Would Cheers have lasted 11 years if Shelley Long stayed

[BKuzak]

I've been thinking about it while watching the little clips of the Cheers reunion on Entertainment Tonight all week. I liked the diane years of Cheers but how many times can they tell the story of a man and woman making up and breaking up...even if they did get married. At least when Rebecca came on, the show branched out into other couples. They had Frasier and Lilith, Woody and Kelly, Rebecca and Robin, Carla and Eddie, and even Cliff and Margret on and off. In the Diane years, it was mostly focussed on them.

What do you all think?

[MrQuartermaine]

In my opinion, Seasons 2 & 3 of Cheers, which focused highly on Sam & Diane's relationship, were the worst in the series.

[BingCherry]

I don't think it would have been on past '89 if Diane stayed on, though I sometimes imagine what it would be like if the show continued with Diane AND Rebecca.

[Khan]

Actually, BKuzak, Sam and Diane never married. They wanted to, but Diane left Sam at the altar at the last minute to pursue her writing career with the promise that she'd be back, ready to pick up where the two had left off, in six months (which, of course, never happened).

Would "Cheers" have lasted as long as it did if Shelley Long had stayed throughout the entire run? Frankly, no, I don't think so. As it was, the romantic and sexual tug-of-war between Sam and Diane, which had been the series' predominant storyline up to that point, was becoming far too convoluted. Regardless of whether SL had chosen to stay beyond the fifth season, Sam and Diane needed to get married. Chances are, though, the series might have just two more seasons -- no way would the show have survived Sam's awkward transition from lothario to husband and family man -- and really, when you think about it, a seven-year run is just as incredible as an eleven-year one.

[BKuzak]

I think they missed a hugh opportunity in the final episode to do that. If you remember the one time Rebecca and Diane met, Rebecca was on the verge of a breakdown because of not marrying Don.

Yea i know i meant because there was a wedding at the end of her run, if they actually had gotten married, it still would have had to do the "war of the roses" story or put them in the background and i'm sure Shelley wouldn't have liked that.

I also recently heard they breifly toyed with making Woody be the head bartender when Ted decided to leave. but then they decided they couldn't do the show without Ted and ended it. I wonder what would have happend if it continued with Woody. Woody and Kelly becomming the main couple.

[Khan]

It wouldn't have worked. Sam's function within "Cheers," after all, was as the center of (relative) rationality and level-headedness in the hurricane of eccentricity at that bar. In order for Woody to assume Sam's mantle, he would've had to stop being such a rube, which would have rendered that character virtually unrecognizable.

[dragonflies]

Especially for a show in it's first season was dead last in ratings.....

[Mr. Vixen]

I never enjoyed Cheers until that miserable Shelley Long left. HATED Diane!

[ChitHappens]

Hello no! Rebecca Howe was the fresh air that Cheers needed, and she came at the right time! Not sure SL as the lead female would have held my interest for very long. KA is a far superior actress and she worked the hell out of the material. Even when I thought the character was being reduced, KA made it make a whole lot of sense.

[BKuzak]

Oh that's only the start. Remember as soon as the show did gain good raitings, poor Nick Collaonto (The Coach) passed away. and then a couple of years later Shelley left. it's back story is probably more interesting than the show itself. Not many shows has that many back story complication and still survived longer than even the producers thought.

[BKuzak]

cheers reunion Ted and Shelley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1OKyOOUjqA

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I missed this thread and had a status update on Cheers a few days ago, LOL!

Frankly, Diane/Long left at the right time. The Sam/Diane merry-go-round was getting stale, Long knew it, Danson knew it, and Burrows/Charles/Charles knew it. There was only so much you could milk with that set-up without watering down the characters (and show as a whole) in the long-run.

My favourite era of Cheers is the second half of its run, or the Kirstie Alley seasons if you will. I just thought the show became more of an open ensemble, funnier, and much more pleasant to watch.

Diane could be a very polarizing character as well - too much of her was never a good thing.

[MrQuartermaine]

Glad Paul made the reunion photo. I loved that guy.

[dragonflies]

no Woody or Kelsey

[BKuzak]

I heard Woody was out doing a movie and Kelsey was off shooting episodes for his show Boss. To me it's fine because i've seen them both recently. Woody was just on The View a couple of weeks ago and Kelsey just did an oprah interview a couple of months ago. But i haven't seen most of those people in the photo...including Shelley Long in far too long.

What do you think about Shelley's movie career? I know they were B movies but i enjoyed a lot of them and have them on DVD. I like Troop Beverly Hills, Irreconcilable Differences and Hello Again. but i like goofy movies like that as long as i know the actors in them.