Cheers ran on NBC from 1982 to 1993, following the regulars and staff of a Boston bar. Its cast changed as the series went on: Woody Harrelson joined after Nicholas Colasanto’s death, and Kirstie Alley took over as a lead cast member after Shelley Long left. Here are the familiar characters and selected later career milestones—not a claim about what every performer is doing today.
The original Cheers ensemble
The series’ bar-centered premise made its regulars as important as its lead couple. Sam Malone, the bar’s owner and bartender, was played by Ted Danson; Shelley Long played Diane Chambers, who entered Sam’s life as an intellectual foil. Rhea Perlman played sharp-tongued waitress Carla Tortelli. George Wendt was Norm Peterson, a reliably welcomed regular, and John Ratzenberger played Cliff Clavin, the bar’s know-it-all postal worker. Nicholas Colasanto played Coach Ernie Pantusso, Sam’s older, kindly friend and fellow bartender.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Cheers: The Complete Series | $58.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Cheers: The Complete Series | $149.77 | Buy on Amazon |
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Cheers: The Complete Series DVD – All 11 Seasons – 270 Episodes – 45-Disc Box Set | $79.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Cheers: The Complte 1st - 11th Seasons: The Complete Series (Checkpoint) | $159.88 | Buy on Amazon |
Biography.com describes Cheers as an 11-season series with 275 episodes, ending May 20, 1993. The Television Academy also dates the run to 1982–1993 and gives May 20, 1993, as the finale, but its cast table lists 274 episodes. The episode count therefore differs between the two sources.
Ted Danson as Sam Malone
Danson anchored the show as Sam, a former baseball player whose bar became a gathering place for the ensemble. Biography.com’s retrospective lists later television roles in Becker, Damages, Bored to Death, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The Good Place. Those are selected career highlights, not a complete or current filmography.
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#1 Best Overall
Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli
Perlman’s Carla was a formidable presence behind the bar, quick with a put-down and fiercely protective of her family. Biography.com highlights her later appearance in the film Matilda and the television series Pearl.
George Wendt as Norm Peterson
Wendt played Norm, the regular whose arrival could prompt the familiar greeting “Norm!” from the bar. The Associated Press reported that he received six consecutive supporting-actor Emmy nominations from 1984 through 1989 and had a substantial stage career, including Broadway productions of Hairspray and Elf. Wendt died on May 20, 2025, at age 76.
Rank #2
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Box set; Color; DVD; Full Screen; NTSC
John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin
Ratzenberger played Cliff, a bar regular whose confident lectures often outlasted their usefulness. Biography.com points to a very different later line of work: voice acting, including Hamm in the Toy Story films and Mack in Cars.
How the cast changed
Woody Harrelson joined after Nicholas Colasanto’s death
Colasanto died in 1985. Woody Harrelson joined the cast that year as Woody Boyd, a good-natured young bartender from the Midwest. The Television Academy’s history identifies the change as a major transition in the ensemble. Biography.com notes Harrelson’s later film roles in White Men Can’t Jump, Indecent Proposal and Natural Born Killers.
Rank #3
- COMPLETE SERIES: Includes all 11 seasons and all 270 episodes of the beloved classic sitcom Cheers.
- 45-DISC BOX SET: Every episode is spread across 45 discs, giving you hours of uninterrupted entertainment.
- STAR-STUDDED CAST: Features Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Kirstie Alley, Kelsey Grammer, and more beloved characters.
- ICONIC SHOW: Relive every laugh, every romance, and every memorable moment from the entire run of the series.
- FROM PARAMOUNT: This official box set is released by Paramount, ensuring authentic, high-quality DVD presentation.
Kirstie Alley replaced Shelley Long as a lead cast member
Long left Cheers in 1987, and Alley joined that year as Rebecca Howe, the bar’s new manager. Diane and Rebecca were distinct characters rather than versions of the same role: the transition gave Sam a new relationship at work and in his personal life. Biography.com notes Long returned for the series finale and later played Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie and DeDe Pritchett in Modern Family. Alley later starred in Veronica’s Closet and competed on Dancing with the Stars. She died on December 5, 2022.
Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth expanded the ensemble
Kelsey Grammer joined as psychiatrist Frasier Crane, who began as a recurring character and became central to the show. He later carried Frasier into the spin-off Frasier. Biography.com also highlights his work on Wings and Just Shoot Me!, and his voice performance as Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons.
Bebe Neuwirth played Lilith Sternin, Frasier’s equally formidable fellow psychiatrist and eventual wife. Biography.com notes that Neuwirth later returned as Lilith on Frasier, alongside other screen and stage work.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A dated reunion and what the numbers mean
On January 15, 2024, Danson, Grammer, Perlman, Ratzenberger and Wendt presented together at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. It was a reunion at that ceremony, not evidence that the cast regularly gathers.
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Published totals for the show’s Emmy wins and nominations differ. A historical encyclopedia article reproduced by the Television Academy gives 26 awards and 111 nominations; Biography.com and the Associated Press report 28 wins and 117 nominations. These are different published tallies, so neither should be treated as an undisputed total.
What “then and now” can—and cannot—tell you
Later credits help trace how the performers’ careers developed after Cheers, but a retrospective list is not a live record of current projects. Biography.com’s cast page supplies selected milestones; it does not establish a verified, up-to-date activity list for every living performer. The dated deaths and 2024 reunion above are separately reported events.
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