling for Sam was a bit too cliche. But she was honestly trying to 'change the bad boy' and in many ways succeeded, although I think thats a dangerous media idea to put out there. But anyway, she was a three dimensional character almost right out of the box, unless most television characters. She was a great foil for the 'Alex Keatons' and their wise assery, but I do get the feeling that late in her run they simply lost the desire to write for her and didn't know what to do with her. You really can't do the on again off again thing forever, and apparantly she was upset Kelsey was getting a lot of her jokes, leaving her with just being annoying.
I always loved the show and thought she was mediocre at best. Well, I recently watched all the episodes again and I now see the acting and comedic brilliance that is Shelley Long. Shelley's Diane, in my humble opinion, is one of the best characters to ever appear on television. Watching the series again after all of this time, I was truly mezmorized by her performance. For me, she seems to possess something very special that touches the heart and soul. You can't help falling in love with her. You can't help rooting for her to do the right thing, even though you know she rarely does. She truly gave viewers a special gift, a gift I will always treasure....
Maybe it was just the mannerisms of how Ted Danson acted, but I got the impression that he never really enjoyed being with Diane. It always came across as "she's in my head", but not in a good way. He looked as if he would have to emasculate himself just to "get her", and I never really bought the idea of them as a romantic couple. Her character had no desirable qualities as far as I could see for Malone's character. It just seemed forced, more like just because they were in the same bar together and they didn't do many outside shots.
@@jjryan1352 There was good romantic tension between Shelley and Ted but her character never accepted him as he was and there was always an onus on him to change to suit her. I'm not supportive of the idea that you should have to jump through hoops to suit someone else, particularly in real life. Maybe they were destined not to be a long term couple anyway because they were so dissimilar.That said, I preferred the earlier seasons with Shelley Long the best.
I love listening to you, Dave. You are always so upbeat and positive, and people always leave here in a better mood than they were when they arrived! You are a gift!☺️
Yes I love how he celebrates American television and sitcoms and their talented people. Many, myself included, enjoy it by mulling it over and critiquing it, but it's more important to appreciate all these wonderful performances. Sorry but Europe is still far behind, and don't even mention Asia.
She took her shot at being a movie actress, knowing that if she was typecast as Diane Chambers, she was finished. It didn't work. Too bad, she was good.
Biggest mistake of of her acting life. Missed a ton of money and residuals. The same mistake a lot of people who left MASH. Although her life has been very quaint . NEVER heard one bad word about her morality or her life. Which is really more important, your soul to Jesus .
Mordecai Esther I don’t think it’s a mistake. She said she doesn’t regret it and I tend to believe that. If she doesn’t regret it then it wasn’t a mistake
You take chances in life. Sometimes for the best and other times, not so. Never forget that acting can be a short-lived career. Actors know that and accept it for what it is.
the show wouldn't have lasted 11 seasons if Shelly/Diane had stayed with it. The Sam/Diane back and forth was wearing thin and would have faded out after 7- 8 seasons, tops. Rebecca/Kirstie added a whole new angle and gave the show new life. Shelly was great, but you could only take so much of Diane.
@@timothyowen4503 oh- those shows were classics! Some of the best TV ever- when she and Sam sparred- it was perfection, it just couldn't have sustained the show through 11 seasons.
@@aagold76 I agree. There really wasn't much left to do w Sam and Diane after S5. They could've did the old "add a baby" bit but that would've killed the bar dynamic. If she would've stayed the show would've ended by S7. I'm sure of it. Personally I loved the POST Didn't eps just as much as the Diane eps.
Thanks for the quick trip down memory lane! It was a great show. I never realized that Long was only on the show for 5 seasons since she was such an integral part of the show.
What made MASH and Cheers so great is that they were more like of a group of people than a group of actors. I cried during the last episode of Cheers because it was like the breaking up of a real family. Like a real family the love and hate relationships were very real. The great shows created the show around the people and the bad ones created the people around the show.
The first 5 years with Shelly were incredible. Like a fresh pizza. After Shelly it was like having reheated day old pizza. Show should’ve stopped after Shelly left.
I don't think it is so complicated or a mystery of why she left. I think she signed a contract of how many years she was gonna stay. Jaclyn Smith did the same thing with Charlie's Angels.
My favorite seasons were with Shelley being in the cast. Pure, classic television. The Rebecca role was okay the first couple years, but then became too neurotic and whiny. I loved that they brought Diane back for the final show.
Disagree with the people that say the show got better or the Shelley Long wasn't that important. The show was still great; however, it was missing something after Diane left. I think Diane provided the show with its heart. Sam was the soul of the show and the rest of the cast was the backbone.
I loved Cheers. It was a wonderful show. The relationships that were created and built, all in one bar room stage scene. That was rare. Yes, I would have loved to have seen Sam and Diane tie the knot. Great chemistry between the two on set.
A lot of characters were replaced on TV shows down through the years but Diane/Shelley leaving Cheers was the biggest loss of a TV character ever in history to me. The show was never the same without her even though I have nothing against Kirstie Alley at all.
Maryann Lockwood I loved her first appearance the most, and I rank it as a top three Frasier episode. The scene where they were doing a stage scene from a Cheers-like setting was hilarious. The look on Frazier’s face the whole time was priceless.
Brian OSullivan Oh I agree. I also liked it when they keep saying the name “Maryann” over and over again (instead of Diane) since it’s my first name!🤷🏻♀️
I watched Cheers from the first season until I left home for the NAVY on January 7th, 1986... I was stationed overseas until February 1990 and tried to catch up on the show... I just could not get Rebecca then, I enjoyed the zany humor of the show but missed many episodes between 1990-1993 because of college and working trying to raise my young family. Thirty years later, This shutdown gave me the time to go all the way back and watch it from the beginning thru the end... It was "BRILLIANT!" I feel for Kristy and the magic of the program... It has passed the test of time and will remain the "CLASSIC" it seems to be... thank you, Dave, for your observations that just seem to be "SPOT ON!"
I guess, although meh. Fun fact: The role of producer of Frasier's radio call-in show was originally offered to Kirstie Alley but she turned it down due to her commitment to Scientology
Cheers is one of those rare examples of a long running sitcom that never jumped the shark. I'm pretty neutral about the way it ended. It would have been great to see them end up together, but then it would have been the same as so many other stories that have been told. They decided to do something different, and while that is disappointing in a way, it also makes it stand out as unique.
I loved "Cheers," but I think the writers blew a golden opportunity in the finale. They should have always left Vera (or parts of Vera) out of the show. In the final episode, it would have been awesome to see Cindy Crawford walk into the bar as Norm's wife, Vera, and order him to get his lazy butt off the bar stool and spend some quality romantic time at home. The cast could have been shocked that Norm had such a gorgeous wife. "That's Vera?" Norm could have been like, "Yeah. I know I complain about her, but she's sweet. Just sometimes a bit too clingy." That would have made a great addition to making another female character quite memorable in addition to Long, Alley and the fantastic Rhea Perlman.
they did use Cindy like that in some advert years ago in around 1993/94[maybe diet coke] whereby there was a middle aged overweight bald guy in the garden and his middle aged wife was cutting the lawn[also unattractive] and she turns into Cindy Crawford I recall.
I marathoned the show last year in full on Netflix. The show came out the year I was born, while I did catch some reruns from time to time I never made a full series effort growing up. Watched all of it on Netflix & I loved the whole show! Diane was a great character and a nice opposite to Sam but I still enjoyed Cheers despite her departure. Honestly I never felt it was on the verge of “going downhill” even if it felt like an all new show with her departure & the sad death of “Coach” but Woody & Rebecca were nice additions & didn’t feel like cheap replacements. Great job on the video!
I haven't seen the final episode, but to tell the truth, I never thought of Sam and Diane getting together. In my eyes, such a resolution would have been out of character for Sam.
That was really the whole deal with them. They were so wrong for each other and they each hated themselves for loving the other because they both knew this deep inside. It made great comedy. Seasons 4 and 5 are classic as these were the episodes that really illustrated this.
I didn’t really care about their relationship after awhile but I don’t see an issue with them getting together. The show became something different anyways. They didn’t need a romance going on the whole series and they didn’t for years. You could have had even more tension with Sam cheating on Dianne.
@@gutenbird I wish The Office had done an angle with Pam cheating on Jim. It would have been pretty damn close to reality, "The perfect man" and the woman still cheats. It's far more likely for a woman to cheat than a man but society likes us to believe it's the other way around. It's bull crap.
THANKS DAVE AND THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING AS USUAL,. I REMEMBER I WAS JUST IN MY EARLY ADOLESCENCE WHEN THE PUBLIC WERE MADE AWARE OF SHELLEY LONG'S DEPARTURE FROM "CHEERS", AND HONESTLY SPEAKING EVEN BACK THEN I WAS THINKING THIS COULD GO EITHER WAY?! BUT I FOUND KIRSTIE ALLI TO BE BRILLIANT👍 IN THE SHOW, AND I CAN REMEMBER SO DID MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT COMMENTED ON HER AS A 'REPLACEMENT'!!! KIRSTIE WAS A CUTIE... AND SHELLEY LONG LATER VERY GRACIOUSLY SAID IN A TV INTERVIEW THAT HER DEPARTURE GAVE THE SERIES A WHOLE NEW LIFE,. WHICH EVIDENTLY SAID DID! AND I LOVED SHELLEY WITH BETTE MIDLER IN " OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE "!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME!!! IF YOU BY CHANCE HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET?! I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND SAID! I HAVE A FEELING YOU WOULD REALLY ENJOY THE FILM,,, AMEN🙏🙏🙏!!!
I think Cheers was slightly better when Kirstie Alley came on the show but not because she was better than Shelly Long. I thought the writing was better when Kirstie Alley was there. I think Shelly Long was a lot funnier than Kirstie Alley
Well done, Dave. NBC certainly launched the 2nd Golden Age of television in the '80s with "Hill Street Blues," "Cheers," "St. Elsewhere," "Miami Vice," "L.A. Law," etc. That's when I first thought network TV was becoming as good as feature films.
I'm 43, I basically grew up watching Cheers. It's the still the best sitcom ever put on tv imo. Diane was pretty much my idol lol. She was intelligent but still very pretty.
She *thought* she was intelligent. That was the whole point and comedy. Being conceited, bitchy and self important is often confused with intelligence. Especially from the person who is those things.
@@trawlins396 If she was that clever, she would have gotten out of that bar long ago. I did like her though. What an anti hero. What strange sitcom really, when you think about it. So many sitcom tropes established or at least affirmed. Yet the premise and tone was never replicated.
On the first week I watched the show and was instantly a watcher, I saw reviews of the show at the time and wondered if they had watched the same show. I was most taken by the shows theme song, It hit a chord for me because "you want to go, where everybody knows you name" Which is a common desire of humanity. I don't care of the changes to the show, because life changes as you live it, so it was no different than what I was going through. If there is one shw that needs a reunion show its this one.
I didn't actually latch onto Cheers until I heard that Kirstie Alley had joined the cast. After that I cycled back to the beginning of the series and finally took it all in. They both contributed to the success of the show.
Loved Shelley in The Brady Bunch. As for Cheers, I always waver between Shelley and Kirsti. Both were so excellent, yet both so different. For me, the series was never quite the same after Coach passed. And I always did think the bar was Sam's real love, so the series ending worked perfectly for me. The show was always amazing. I thought the addition of Kelsey Grammer was brilliant, as Grammer was such a versatile actor, the show could run between moments of deep drama and a great deal of broad comedy because of his character. Thanks for another great video, Dave.
A lot of people said Kirstie Alley couldn't act, but Drop Dead Gorgeous certainly proves that wrong, and you don't get in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof if you can't act. But even the shows writers say they had a hard time writing for her. Trouble was they just didn't employ many female writers back then.
These are first generation classic tv after the autumn of the golden age of television. There r none better than Cheers & Frasier with like subject matter. Love those shows in the 80s NBC seemed to have the goose that laid many golden eggs from Alf to the Cosby show, Night court to the golden girls.
I love Shelley Long! Her Cheers episodes are my favorite but She had to leave to star in some of my favorite movies. I love Troop Beverly Hills and have always loved Hello Again. I remember when it came out on Showtime. It also had a cameo by Carrie Nye from Creepshow who I love
I think you can blame two shows: Moonlighting and Remington Steele. Both shows focused on will-they-won't-they, and the instant they went for the "they will," their quality and ratings tanked despite both shows being hits before that.
Another great video dude your the best man loved cheers watched every episode more than once got 70 videos up thanks for everything you've said about me Danny staton
The failure of a show after two main characters get together is often due to a failure in the writing. It’s not that hard to come up with great storylines involving a married couple.
I can think of many shows that succeeded with a married couple at the onset. However, if the courtship was part of the ongoing storyline, the marriage of those two character seldom led to increased ratings. Top of mind is "I Dream of Jeannie" and, much later, "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman".
Growing up in Chicago, I remember way back when Shelley was seen regularly on commercials for a local furniture company, "Homemakers". Watching some of our old VHS tapes, there she was, back in the '70s.
I liked Diane but I liked Rebeca more, she was a mess, he made Sam look sane. I didn't want Sam and Diane to end up together, they were a toxic couple.
Loved her in Cheers, and I loved how Sam's urge to look cool alwats conflicted with his attraction to Diane. I thought getting them together was a huge mistake--it was that ongoing sexual tension that made this show a much-watch, for me. I really hate how horrible everyone was to her, during her few return appearances.
I have the entire series on DVD and have watched it at least 7 or 8 times now. Cheers is one of THE best sitcoms EVER! Very creative, clever and NOT predictable. I always knew Sam and Diane wouldn't and SHOULDN'T get married: despite the carnal lust they were not compatible...she is an intellectual to a higher degree and Sam is a simple street smart athlete, it just wouldn't work. Diane's replacement...Back Seat Becky...was another great character but again with Sam, carnal lust but incompatible due to Becky being a gold digger...Sam couldn't produce enough for her to be satisfied. Just like Coach's replacement...both equally dense but in completely different ways and both absolutely brilliant. I think the show ended perfectly. I absolutely thought Shelly was drop dead gorgeous and I only knew her from Cheers and Night Shift.
She wanted to be viewed as an intellectual and philosophical individual yet she contrasted this idea with so many personal and practical failures. She played a very touching and complex character and also stunningly beautiful. Her facial expression fit the character perfectly. Shelly and Ted played one of the great love hate relationships of all time. Even thought the others were always laughing at her--perhaps in real life, as well--Sam always came to her rescue. Sam could see that she was very lonely and without friends and suffering underneath her insistence that she was above everyone. It is really one of the most touching shows--not to mention well written, perfectly cast and brilliant acting. It is a brilliant combination of acting and writing. Really, Shelly is often the object of the show with Karla's cruelty offset by Sam's kindness and empathy even though he is suppose to be the typical obtuse guy with only a few things occupying his mind. Sam is also suffering from alcoholism and a complex character. Seriously, the show is so good and I loved it so much I almost cannot watch it any longer because it is too funny and too sad at the same time. Will it go down in history as one of the greatest shows ever? All of the characters were hilarious, not to mention Lillith and Frasier, but I would have to say for me, the centerpiece of it all was Sam and Diane.
I'll have to disagree. I actually think a Sam/Diane marriage could have worked. Remember the house episode where they imagined themselves in the future as an old couple? Yes they were opposites but eventually they would have grown into each other and worked out the kinks. They loved each other deeply and that's what matters most. ❤️. Personally I think it would have been fun to see them become parents on the show.
@@ChloeLouiseTheRonnieRepublicNot sure if you're still out there, but your comment so resonated with me. It was so insightful. Amazes and touches me how much these characters meant...mean to people.
Hi! 53-y/o white guy here. From what I've seen & read about the show, no one could stand Shelley Long, & after the last show wrapped, everyone hugged except for Shelly Long & Rhea Pearlman (kinda takes the fun out of it, no?). The female costume designer had worked on "Laverne & Shirley" & said ea. was worse then the other, w/Cindy Wms driving thru the gate blocker when the studio hadn't provided her name to the new security guard (& she got away w/it), & that show went thru writers after every episode for whatever reason (one snapped at Cindy Wms & was fired that day), & the "Happy Days" cast said they could hear the 4 cast members always yelling thru the walls. There wasn't that much drama on "Cheers," apparently (which is good!), but this same costume designer said Shelley Long was worse than Cindy Wms & Penny Marshall put together, & thought she'd NEVER be able to say that! Ted Danson told the press "I can't think of anything that wasn't negative about Shelley," so if they made up, later, that's good. The guy who played Eddie seemed awfully hurt as he questioned the Cheers staff during a Q&A (he'd gotten a phone call that he'd been canned, but the reason wasn't divulged until much later). Rhea P. was laughing thru-out all of this, btw. He apparently said on the radio she wasn't pleasant to kiss, & got canned. Um, what did you expect? To me, Shelley Long MADE the show & it wasn't the same w/o her. K. Alley wasn't as fun. What can you do? Nothing lasts forever...! Thanks for the video!
She was fine in Cheers. I didn't think she had enough star power to make it big in the movies. She did a few good movies that were moderately successful, but not enough a bona fide movie star.
@@jdsundstrom i mean i didn't like the character she played....too many episodes she was just toying with Sam or was confused....made the storylines too vague.
It was an all around great cast but the depth of character in Diane was above the rest. She could be genuinely smart, neurotic, annoying, sweet, crazy, conflicted and seriously sexy all while being really funny and charming and all without abandoning the core of her character. I think she’s a little underrated.
Agreed
She is sooo underated!!!!!
Wayne, spot on!
I'm with you...the ending was heartbreaking...cause Sam really loved her. Shelley was head and shoulders better than Kirstie. That last dance when they were both elderly can bring a tear to your eye. I wish that somehow, someway...Diane could've returned to Cheers during the last few weeks of the show...and her and Sam would've tied the knot on the last episode.
Great comment. Clearly, we are both sentimental fellers.
Tom, hoping against hope Frasier will mention Sam and Diane found each other again in the Frasier reboot. Ted Danson and Shelly Long guest starring is a long shot, but you never know. They're almost as old as they were in Sam's fantasy!
I totally feel her. I've always been the boring person who just wants to do her job and doesn't really have much to say when others are goofing around. It's sad that even in showbiz that makes you an outcast
That was my issue at work i was an outcast because i worked was a loner and did nt get involved in gossip for that i was criticized
I can empathise with Steph and Donna. I worked in management for most of my working life and every member of staff has their own personality and that has to be respected. I always tried to make the work fun for everyone but realised that fun for some was not fun for some others so you make sure they are included in other ways.
She was full of herself. Sorry to disappoint you.
Sam's true love was himself.
Ha for sure.
I can’t remember how the show ended
Captain Evie
That is understandibul, that last episode was very forgetabull.
His true love was the bar, as Norm said in the last episode.
It ended with Sam, all alone in the bar after everyone left, straightening out a picture frame hanging on the wall. Then he said "I'm the luckiest guy on earth"? Something like that, then walks into the back pool room. Exactly like the first scene in episode 1.
Scotty Scotty but that is also wrong. If Sam just loved himself, he wouldn’t have gone over the edge at least twice when Dianne left him. Remember, that she left him and he let her go for her own sake.
Shelly Long had the most challenging role on Cheers. Her character was a pseudo intellectual who often talked down to the characters and she walked a fine line with her role. It would have been so easy not to like her but yet despite her character’s snobbish nature, you still, not only liked her, but often rooted for her. That sometimes caused tension with her and the writers and the cast, but it doesn’t matter because the results on the the tv screen. She was amazing! Thanks for posting this!
William Leary yeah but you can see a level of regret when she came back for the reunion episode and no one on the set could stand her. Evidently she was a prima donna from day one as she had already had a very successful career on stage. That wasn’t everyone else’s fault. I agree that she did a great job similar to how Frasier was played on the spin off.
I think the very same things you just mentioned about "Diane" is the very reason she became very tiresome (in my own mind). As you said, I found myself actually beginning to not like her so much as the seasons progressed. I think, maybe, the writers made her character TOO overbearing. When she left at the end of S 5, I thought she'd be back for 6. I was satisfied that she didn't show.
I don’t think there was anything pseudo regarding her character’s intellectualism, I think her pursuits were always sincere, and she was obviously intelligent, but was always conflicted and had difficulty finding direction.
It would "have" been so easy? OMG thank you! It is so refreshing to see words used correctly!
William Leary without Diane, cheers could not BE.
I couldn’t believe it when she walked away and no, the show was never the same-just a different texture with KA, who brought her own incredible touch to the show. Years later I watched a reunion panel where KA talked about filling SL’a shoes and the anxiety she felt at making the audience like her. But she paid a lot of respect to SL. You just don’t have tv shows like that anymore that can run 8,9,10 seasons strong like that. Btw, always love and respect your channel. The episode you did on Ja’net Dubois was so respectful and captured the true the power of her acting and overall talent as a singer. Great work as always!
I watched the show for Cliff.
He and Norm made it a bar.
Of course they made the show. But, so did Sam and Shelly did too. Can't forget Danny Devito's wife. The little spitfire waitress. She really rocked. I'm so bad with names. I'm experiencing some memory loss. But, I did love the show. Then there was the shrink, which changed things up. People with different backgrounds, certainly make any show interesting.
They were not as pretty as Shelley.
Funnies scene was when Cliff's gf said (paraphrasing so bare with me) "But who will keep me warm on those long, cold, lonely night?". Cliff replied "Don't worry....woman have an extra layer of fat so you'll be just fine". I thought I was gonna die.
It's all opinion. Cliff was my least favorite character. Not much depth. Frasier really made the show and transitioned it past Diane in Season 5.
Here's a little known fact: Cliff was originally suppose to be Norm, but then Norm came in and everyone said, "Norm!", so Norm became Norm and instead Cliff became Cliff, because every Norm needs a Cliff.
Shelley Long was a positive role model.was just chill watching her and her ambitious ways
She rarely ever spoke bad about anyone..Why I love her. Her vibe and energy was everything.
@@53snuckplum no long denied this, it was an rumour.
I can't imagine the show would have lasted six more seasons with the same Sam & Diane formula, even if they had them get married. Once "Will they or won't they?" is resolved, the thing that made it popular is gone.
Correct
Not me, coach was way better than woody. That's why Frasier was made a permanent character, to make the cast stronger because woody alone wasn't strong enough to fill the void missing by coach.
Rebecca was a stronger replacement for Diane than than Woody was for coach, but to suggest the show wouldn't have continued with Shelley Long is preposterous. Sam and Diane would have simply gone through spells of dating other people, meaning a revolving cast of temporary characters. Again, this was the original intention for Fraser Crane, until Coach died, but he was upgraded to the main cast to support it due to Woody's character alone not being considered strong enough on it's own, after coach died. But hey, that's showbiz!
Will they wont they is the most annoting over used trope of all time.
Well it wasn't all about will they won't they. By the time she had left, they had been together a while and it was still funny. Because the other characters had come to the front more and more, and were becoming extremely popular.
Because if this was what made it popular, and what people watched for, the show would have died immediately after she left. But it stayed just as popular afterwards, if not moreso.
I remember watching it at the time, and I preferred it with Kirsty Alley.
Diane wasn't funny any more. Her role became tired.
I've been binging CHEERS on Netflix since the SIP, and had forgotten how incredible this show was. Truly one of the best sitcoms, ever, and Shelley Long, as was everyone in the cast, note-perfect. Her last scene with Sam (before she came back for the series' final show) still leaves a lump in my throat, when he says, "Have a great life." (Mr. Sundstrom, I just recently became a subscriber to your channel, and just love your insights - wonderful research, voice and presentation - about the best shows in TV history.)
Thanks for subscribing, Derek!
I still loved the show but the best years of Cheers were when she was on it.
I totally agree
Yup
The character of Diane (beautiful and smart girl) was most interesting because her contrasts with Sam (the dumb jock). Opposites do attract and often have the most magical of relationships. It reminded me of high school where we had our own Diane and Sam; they were always together and very much in love. Salute to Cheers for bringing back great memories.
Norm was right when he said, “You could never be unfaithful to your one true love. You’ll always come back to her.” For Sam, his one true love was Cheers. At the very lowest points of his life, Cheers was Sam’s life preserver. The good and the bad, Cheers reciprocated the love that Sam never got from anyone else because it never judged him for his alcoholism and sexual addiction; the bar loved him regardless. He was married to the bar, and that’s why he always returned to her; Cheers.
That was Norm's last line, very nice.
Brian OSullivan - very well said
Yes!!!
I Always wished that Norm's wife would show up on the last episode. It would have been hysterical if Norm's was was Raquel Welch or another hottie.
Yeah, I kept tuning into see if Sam would get with the bar. GTFO. Jealous Rhea Perlman and her bitch sister making her life miserable drove Shelley away. The 'bar as true love' was Burrows revenge because Shelley quit. He can KMA Alley the no talent scientology wackoff ruined the show. Danson's apologies were too little, too late but Shelley's too nice. I would've told him what he could do. Diane WAS Cheers
The show was never the same without her.it was still good but the chemistry wasn't there. Coach was also a loss, but Woody Harrelson filled that void.
There are some Rebecca episodes that are hilarious. But overall I prefer the Diane years too.
I love Shelley Long. Her face always made me smile.
It was certainly Kirstie Alley's good fortune that Shelley left the show.
Yes...but she had already started making her mark. She was very good in her small role in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.
@@jdsundstrom: Yeah, that's how I first knew of Kirstie Alley. My older sister was crazy about all things "Star Trek" at the time, and dragged us to "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"!
@@jdsundstrom Very true, Dave. Kirstie was terrific in "Star Trek 2," but after the success of that movie she and her manager expected as much money as some of the long time cast members. Paramount disagreed, so Kirstie was no longer part of the franchise. She still got work, but it was "Cheers" that really made her a household name. Perhaps the "Star Trek" experience was a good lesson, and so she was able to enjoy a lengthy run with "Cheers."
@@gallery7596: I have to say that your post answers a question I had about why Kirstie Alley wasn't seen again in "ST3: TSFS" or any further "Star Trek" films...
@Zeus1955 to me the relationship between sam and diane had run its course. there was nothing sam could do that would please diane. had they married diane would have emasculated sam. it became painful to constantly watch diane humiliate sam. shelly left at the right time.
Diane is my favorite TV show character of all time. That woman is divine.
Diane was not a likeable character.
I am a Shelly Long fan. She was great on the show!
it is a tradeoff: on one hand, nothing could replace the chemistry sam and diane had. that was palpable. on the other hand, the rest of the cast flourished once diane left as they had much more air time and plots were created around them (norm, cliff, carla). as a comedy, it got better, as a love story, diane years were better
Your a true plethora of useless information.
I agree with you Rico.
I don't care who did what I loved her in the money pit.
An underrated classic
"My chest is constricted!!"
Yes, wasn't that with Tom Hanks, as well?
And HELLO AGAIN
Jason de Charleroy SHUT THE HELL UP with the damn UNDERRATED comment! The Money Pit was the literal OPPOSITE of underrated. Dope!!!
Thank you Dave for this one, Cheers was my all time favorite show in the 80's! I still watch it almost nightly and was very sad when Shelley left, she was in my opinion one of the best characters on the show. Great vid:)
To this day still a favorite go to show when just want to tune in and laugh back in the simple days and times. She really was amazing, a true talent and Diane such a unique character. Great video Dave.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, TWS!
I absolutely felt that the show got its second wind with Kirstie. It was sad to see Shelley go, but it really did work out in the end.
She was the funniest character Until FRASIER. Playing all her lines straight. The “ode to the Cornish hen” shows how funny she truly is. To be restrained is so sexy and sharp. Love her.
I always thought the show did really good with the replacements they got. Woody for coach, Kirstie for Shelley. Seemed like they never missed a beat.
Luke I think one reason for the show’s success was that they didn’t bring in clones to replace the people who left. Woody didn’t try yo be a younger version of Coach and Rebecca was a totally different person from Diane.
Renewed the show, kept it on top longer.
@@georgesouthwick7000 What? Woody was as dumb as the coach was - he WAS a younger version of the coach
I totally disagree - what makes a show great are not just the jokes but the magic of the interaction between the actors - that magic was gone when she was gone
Kirstie Alley was a better comic actor but did not have the magic that Shelley brought to the show
It became a good show but not a great show after she left
Cheers got alot funnier after Long left. She was kind of a prude..
Cheers will ALWAYS be my favorite show of all time. Such great writing.
It can always be a little dodgy replacing favored characters; however, this show had a magic touch. To this day, I haven't seen a quick and more seamless transition than Woody taking over for Coach; the writing, combined with Harrelson's performance, was perfection. As for Diane and Rebecca, apples and oranges. I rarely see much point in making comparisons between new and previous actors. The only question: Is the product still good? The producers and writers had to make some initial adjustments when they realized a romance thing wasn't working between Sam and Rebecca. What they grew her character into served the show and Kirstie Ally quite well. 'Cheers' evolved; the dynamic wasn't the same, but the characters were no less interesting, the show no less entertaining.
Really nice reflective comments, SGIII!
@Marty McFly II That's kinda cool!
That is an excellent point, and they replaced them with different characters. _Night Court_ had a ton of changes and handled them pretty well, and it aired after _Cheers_ for several years.
Diane was better though
I enjoyed this series throughout, but for me, it is Shelley that stood out the best. There never quite was an intellectual character like Diane on a sitcom before in a prominent role so her performance was quite interesting. Plus, the fact that she was the opposite of the man that she was in love with made for quite an interesting dynamic.
Well said, Joseph!
I've known many young women who said that in an age when women were mostly just the 'straight man' or the foil to male leads and actors, and all they had was the madonna factor in music, they really bonded with the Dianne character, although some said that falling for Sam was a bit too cliche. But she was honestly trying to 'change the bad boy' and in many ways succeeded, although I think thats a dangerous media idea to put out there. But anyway, she was a three dimensional character almost right out of the box, unless most television characters. She was a great foil for the 'Alex Keatons' and their wise assery, but I do get the feeling that late in her run they simply lost the desire to write for her and didn't know what to do with her. You really can't do the on again off again thing forever, and apparantly she was upset Kelsey was getting a lot of her jokes, leaving her with just being annoying.
I always loved the show and thought she was mediocre at best. Well, I recently watched all the episodes again and I now see the acting and comedic brilliance that is Shelley Long. Shelley's Diane, in my humble opinion, is one of the best characters to ever appear on television. Watching the series again after all of this time, I was truly mezmorized by her performance. For me, she seems to possess something very special that touches the heart and soul. You can't help falling in love with her. You can't help rooting for her to do the right thing, even though you know she rarely does. She truly gave viewers a special gift, a gift I will always treasure....
Well said.
I always thought Shelley Long was a consumate actress/comedian. She has unreal talent.
Her leaving fit her character. She always had a false belief in her superiority.
That's it exactly. Although going to the monastery was a bit over the top. She had to learn humility but that was ridiculous.
Yes
May I modify your comment a little bit: she always had a belief in her false superiority. Thanks.
Sam ended up with who he was supposed to end up with, his one true love, Cheers. the perfect ending.
The beginning of S1E1 was of the bar opening. At the end of S11 finale, it was of the bar closing. Talk about a perfect ending!!
@@lindseysummers5351 "Sorry...we're closed."
I think a married Sam would have ended the show very quickly.
And the ripple effect of that is that "Frasier" would never had been made.
Maybe it was just the mannerisms of how Ted Danson acted, but I got the impression that he never really enjoyed being with Diane. It always came across as "she's in my head", but not in a good way. He looked as if he would have to emasculate himself just to "get her", and I never really bought the idea of them as a romantic couple. Her character had no desirable qualities as far as I could see for Malone's character. It just seemed forced, more like just because they were in the same bar together and they didn't do many outside shots.
@@jjryan1352 There was good romantic tension between Shelley and Ted but her character never accepted him as he was and there was always an onus on him to change to suit her. I'm not supportive of the idea that you should have to jump through hoops to suit someone else, particularly in real life. Maybe they were destined not to be a long term couple anyway because they were so dissimilar.That said, I preferred the earlier seasons with Shelley Long the best.
Nah. They had so much more to work with than just that.
JJ Ryan well, she was so condescending to him. She insulted his intelligence every chance she got even if they were getting along.
You do an Awesome program Dave. Please keep 'em coming even though I have to do alot of catching up. Thanks Dave!!!
Thanks for the kind words, Steve!
I love listening to you, Dave. You are always so upbeat and positive, and people always leave here in a better mood than they were when they arrived! You are a gift!☺️
You are too kind, Carolyn!
I agree Dave helped me during self imposed lockdown.
I have to agree. That is certainly true!
@Carolyn Nunes
I agree as well.
Yes I love how he celebrates American television and sitcoms and their talented people. Many, myself included, enjoy it by mulling it over and critiquing it, but it's more important to appreciate all these wonderful performances. Sorry but Europe is still far behind, and don't even mention Asia.
She took her shot at being a movie actress, knowing that if she was typecast as Diane Chambers, she was finished. It didn't work. Too bad, she was good.
Biggest mistake of of her acting life. Missed a ton of money and residuals. The same mistake a lot of people who left MASH. Although her life has been very quaint . NEVER heard one bad word about her morality or her life. Which is really more important, your soul to Jesus .
Mordecai Esther I don’t think it’s a mistake. She said she doesn’t regret it and I tend to believe that. If she doesn’t regret it then it wasn’t a mistake
You take chances in life. Sometimes for the best and other times, not so. Never forget that acting can be a short-lived career. Actors know that and accept it for what it is.
Yep, same reason anyone ever walks out of a hit sitcom. And 95% of the time it's the same result.
Ted is a LOT better
the show wouldn't have lasted 11 seasons if Shelly/Diane had stayed with it. The Sam/Diane back and forth was wearing thin and would have faded out after 7- 8 seasons, tops. Rebecca/Kirstie added a whole new angle and gave the show new life. Shelly was great, but you could only take so much of Diane.
I agree with this but I still generally enjoy watching the Dianne reruns better than most of the Rebecca episodes.
@@timothyowen4503 oh- those shows were classics! Some of the best TV ever- when she and Sam sparred- it was perfection, it just couldn't have sustained the show through 11 seasons.
@@aagold76 I agree. There really wasn't much left to do w Sam and Diane after S5. They could've did the old "add a baby" bit but that would've killed the bar dynamic. If she would've stayed the show would've ended by S7. I'm sure of it.
Personally I loved the POST Didn't eps just as much as the Diane eps.
Thanks for the quick trip down memory lane! It was a great show. I never realized that Long was only on the show for 5 seasons since she was such an integral part of the show.
What made MASH and Cheers so great is that they were more like of a group of people than a group of actors.
I cried during the last episode of Cheers because it was like the breaking up of a real family.
Like a real family the love and hate relationships were very real.
The great shows created the show around the people and the bad ones created the people around the show.
I just love your videos!
Shelley was a true professional. Also loved her in Nightshift.
Richard Wales underrated film directed by Ron Howard some don’t remember
Nightshift is one of my favorite movies.
Yep she had quite the cute little butt scene in that movie. That flick was way better then any of her starring roles.
Always great behind the scene information from your show. Shows like Cheers and Mash took up quite a bit of my T.V. watching many years ago.
Glad you enjoyed it, CTB11!
The first 5 years with Shelly were incredible. Like a fresh pizza. After Shelly it was like having reheated day old pizza. Show should’ve stopped after Shelly left.
That’s such b.s. Kirstie Alley’s episodes were some of the funniest ever written. That’s the beauty of the writing. The writers were that good.
No way. The Rebecca years had some great episodes.
@@fowchiiiliedpuppiesdiedtrue!!! I loved Diane too but a lot of post Diane eps were hilarious!!
I don't think it is so complicated or a mystery of why she left. I think she signed a contract of how many years she was gonna stay. Jaclyn Smith did the same thing with Charlie's Angels.
My favorite seasons were with Shelley being in the cast. Pure, classic television. The Rebecca role was okay the first couple years, but then became too neurotic and whiny. I loved that they brought Diane back for the final show.
Disagree with the people that say the show got better or the Shelley Long wasn't that important.
The show was still great; however, it was missing something after Diane left.
I think Diane provided the show with its heart.
Sam was the soul of the show
and the rest of the cast was the backbone.
Totally disagree. It was much better without her.
Rick Nelson i disagree. It felt empty without her
@@53snuckplum when I was 18 yrs old I thought that. But recently, I watched the entire series twice. And I realized she was special
@@gary6754 I don't really see too many ppl saying she WASN'T important. She was obviously central for the first 5 years.
@@53snuckplum it became more about the Bar after Diane. And all the group hijinx.
I loved Cheers. It was a wonderful show. The relationships that were created and built, all in one bar room stage scene. That was rare.
Yes, I would have loved to have seen Sam and Diane tie the knot. Great chemistry between the two on set.
Well said!
A lot of characters were replaced on TV shows down through the years but Diane/Shelley leaving Cheers was the biggest loss of a TV character ever in history to me. The show was never the same without her even though I have nothing against Kirstie Alley at all.
A lot of the POST Diane eps were the funniest. The Bar Wars episodes were absolutely hilarious.
I really liked cheers but I loved Fraser. And I loved it when she made a few cameos on the show as Diane Chambers.🍻
Maryann Lockwood I loved her first appearance the most, and I rank it as a top three Frasier episode. The scene where they were doing a stage scene from a Cheers-like setting was hilarious. The look on Frazier’s face the whole time was priceless.
Brian OSullivan Oh I agree. I also liked it when they keep saying the name “Maryann” over and over again (instead of Diane) since it’s my first name!🤷🏻♀️
I didn't like Cheers but I loved Fraiser through season 5 or 6
It’s funny. I always thought that the Frasier character was the perfect one for a spin off and then they did.
@@ricktompson9453 lol wtf are you talking about? None of that made any sense. And norm was married. He wasn't pretending
I watched Cheers from the first season until I left home for the NAVY on January 7th, 1986... I was stationed overseas until February 1990 and tried to catch up on the show... I just could not get Rebecca then, I enjoyed the zany humor of the show but missed many episodes between 1990-1993 because of college and working trying to raise my young family. Thirty years later, This shutdown gave me the time to go all the way back and watch it from the beginning thru the end... It was "BRILLIANT!" I feel for Kristy and the magic of the program... It has passed the test of time and will remain the "CLASSIC" it seems to be... thank you, Dave, for your observations that just seem to be "SPOT ON!"
Love it! Thanks for the great comments, Guy!
The best thing about her character was it brought us Frasier.
I loved the Frasier TV show as well, Brett.
I guess, although meh.
Fun fact: The role of producer of Frasier's radio call-in show was originally offered to Kirstie Alley but she turned it down due to her commitment to Scientology
Wow, that’s really dismissive of her talent. I guess you’re a CARLA fan huh? Jeeeeesus...
I liked Shelley right away and liked her in every movie I saw her in after that.
Liked her, or the movies? I say that because she was in some real stinkers.
@chris bleau Those movies bring a lot of joy to a lot of people.
Cheers is one of those rare examples of a long running sitcom that never jumped the shark. I'm pretty neutral about the way it ended. It would have been great to see them end up together, but then it would have been the same as so many other stories that have been told. They decided to do something different, and while that is disappointing in a way, it also makes it stand out as unique.
Shelley long was a hot looking exspeicaly in night shift with Henry wlinker .
@Werewolf O. London, Esq. "It's a limo for dead people."
"Did you see that kid?"
@Werewolf O. London, Esq. Billy was an idea man. Let's give mayonnaise to tuna fish. That way we don't have to mix it in later.
Nice...caboose.
Could not agree more.i thought i was the only one that saw night shift.
"...because we're at this party and not out there humping."
The show ended right . Sam & his bar were meant to be. Still love the show.
I loved "Cheers," but I think the writers blew a golden opportunity in the finale. They should have always left Vera (or parts of Vera) out of the show. In the final episode, it would have been awesome to see Cindy Crawford walk into the bar as Norm's wife, Vera, and order him to get his lazy butt off the bar stool and spend some quality romantic time at home. The cast could have been shocked that Norm had such a gorgeous wife. "That's Vera?" Norm could have been like, "Yeah. I know I complain about her, but she's sweet. Just sometimes a bit too clingy." That would have made a great addition to making another female character quite memorable in addition to Long, Alley and the fantastic Rhea Perlman.
That would have been awesome, Trace!
Trace Malinowski they pulled that gag on Parks and Recreation with the character Jerry who no one can stand for some unexplained reason.
Like it....Norm was always my favorite character.
@@gutenbird Oh, really? I never watched the show. Did they use a supermodel or an attractive or unknown actress? Too bad Norm didn't get Cindy. LOL!
they did use Cindy like that in some advert years ago in around 1993/94[maybe diet coke] whereby there was a middle aged overweight bald guy in the garden and his middle aged wife was cutting the lawn[also unattractive] and she turns into Cindy Crawford I recall.
I like her in the Brady movies and now she is coming in a new movie with Lynda Carter, Heirlooms
Whaaa? I didn't know that! Thanks for sharing, echozgus!
She was too old for Hollywood when she left Cheers.
@@paulclinton6414 Whaat? I don't think so.
Nice Dave! MAN that's a beautiful pic of her!
It is actually. Got an Olivia Newton John vibe going on there.
I think so too!
She left because Sophia Petrillo got tired of her and put a curse on her.
I marathoned the show last year in full on Netflix. The show came out the year I was born, while I did catch some reruns from time to time I never made a full series effort growing up. Watched all of it on Netflix & I loved the whole show! Diane was a great character and a nice opposite to Sam but I still enjoyed Cheers despite her departure. Honestly I never felt it was on the verge of “going downhill” even if it felt like an all new show with her departure & the sad death of “Coach” but Woody & Rebecca were nice additions & didn’t feel like cheap replacements. Great job on the video!
Being in a Hit Show in Hollywood can be a pain, BUT there are ways to act on the set & ways to Exit a Show! - 30 year Veteran Actor
I haven't seen the final episode, but to tell the truth, I never thought of Sam and Diane getting together. In my eyes, such a resolution would have been out of character for Sam.
Absolutely. The "odd couple" tension wasn't really there, despite both being fine actors. It just wasn't a believable match.
That was really the whole deal with them. They were so wrong for each other and they each hated themselves for loving the other because they both knew this deep inside. It made great comedy. Seasons 4 and 5 are classic as these were the episodes that really illustrated this.
I didn’t really care about their relationship after awhile but I don’t see an issue with them getting together. The show became something different anyways. They didn’t need a romance going on the whole series and they didn’t for years. You could have had even more tension with Sam cheating on Dianne.
Michael Tuz, it was the best TV series finale I have ever witnessed. Keep in mind, that was in the early 1990's.
@@gutenbird I wish The Office had done an angle with Pam cheating on Jim. It would have been pretty damn close to reality, "The perfect man" and the woman still cheats. It's far more likely for a woman to cheat than a man but society likes us to believe it's the other way around. It's bull crap.
I grew up on Cheers, my family owned a bar so the show has a very special place in my heart. I fall into the "Show Ended Perfectly" camp
So basically you're saying Diane and Shelly have the same personality.
Danson himself said that.
That is common among actors.. XD
THANKS DAVE AND THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING AS USUAL,.
I REMEMBER I WAS JUST IN MY EARLY ADOLESCENCE WHEN THE PUBLIC WERE MADE AWARE OF SHELLEY LONG'S DEPARTURE FROM "CHEERS", AND HONESTLY SPEAKING EVEN BACK THEN I WAS THINKING THIS COULD GO EITHER WAY?!
BUT I FOUND KIRSTIE ALLI TO BE BRILLIANT👍 IN THE SHOW, AND I CAN REMEMBER SO DID MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT COMMENTED ON HER AS A 'REPLACEMENT'!!!
KIRSTIE WAS A CUTIE...
AND SHELLEY LONG LATER VERY GRACIOUSLY SAID IN A TV INTERVIEW THAT HER DEPARTURE GAVE THE SERIES A WHOLE NEW LIFE,. WHICH EVIDENTLY SAID DID!
AND I LOVED SHELLEY WITH BETTE MIDLER IN " OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE "!!!
ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME!!!
IF YOU BY CHANCE HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET?! I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND SAID!
I HAVE A FEELING YOU WOULD REALLY ENJOY THE FILM,,, AMEN🙏🙏🙏!!!
I think Cheers was slightly better when Kirstie Alley came on the show but not because she was better than Shelly Long. I thought the writing was better when Kirstie Alley was there. I think Shelly Long was a lot funnier than Kirstie Alley
Yess
Well done, Dave. NBC certainly launched the 2nd Golden Age of television in the '80s with "Hill Street Blues," "Cheers," "St. Elsewhere," "Miami Vice," "L.A. Law," etc. That's when I first thought network TV was becoming as good as feature films.
You have a kind, peaceful, and friendly voice. I like it.
Thank you! 😃
Show was never the same and heck yes!! I still have hopes that they will❤
I'm 43, I basically grew up watching Cheers. It's the still the best sitcom ever put on tv imo. Diane was pretty much my idol lol. She was intelligent but still very pretty.
I loved Taxi too.
She *thought* she was intelligent.
That was the whole point and comedy.
Being conceited, bitchy and self important is often confused with intelligence.
Especially from the person who is those things.
I grew up in school and outside
@@Frisenette nope. She definitely WAS intelligent. Not street smart though. You can be intelligent AND b#tchy.
@@trawlins396 If she was that clever, she would have gotten out of that bar long ago.
I did like her though. What an anti hero.
What strange sitcom really, when you think about it.
So many sitcom tropes established or at least affirmed. Yet the premise and tone was never replicated.
Thank you, Dave!
On the first week I watched the show and was instantly a watcher, I saw reviews of the show at the time and wondered if they had watched the same show. I was most taken by the shows theme song, It hit a chord for me because "you want to go, where everybody knows you name" Which is a common desire of humanity. I don't care of the changes to the show, because life changes as you live it, so it was no different than what I was going through. If there is one shw that needs a reunion show its this one.
I didn't actually latch onto Cheers until I heard that Kirstie Alley had joined the cast. After that I cycled back to the beginning of the series and finally took it all in. They both contributed to the success of the show.
Loved Shelley in The Brady Bunch. As for Cheers, I always waver between Shelley and Kirsti. Both were so excellent, yet both so different. For me, the series was never quite the same after Coach passed. And I always did think the bar was Sam's real love, so the series ending worked perfectly for me. The show was always amazing. I thought the addition of Kelsey Grammer was brilliant, as Grammer was such a versatile actor, the show could run between moments of deep drama and a great deal of broad comedy because of his character. Thanks for another great video, Dave.
You're welcome, Jack. And...thank you for the great comments!
A lot of people said Kirstie Alley couldn't act, but Drop Dead Gorgeous certainly proves that wrong, and you don't get in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof if you can't act. But even the shows writers say they had a hard time writing for her. Trouble was they just didn't employ many female writers back then.
The Sam/Diane thing was getting old. Her leaving really helped the show go on for longer than it probably would have.
It seems there was a gang of actors on the set sided against her. Perhaps because of jealousy over her salary and awards.
Shelley long and Kelsey grammar didn't get along with each other.
These are first generation classic tv after the autumn of the golden age of television. There r none better than Cheers & Frasier with like subject matter. Love those shows in the 80s NBC seemed to have the goose that laid many golden eggs from Alf to the Cosby show, Night court to the golden girls.
I love Shelley Long! Her Cheers episodes are my favorite but She had to leave to star in some of my favorite movies. I love Troop Beverly Hills and have always loved Hello Again. I remember when it came out on Showtime. It also had a cameo by Carrie Nye from Creepshow who I love
so glad i found this channel. great content
A very difficult person on the set and that pretty much ended her career.
The problem was she was too well cast.
sad but true af
and we know that how?
Uh
No she wanted to raise her children
The show WAS never the same and it DID run for another six years. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, it was both.
I think you can blame two shows: Moonlighting and Remington Steele. Both shows focused on will-they-won't-they, and the instant they went for the "they will," their quality and ratings tanked despite both shows being hits before that.
in the 71 shows that premiered in the first season of Cheers, Cheers was 71 out of 71 shows. It was amazing it wasn't cancelled!
Luv Shelley! A wonderful actress,pretty face and great legs!!
Another great video dude your the best man loved cheers watched every episode more than once got 70 videos up thanks for everything you've said about me Danny staton
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Danny!
She's always been really good in all things she's ever done.
I loved when Lillith's baby called out "Norm"...........as he entered the bar
The failure of a show after two main characters get together is often due to a failure in the writing. It’s not that hard to come up with great storylines involving a married couple.
I can think of many shows that succeeded with a married couple at the onset. However, if the courtship was part of the ongoing storyline, the marriage of those two character seldom led to increased ratings. Top of mind is "I Dream of Jeannie" and, much later, "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman".
Conflicts are central themes in writing and NO ONE wants to see marital conflicts because we want fantasy not a reminder of everyone's cold reality.
Yep, can we say "Moonlighting" ladies & gentlemen.
👍👍👍 the changes always took some getting used to , but that’s what helped keep it fresh. Great show!!!😺
Growing up in Chicago, I remember way back when Shelley was seen regularly on commercials for a local furniture company, "Homemakers". Watching some of our old VHS tapes, there she was, back in the '70s.
I loved her on Cheers, big fan.
I hoped they could have ended up together too.
The show wasn't the same after she left
:( .
I liked Diane but I liked Rebeca more, she was a mess, he made Sam look sane. I didn't want Sam and Diane to end up together, they were a toxic couple.
Rebecca most certainly was a mess. Set women kind back decades.
One of my all time favorite movies...OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE
Loved her in Cheers, and I loved how Sam's urge to look cool alwats conflicted with his attraction to Diane. I thought getting them together was a huge mistake--it was that ongoing sexual tension that made this show a much-watch, for me. I really hate how horrible everyone was to her, during her few return appearances.
Great job, as always! ☺️
I have the entire series on DVD and have watched it at least 7 or 8 times now. Cheers is one of THE best sitcoms EVER! Very creative, clever and NOT predictable. I always knew Sam and Diane wouldn't and SHOULDN'T get married: despite the carnal lust they were not compatible...she is an intellectual to a higher degree and Sam is a simple street smart athlete, it just wouldn't work. Diane's replacement...Back Seat Becky...was another great character but again with Sam, carnal lust but incompatible due to Becky being a gold digger...Sam couldn't produce enough for her to be satisfied. Just like Coach's replacement...both equally dense but in completely different ways and both absolutely brilliant. I think the show ended perfectly.
I absolutely thought Shelly was drop dead gorgeous and I only knew her from Cheers and Night Shift.
She wanted to be viewed as an intellectual and philosophical individual yet she contrasted this idea with so many personal and practical failures. She played a very touching and complex character and also stunningly beautiful. Her facial expression fit the character perfectly. Shelly and Ted played one of the great love hate relationships of all time. Even thought the others were always laughing at her--perhaps in real life, as well--Sam always came to her rescue. Sam could see that she was very lonely and without friends and suffering underneath her insistence that she was above everyone. It is really one of the most touching shows--not to mention well written, perfectly cast and brilliant acting. It is a brilliant combination of acting and writing. Really, Shelly is often the object of the show with Karla's cruelty offset by Sam's kindness and empathy even though he is suppose to be the typical obtuse guy with only a few things occupying his mind. Sam is also suffering from alcoholism and a complex character. Seriously, the show is so good and I loved it so much I almost cannot watch it any longer because it is too funny and too sad at the same time. Will it go down in history as one of the greatest shows ever? All of the characters were hilarious, not to mention Lillith and Frasier, but I would have to say for me, the centerpiece of it all was Sam and Diane.
I'll have to disagree. I actually think a Sam/Diane marriage could have worked. Remember the house episode where they imagined themselves in the future as an old couple? Yes they were opposites but eventually they would have grown into each other and worked out the kinks. They loved each other deeply and that's what matters most. ❤️. Personally I think it would have been fun to see them become parents on the show.
@@ChloeLouiseTheRonnieRepublicNot sure if you're still out there, but your comment so resonated with me. It was so insightful. Amazes and touches me how much these characters meant...mean to people.
Subscribed! You have a very pleasant narration voice.
Thanks for subscribing, James!
Cheers, Night Court, and Happy Days were my go to shows. Brought lots of laughs with great actors.
Hi! 53-y/o white guy here. From what I've seen & read about the show, no one could stand Shelley Long, & after the last show wrapped, everyone hugged except for Shelly Long & Rhea Pearlman (kinda takes the fun out of it, no?). The female costume designer had worked on "Laverne & Shirley" & said ea. was worse then the other, w/Cindy Wms driving thru the gate blocker when the studio hadn't provided her name to the new security guard (& she got away w/it), & that show went thru writers after every episode for whatever reason (one snapped at Cindy Wms & was fired that day), & the "Happy Days" cast said they could hear the 4 cast members always yelling thru the walls. There wasn't that much drama on "Cheers," apparently (which is good!), but this same costume designer said Shelley Long was worse than Cindy Wms & Penny Marshall put together, & thought she'd NEVER be able to say that! Ted Danson told the press "I can't think of anything that wasn't negative about Shelley," so if they made up, later, that's good. The guy who played Eddie seemed awfully hurt as he questioned the Cheers staff during a Q&A (he'd gotten a phone call that he'd been canned, but the reason wasn't divulged until much later). Rhea P. was laughing thru-out all of this, btw. He apparently said on the radio she wasn't pleasant to kiss, & got canned. Um, what did you expect? To me, Shelley Long MADE the show & it wasn't the same w/o her. K. Alley wasn't as fun. What can you do? Nothing lasts forever...! Thanks for the video!
Couldn't stand her in Cheers, but absolutely loved her in Night Shift with Henry Winkler.
I loved her in both!
Plus she showed off her nice back side. I liked her in both.
She was fine in Cheers. I didn't think she had enough star power to make it big in the movies. She did a few good movies that were moderately successful, but not enough a bona fide movie star.
JJ Ryan Loved Night Shift. I never see it on tv.
@@jdsundstrom i mean i didn't like the character she played....too many episodes she was just toying with Sam or was confused....made the storylines too vague.