Cheers - General Discussion

[ari333]

Editor's Note:  This topic replaces the old Cheers forum which has been vaulted at the location below:  http://forums.previously.tv/forum/598-cheers-v/

 

There are so many. Where to start. :)

One line that kills me every time is on the eppy where Norm is painting Rebecca's boss's home - the boss who she has a huge crush on. Rebecca gets trapped in his bedroom closet (and under the bed heh) and Norm has to devise a ruse to get the boss out of the room so Rebecca can escape unnoticed (since he came home early and trapped Rebecca). One time, Norm said that there were deadly bees and the boss MUST leave the home. Then the next time he said that he had a dream of carrying a rich man across a lawn or some such crazy. Anyway, the boss, exhausted and in Norm's arms moans, "Will there be be anymore beeeeesss?  

[ari333]

Carla to Nick Tortelli, her ex: "You do anything to ruin my lovely daughter's wedding and I will choke you till your eyes bug out."

Cliff rubs a tear: " It's just like, 'The Waltons' ."

[ari333]

Diane, Thanksgiving eppy:"What could be more enjoyable than opening your heart this holiday season?"

Carla: "Opening yours with a can opener?

[ari333]

Cliff, after committing some act of douche-ery: "I'm ashamed God made me a man."

Carla: "God ain't doin' a lotta braggin' about it either."

I'm talking to myself like a pathetic person.

 

******crickets*******

:)

[BizBuzz]

Ok, old and cliche, but Sam and Diane "Are you as turned on as I am?" - the beauty of that line is how it has been used in numerous other TV shows ... Frasier (Frasier and Julia), and most recently I was watching Better Off Ted (never saw that when it was running) and an older guy and Linda, OMG, I about busted a gut. My 14 year old daughter who is watching it with me was like, why is that so funny Mom, so I drug out the Sam and Diane clip to show her that this is where it originated.

[ari333]

Ok, old and cliche, but Sam and Diane "Are you as turned on as I am?" - the beauty of that line is how it has been used in numerous other TV shows ... Frasier (Frasier and Julia), and most recently I was watching Better Off Ted (never saw that when it was running) and an older guy and Linda, OMG, I about busted a gut. My 14 year old daughter who is watching it with me was like, why is that so funny Mom, so I drug out the Sam and Diane clip to show her that this is where it originated.

Hey Biz I'm no longer alone!

This scenario reminds me of the "fight" between Sam and Diane.

Diane:” Do you know the difference between you and a fat, braying ass? “

Sam: ”Nope."

Diane: ” The fat, braying ass would!"

Edited April 7, 2014 by ari333

[BizBuzz]

HA!

No, you are not alone, in fact, I may be here quite often as I am on Season Five of Cheers right now, binge watching. I do that every so often. I just put it on and do my work, and sometimes my work doesn't get done.

[Bort]

Norm's entrance lines are always great: "It's a dog-eat-dog world and I'm wearing milkbone underwear."

And I always loved Carla and Diane's antagonism:

Carla: "You sound like a lady who's getting tired of her teeth."

Diane: "I'm tired of YOUR teeth and all the vermicelli in between."

[rubaco]

It might lose something on paper (or on screen, I should say) because a lot of this is the way Kelsey delivers it:

Frasier: Oh, so now you're saying that I'm redundant, that I repeat myself, that I say things over and over!

[bunnywithanaxe]

Diane: "This is the dumbest conversation we have ever had. Which means it's the dumbest conversation that has ever been."

 

Diane (after hearing Sam is taking some girl to Disney World):  "She's in for a Mickey Mouse evening with Goofy as her guide."

Edited April 8, 2014 by bunnywithanaxe

[Crs97]

Sam-I've never met an intelligent woman I would want to date.

Diane-on behalf of all the intelligent women in America may I just say, "Whew!"

[bunnywithanaxe]

Diane:Are you sure my film had no effect on your father?

Cliff(i think):Oh, come on, face it. All that weird stuff wouldn't mean anything to a guy like Mr.Boyd.

Woody:Yeah.
Besides, he thought it was too derivative of Godard.

HA!

Sam: Have you noticed that, uh... somebody in this bar is getting a little loony?
Frasier: Sam, everyone in this bar is on a connecting flight to beyond loony.

[BizBuzz]

The Cranemakers, OMG, I totally forgot how funny this episode was. 

Lilith: Lay your hands upon me everyone, I am life. I am mother. My man's seed is nourished within me. (To Sam) Touch my breasts, my friend, I am lactating.

Sam: Boy, I tell ya, this is kind of a first for me, uh, but I'm gonna pass.

[annzeepark914]

Unfortunately I can't remember those classic lines (haven't seen any re-runs in quite some time).  I loved the scenes in which Carla and Nick fought; also when her oldest son, ANT-nee and his acerbic wife came to visit Carla in the bar ("Sooo, Mother Tortelli").  Just loved hearing those Beantown haaahdcoah accents.

[Inquisitionist]

Diane's line about excusing herself to "go scrape the bugs off my teeth" after her motorcycle ride with Andy Andy always tickled me. 

[Crs97]

Cliff making a pass at Diane while singing, "Look at me. I'm helpless as a kitten in a tree..." never fails to make me laugh.

[Inquisitionist]

Carla: Bowlers don't sweat.

Diane: They do when they're wearing tweed.

(From the first "Bar Wars" episode, From Beer to Eternity, season 4)

[iPad]

This is one of my favorite episodes.

 

[BizBuzz]

Pours his heart into every soul (sole).

Heh heh

Good one!

[SpiritSong]

I didnt remember that clip at all IPad, so thanks for posting it. I laughed so hard my face hurts.

[ShellSeeker]

Thank you iPad, it had been years since I'd seen that. I remember when it first aired my brother and I were laughing about it. He said what made him laugh the hardest was the thought of all the people off camera holding rubber duckies, each of them being directed to squeeze it each time a specific character took a step.

 

Another favorite episode was when Woody and Kelly got married. I can't remember the whole sequence of events now, but somehow the groom figurine for the wedding cake lost its head, so Carla (I think) suggested making another one out of pate. Rebecca said, "You want me to make the groom's head out of meat?" And Carla said, "Why not? It's supposed to be Woody."

 

Another favorite line was from Frasier, when someone asked him about graphology analysis and he dismissed it as a load of hooey. Then he looked at a sample of Cliff's handwriting, recoiled, and exclaimed, "Mother of God!"

Edited June 25, 2014 by Queasy-bo

[cpcathy]

Kelsey Grammer's line readings as Frasier were nothing short of brilliant, like in the aforementioned wedding episode. "Calling Dr Daniels--Dr Jack Daniels!" It's no wonder they gave him his own spinoff (even though it's inferior to Cheers, I think)

I have so many favorite episodes, including the pilot, which is as perfect as any pilot you can watch.  Another favorite is Showdown, just a wonderfully constructed episode with tons of laughs and that glorious fight between Sam and Diane that leads to their first kiss. I think I know the last ten minutes by heart.

[Aprilshowers]

Just saw the finale again hadn't seen it since I was a youngster. It was so well done, not much to dislike. Though I sorta hoped the person at the end was Diane, when Sam said sorry we're closed. I still ship them after all this time and imagine at some point they did meet again.

 

I also loved Frasier and the gang waxing poetic about life, that sure reminded me of the earlier seasons. I found 6-11 though still good relied too much on wacky hijinx and had the characters acting ooc just to sell a joke.

[cpcathy]

I'm torn on the finale. Sometimes it feels like it was the right way to take everything, but sometimes I feel the Charles brothers had so much animosity toward Shelley Long that they altered her character to be a totally different person, so gone was the loving relationship she had with Sam--yes, they fought, but they did love each other. If I had written the finale, I would have brought Diane back for Woody's wedding and had her pop up --with the same sweet character traits--throughout the final season, and then have Sam and Diane get married in the finale. But, hey, no one asked me!

[Inquisitionist]

sometimes I feel the Charles brothers had so much animosity toward Shelley Long that they altered her character to be a totally different person

 

So true!  The Diane Chambers of Season 1 would never have been as hung up on her trousseau, her engagement ring, her "fingertip towels," etc. as Season 5 Diane was made out to be.  They really painted her as rather insufferable toward the end.

[Aprilshowers]

 

They really painted her as rather insufferable toward the end.

 

 It's a shame that the writers of the show and creators couldn't separate Diane from SL. I have no idea what she is like in real life but I adored the first few seasons of Diane especially with Sam. I did enjoy the return though and was glad we got a few more scenes with them together.

 

 

[cpcathy]

There's one thing I would have liked, one last conversation in the darkened bar. This is basically how they fell in love in season one and I love those scenes of them together.

[BizBuzz]

Just watched the episode where Antony wants to marry Annie and they are asking for permission from Carla.  This quote always cracks me up, from Carla:
 

There are three things you can say about Tortelli men. One, they draw women like flies. Two, they treat women like flies. Three, their brains are in their flies.

[M. Darcy]

I think my favorite episodes are the ones about Rebecca's wedding to Robin and then the episode after when Fraiser reads Charles Dickens to the gang.

[cpcathy]

MeTV is now showing episodes, in order, every weeknight at 11:00 p.m. (for those of you who have MeTV). I don't know why I find this exciting, since I can watch on Netflix any time I want to, but just the same, it's nice to have it on actual TV again. Season one is a miracle of television, it's nearly perfect. I still contend the pilot is one of the finest pilots ever put on television.

[Inquisitionist]

Season one is a miracle of television, it's nearly perfect.

 

Indeed, it's a gem.  I think the only episode I find weak is Father Knows Last.  I did not find the idea of Carla trying to foist Nick's child onto Marshall Lipton at all funny, and the ending with You'll Never Walk Alone did not work for me.  In general, I find the Carla-centric episodes less interesting, but they're usually still funny.  For me, this one was mostly not.

[cpcathy]

Carla episodes are my least favorite as well. I'd rather have a Cliff episode than a Carla episode.

[M. Darcy]

Except for the Carla episode - The Beer is Always Greener when she gets a job at Mr. Pubbs while Cheers is being fixed after Rebecca sets it on fire.  She finds a perfect job and is almost ready to leave Cheers until she meets that other waitress.  A waitress doesn't really look like a waitress.  That's because she's really a writer. Or actuellement, a poetess.

 

The look of horror on Rhea's face is just hysterical.

[Jac]

I have just started a rewatch from the very beginning and the pilot is one of the best pilot episodes in the history of television. So many pilots are off in tone from the feeling developed throughout the series or spend too much time trying to to establish setting and characters at the expense of plot.

The Cheers pilot though, feels like you are dropping in on an already well-established universe and the use of Diane as the viewers entry point to the universe was such a good choice. It felt like the Charles brothers had a really good idea of the structure they wanted to use and weren't afraid to use it in the pilot. The characters are really well developed and you get a sense of who they are from the very beginning.

[BizBuzz]

MeTV is now showing episodes, in order, every weeknight at 11:00 p.m. (for those of you who have MeTV). I don't know why I find this exciting, since I can watch on Netflix any time I want to, but just the same, it's nice to have it on actual TV again. Season one is a miracle of television, it's nearly perfect. I still contend the pilot is one of the finest pilots ever put on television.

 

There is something weirdly magical about watching it on television in real time.  It just feels right.

[Inquisitionist]

It is fitting that Glen Charles and Les Charles won an Emmy for writing the Cheers pilot.  Two other episodes were nominated in the writing category that year:  The Boys in the Bar and Diane's Perfect Date.  I love both of those, too.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Inquisitionist

[cpcathy]

My all time favorite from the first season is Showdown, part 2. However, there are almost too many great episodes to narrow it down. I have a soft spot for Endless Slumper.  I love the scene when Sam tells Diane why the bottlecap is special to him.

[Inquisitionist]

I love both of those, too, cpcathy.  But also: The Coach's Daughter; Pick a Con, Any Con; Truce or Consequences; One for the Book... I could go on and on!

[cpcathy]

Is it just me or is the final exchange between Sam and Diane in Pick A Con, Any Con super sexy?

[BizBuzz]

The episode where Sam tells Diane about the color of her eyes being like the sky when he skis?  I remember the first time I saw that.  I was totally immersed in that scene ... I was so Diane in it, taking it all in, feeling the magnetism in Sam ... and then blown away in the way it turned out.  Shelly played the HANG out of that scene, to the point where she took the shot of liquor, I would have done the same thing.  THAT was super sexy. 

[Bort]

The episode where Sam tells Diane about the color of her eyes being like the sky when he skis?  I remember the first time I saw that.  I was totally immersed in that scene ... I was so Diane in it, taking it all in, feeling the magnetism in Sam ... and then blown away in the way it turned out.  Shelly played the HANG out of that scene, to the point where she took the shot of liquor, I would have done the same thing.  THAT was super sexy.

The eye thing was the end of Sam's Women. The end of Pick a Con was the cutting cards routine.

Sam: If I win, I get to go to bed with you.

Diane: What if I win?

Sam: You get to go to bed with me.

Diane: Forget it.

Sam: I understand. You'd rather earn it.

[cpcathy]

Then there's the end of The Spy Who Came In for a Cold One, where Sam tells her he thinks he's falling in love with her (in jest, or is it???)

[Jac]

I'm doing a complete rewatch and season two feels like such a letdown after season one. Especially if you are binge watching. I'm watching 5-6 episodes at a time at the moment, sometimes twice a day (I consume almost all my television this way, the only shows I watch live are Masterchef and The Block, an Australian home renovation show).

The Sam-Diane dynamic works so much better when it is a flirtatious, will they-won't they, dynamic than when it is a trying to make an opposites attract relationship work dynamic.

[Inquisitionist]

I've been rewatching much of S5, and once again, I'm appalled and angry at the character assassination the writers inflicted on Diane.  They turned her into a twit.

[cpcathy]

Some of season five is really, really great. Thanksgiving Orphans, Everyone Imitates Art, Cape Cad. I actually did like the engagement storyline and Ted and Shelley really sold the emotions that came along with her turning him down, then her changing her mind. But yes, I think the Charles brothers felt they had to make her less sympathetic to get us ready for Shelley's leaving.

[Inquisitionist]

I think the Charles brothers felt they had to make her less sympathetic to get us ready for Shelley's leaving.

 

Or they were pissed off at Shelley for leaving and decided to stick it to her character.

[Jac]

Some of season five is really, really great. Thanksgiving Orphans, Everyone Imitates Art, Cape Cad. I actually did like the engagement storyline and Ted and Shelley really sold the emotions that came along with her turning him down, then her changing her mind. But yes, I think the Charles brothers felt they had to make her less sympathetic to get us ready for Shelley's leaving.

Two of my favorite episodes are from season 5, Abnormal Psychology and Dinner at Eightish.

[Inquisitionist]

I have a love/hate relationship with S5.  The episodes that JacquelineLHope and cpcathy noted are very good, as is the one with Sam's last fling, but I cringe at the one with the ring (the Diane of S1 who was ready to run off with Sumner would not give a hoot about a ring, and certainly not about its box), and Dance, Diane, Dance is an exercise in sheer humiliation. 

[cpcathy]

As for the ring, I can only fanwank that Sam told Diane he wanted her to have a ring, since she got none from either Sumner nor Frasier.

[cpcathy]

One of my very favorite seasons is season four. I love the dynamic between Sam and Diane, they clearly are moving toward each other again, they're closer as friends, and that season has some of the hottest kisses between them!