Bar as workplace family; multi-cam peak craft.
Why it matters
Episode guide
273 episodes across 11 seasons — titles, air dates, and synopses.
From the desk
Flash columns that open this package’s pilots, finales, or fandom heat:
- The Carpet Report: Finale-Night Looks, Soft Exits, and the Afterparty That Outlasts the Credits — The Carpet Report
- Golden Age Dispatch: Finales That Stopped America — Golden Age Dispatch
At a glance
Boston bar regulars and staff become family as Sam and Diane’s will-they tension powers an ensemble masterpiece. Everybody knows your name; not everybody knows when to shut up. Multi-cam peak craft over eleven seasons.
Network & studio
- NBC — broadcast network
Why watch now
Ensemble sitcom perfection — bar as workplace family, chemistry as plot, exits that rewrote the show without killing it.
Cultural impact
Cheers defined Must-See TV’s warm center and made will-they industrial complexes a sitcom sport. Shelley Long exit lore is still fandom scripture.
Creators
James Burrows · Glen Charles · Les Charles
Key cast
- Ted Danson as Sam Malone
- Shelley Long as Diane Chambers
- Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli
- George Wendt as Norm Peterson
- John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin
- Nicholas Colasanto as Coach Ernie Pantusso
- Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd
- Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe
- Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane
- Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Sternin
Flash facts
- NBC sitcom that ran 11 seasons (1982–1993), set in a Boston bar.
- Created by James Burrows with Glen and Les Charles; multi-camera workplace ensemble.
- Nearly canceled after a weak first-season ratings start, then became a long-running hit.
- Spin-off Frasier (1993–2004) followed Kelsey Grammer’s character to Seattle.
- Earlier short-lived spin-off The Tortellis (1987) focused on Carla’s ex-husband.
- Finale drew one of the largest sitcom audiences of its era.
FAQ
Who created Cheers?
James Burrows with Glen Charles and Les Charles created the series for NBC.
When did Cheers air?
It premiered September 30, 1982, and ended May 20, 1993, after 11 seasons.
What bar inspired Cheers?
The Bull & Finch Pub in Boston (later branded Cheers Beacon Hill) inspired the exterior look.
Cultural eras
Official & further reading
External sites for further reading — TV Flash is not affiliated with these networks or studios.
Back to the decade
More from the 1980s — Glitz, Soaps & Nighttime Neon. All shows.
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Punky Brewster
Orphan optimism, neon fashion, and earworm theme energy.
Empty Nest
Golden Girls neighbor doctor with adult daughters home again — Miami shared-universe comedy.
Amen
Sherman Hemsley takes the pulpit — church politics as sitcom battleground.