Cheers is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from September 30, , to May 20, , for 11 seasons and episodes. The show is set in the titular bar in Boston , where a group of locals meet to drink, relax, socialize, and escape from their day to day issues.
At the center of the show is the bar's owner and head bartender, Sam Malone , who is a womanizing former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. The show's ensemble cast introduced in the pilot episode are waitresses Diane Chambers and Carla Tortelli , second bartender Coach Ernie Pantusso , and regular customers Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin.
After premiering in , it was nearly canceled during its first season when it ranked almost last in ratings for its premiere 74th out of 77 shows. However, Cheers eventually became a Nielsen ratings juggernaut in the United States, earning a top rating during eight of its 11 seasons, including one season at number one season 9. Widely watched , its series finale in became the most-watched single TV episode of the s, and the show's episodes have been successfully syndicated worldwide.
Nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series for all 11 of its seasons on the air, it earned 28 Primetime Emmy Awards from a record of nominations. During its run, Cheers became one of the most popular series in history and received critical acclaim from its start to its end and is frequently cited as one of the greatest television shows of all time.
Before the Cheers pilot " Give Me a Ring Sometime " was completed and aired in , the series consisted of four employees in the first script. In later years, Woody Boyd replaced Coach, after the character died off-screen in season three —85 , following actor Nicholas Colasanto 's death. Frasier Crane started as a recurring character and became a permanent one.
