Cheers/Trivia


 * Adored by the Network: When Cheers finally went off the air on May 20, 1993, NBC dedicated a whole night to the show's final episode. The night began with a "pregame" show hosted by NBC sportscaster Bob Costas, followed by the final 98-minute episode itself. NBC affiliates then aired tributes to Cheers during their local newscasts, and the night concluded with a special Tonight Show broadcast live from the Bull & Finch Pub.
 * So adored that the show was an utter bomb in its first year, having the worst Neilsen ratings of the year. Fortunately, NBC president Brandon Tartikoff refused to cancel it, and put it in a prime slot right after The Cosby Show and Family Ties, and soon became the #1 sitcom in America, even beating its lead-ins. Ironically, Tartikoff would later serve as chairman of Paramount, which produced both Cheers and Family Ties.
 * He Also Did: Roger Rees plays Robin Colcord in this series, Lord John Marbury on The West Wing, and the Sheriff of Rottingham in Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
 * Throw It In: According to John Ratzenberger, he badly botched his audition for the role of Norm, and, figuring he had nothing to lose, asked if the cast included a bar know-it-all. He proceeded to improvise for a few minutes as such a character, and the writers subsequently created the part of Cliff for him.
 * What Could Have Been: Joel Hodgson revealed in a recent interview that he auditioned for the role of Woody Boyd.