What do you do when alcoholism ruins your athletic career? You buy a bar. People of a certain age will recall that once upon a time, there was such a bar in Boston. While it changed hands several times over the course of the series, it was pretty much always Sam Malone's establishment.
Part of the show's appeal was how it focused on class differences, kicking up friction by pairing the educated and polished with the working class stiffs. In the first season things get bad enough between the two waitresses, Carla and Diane, that even as laid-back a manager as Sam has to address the situation.
Of course, leaving the two women to work out their differences alone is not the best approach.
Sam eventually makes the same mistake so many sitcom bosses do; he gets involved with an employee. When Diane finally calls it quits with him (so Shelly Long could leave the show,) Sam sells the bar and decides to sail around the world -- a plan that doesn't last long -- just long enough for the bar to come under new management and be fully staffed upon his return. The new manager, Rebecca Howe, is a pretty transparent interchangeable part for Diane, but with the balance of power shifted.
It was interesting to watch Rebecca's character develop. In this scene, you'll note, she is on the ball. She knows her staff and how much to expect of them. She knows how to hold her own with Sam. She dresses the part, she works hard, she is a model executive on her way up the ladder.
But it doesn't take long for her to devolve into a neurotic, gold-digging mess. Only one season later, she is on her way down, and her judgment is clearly suspect. Nobody would push their boss for career news in the middle of their establishment -- especially after being deflected twice.
Cheers was a much-loved show, and the series finale was comparable to that of Lost. NBC dedicated most of a night's airtime to the final episode, beginning with a "pregame" show hosted by Bob Costas, followed by the final 98-minute episode itself. Local affiliates then aired tributes to the show during their late-night newscasts, and the event concluded with a special Tonight Show broadcast live from the Bull & Finch Pub.
In the final episode, Diane returns, but realizes she doesn't need Sam to sustain her new life as a writer. Rebecca chucks her power suits for a plumber, and Sam remains with his one true love: the bar. The show ends with the promise that the next day at Cheers will be like every other day -- the bar will open, the regulars will arrive, the wisecracks will continue. Perhaps the best lesson the show had to offer, then, is to not mess with a good thing. Follow your bliss, and you will find success.
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