CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPORTS, GAMES & LEISURE › Television › The Cheers Thread
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The Cheers Thread

post #1 of 58
10/6/09 at 5:22pm
Thread Starter 
Hey, let's talk about CHEERS around here. I don't know what's happening in your area, but I rarely see reruns of this on TV anymore. It's mostly FRIENDS, SEINFELD, SIMPSONS, KING OF QUEENS, that kind of stuff.

I'd like to see stuff like NIGHT COURT, NEWHART, and NEWSRADIO get on TV more, as I fear young people today are missing out on some of this classic stuff.

Anyway, to the topic at hand, I prefered the Diane years, but some of the best episodes the show ever did were the Bar Wars series in the later seasons.

What do you guys think? What is your favorite era or episodes?
Reply
post #2 of 58
10/6/09 at 5:44pm
Oh, no doubt. The Diane episodes--the late Ernie Pantuso to early Woody Boyd ones, especially--encapsulate the show at its finest. The early Rebecca ones weren't too shabby, either. As for favorites, I was always partial to anything involving Gary's Old Towne Tavern.
Reply
post #3 of 58
10/6/09 at 6:26pm
Love the whole run, but I'm gonna throw my support behind the Rebecca era. Doesn't have much to do with Kirstie Alley, but it just happens that a lot of my favorite eps came during her tenure. Has more to do with loving Kelsey Grammer on the show and how his character "let loose" more once Diane was gone.

Which Gary did you guys prefer? Both were solid but I give the edge to the guy who was in THE THING.

Had a fairly long streak during the 90's of watching the food fight episode each Thanksgiving.
Reply
post #4 of 58
10/6/09 at 6:33pm
Had a big junior-high era crush on Shelly Long, so I'm definitely in the Diane Years camp. With the possible exception of the very different Seinfeld, this may be my favorite sitcom ever.

In addition to that amazing Thanksgiving episode, I loved all the times Harry the Hat showed up.
Reply
post #5 of 58
10/6/09 at 6:39pm
The Harry the Hat ones are classic, dug how he came back one more time toward the end.

Wish Fred Dryer had shown up one more time as well. Always liked his sleazy sportscaster.

Another point for the Kirstie Alley years was Roger Rees. Awesome foil for Malone. The episode with Sam and Robin competing in various games during what was supposed to be Rebecca's "Perfect Day" is fantastic. Especially the ending.

"One two three four, I declare a thumb war."
Reply
post #6 of 58
10/6/09 at 7:09pm
Check this out. Had a local station here that was showing Cheers in the morning. Was the perfect way to start my day, eating my Cheerios and enjoying time with the gang before work. Now, with the the new fall schedule, they've replaced it with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Mornings = fucked now.

I'm a Rebecca-era man. It gave us the Screaming Viking, maybe my favorite sitcom moment ever.
Reply
post #7 of 58
10/6/09 at 7:13pm
"Would you like the cucumber bruised?"
Reply
post #8 of 58
10/6/09 at 7:14pm
"Slightly."

*thump*
Reply
post #9 of 58
10/6/09 at 7:28pm
Diane years all the way!

The slap/slap/kiss episode hilarious.

My favorite recurring character was the psycho Sam set Diane up with on a blind date. The Shakespeare play, a classic sequence.

Coach vs Woody?

You'd think it would be a no brainer, but ya never know!

Favorite celeb cameo-Kevin McHale.

Fave Carla put down:

Cliff: "Sometimes I'm ashamed God Made me a man"
Carla:"You won't hear him bragging about it either."
Reply
post #10 of 58
10/6/09 at 7:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Elvis View Post
Favorite celeb cameo-Kevin McHale.
That was good. My favorite was Robert Urich. Wasn't really a Spencer fan but his cameo was a delight.

Pantsing Wade Boggs is also up there.
Reply
post #11 of 58
10/6/09 at 7:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti View Post
Another point for the Kirstie Alley years was Roger Rees. Awesome foil for Malone. The episode with Sam and Robin competing in various games during what was supposed to be Rebecca's "Perfect Day" is fantastic. Especially the ending.
I missed most of the first couple of Rebecca seasons due to starting college and working nights, so someday I'll have to rectify that. Wasn't Tom Skeritt on at one time, too?

Diane and Sam's chemistry was so great that you'd never know that those two kind of hated each other in real life.
Reply
post #12 of 58
10/6/09 at 8:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
I missed most of the first couple of Rebecca seasons due to starting college and working nights, so someday I'll have to rectify that. Wasn't Tom Skeritt on at one time, too?
Yeah, Skeritt was on a half-dozen or so times during Alley's first season as the guy in charge of the company that bought Sam's bar and for whom Rebecca had the hots for. Best episode with him was the one where Norm is hired to paint his mansion.
Reply
post #13 of 58
10/6/09 at 9:57pm
Thread Starter 
Really the most amazing thing about the show is how consistent it was from start to finish. Right out of the gate in the first season they had that classic episode where Sam and Diane agree to set each other up for dates, and Sam at the last minute has to get that crazy guy.

Another great early one is where Norm decides to have his offices' annual party at the bar.
Reply
post #14 of 58
10/6/09 at 10:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ED209 View Post
Really the most amazing thing about the show is how consistent it was from start to finish.
The fact that it was on 11 years and never really hit a prolonged rough patch is astounding. Some of the stuff in the last couple years was more over the top/zany than usual but the same was true of Seinfeld in its last couple seasons.

Best one-shot guest star: John Cleese. "I've grown to hate them."
Reply
post #15 of 58
10/6/09 at 11:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti View Post
Yeah, Skeritt was on a half-dozen or so times during Alley's first season as the guy in charge of the company that bought Sam's bar and for whom Rebecca had the hots for. Best episode with him was the one where Norm is hired to paint his mansion.
HAHA I just remembered Norm's brilliant save in the episode of how he "always wanted people to see him carrying a rich guy".

Local station here is actually showing Cheers again, it's been great.
Reply
post #16 of 58
10/6/09 at 11:29pm
Loved this show. The only thing that I can really add to what's been said already is that I loved the whole Frazier/Lilith character dynamic. The episode where they realize that they're in love (she puts on makeup and appears on live TV with Frazier) is probably my favorite episode of the entire series.
Reply
post #17 of 58
10/6/09 at 11:31pm
One of, if not the best, episodes was Woody's wedding. Best line?

Frasier: "Paging Dr. Daniels... Dr. Jack Daniels!"
Reply
post #18 of 58
10/6/09 at 11:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti View Post

Best one-shot guest star: John Cleese. "I've grown to hate them."
Runner-up: Christopher Lloyd as the hideous modern artist that precipitates Sam and Diane's first breakup.

So, is anyone besides myself going to admit to watching every episode of The Torellis?
Reply
post #19 of 58
10/7/09 at 12:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post

So, is anyone besides myself going to admit to watching every episode of The Torellis?
fuck no

Fave Norm greeting:

WOODY: What's going down, Mr Peterson?

NORM: My butt cheeks on that bar stool.

Love it all. Prefer the Rebecca years, but nothing wrong with five seasons of Diane.
Reply
post #20 of 58
10/7/09 at 1:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Misfit View Post
Check this out. Had a local station here that was showing Cheers in the morning. Was the perfect way to start my day, eating my Cheerios and enjoying time with the gang before work.
Same here -- I often enjoyed the hour of Cheers/hour of Frazier over coffee and a bagel on a weekday morning. Beat the livin' shit out of the local news.
Reply
post #21 of 58
10/7/09 at 2:19am
This thread got me curious about what stations are showing reruns. Nationally it's still airing on WGN and The Hallmark Channel.

Right now The Hallmark Channel is running stuff from the last season, ultimately leading up to the Berenger-fueled final couple episodes.

I don't remember much of anything about The Tortelli's spin-off. That's probably for the best, but Hedeya was grand in the role on Cheers.
Reply
post #22 of 58
10/7/09 at 2:42am
Nick Tortelli taught me the word "uggo."

Coach taught me about Albania:

Albania, Albania,
You border on the Adriatic.
Your land is mostly mountainous
And your chief export is chrome.
Reply
post #23 of 58
10/7/09 at 2:46am
A shame the Berenger arc was a tad underwhelming. Didn't care for the final stretch run.

I was a Cheers die hard, but never cared for Frasier spin-off.

Fave Cliff episode-when in order to stop being such an insufferable know-it-all, hires someone to rig him up with a gizmo to give shock every time he's an ass. After being zapped over and over again, he finally snatches away the control, furiously pushing away at the button and yelling "How do you like it!"--only since the gizmo itself was still attached to his body, he was getting the blasts of bolts. (Think Simpson's Family Therapy)

Fave Cliff episode runner up-the bully episode where he fakes knowing karate ("take me to the hospital")
Reply
post #24 of 58
10/7/09 at 2:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Elvis View Post
I was a Cheers die hard, but never cared for Frasier spin-off.
I was with Frasier for the first couple seasons, but eventually got tired of it. What was great about him on Cheers was how they took this really refined character and had him slowly get corrupted by all the meaningless minutiae at the bar. Frasier brought him back to his comfort zone and it just wasn't as funny.

I liked that "Scrambled Eggs" song during the end credits though.
Reply
post #25 of 58
10/7/09 at 3:03am
I watched the first five or six seasons of Frasier and liked it a lot, even though it had a much different vibe than Cheers. Niles was the MVP on that show.
Reply
post #26 of 58
10/7/09 at 8:51am
Coincidentally, I came home the other day, and my wife was napping on the couch, and had left the TV on WGN. I couldn't find the remote, so I sat down and Cheers came on. It was the "Tell Your Fortune Scale" episode, and sitting there watching it, I realized how much I missed the show. I don't think I had seen an episode in like 3-4 years.

Missed the next episode because I had to take my son to football practice, but liked the "Norm-ism" at the beginning:

"NORM!"
"What's shakin', Norm?"
"All 4 cheeks and a couple of chins, Coach."
Reply
post #27 of 58
10/7/09 at 10:38am
"Beer, Norm?"
"Little early isn't it, Woody?"
"For a beer?"
"No, for stupid questions."
Reply
post #28 of 58
10/7/09 at 10:52am
A Normie: "It's a dog-eat-dog world and I'm wearing milkbone underwear."

And a Cliffy: "Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?"
Reply
post #29 of 58
10/7/09 at 10:56am
The episode where Cliff suffered hysterical blindness around his gf also hilarious.

Fave Carla feud? I loved her snarky battles with Diane.
Reply
post #30 of 58
10/7/09 at 11:08am
I'd have to vote for the Diane years as well. The show was good through its entire run but somehow the very best Diane era episodes felt less like tv sitcom light entertainment and more like watching fantastically well written filmed stage plays or something.

I watched the early seasons for the first time only a couple of years ago and it's all pretty much timeless, with the glaring exception of a gay-themed episode from season 1 or 2 which would never, ever be done that way today.
Reply
post #31 of 58
10/7/09 at 2:34pm
"Ggg-gg-ggroin injury."

Also the opening bit with the kid who wants Sam to sign a Carl Yaztremski ball still makes me laugh to this day.
Reply
post #32 of 58
10/7/09 at 5:58pm
Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd is Mark Twain.
Reply
post #33 of 58
10/7/09 at 6:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti View Post
That was good. My favorite was Robert Urich. Wasn't really a Spencer fan but his cameo was a delight.

Pantsing Wade Boggs is also up there.
Cheers is why I'm a Red Sox fan. Grew up in Colorado and Arkansas during its run, so I never had a local team to root for. I loved Sammy 'MayDay' Malone, and loved the show. It was easy to do when you are 10.
Reply
post #34 of 58
10/7/09 at 10:57pm
Best sitcom ever. I loved both era's. Some episodes in the Diane years could have qualified as the best drama on television also. Loved the Rebecca years too, Robin Colcord was a great television villian.
My favorite Norm quote is this one

Woody: Hey Mr. Peterson, Jack Frost nipping at your nose?
Norm: Yep, now let's get Joe Beer nipping at my liver.
Reply
post #35 of 58
10/8/09 at 10:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank The Tank View Post
Best sitcom ever. I loved both era's. Some episodes in the Diane years could have qualified as the best drama on television also.
Sam's "Have a good life" is one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen on television, as is watching the elderly Sam and Diane fade out of the house they were buying because Sam knew they'd never live there.

Man, I need to watch this show again.
Reply
post #36 of 58
10/8/09 at 10:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
And a Cliffy: "Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?"
That same episode I saw: (Postman is talking to Cliff) "...I really messed up at our branch the other day, and boss told me to get my head outta my Clavin."
Reply
post #37 of 58
10/8/09 at 10:44am
It's remarkable that a sitcom that changed two pretty major roles was able to move on without a hitch.
Reply
post #38 of 58
10/8/09 at 10:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post

Diane and Sam's chemistry was so great that you'd never know that those two kind of hated each other in real life.
Felt bad for Shelley during that 300th episode retrospective episode hosted by John McLaughlin. She tried to justify leaving and put a positive spin on her era, but you could see the contempt and hatred from the others seething under the surface, threatening to boil over. If I recall, some direct shots taken.

The switching of gears and transition to Rebbecca was the best thing that could've happened to the show. Kirstie Alley was amazingly funny and sexy back in the day.
Reply
post #39 of 58
10/8/09 at 10:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
It's remarkable that a sitcom that changed two pretty major roles was able to move on without a hitch.
I think part of it that is that the changes happened to come about at just the right time to freshen the show up instead of derailing it. After five years they'd probably pushed the Sam/Diane dynamic about as far as it could go, and while Coach was good I'm not sure there was a lot more they could do with that character, so Woody was a perfect substitute.
Reply
post #40 of 58
10/8/09 at 10:59am
The animosity towards Shelley Long is news to me. What was the deal?
Reply
post #41 of 58
10/8/09 at 11:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
Sam's "Have a good life" is one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen on television, as is watching the elderly Sam and Diane fade out of the house they were buying because Sam knew they'd never live there.
That wrap-up for their story was so good that I kind of wish Diane had never come back on the show again, esp. for the finale.
Reply
post #42 of 58
10/8/09 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
The animosity towards Shelley Long is news to me. What was the deal?
I've always heard that she didn't have to "act" to get into character as Diane. I could see that being grating. At any rate, I love them both.
Reply
post #43 of 58
10/8/09 at 11:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
Sam's "Have a good life" is one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen on television, as is watching the elderly Sam and Diane fade out of the house they were buying because Sam knew they'd never live there.

Man, I need to watch this show again.
The show did a good job of having moments like that without dwelling on them to the point of overdoing it. There was a similar bit in the very funny episode where Diane is convinced she has a shot at a career as a ballet dancer. There's that last little moment at the end where Diane is watching the "talented" dancers do their thing and realizes her dream is over.

Even in the Thanksgiving show there's that nice moment where they all toast Coach. Again, it wasn't anything long or drawn out. It was just right.
Reply
post #44 of 58
10/8/09 at 11:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Elvis View Post
Felt bad for Shelley during that 300th episode retrospective episode hosted by John McLaughlin. She tried to justify leaving and put a positive spin on her era, but you could see the contempt and hatred from the others seething under the surface, threatening to boil over. If I recall, some direct shots taken.

The switching of gears and transition to Rebbecca was the best thing that could've happened to the show. Kirstie Alley was amazingly funny and sexy back in the day.
When people talk about "Pulling a Caruso", they really should say "Actor X pulled a Shelly Long".

I remember seeing the 300th ep when I was a kid and being bored to tears. But seeing it when I was older was facinating when you realize how much they hated her. It was definantly palpable and there were some shots taken. You have the feeling she went backstage a cried afterwards.
Reply
post #45 of 58
10/8/09 at 12:26pm
Thread Starter 
I watched a pretty good episode from the middle of the series yesterday. It was the one where Cliff convinces Norm to join the Knights of Scimitar.

The best part is that just after he is accepted into the club they announce the ban on beer for all future meetings. Was a really great moment that got me to laugh out loud.
Reply
post #46 of 58
10/8/09 at 12:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti View Post
The show did a good job of having moments like that without dwelling on them to the point of overdoing it. There was a similar bit in the very funny episode where Diane is convinced she has a shot at a career as a ballet dancer. There's that last little moment at the end where Diane is watching the "talented" dancers do their thing and realizes her dream is over.

Even in the Thanksgiving show there's that nice moment where they all toast Coach. Again, it wasn't anything long or drawn out. It was just right.
That reminds me of the one where Sam gives away, for support, the bottlecap of the last beer that he ever drank. The other guy loses it and Sam loses his touch at the bar. By the end, it looks like Sam is going to go back to drinking again, and it's a genuinely GOOD moment when you realize that he's just getting a replacement bottlecap. He recaptures his mojo.
Reply
post #47 of 58
10/8/09 at 1:21pm
Yep. They never overdid the schmaltz. Loved the bit with Sam straightening up the picture of Coach just before the end of the finale.

The series also gave us this exchange:

"Oh, Cliff. Who will keep me warm on those cold Canadian nights?"
"You'll be all right, Margaret. Women have that extra layer of fat."
Reply
post #48 of 58
10/8/09 at 1:56pm
To this day still my favorite sitcom. It used to be on at 6:30am on a local independent station when I was at the gym and I loved catching up on the old episodes.

Anyway, everyone has already posted so many great moments. Personally I'm a Rebecca-era fan just because that was when I watched the show live. But the Diane years are great too. My favorite episode ever was actually near the end of the series in "The Magnificent Six". Sam and Henrí challenge each other to a bet to get the most phone numbers. It was a perfect episode and the ending always kills me with the guys softly and then loudly chanting "USA USA USA!".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083399/episodes

I always thought it would be awesome to be one of those regulars who sat around the bar. The occassional speaking role every few episodes playing off Norm or Cliff. But to be there every day...awesome.
Reply
post #49 of 58
10/8/09 at 2:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JudgeSmails View Post
I always thought it would be awesome to be one of those regulars who sat around the bar. The occassional speaking role every few episodes playing off Norm or Cliff. But to be there every day...awesome.
Liked pretty much all those background guys, but my favorite was Al. Whenever he got a line it always killed. His best was during the "Screaming Viking" episode.

"I haven't been called that since my honeymoon!"
Reply
post #50 of 58
10/8/09 at 2:06pm
I liked Phil when they brought him to the forefront a little more in later years. Just the perfect amount of Bar-fly loser. This thread reminds me of one of my favorite Cheers moments when Frasier does the dramatic reading of A Tale of Two Cities to the guys, and throws in elements of IT and Rambo to keep them interested.
"And there was a murderous clown that lived in the sewers and devoured children"
"Woah, this just got interesting!"
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Television
CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPORTS, GAMES & LEISURE › Television › The Cheers Thread