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Amazon.co.uk Review
The definition of comfort television is this: you want to go where you know everybody's name. And you're always glad you came. Cheers is open for business once again in this set that contains all 22 episodes of the first, and best, season of the show that inherited Taxi's mantle as television's best ensemble-driven workplace comedy.
It can be instructive to return to a long-running series' more humble beginnings. While Cheers got drunk on farce in its later years, it began life as a much more grounded human comedy. In these inaugural episodes, the action does not stray from the Boston bar owned by Sam Malone, a washed-up baseball player three years sober. The straws that stir the drink are the supporting players: Nick Colasanto as addled Coach; Rhea Perlman, the Thelma Ritter of her generation, as surly and fertile waitress Carla; George Wendt as quintessential barfly Norm; and John Ratzenberger as Cliff, the bar know-it-all ready with "little-known facts" (and blessedly far from the pathetic blowhard his character would evolve into).
Spiking this concoction is the palpable chemistry between Ted Danson's Sam and Shelley Long's Diane Chambers, fledgling waitress and self-described "student of life". The battle lines are drawn in the episode "Sam's Women": He's the "dim ex-baseball player" and she, "the post graduate". But, as Carla so indelicately puts it, they can't "put their glands on hold". In the first blush of lust, they were primetime's most potent mismatched couple until Moonlighting's David and Maddie bantered double entendres. Here are little remembered facts: Sam was initially "an astute judge of human character"; guest stars Fred Dryer ("Sam at Eleven") and Julia Duffy ("Any Friend of Diane's") were among those considered for the roles of Sam and Diane; and a pre-"Night Court" Harry Anderson stole his scenes in his recurring role as flim-flam man Harry ("Pick a Con...Any Con"). --Donald Liebenson
Special Features
English
Region 2
Region 2
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If, like me, you often look back to your childhood & teenage years thinking how much better music, movies & tv was back then, you probably snap up many of the re-released products in the hope that they're still as good as you remember. Quite often this can prove a huge dissapointment. Music, unless truly great, can sound very dated. Films, again unless your watching the classics, can now look very past-their-sell-by-date. TV Series unfortunately however usually prove to be most dissapointing. Programmes that you may have loved 15-20 years ago will more than likley look and sound terrible. Never mind the costumes, sound & picture quality, references and jokes often mean nothing as we're now living in a different world. There are very few tv comedy series that have stood the test of time ... Cheers is one of them.
Series 1 of the show following the goings-on in the Boston Bar where everybody knows your name is quite simply brilliant. We often forget that any long running series of any type has been granted numerous seasons because of how successful the first series was and watching this Box Set it's very easy to see just why this show was so popular.
The main characters are brilliantly crafted both in terms of who they are and how they are played. The setting is perfect and gives the writers endless opportunities to bring new characters in and out, whether that be for individual shows or entire series. There's an equal amount of warmth & sarcasm throughout each show which leaves the viewer smiling by the time the cosiest theme tune in television history ends & the Paramount logo pops up.
The show was a smash in it's day and remains hilarious - it was written, directed and acted in such a clever way that it hasn't aged a single bit - compare this to 99% of the other shows from the 80's and you won't be able to make this claim.
Cheers is as great a show as it used to be and Series 1 is as good as it gets. Whether or not you're thinking of purchasing this Box Set to remember the good ol' days or you fancy seeing what all the fuss was/is about - you shouldn't be dissapointed.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
What can i say that hasnt been said already? Cheers season one is magnifacently funny. It shows Diane entering Cheers and how her relationship with Sam develops. I wont go over episode details as a previous reviewer has already done that but GET THIS DVD! It will make you laugh time & Time again. Cast list -
Ted Danson (Sam Malone) Shelly Long (Diane Chambers) Rhea Pearlman (Carla Tortelli) Nicholos Colasanto (Coach Pantuso) Gorge Wendt (Norm Petterson) and John Ratsenberger (Cliff Claven)
Ted Danson (Sam Malone) Shelly Long (Diane Chambers) Rhea Pearlman (Carla Tortelli) Nicholos Colasanto (Coach Pantuso) Gorge Wendt (Norm Petterson) and John Ratsenberger (Cliff Claven)
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Great script, great characters, great delivery. This really is top-notch stuff and guarunteed to put a smile on your face. Another sure sign of its worth is that it's not really dated at all. Can't think of a comedy show that's bettered this since.
LOVE IT!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Sometimes you want to go ..............
Way back in the early 90's Cheers was one of my all time favourite sit coms - now it's showing again from the start on a Satellite channel & it's a timely reminder of how enjoyable... Read more
Published 6 days ago by S Wilko, Derby
still cheers!
From the minute the box set is opened you realise just what care some distributers can take in producing a premium product. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Wazza
Classic
One of the best sitcoms of all time and this was maybe the best season.
Strange to think that it took awhile for it to get popular in the states. Read more
Strange to think that it took awhile for it to get popular in the states. Read more
Published 19 months ago by The Emperor
Mayday Malone is the best!
I've just started buying these Cheers DVD's and I'm so pleased I did! I watched every episode when it aired originally back in the 80's on my small portable TV. Read more
Published 19 months ago by D. Mitchell
Some people!
Never have I had such a good laugh as when I read the review describing Cheers as "filth" and Frasier as "sickening". Read more
Published 20 months ago by Rob Lucas
Bit of the past....
I never watched cheers as i am 23 to young for it when it was first broadcast, i was a huge fan of frasier while watching my collection of that i decided to see where it all... Read more
Published on 6 May 2010 by Scott
Feel-good comedy!
Cheers is comedy gold! From the theme tune, to the wonderful characters, to the one liners, to the warmth that generates out of your Tv as you watch it. Read more
Published on 1 July 2009 by K. Beeden
cheers
This is one of the best american tv series ever, great cast, brilliant writing and good story telling. it nearly did not make it to 11 years. Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2009 by Mr. J. Quarshie-halm
Drinxploitation at it's worst.
I am a busy man and I will keep this brief.
Alcoholism is a very serious contagious disease, and I think the fact that shows like this 'Cheers' debacle even exist, and... Read more
Alcoholism is a very serious contagious disease, and I think the fact that shows like this 'Cheers' debacle even exist, and... Read more
Published on 23 May 2008 by R. Viney
Cheers!
I give this 4 stars because it hasnt got a play all feature on each disk which really frustrates me. Other than that fantastic series love it.
Published on 9 Oct 2007 by Tv on Dvd baby!!!!
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