Ted Danson is looking back at the early days of “Cheers” — and they were far from glamorous. During a recent appearance on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s “Dinner’s On Me” podcast, the actor shared that the beloved NBC sitcom was nearly canceled in its first season. Even though critics and the creative team believed in the show, it struggled in the ratings at first, landing at the bottom before slowly building a loyal audience that would eventually turn it into a classic.
“Cheers” premiered in September 1982 and went on to become one of television’s most celebrated comedies. However, Danson said its future was far from certain in the beginning.
Ted Danson Says ‘Cheers’ Finished Last in the Ratings
Speaking on “Dinner’s On Me,” Danson described how discouraging the early ratings were, even as the creative team remained confident in the show.
“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,” Danson told Ferguson. “We were like… Jimmy [Burrows] likes to say we were 75th outta 70. There were only 70 shows.”
Danson, 78, said he later learned that NBC likely would have canceled the series under different circumstances. According to him, the network “would have” scrapped the show, but “they had nothing to replace ‘Cheers’ with.”
How ‘Cheers’ Became an Award-Winning Classic
After its slow start, “Cheers” steadily gained popularity. Set almost entirely inside a Boston bar, the series centered on Sam Malone, played by Danson, a former professional baseball player turned bartender. Shelley Long co-starred as Diane Chambers, whose on-again, off-again romance with Sam became a central storyline until her departure after season 5.
Over its 11-season run, “Cheers” earned six Golden Globe Awards and 28 Primetime Emmy Awards. The cast reunited at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards for a tribute honoring influential television series.
Host Anthony Anderson told People at the time, “We are paying tribute to iconic shows that have changed the scope of television and entertainment by being on the air.”
He added, “We’re going to be paying homage to them, having a lot of cast members come back as themselves, as these characters, and there’s going to be a little interchange between me and them on the sets of their shows.”
Ted Danson Returns With ‘A Man on the Inside’ Season 3
Danson continues to lead new projects decades after “Cheers.” His Netflix comedy ‘A Man on the Inside’ has been renewed for season 3.
“I’m so excited to see where Charles Nieuwendyk goes next,” Danson told Tudum. “I’ve been blessed to work with Mike Schur for most of the last decade, and I’m still amazed by what he does. I’m incredibly thankful to him for creating this character and trusting me with him. The cast and crew make it very hard to call this ‘work.’ Huge thanks to Netflix for believing in the show, and letting us keep this ride going.”
Inspired by the documentary “The Mole Agent,” the series follows Charles, a widower who becomes an undercover private investigator in a retirement community. Since its November 2024 premiere, the show has drawn positive responses from critics and viewers.
“Cheers” is available to stream on Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, or Prime Video.
