Cheers

Cheers refined the sitcom form, surviving for 11 seasons without ever running out of charm or chuckles. Seinfeld may have recast the sitcom in its image. Cheers have arguably one of the best and most diverse sitcoms casts ever, but its writing is unmatched. Cheers never dated despite seldom leaving the bar for more than ten years because it was never constrained by genre convention and frequently eager to experiment with its storytelling rhythms. Like many long-running sitcoms, Cheers in the 1990s was fundamentally different from what it was in the 1980s. It was less about Ted Danson's character Sam's dating life and more about the ensemble of characters, many of whom were at this point universally adored.

All of these characters truly came into their own during the latter years of Cheers, particularly Rhea Perlman's Carla and Kelsey Grammer, who joined the ensemble on a full-time basis before departing to star in Frasier. Although the final episode of the series drew mixed reviews at the time, nostalgia has elevated it to favorable status, especially in light of the happy endings that the majority of characters experience. Sam made the proper choice in deciding against getting married and sticking with the bar; Jim Vorel is, after all, his "one true love."

Years: 1982-1992
Creator: Glen and Les Charles, James Burrows
Stars: Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Nicholas Colasanto, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Kirstie Alley, Bebe Neuwirth
Network: NBC