‘Cheers’: Why NBC Wanted to Change the Title of the Show
The NBC comedy Cheers became a pillar of Must See TV so it’s hard to imagine it going by any other name. When the show was developed in 1982, the title was one of the subjects of debate between the creators and the network. Obviously, Cheers prevailed but NBC did have a point in one regard.
Cheers writer Ken Levine revealed the early development story on an episode of his Hollywood & Levine podcast. Levine wasn’t one of the original creators. Those were brothers Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows. They hired Levine and his partner David Isaacs in the show’s first season though, so he was there for the great title debate of 1982.
NBC wasn’t sure viewers would know ‘Cheers’ was about a bar
Levine also revealed that as the Charles brothers created Cheers, a bar was only their third idea for a setting. The real-life Bull & Finch bar in Massachusetts inspired Cheers, and ultimately they took on the name the show invented. But, in 1982, NBC was worried Cheers suggested something else.
“There was some confusion early on about the title of the show being Cheers,” Levine said on Hollywood & Levine. “Because a lot of people thought just hearing the word that it was a show about cheerleaders and high school or college.”
How the creators convinced NBC to keep the title ‘Cheers’
It seems silly now that Cheers is a world famous bar, but NBC wasn’t completely off base. Cheers has several meanings and cheerleading is one of them. Ultimately, the creators convinced NBC it was a win-win either way. Levine did not mention any alternate titles so they may have nipped it in the bud before it got that far.
“And we all had to say, ‘Look, when they see the show they’ll get it. And if they’re tuning in expecting a show about college cheerleaders, well, they’ll be disappointed and maybe they’ll like this instead but at least they’re watching,’” Levine said. “So the title Cheers came under some scrutiny.”
The show had a lot of problems in season 1
Securing the title Cheers wasn’t the end of the show’s worries. The first season of Cheers was rough. In the ratings, they were dead last. They were losing their timeslot to the popular Simon & Simon. They weren’t even getting counterprogramming viewers. Nobody was watching Cheers and they were in last place.
Burrows would say the tide didn’t turn for Cheers until the summer after their first season. Since everybody watched Simon & Simon when it was new, they had nothing to watch over the summer. So they gave Cheers reruns a chance. That sort of thing doesn’t happen today. There are endless options of streaming shows to watch so you’ll never run out. Back when there were only three networks, reruns were the only game in town.
NBC would also complain about the show’s highbrow humor. The character of Diane Chambers (Shelley) Long was a book fiend and scholar. Her highbrow tastes hilariously conflicted with the bar staff and patrons, so the show never wavered on that.
