Over the decades, TV audiences have seen their fair share of iconic sitcoms come and go. But for as long as human beings go on living, there will never be another one quite like Cheers .
Cheers was not only hilarious, but it was also endearing , timeless, and the place where everyone knew our name. So as a way to pay homage to this monumental series, here are 15 Cheers behind-the-scenes secrets fans didn’t know.
Kurt Vonnegut was a huge fan of the show.
Kurt Vonnegut was the award-winning author behind the novels Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions . In an interview for The Cable Guide, Vonnegut confessed that he’d rather have written Cheers than any of his own published works.
Audiences hated the laugh track — even though there wasn’t one.
That’s right, one of the biggest misconceptions in the early days of Cheers was that the show used “canned” laughter. In reality, the show was filmed in front of a live studio audience .
Shelley Long was pregnant during Season 3 of ‘Cheers’.
Unlike her co-star Rhea Perlman, Long was forced to conceal her pregnancy. This was done poorly and completely unconvincingly. Most of the time, she’d just be shown carrying a tray in front of her stomach .
There is a full-length version of the theme song.
Not only is Cheers a classic, but it also boasts one of the best theme songs in the history of television. There’s even an argument to be made that the song’s second verse is even better than the one that precedes it.
The producers were rumored to not like Shelley Long.
It’s no secret that Kelsey Grammer and Shelley Long weren’t exactly besties on the set of Cheers . According to Kelsey’s autobiography, the only reason that his character was kept around for so long was that it annoyed Shelley .
The show was nearly canceled during the first season.
It seems wild to think that one of the most cherished TV shows of all time almost didn’t make it. But of the 77 new series on the air that season, Cheers ranked 74th in the ratings .
Ted Danson wore a hairpiece while filming the later seasons.
Like most men, Ted Danson’s hair began getting noticeably thinner as time went by. In order to address the problem, he decided to wear a hairpiece — which he mocked during an episode.
Sam Malone was originally written as a retired football player.
Once Ted Danson had auditioned and secured the part, the thought of him as an offensive lineman in the NFL seemed laughable. Therefore, his profession was changed to that of a retired baseball player .
Jay Thomas’ character, Eddie LeBec, was killed off after spewing hateful comments about a fellow cast member.
Thomas was asked to describe what it’s like to work on the set of Cheers . He replied that it was awful, due to the fact that he had to kiss Rhea Perlman .
A real-life NFL player was nearly cast as Sam Malone.
Fred Dryer used to play professional football for the New England Patriots and to this day is the only player to score two safeties in the same game/quarter. He would’ve secured the part, were it not for the chemistry that Danson had with Shelley Long .
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John Ratzenberger originally auditioned for the part of Norm.
When he didn’t get it, Ratzenberger asked the producers if they’d t hought to cast a resident know-it-all for Cheers . When they replied that they hadn’t the part of Cliff Clavin was born.
You can pay a visit to the ‘Cheers’ bar.
If you ever find yourself near the Boston area, a trip to Cheers is a must-do . The revered watering hole is located at 84 Beacon Street in Boston, MA. Come thirsty!
Kirstie Alley broke the ice in a unique way.
Kirstie knew that she had some big shoes to fill and that the audience was bound to draw comparisons between her and Shelley Long. Therefore, Alley decided to take control and show up to the set dressed exactly like Diane .
No, Norm wasn’t really drinking beer the whole time.
If George Wendt had actually consumed as much beer as Norm, he would’ve succumbed to alcohol poisoning by Season 3. Instead, Wendt was given a concoction known as “near beer.”
An alternate ending was filmed.
Shelley Long had announced her intentions to leave the series, but the producers still didn’t want word getting out before the episode aired. Therefore, they filmed two endings to Sam and Diane’s wedding: one in which they tie the knot and another where they part ways.