“Cheers” was a sitcom staple of the 1980s and early 90s. Ted Danson led the ensemble cast as the flirtatiously suave bartender, Sam Malone.
After the series ended, Danson went on to work on other projects, including “The Good Place.” But even decades later, there was still one aspect of fame to which he never adjusted.
Ted Danson Felt Shocked By His Newfound TV Heartthrob Status
Though “Cheers” is a sitcom classic today, that wasn’t always the case. While guest-starring on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast, “Dinner’s On Me,” Ted Danson revealed that NBC nearly canceled the show after just one season.
“Critics loved us. Everyone around us…the writers, everybody was so positive. ‘Don’t pay attention, just keep doing it’ kind of feedback, which was lovely, but we were dead last one week in the ratings,” the actor explained. “We were like… Jimmy [Burrows] likes to say we were 75th outta 70. There were only 70 shows.”
Executives wanted to cancel the show, but couldn’t find a replacement for “Cheers.” Thankfully, the show continued for an additional 10 seasons before concluding in 1993.
Without Ted Danson starring as Sam Malone, the series might have been very different.
On a new episode of the “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast, Ted Danson interviewed “Abbott Elementary” star Lisa Ann Walter.
During the segment, Walter asked Danson how he felt about being such a heartthrob in the 80s and 90s. Surprisingly, he admitted that he always struggled with being the object of women’s desires, as reported by Page Six.
Despite playing serial womanizer Sam Malone, Ted Danson doesn’t have much in common with his onscreen persona.
“I won’t go back too far because it’s not necessary, but I was the guy who literally I would be, the woman would be standing opposite me naked and I’d be going ‘What?’ I’d look over my shoulder and be like, ‘You mean me?’” the “Cheers” star shared. “Literally, it took me until the second year of ‘Cheers’ when I decided, ‘You know what? Keep your mouth shut, Ted.’”
Ted Danson revealed he never truly became comfortable with all the attention. However, he learned to keep his opinions to himself.
“I got that mantel and I finally learned to keep my mouth shut,” he said about his iconic television role.
“The Good Place” Star Wants to Keep Acting & Exploring
Now 78, Ted Danson has left roles like Sam Malone in the past. But even so, he’s keeping a positive mindset and focusing on the road ahead.
He’s still acting, now starring as a private investigator on Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside.” He credits the role with keeping him active.
“I was working on that myself anyway,” the “Cheers” star told PEOPLE in late 2025. “When I turned 70, I thought I should slow down.”
However, Ted Danson wants to keep pushing himself to try new things.
“Keep your foot on the gas pedal, stay curious, get out there and stay hopeful,” he told the outlet.
“A Man on the Inside” is available to stream on Netflix.
