Cheers DVD
Paramount Home Video
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: TV Series
Length: 539 minutes
Director: James Burrows
Year: (1982)
Britt Gillette's Cheers DVD (Season 1) Review
One of the greatest television comedies in history, Cheers is an absolute "must see" for anyone who's ever had a regular hangout "where everybody knows your name". The shows centers itself around the friendly neighborhood Boston bar named Cheers. The bar is owned by former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Sam has two employees - bartender Ernie "Coach" Pantusso and waitress Carla Tortelli. Things are great for Sam until he hires a jilted graduate student named Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) to waitress in the bar. Regular barflies Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin round out a strong supporting cast.
The first season DVD offers patrons their first glimpse of the most famous bar in America. The character's identities are slowly unveiled as fans watch Sam in full "babe hound" mode, Carla in her usual pregnant state, Coach in his usual state of confusion, Norm in his usual drinking spot, Cliff spouting his usual arcane trivia, and Diane is her usual mode of telling everyone about everything.
Below is a list of first season episodes along with a summary…
Episode 1 (Give Me A Ring Sometime): Boston professor Sumner Sloane enters Cheers just minutes after it opens with his graduate assistant, turned fiancé Diane Chambers. The two are slated to fly to Barbados to get married, but Sumner is intent on retrieving his mother's wedding ring from the finger of his ex-wife. Sumner asks bar owner Sam Malone to watch after Diane while he goes off to fetch the ring.
Sam tries to chat with Diane, but she only wants to keep to herself. As the day goes on, more employees and bar patrons enter, and they all ask questions about Diane. When Sumner shows up without the ring, he and Diane are walking out the door to fly to Barbados when the phone rings. His ex-wife tells him she has the ring. Sumner leaves to go get it, but never returns. When Diane finds out that Sumner went to Barbados with his ex-wife, she's distraught. She offers her a job as a waitress at Cheers until she back on her feet…
Episode 2 (Sam's Women): Diane teases Sam about the intellectually-handicapped, fully developed women that he prefers to date. She challenges him to find an intellectual woman, but then she ends up spending more time with Sam's date than he does…
Episode 3 (The Tortelli Tort): When the Yankees beat the Red Sox yet again, an obnoxious Yankees fan enters the bar where he slanders the city of Boston and verbally assaults the bar patrons. Carla eventually jumps on his back and starts pounding on him. After the Cheers gang pulls her off, the New Yorker threatens to sue Sam and take away the bar…
Episode 4 (Sam At Eleven): When ex-teammate, turned sportscaster Dave Richards (Fred Dryer) comes to the bar to interview Sam about his days pitching for the Sox, excitement abounds in the bar. But when John McEnroe needs to "get something off his chest," the sports crew flees in mid-interview, causing Sam to feel like a washed-up has-been. Diane attempts to console him in her usual irritating, but honorable way…
Episode 5 (Coach's Daughter): Coach is happy when his daughter Lisa comes to Boston for a visit, but he's less than pleased when he meets her fiancé, an obnoxious salesman who only wants to marry her to further his own career. Eventually, Coach's daughter stands up for herself, gives the guy the boot, and the bar celebrates…
Episode 6 (Any Friend Of Diane's): When Diane's college roommate Rebecca (Julia Duffy) shows up at Cheers, she's upset over her breakup with long-time boyfriend Elliot. Convinced that she's never had fun, she sets her sights on a night of passion with Sam (a simple, hairy bar hand). Diane makes Sam promise that whatever Rebecca asks, he'll say "no". When Rebecca asks if Sam if "he would object to a night of unbridled bestial pleasure," Sam replies "no" - much to Diane disappointment…
Episode 7 (Friends, Romans, Accountants): In an effort score points with his boss, Norm plans the annual office party at Cheers with the intent of adding some fun to the mix of accountants. Creating a toga party theme, Norm turns out to be the only one from his office who shows up sporting a toga, but the office party becomes a success for Norm when he Diane his boss's date for the evening…
Episode 8 (Truce Or Consequences): After work one night, Diane and Carla attempt to bury the hatchet and become friends. Diane insists that she can keep Carla's secrets like a true friend, so Carla tells Diane that one of her kids is really Sam's. During Sam's drinking days, he and Carla got together after the bar closed, and Sam doesn't remember. Diane tries for a time, but can't keep Carla's secret. Carla tells her that she made up the story to see if Diane could keep the secret…
Episode 9 (Coach Returns To Action): Coach develops a crush on his new neighbor, but lacks the confidence to pursue her. Diane tries to convince Coach that he's a desirable catch, while Sam sets his sights on the same woman. The neighbor continually shoots down Sam, when Coach makes his move, he gets shot down as well. But Coach is an experienced man who has a few tricks left up his sleeve, and he eventually gets the girl…
Episode 10 (Endless Slumper): Sam receives a call from his old teammate Rick Walker who has been having a lousy season. When asks Same for advice, he suggests getting a lucky charm. Coach points out that Sam used to have one. In fact, he still does - a lucky bottle cap he claims he found. In an effort to help Rick, Sam lends him the bottle cap. Rick's fortunes have an immediate turnaround, while Sam has nothing but bad luck. When Rick loses the bottle cap, Sam spirals into depression. Trying to life Sam's spirits, Diane finds out that the bottle came off of the last bottle of beer that Sam (a recovering alcoholic) ever drank…
Episode 11 (One For The Book): While Diane keeps notes on bar conversation, a novice comes in for one final fling before entering a monastery and a World War I doughboy shows up for a very small reunion...
Episode 12 (The Spy Who Came In For A Cold One): Carla is intrigued when a mysterious customer enters the bar. She thinks he's a spy, and the entire bar ends up gathered around as the man tells wonderful stories of international intrigue. But Diane ruins the party when she points out all of the flaws in the man's story. Defeated, the stranger confesses and leaves a broken man, only to have Diane chase after him…
Episode 13 (Now Pitching, Sam Malone): Former Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant guest stars as himself in this episode where Sam gets a sports agent who lands him a TV commercial. Its fabulous success could be the beginning of a new career for Sam…
Episode 14 (Let Me Count The Ways): Diane receives a call from her mother informing her that her cat has died. She looks for comfort from her friends in the bar, but nobody listens because they're too caught up in a Celtics game to notice. Eventually, Sam listens to her story and finds out about the pivotal role the cat played in saving Diane's life…
Episode 15 (Father Knows Last): After weeks of walking around with a ballooning belly, Carla gathers everyone in bar together so can reveal her secret - yet again, she's pregnant…
Episode 16 (The Boys In The Bar): When one of Sam's old teammates reveals of TV that's he's gay (as part of a promotion for his new book), the regular gang at Cheers become convinced that homosexuals are flocking to the bar…
Episode 17 (Diane's Perfect Date): Sam and Diane dare each other to find the perfect date, but Sam thinks that Diane is referring to herself, so he doesn't find a date for her. When Diane shows up with Sam's date, Sam grabs the first guy he sees - a man who turns out to be a psychopathic ex-con…
Episode 18 (No Contest): Sam enters Diane in the "Miss Boston Barmaid" contest without tell her. When Diane finds out, she's determined to win and then deliver a soliloquy on the pettiness of such competitions. But when Diane wins and finds out what the prize is, she forgets her soliloquy and goes wild…
Episode 19 (Pick A Con… Any Con): When Sam finds out that Coach's "friend" has taken him for thousands of dollars playing cards, they Cheers gang enlists the help of Harry the conman (Harry Anderson) to help turn the tables on one of the most notorious card sharks in America. But in the end, it's Coach who gets the last laugh…
Episode 20 (Someone Single, Someone Blue): Diane's affluent mother arrives at Cheers with the dire news that Diane must be married with 24-hours or else her mother will lose her share of the family estate. Diane tries to arrange a quick wedding, but never pulls it off. However, Diane's mother finds solace in the arms of her long-time driver and butler…
Episode 21 (Showdown 1): Sam expresses to Diane his dismay at the revelation his brother Derek is coming to visit. Derek always upstages Sam. As an international lawyer with good looks, lot of money, and a penchant for winning, Derek is always the life of the party and Sam is quickly overlooked. Diane promises this is not the case, but when Derek arrives, she and the whole bar are taken in by him…
Episode 22 (Showdown 2): The storyline of the arrival of Sam's brother Derek continues when Derek asks Diane to fly to Paris with him. Diane asks Sam if he minds, but he won't tell her how he truly feels. In the end, Diane comes back to be with Sam...
Britt Gillette
Source: The DVD Report, Cheers
(DVD)
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Read more Cheers DVD Reviews (MRQE)
Read more Cheers
DVD Reviews (MRI)
Cheers (Season 1)
Cheers (Season 2)
Cheers (Season 3)
Cheers (Season 4)
Cheers (Season 5)
Posted on 22 November 2004