CHEERS Cast And Crew Celebrate 30th Anniversary
By Movieguide® Contributor
The stars of CHEERS recently got together to recall their time on the hit sitcom for the show’s 30th anniversary celebration.
The cast and crew reunited at this year’s ATX TV Festival to talk about the show’s enduring success.
CHEERS has gone on to be considered one of the most popular shows of all time, but the cast pointed out that the success didn’t come right away.
“Well, our early readings, as has been alluded to, we [were] abysmal and finished way down [the ratings list] all the time until the summer remanence came around,” Glen Charles, the show’s writer and producer, said. “But we knew, and I think the cast knew, that we were doing something good because we had a live audience every week. This before the show was even on television. And the live audience was giving a response — they knew these characters, even though they had never seen them on television.”
He continued, “They recognized them and laughed at them. And that was a good feeling. So we knew that this was our bottom line. If we’re not successful when we get on the air, we at least have something to show on our resume. We can show them this.”
CHEERS co-creator and Glen Charles’ brother Les Charles added, “In the beginning, we were just desperate to get — we had 13 on-the-air episodes, and there was a possibility of nine after that.”
“I had no concept in the world, this could be the success it was,” he laughed. “And every year it went, I was more and more surprised. It’s a long time. Eleven years.”
CHEERS would go on to win 28 Emmys and spawn the popular spin-off FRASIER, which followed fan-favorite character Dr. Frasier Crane as he moved to Seattle and reconnected with his father and brother.
Movieguide® previously reported on the upcoming FRASIER reboot:
Paramount+ has officially green-lit the FRASIER reboot!
The sequel series has been in the works for over a year now, and the streaming service just officially ordered episodes.
The new show will follow Dr. Frasier Crane as he navigates a new phase of his life in a new city. Kelsey Grammer is reprising his role as the lead character, but no other cast members have been confirmed yet.
However, David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin are rumored to be making appearances as Niles Crane, Daphne, and Roz.
The cast will also feature new characters that Frasier encounters in his new job and life.
