Theater Camp director Molly Gordon is on board to helm Small Parts, a reimagining for Searchlight Pictures of Outrageous Fortune, which starred Bette Midler and Shelley Long as rivals.
Gordon, who also stars in The Bear, and co-writer Allie Levitan will do a new take on the 1987 comedy directed by Arther Hiller. Small Parts will center on rival actors who clash on a scrappy indie film set and accidentally find themselves entangled in a game of cat-and-mouse more outrageous than any movie, according to a synopsis from the producers.
The Small Parts project is in development, with Searchlight senior vp of production Taylor Friedman overseeing. For Searchlight, Gordon recently co-directed, co-wrote and starred in Theater Camp, which earned the Sundance U.S. dramatic special jury award for ensemble.
Gordon plays Claire in the second season of The Bear series, opposite Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri. Gordon earned a Screen...
Gordon, who also stars in The Bear, and co-writer Allie Levitan will do a new take on the 1987 comedy directed by Arther Hiller. Small Parts will center on rival actors who clash on a scrappy indie film set and accidentally find themselves entangled in a game of cat-and-mouse more outrageous than any movie, according to a synopsis from the producers.
The Small Parts project is in development, with Searchlight senior vp of production Taylor Friedman overseeing. For Searchlight, Gordon recently co-directed, co-wrote and starred in Theater Camp, which earned the Sundance U.S. dramatic special jury award for ensemble.
Gordon plays Claire in the second season of The Bear series, opposite Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri. Gordon earned a Screen...
- 5/13/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
More than a decade after winning a guest acting Emmy for her work as quirky lawyer Elsbeth Tascioni on CBS’s “The Good Wife,” Carrie Preston is now seeking lead category recognition for reprising the character on the same network’s “Elsbeth.” If she is included the upcoming Best Drama Actress lineup, she will make Emmys history as the first performer ever nominated as a lead for a winning dramatic guest role.
Preston was awarded the 2013 Best Drama Guest Actress Emmy for her seventh of 14 “Good Wife” appearances, which were spread over six seasons. After landing a second bid for that series in 2016, she showed up in five episodes of the Paramount+ spinoff “The Good Fight,” with her last appearance occurring one month before the series finale in November 2022. “Elsbeth” premiered this February and has already been renewed for a second season.
At this point, only three performers (all women...
Preston was awarded the 2013 Best Drama Guest Actress Emmy for her seventh of 14 “Good Wife” appearances, which were spread over six seasons. After landing a second bid for that series in 2016, she showed up in five episodes of the Paramount+ spinoff “The Good Fight,” with her last appearance occurring one month before the series finale in November 2022. “Elsbeth” premiered this February and has already been renewed for a second season.
At this point, only three performers (all women...
- 5/10/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Given her one-of-a-kind awards resume and irrefutable status as an acting legend, it’s no wonder Meryl Streep is widely expected to be honored at this year’s Emmys for her work on Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” Taking the gold for her first regular comedy series role would be impressive enough, but the noteworthiness of her win would extend far beyond that. Having joined her show in its third season, she would be only the 10th non-original comedy series cast member to ever pull off a lead or supporting Emmy victory.
Not including sketch performers, Streep would be said winners club’s first new entrant in over three decades. The last was Kirstie Alley, who replaced Shelley Long as the female lead of “Cheers” at the start of season six and prevailed on her third Emmy bid in 1991. That same year, supporting “Cheers” actress Bebe Neuwirth achieved...
Not including sketch performers, Streep would be said winners club’s first new entrant in over three decades. The last was Kirstie Alley, who replaced Shelley Long as the female lead of “Cheers” at the start of season six and prevailed on her third Emmy bid in 1991. That same year, supporting “Cheers” actress Bebe Neuwirth achieved...
- 5/2/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Television shows seem well-organized and choreographed. Yet, not everything about them always goes according to plan.
For example, an incidental character sometimes steals a scene and creates memorable television history.
Then, there are the characters who take things a step further by stealing scenes repeatedly until they become the stars themselves.
Particular characters, such as Dr. Gregory House on House, are often created to be standouts. Yet, occasionally, those main protagonists are entirely overshadowed.
In rare instances, characters who were supposed to be incidental became regulars and took over entire shows.
The Fonz on Happy Days (1974-1984)
Happy Days underwent several changes, including the recasting and eventual disappearance of Chuck Cunningham's character, but Arthur (The Fonz) Fonzarelli's addition most dramatically altered the show's trajectory.
Initially, Happy Days focused on the Cunningham family, especially teenager Richie (Ron Howard). The Fonz (Henry Winkler) was a side character. However, the motorcycle-riding, leather jacket-wearing greaser soon took over.
For example, an incidental character sometimes steals a scene and creates memorable television history.
Then, there are the characters who take things a step further by stealing scenes repeatedly until they become the stars themselves.
Particular characters, such as Dr. Gregory House on House, are often created to be standouts. Yet, occasionally, those main protagonists are entirely overshadowed.
In rare instances, characters who were supposed to be incidental became regulars and took over entire shows.
The Fonz on Happy Days (1974-1984)
Happy Days underwent several changes, including the recasting and eventual disappearance of Chuck Cunningham's character, but Arthur (The Fonz) Fonzarelli's addition most dramatically altered the show's trajectory.
Initially, Happy Days focused on the Cunningham family, especially teenager Richie (Ron Howard). The Fonz (Henry Winkler) was a side character. However, the motorcycle-riding, leather jacket-wearing greaser soon took over.
- 4/29/2024
- by Jessica Kosinski
- TVfanatic
Meg Bennett, the Daytime Emmy winner who did double duty as an actress and writer on the daytime soap operas The Young and the Restless, General Hospital and Santa Barbara, has died. She was 75.
Bennett died April 11 after a battle with cancer, her family announced.
Bennett portrayed Marty Maraschino for more than two years during the original Broadway run of Grease that kicked off in 1972, then began her long run in daytime two years later with a turn as Liza Walton on CBS’ Search for Tomorrow, where Kevin Kline and Morgan Fairchild were castmates.
She joined CBS’ The Young and the Restless in 1980 as Julia Newman — wife of Eric Braeden’s Victor Newman — but as her character was being written off, she was asked by Y&r creator Bill Bell to stick around as a writer.
“I’d been acting on the show for almost two years when this happened, so I knew the characters,...
Bennett died April 11 after a battle with cancer, her family announced.
Bennett portrayed Marty Maraschino for more than two years during the original Broadway run of Grease that kicked off in 1972, then began her long run in daytime two years later with a turn as Liza Walton on CBS’ Search for Tomorrow, where Kevin Kline and Morgan Fairchild were castmates.
She joined CBS’ The Young and the Restless in 1980 as Julia Newman — wife of Eric Braeden’s Victor Newman — but as her character was being written off, she was asked by Y&r creator Bill Bell to stick around as a writer.
“I’d been acting on the show for almost two years when this happened, so I knew the characters,...
- 4/21/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Cheers" was the third highest-rated show on television when Shelley Long opted to quit the series at the end of its fifth season and pursue movie stardom. Though the show had long since settled into its ensemble groove, the on-again/off-again Sam Malone and Diane Chambers romance was the primary generator of water-cooler chatter. Moreover, the chemistry between Long and Ted Danson was the stuff of a series showrunner's dream. Their banter was worthy of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. You don't just go out and find another Katharine Hepburn. Could "Cheers," brilliant and popular as it was, survive Long's departure, especially when fans had so much invested in Diane?
This was the conundrum faced by casting director Jeff Greenberg, who'd joined "Cheers" during Long's last season. He knew chasing the next Long was courting disaster, so he looked for an actor who could hold her own with Danson and...
This was the conundrum faced by casting director Jeff Greenberg, who'd joined "Cheers" during Long's last season. He knew chasing the next Long was courting disaster, so he looked for an actor who could hold her own with Danson and...
- 4/20/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
There is something deeply comfortable about the bar owned by Sam Malone (Ted Danson) on "Cheers," a kind of vintage Americana that can take almost any viewer back to "a place where everybody knows your name," like the theme song says. Its brick walls, wood paneling, and old-school jukebox evoke both its Boston setting and something broader, the kind of place one might expect to find nestled down a random street in any major American city, but it was actually based on a very real bar that the series creators visited while first developing the show! While that sounds like it could really be a great thing for a bar, given how immensely popular "Cheers" was in the 1980s, it actually ended up causing some rather interesting problems, especially for the bar's regulars.
In the book "Cheers: A Cultural History" By Joseph J. Darowski and Kate Darowski, the authors shared...
In the book "Cheers: A Cultural History" By Joseph J. Darowski and Kate Darowski, the authors shared...
- 4/13/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Freaky Friday 2 now has a director attached!
The Freaky Friday sequel will be directed by Nisha Ganatra, according to multiple reports Friday. (Rolling Stone is out to reps for Ganatra and Disney.) Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are reportedly in talks to reprise their roles.
Ganatra recently directed two episodes of Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales, along with 2020 film The High Note starring Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross and 2019’s Late Night with Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson.
Lohan confirmed earlier this month that the film was on the way.
The Freaky Friday sequel will be directed by Nisha Ganatra, according to multiple reports Friday. (Rolling Stone is out to reps for Ganatra and Disney.) Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are reportedly in talks to reprise their roles.
Ganatra recently directed two episodes of Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales, along with 2020 film The High Note starring Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross and 2019’s Late Night with Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson.
Lohan confirmed earlier this month that the film was on the way.
- 3/29/2024
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
The Frasier reboot’s first season was successful enough for Paramount+ to invest in a second season. Now that season 2 has been secured, Kelsey Grammer is opening up about what he’d like to see happen. He’s also sharing the characters he’d like to see turn up in the reboot. While Daphne Moon, portrayed by Jane Leeves in Frasier, and Dr. Niles Crane, portrayed by David Hyde Pierce, have opted not to return, Grammer isn’t counting out adding more members of their family to the reboot. He recently revealed the Moon family member he’d love to see in season 2.
The ‘Frasier’ reboot needs more Moon family energy
While Jane Leeves has shown absolutely no interest in returning to the Frasier reboot, her side of the family is being represented by her son David Crane, who is actively involved in the series. David, the son of Daphne...
The ‘Frasier’ reboot needs more Moon family energy
While Jane Leeves has shown absolutely no interest in returning to the Frasier reboot, her side of the family is being represented by her son David Crane, who is actively involved in the series. David, the son of Daphne...
- 3/23/2024
- by Andrea Francese
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In January, the Cheers cast reunited for the Emmy Awards. The iconic moment sent viewers searching for more information. While Frasier, the beloved Cheers spinoff, has been rebooted, there has been no word about Cheers. The reunion got fans talking, with many theorizing the cast might consider getting together for a reboot. Ted Danson, who played Sam Malone for all 11 seasons, has set the record straight. A reboot isn’t in the cards.
Ted Danson says a ‘Cheers’ reboot is out of the question
If you were hoping for a Cheers reboot, Ted Danson’s thoughts on it might upset you. Entertainment Tonight caught up with Ted Danson and asked him about the possibility of a Cheers reboot. The famed actor was pretty adamant that while he loved reuniting with the cast at the Emmy Awards, a reboot was out of the question.
L-r: Rhea Perlman, Nicholas Colasanto, and Ted...
Ted Danson says a ‘Cheers’ reboot is out of the question
If you were hoping for a Cheers reboot, Ted Danson’s thoughts on it might upset you. Entertainment Tonight caught up with Ted Danson and asked him about the possibility of a Cheers reboot. The famed actor was pretty adamant that while he loved reuniting with the cast at the Emmy Awards, a reboot was out of the question.
L-r: Rhea Perlman, Nicholas Colasanto, and Ted...
- 3/23/2024
- by Andrea Francese
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
You know, a wise man once said that sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.
"Cheers" is one of the best and most popular sitcoms of all time. That's not hyperbole, either — critics and fans alike will sing the praises of the show until you can't stand it anymore. "Okay, I get it!" you'll say. "You love 'Cheers'! Leave me alone!" Running for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, and starring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson, and more, "Cheers" was actually a flop during its first season, finishing last in the ratings during its premiere. Things were so bad, in fact, that the network almost pulled the plug. Eventually, though, "Cheers" found its audience, and that audience couldn't get enough of the barflies and bartenders who called the show home.
The show sprang forth from creators Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows, and as it turns out,...
"Cheers" is one of the best and most popular sitcoms of all time. That's not hyperbole, either — critics and fans alike will sing the praises of the show until you can't stand it anymore. "Okay, I get it!" you'll say. "You love 'Cheers'! Leave me alone!" Running for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, and starring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson, and more, "Cheers" was actually a flop during its first season, finishing last in the ratings during its premiere. Things were so bad, in fact, that the network almost pulled the plug. Eventually, though, "Cheers" found its audience, and that audience couldn't get enough of the barflies and bartenders who called the show home.
The show sprang forth from creators Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows, and as it turns out,...
- 3/16/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
2003’s Freaky Friday was a major box office success and stands as a fan favorite amongst a certain Disney-loving demographic, so it’s a bit of a surprise there hasn’t been a sequel. But with recent rumblings from its leads, a proper Freaky Friday 2 may be closer than ever. While promoting her new Netflix movie, Irish Wish, Lindsay Lohan told Andy Cohen on his Sirius Xm show that a follow-up to the 2003 film (which Quentin Tarantino loves) is happening.
While she was mum on the details, she did mention that former co-star Jamie Lee Curtis is on board. “We’re both excited! I’m gonna speak for Jamie.” This would be right in line with statements previously made by Curtis. Back in 2022, she told People, “There would be nothing I would love more, honestly, than to be able to work with her again, share our time again, and now...
While she was mum on the details, she did mention that former co-star Jamie Lee Curtis is on board. “We’re both excited! I’m gonna speak for Jamie.” This would be right in line with statements previously made by Curtis. Back in 2022, she told People, “There would be nothing I would love more, honestly, than to be able to work with her again, share our time again, and now...
- 3/6/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Lindsay Lohan’s iconic flick Freaky Friday is all set to get a modern reboot as the actress shared her excitement in a recent interview. Ever since its release in 2003, Freaky Friday has garnered cult classic status among the audience.
While fans have been waiting for a sequel patiently for 21 years, any advancement for a sequel has been met with positive reception. Albeit to the audience’s disappointment nothing ever materialized for the much-awaited sequel.
However, recently in Andy Cohen’s Sirius Xm show, Lohan confirmed that a sequel to the 2003 flick is in the works.
Lohan and Curtis On-Board?
Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis | Source: Freaky Friday (2003)
Though Lindsay Lohan refrained from revealing any more details about the production, she did state that both Jamie Lee Curtis and she were excited to be on board the creative endeavor.
Earlier in October 2022, Jamie Lee Curtis was asked to share...
While fans have been waiting for a sequel patiently for 21 years, any advancement for a sequel has been met with positive reception. Albeit to the audience’s disappointment nothing ever materialized for the much-awaited sequel.
However, recently in Andy Cohen’s Sirius Xm show, Lohan confirmed that a sequel to the 2003 flick is in the works.
Lohan and Curtis On-Board?
Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis | Source: Freaky Friday (2003)
Though Lindsay Lohan refrained from revealing any more details about the production, she did state that both Jamie Lee Curtis and she were excited to be on board the creative endeavor.
Earlier in October 2022, Jamie Lee Curtis was asked to share...
- 3/5/2024
- by Akhil Bhagwani
- FandomWire
Twenty-one years (and counting) had to pass for a Freaky Friday sequel to come to fruition.
While Visiting Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show, Lindsay Lohan confirmed that there is a sequel for the iconic 2003 film being worked on — though she refused to get into details about when it will come.
“Lindsay, there are rumors that a Freaky Friday sequel with you and Jamie Lee Curtis could be in the works. Is there anything you can tell us about that?” Andy Cohen asked.
“It is,” Lohan responded briefly, before a giggle.
While Visiting Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show, Lindsay Lohan confirmed that there is a sequel for the iconic 2003 film being worked on — though she refused to get into details about when it will come.
“Lindsay, there are rumors that a Freaky Friday sequel with you and Jamie Lee Curtis could be in the works. Is there anything you can tell us about that?” Andy Cohen asked.
“It is,” Lohan responded briefly, before a giggle.
- 3/4/2024
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Kelsey Grammer landed the role of Dr. Frasier Crane in 1984. For the last 40 years, he has played the role of the high-class psychiatrist, off and on. Most recently, he reprised the role in 2023 in the Frasier reboot. While season 1 was a hit, a renewal for season 2 was not quick to come. The wait, however, is over. Fans will get to see a second season of the Frasier reboot.
Paramount+ has greenlit season 2 of the ‘Frasier’ reboot
Season 1 of the Frasier revival wrapped in December 2023. Then there was silence. Fans of the reboot worried that Dr. Frasier Crane would not be returning to the streaming service. Those concerns were not needed. On Feb. 22, Paramount+ revealed that a second season of the reboot had been greenlit.
The cast of the ‘Frasier’ reboot | Pamela Littky/Paramount+
Kelsey Grammer released a statement to Variety regarding the renewal. The famed actor told the publication, “I...
Paramount+ has greenlit season 2 of the ‘Frasier’ reboot
Season 1 of the Frasier revival wrapped in December 2023. Then there was silence. Fans of the reboot worried that Dr. Frasier Crane would not be returning to the streaming service. Those concerns were not needed. On Feb. 22, Paramount+ revealed that a second season of the reboot had been greenlit.
The cast of the ‘Frasier’ reboot | Pamela Littky/Paramount+
Kelsey Grammer released a statement to Variety regarding the renewal. The famed actor told the publication, “I...
- 3/1/2024
- by Andrea Francese
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When Shelley Long left "Cheers" in 1986, it was such a big deal that, as producer David Lee once put it, "I thought it might be the end of it [...] because we didn't know what we were gonna do and we didn't know if that relationship was so essential to the success of the show that it just might slip away." Of course, "Cheers" did anything but slip away. The beloved sitcom ran for a further six years following Long's departure, airing the series finale on May 20, 1993. By that point, there was no doubt that the show had maintained its status as one of the all-time great TV series, with the final episode becoming the second-highest-rated series finale of all time (behind CBS's "M*A*S*H").
Still, you can understand why Lee was so concerned. Long played Diane Chambers, the longtime love interest of co-star Ted Danson's Sam Malone.
Still, you can understand why Lee was so concerned. Long played Diane Chambers, the longtime love interest of co-star Ted Danson's Sam Malone.
- 2/24/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Kelsey Grammer and the gang have a reason to celebrate this Thursday after getting a green light for Frasier Season 2 at Paramount+! The comedy, filmed in front of a live audience, continues at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles with many stars who made the first season such a hit returning.
The series “follows Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to fulfill finally.” Kelsey Grammer returns as the show’s title character, with Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasier’s son Freddy; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s old college compatriot turned university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasier’s nephew David.
“Fraiser is a love story, and...
The series “follows Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to fulfill finally.” Kelsey Grammer returns as the show’s title character, with Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasier’s son Freddy; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s old college compatriot turned university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasier’s nephew David.
“Fraiser is a love story, and...
- 2/22/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Frasier hasn’t left the building just yet: Paramount+ has renewed the sitcom revival starring Kelsey Grammer for a second season, TVLine has learned.
“Kelsey made a triumphant return as one of the most iconic and beloved characters on television,” Paramount+’s executive vice president of programming Jeff Grossman said in a statement. “The new series introduced Frasier to a whole new generation while reminding fans of Kelsey’s truly timeless portrayal of Dr. Crane. We’re so excited to see what the creative team and superb cast serve up for Season 2.”
More from TVLineTrue Detective Renewed at HBO, With...
“Kelsey made a triumphant return as one of the most iconic and beloved characters on television,” Paramount+’s executive vice president of programming Jeff Grossman said in a statement. “The new series introduced Frasier to a whole new generation while reminding fans of Kelsey’s truly timeless portrayal of Dr. Crane. We’re so excited to see what the creative team and superb cast serve up for Season 2.”
More from TVLineTrue Detective Renewed at HBO, With...
- 2/22/2024
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Kelsey Grammer is bringing back more laughs as Frasier has been renewed for a second season at Paramount+. Season 2 will continue to film in front of a live studio audience at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.
The series follows Frasier Crane (Grammer)—a character that originated in NBC’s Cheers— in the next chapter of his life after he returns to Boston to face new challenges, forge new relationships, and – with hope – finally fulfill an old dream or two.
Frasier also stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy, Frasier’s son; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Frasier’s old college buddy turned university professor; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Eve, Freddy’s roommate; and Anders Keith as David, Frasier’s nephew. Season one featured guest appearances from original series cast, including Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin.
Related: ‘True Detective’ Renewed...
The series follows Frasier Crane (Grammer)—a character that originated in NBC’s Cheers— in the next chapter of his life after he returns to Boston to face new challenges, forge new relationships, and – with hope – finally fulfill an old dream or two.
Frasier also stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy, Frasier’s son; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Frasier’s old college buddy turned university professor; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Eve, Freddy’s roommate; and Anders Keith as David, Frasier’s nephew. Season one featured guest appearances from original series cast, including Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin.
Related: ‘True Detective’ Renewed...
- 2/22/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
By the end of its fifth season, "Cheers" had become one of the most popular sitcoms on television. Every Thursday night, viewers tuned in to hang with the regulars at the Boston pub where everybody knows your name, and the gang always delivered. You could put the "Cheers" gang up against the very best in the history of the medium.
Most amazingly, the series didn't miss a beat when Woody Harrelson stepped in for Nick Colasanto after the latter's unexpected death. It just became a different kind of excellent.
And yet, as the show headed into its sixth season, no one was sure if "Cheers" could survive the departure of Shelley Long. The actor's combustible, Tracy-Hepburn chemistry with Ted Danson gave every episode the charge of the unexpected, and kept everyone in their orbit perpetually unsettled. Without her, the entire dynamic of the show might change, turning fans off a...
Most amazingly, the series didn't miss a beat when Woody Harrelson stepped in for Nick Colasanto after the latter's unexpected death. It just became a different kind of excellent.
And yet, as the show headed into its sixth season, no one was sure if "Cheers" could survive the departure of Shelley Long. The actor's combustible, Tracy-Hepburn chemistry with Ted Danson gave every episode the charge of the unexpected, and kept everyone in their orbit perpetually unsettled. Without her, the entire dynamic of the show might change, turning fans off a...
- 2/11/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
David Hyde Pierce decided not to return to the Frasier reboot months before the series began production. Pierce’s decision led to a complete overhaul of the show’s planned storyline. He insists it was all for the best. The actor best known for his role as Dr. Niles Crane on Frasier recently revealed that he doesn’t think the reboot needed him to begin with. That thought is what kept him from returning.
David Hyde Pierce says the ‘Frasier’ reboot didn’t need him
The absence of Niles Crane changed the entire direction of the Frasier reboot, but he insists that was a good thing. In a chat with the Los Angeles Times, Pierce emphasized that it was clear the reboot didn’t need him, and that thought is the one that ultimately made him pass on the series.
David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer | Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
During the interview,...
David Hyde Pierce says the ‘Frasier’ reboot didn’t need him
The absence of Niles Crane changed the entire direction of the Frasier reboot, but he insists that was a good thing. In a chat with the Los Angeles Times, Pierce emphasized that it was clear the reboot didn’t need him, and that thought is the one that ultimately made him pass on the series.
David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer | Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
During the interview,...
- 2/9/2024
- by Andrea Francese
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
15 years ago Diablo Cody and Karyn Kusama joined forced to deliver "Jennifer's Body," a genuine cult classic that went from mismarketed box office failure maligned by critics who didn't understand its brilliance, to the reclaimed favorite that became one of the selling points in the marketing for "Lisa Frankenstein." Cody returns to the teen horror comedy space alongside Zelda Williams (in her feature directorial debut) with a zany, heartfelt, and unapologetically odd story about a particularly peculiar high school outcast named Lisa (Kathryn Newton) who goes on a murderous adventure with the reanimated corpse of a young man — whose grave she hangs out at — in search of new limbs, a sense of autonomy, and maybe even love.
Set against the backdrop of the candy-coated neon bubblegum of the 1980s, "Lisa Frankenstein" makes no qualms about being for weirdos, and by weirdos. It's the resulting lovechild of a raucous orgy between "Edward Scissorhands,...
Set against the backdrop of the candy-coated neon bubblegum of the 1980s, "Lisa Frankenstein" makes no qualms about being for weirdos, and by weirdos. It's the resulting lovechild of a raucous orgy between "Edward Scissorhands,...
- 2/7/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
The Frasier reboot was years in the making, and now its first season is in the books. While select cast members have returned to the series, not everyone decided to come back. David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s brother, Niles, opted not to reprise his role. Jane Leeves, who took on the role of Daphne Moon, has not appeared either, and John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane, died before the reboot was even a consideration. Kelsey Grammer, the actor behind the iconic role of Dr. Frasier Crane, recently revealed who he’d like to see come back for the reboot. The character wasn’t a huge part of Frasier, but she played a massive role in Cheers, the show that introduced Dr. Crane to the world. Grammer revealed he’d like to see Shelley Long reprise her role as Diane Chambers if Paramount+ greenlights a second season of the Frasier reboot.
- 2/4/2024
- by Andrea Francese
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ask a dozen "Cheers" fans what the show's funniest moment is, and you'll get a dozen different answers. The beloved '80s sitcom bowed out in 1993 with a grand total of 275 episodes under its belt and countless laugh-out-loud bits in pretty much every episode. It's tough to pinpoint the show's funniest moment, but when it comes to crowning its most spontaneous-feeling comedic one, there's an obvious contender: the knock-down, drag-out food fight from season 5's holiday episode "Thanksgiving Orphans."
The food fight that takes place at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house is clearly a scripted part of the series, but it unfolds with a surprising mix of precise aim and comedic chaos, much of which feels totally organic. The kerfuffle starts with a simple bit of antagonism; when Norm (George Wendt) fails to produce a cooked turkey after hours spent waiting, he and Carla begin sniping at each other about their respective cooking skills.
The food fight that takes place at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house is clearly a scripted part of the series, but it unfolds with a surprising mix of precise aim and comedic chaos, much of which feels totally organic. The kerfuffle starts with a simple bit of antagonism; when Norm (George Wendt) fails to produce a cooked turkey after hours spent waiting, he and Carla begin sniping at each other about their respective cooking skills.
- 1/28/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
"Cheers" had just found its Nielsen ratings footing when the sitcom was dealt an unexpectedly tragic blow: Nicholas Colasanto, who'd become the heart of the series as kind-hearted bartender "Coach" Ernie Pantusso, died at the age of 61 of a heart attack.
Of the main cast, Colasanto might've been the most irreplaceable. He provided the show its first heartbreaking moment in the season 1 episode "Coach's Daughter," where he struggles to convince his only child (Allyce Beasley) to not marry her boor of a fiancé. From that moment forward, the writers deployed Coach as a lovably addled fount of accidental wisdom; though irreparably concussed by taking too many baseballs to the noggin during his major league career, the goofball always came through when it counted.
And suddenly, before the conclusion of the series' pivotal third season, he was gone.
"Cheers" still had a deep-bench ensemble with Sam, Diane, Carla, Norm and Cliff,...
Of the main cast, Colasanto might've been the most irreplaceable. He provided the show its first heartbreaking moment in the season 1 episode "Coach's Daughter," where he struggles to convince his only child (Allyce Beasley) to not marry her boor of a fiancé. From that moment forward, the writers deployed Coach as a lovably addled fount of accidental wisdom; though irreparably concussed by taking too many baseballs to the noggin during his major league career, the goofball always came through when it counted.
And suddenly, before the conclusion of the series' pivotal third season, he was gone.
"Cheers" still had a deep-bench ensemble with Sam, Diane, Carla, Norm and Cliff,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
When "Cheers" returned to NBC's airwaves for its third season, viewers were desperate to see how bartender Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) had handled their breakup at the conclusion of the previous season's finale. Had they moved on or possibly reconciled?
The answer was a little more complicated than perhaps many fans expected.
Recovering alcoholic Sam was back on the sauce and carousing with self-destructive abandon. Diane was, as ever, Diane, but she couldn't bear to see Sam in such a rough way. She didn't want to get back together with him, certainly not while he was scraping rock bottom, but she still cared about her ex. She needed to see him in at least a semi-functional state. She needed to get him help. And she believed she knew just the man who could throw him a lifeline.
That man, of course, was psychiatrist Frasier Crane.
The answer was a little more complicated than perhaps many fans expected.
Recovering alcoholic Sam was back on the sauce and carousing with self-destructive abandon. Diane was, as ever, Diane, but she couldn't bear to see Sam in such a rough way. She didn't want to get back together with him, certainly not while he was scraping rock bottom, but she still cared about her ex. She needed to see him in at least a semi-functional state. She needed to get him help. And she believed she knew just the man who could throw him a lifeline.
That man, of course, was psychiatrist Frasier Crane.
- 1/16/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name – and that place could be a watering hole in Boston or a recreation of it on stage at the Primetime Emmy Awards. As was teased, a portion of the cast of Cheers reunited on Monday night, complete with a recreation of the iconic set.
The Cheers reunion found Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, and George Wendt (Norm!) presenting the awards for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, both of which went to The Bear. Throughout its 11-season run, Cheers won both of these twice. Notably, Wendt’s nephew, Jason Sudeikis, was nominated for Ted Lasso.
Danson, who played bartender Sam Malone on Cheers, expressed his gratitude to host Anthony Anderson by saying, “Anthony, thank you for getting us all here. Ah, this feels so nice to be here in front of all of you,...
The Cheers reunion found Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, and George Wendt (Norm!) presenting the awards for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, both of which went to The Bear. Throughout its 11-season run, Cheers won both of these twice. Notably, Wendt’s nephew, Jason Sudeikis, was nominated for Ted Lasso.
Danson, who played bartender Sam Malone on Cheers, expressed his gratitude to host Anthony Anderson by saying, “Anthony, thank you for getting us all here. Ah, this feels so nice to be here in front of all of you,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
If there’s another season of the Frasier revival, Kelsey Grammer already has two names from Cheers he’d like to see appear. Shelley Long starred as Diane on both Cheers and appeared during the original run of Frasier; she was a love interest for both Grammer’s Frasier and Ted Danson‘s Sam. And both Long and Danson are people Grammer has thoughts on reprising their roles for his series on Paramount+. “The relationship with Diane is something that still gnaws at him a little bit because he felt like he failed at it,” Grammer told Deadline. “It would be nice if they acknowledge one another… ‘I’m glad you did ok.’ Have her do the same thing.” But what matters most for Grammer when it comes to these returns is that it makes sense to the story they’re telling. With Diane, he’d want it to be...
- 1/16/2024
- TV Insider
Kelsey Grammer, who has been musing about a return for Shelly Long’s Diane on his Paramount+ Frasier reboot, told Deadline today at the Emmys how it would go down.
“The relationship with Diane is something that still gnaws at him a little bit because he felt like he failed at it,” Grammer says about Frasier Crane.
“It would be nice if they acknowledge one another… ‘I’m glad you did ok.’ Have her do the same thing,” explained Grammer.
As far as whether Long would return, “It would only happen if it’s important to Frasier’s development as a human being,” explained the 5x Emmy winner.
Grammer also said he’s open to Ted Danson’s Sam Malone from Cheers making an appearance on the new Frasier. Under one circumstance: “If Sam Malone is still alive and has a vital connection of making Frasier move to another place.
“The relationship with Diane is something that still gnaws at him a little bit because he felt like he failed at it,” Grammer says about Frasier Crane.
“It would be nice if they acknowledge one another… ‘I’m glad you did ok.’ Have her do the same thing,” explained Grammer.
As far as whether Long would return, “It would only happen if it’s important to Frasier’s development as a human being,” explained the 5x Emmy winner.
Grammer also said he’s open to Ted Danson’s Sam Malone from Cheers making an appearance on the new Frasier. Under one circumstance: “If Sam Malone is still alive and has a vital connection of making Frasier move to another place.
- 1/16/2024
- by Rosy Cordero, Anthony D'Alessandro and Natalie Sitek
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s 2024 and our troubles are all the same: The cast of Cheers have reunited at the 2023 Emmy Awards on Monday night.
The cast — Ted Danson, Rhea Pearlman, Kelsey Grammer, and John Ratzenberger — appeared onstage behind their infamous bar, with George Wendt doing his signature “Norm!” arrival. They presented two awards; Shelley Long and Woody Harrelson were the only cast members not present.
Cheers garnered 117 Emmy nominations across its 11 seasons, which ran from 1982 to 1993. Its theme song, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” landed at No. 13 in Rolling Stone‘s recent...
The cast — Ted Danson, Rhea Pearlman, Kelsey Grammer, and John Ratzenberger — appeared onstage behind their infamous bar, with George Wendt doing his signature “Norm!” arrival. They presented two awards; Shelley Long and Woody Harrelson were the only cast members not present.
Cheers garnered 117 Emmy nominations across its 11 seasons, which ran from 1982 to 1993. Its theme song, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” landed at No. 13 in Rolling Stone‘s recent...
- 1/16/2024
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
One of the most quoted pieces of Hollywood wisdom holds that 90 percent of directing is casting. You bring the right actors together, and you're off to the races. This is, of course, laughably simplistic. You could argue that 90 percent of directing is writing because there's no movie or show to make if there's nothing on the page. And many directors will tell you that their films don't truly come together until they're hunkered down with their editor in post-production.
The truth, obviously, is that film and television production is a collaborative process that requires numerous people with expertise in different disciplines to do what they do at the highest level possible. And when it comes to casting, there is absolutely an art to finding, after untold hours of reels and cold reads, the ideal actor for each role — especially if you're trying to launch a successful television series. Because no...
The truth, obviously, is that film and television production is a collaborative process that requires numerous people with expertise in different disciplines to do what they do at the highest level possible. And when it comes to casting, there is absolutely an art to finding, after untold hours of reels and cold reads, the ideal actor for each role — especially if you're trying to launch a successful television series. Because no...
- 1/13/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Fraiser Crane is back in Boston, and while he’s already had a run-in with his ex-wife, Lilith, played by the great Emmy Award-winning Bebe Neuwirth, he’s likely to reunite with some of his old cohorts from Cheers. While the Frasier revival has a split reaction among critics and fans, Kelsey Grammer feels the new show will last for several seasons. Grammer stated, “I believe we have a home at Paramount+ for several years to come, and we certainly have several ideas for it. It’s just what’s fleshing out, and we’re not sure yet because the writers went on strike, then the actors stayed on strike, and everything just sort of stalled. At least we got the episodes in under the wire before we had to just lock down.”
The first season of Frasier concluded last year and Grammer is already giving his wishlist for what...
The first season of Frasier concluded last year and Grammer is already giving his wishlist for what...
- 1/10/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Kelsey Grammer doesn’t have any plans for any of the Cheers characters to pop up in the new Frasier sitcom. However, the actor who plays Dr. Frasier Crane does think that Diane Chambers, played by Shelley Long, deserves some closure.
“I would like to see Diane come back,” Grammer said on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “For one of those reasons of Frasier to be able to put something to bed. To end up with a nice thing between them.”
He continued, “When I first got the role, the key to Frasier for me was that he loved her with his whole heart, that he loved with all of his being. And that actually defined who he is and he’s been that way ever since. He just goes in wholeheartedly with everything — and that’s what makes him funny.”
Grammer’s Frasier character was introduced in Season 3 of Cheers...
“I would like to see Diane come back,” Grammer said on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “For one of those reasons of Frasier to be able to put something to bed. To end up with a nice thing between them.”
He continued, “When I first got the role, the key to Frasier for me was that he loved her with his whole heart, that he loved with all of his being. And that actually defined who he is and he’s been that way ever since. He just goes in wholeheartedly with everything — and that’s what makes him funny.”
Grammer’s Frasier character was introduced in Season 3 of Cheers...
- 1/10/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Frasier and Diane’s relationship on Cheers may not have ended happily ever after, but Kelsey Grammer isn’t ready to close the book on it.
The Frasier star revealed in an interview on Tuesday’s The Kelly Clarkson Show — which you can watch above — that he wants Shelley Long to reprise her role as Diane Chambers on the Paramount+ revival: “I would like to see Diane come back… for Frasier to be able to put something to bed, to end up with a nice thing between them.”
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The Frasier star revealed in an interview on Tuesday’s The Kelly Clarkson Show — which you can watch above — that he wants Shelley Long to reprise her role as Diane Chambers on the Paramount+ revival: “I would like to see Diane come back… for Frasier to be able to put something to bed, to end up with a nice thing between them.”
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- 1/9/2024
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Sudden success is a hell of a drug. Be it entertainment, sports, or certain, shockingly competitive sectors of the healthcare industry, you can count on numerous fast risers to get high on their own supply and take an ego-fueled torch to their career.
Television actors are especially susceptible to these vain slip-ups, and it's easy to understand why. Before the advent of prestige TV, the small-screen medium was, particularly for young-ish performers, viewed as a potential springboard to big-screen stardom. Sometimes it works out. Chevy Chase bolted from "Saturday Night Live" midway through its second season and instantly became a movie star on the strength of his work in Colin Higgins' sporadically hilarious "Foul Play" (even though he's far from the funniest element of the film). And sometimes you're David Caruso, who quit "NYPD Blue" to topline a pair of 1995 flops in Barbet Schroder's "Kiss of Death" (underrated) and William Friedkin's "Jade".
Generally,...
Television actors are especially susceptible to these vain slip-ups, and it's easy to understand why. Before the advent of prestige TV, the small-screen medium was, particularly for young-ish performers, viewed as a potential springboard to big-screen stardom. Sometimes it works out. Chevy Chase bolted from "Saturday Night Live" midway through its second season and instantly became a movie star on the strength of his work in Colin Higgins' sporadically hilarious "Foul Play" (even though he's far from the funniest element of the film). And sometimes you're David Caruso, who quit "NYPD Blue" to topline a pair of 1995 flops in Barbet Schroder's "Kiss of Death" (underrated) and William Friedkin's "Jade".
Generally,...
- 1/7/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Glynis Johns, remembered by movie audiences as Mrs. Banks from Mary Poppins and by Broadway devotees as the first person to sing Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” on a national stage, died Thursday of natural causes at an assisted living home in Los Angeles. She was 100.
Her death was announced by her manager and publicist Mitch Clem. “Today’s a sad day for Hollywood,” Clem said in a statement. “She is the last of the last of old Hollywood.”
A Tony winner (Best Actress/Musical) for her performance as Desiree Armfeldt in the original 1973 Broadway cast of the Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler A Little Night Music, Johns both debuted and, due to her widespread acclaim, helped popularize what would become perhaps Sondheim’s most beloved and well-known songs with “Send in the Clowns.”
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, the Welsh Johns made her West End debut in 1931 at age...
Her death was announced by her manager and publicist Mitch Clem. “Today’s a sad day for Hollywood,” Clem said in a statement. “She is the last of the last of old Hollywood.”
A Tony winner (Best Actress/Musical) for her performance as Desiree Armfeldt in the original 1973 Broadway cast of the Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler A Little Night Music, Johns both debuted and, due to her widespread acclaim, helped popularize what would become perhaps Sondheim’s most beloved and well-known songs with “Send in the Clowns.”
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, the Welsh Johns made her West End debut in 1931 at age...
- 1/4/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The current generation will likely know John Cleese for his Tweets and his Gb News project "The Dinosaur Hour," which recently saw him trading witticisms with Stephen Fry in a 12th-century castle for some reason. Which is a shame because at one time he was pretty much unanimously viewed as a British national treasure and comedy great. So much so that when he dropped in on the "Cheers" crowd back in the '80s, he basically caused the whole show to buckle under the weight of his reputation, at least until the writers managed to compose themselves enough to get his episode back on track.
Appearing in the season 5 installment "Simon Says," Cleese played Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, a renowned marriage counselor and friend of Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, who at one time attended Oxford with the distinguished doctor. Presumably, in the "Cheers"-verse, Finch-Royce was also a friend of Alan Cornwall,...
Appearing in the season 5 installment "Simon Says," Cleese played Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, a renowned marriage counselor and friend of Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, who at one time attended Oxford with the distinguished doctor. Presumably, in the "Cheers"-verse, Finch-Royce was also a friend of Alan Cornwall,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
When you think about it, "Frasier" is one of the most unlikely success stories in TV history. Running from 1993 to 2004, the show is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time and has recently returned some 20 years after it went off-air for a revival series currently streaming on Paramount+.
But a lot had to happen in order for this impressive multi-decade run to pan out. After the show on which Frasier Crane first debuted, "Cheers," almost crashed and burned during its first season, it went on to become the most celebrated sitcom of the '80s and still enjoys a legacy as one of the finest TV shows ever. In season 3 of the series, we were introduced to Dr. Crane for the first time. Originally intended to be a character that appeared in a few episodes as a way to further the will-they-won't-they romance storyline between Ted Danson's...
But a lot had to happen in order for this impressive multi-decade run to pan out. After the show on which Frasier Crane first debuted, "Cheers," almost crashed and burned during its first season, it went on to become the most celebrated sitcom of the '80s and still enjoys a legacy as one of the finest TV shows ever. In season 3 of the series, we were introduced to Dr. Crane for the first time. Originally intended to be a character that appeared in a few episodes as a way to further the will-they-won't-they romance storyline between Ted Danson's...
- 12/30/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Actors beloved for a long-running television role carry a funny kind of baggage with them. It didn't matter where Andy Griffth showed up in TV or film, the shadow of amiable Sheriff Andrew Jackson "Andy" Taylor and, during the actor's twilight years, the irascible defense attorney Ben Matlock always hung heavily over his head. Likewise, for all of Angela Lansbury's many, many accomplishments performing on the stage and screen, certain people could only ever look at her and see their favorite cardigan-loving author-sleuth, Jessica Fletcher.
Lucille Désirée Ball was firmly cognizant of just how strongly the masses identified her with her incorrigible onscreen counterpart, Lucille Esmeralda "Lucy" McGillicuddy Ricardo, from "I Love Lucy," having played the iconic trouble-maker across the series' 180 episodes in the 1950s. This was also the main factor that led to her passing on another classic sitcom, "Cheers," decades later.
Despite the show garnering near-catastrophic ratings...
Lucille Désirée Ball was firmly cognizant of just how strongly the masses identified her with her incorrigible onscreen counterpart, Lucille Esmeralda "Lucy" McGillicuddy Ricardo, from "I Love Lucy," having played the iconic trouble-maker across the series' 180 episodes in the 1950s. This was also the main factor that led to her passing on another classic sitcom, "Cheers," decades later.
Despite the show garnering near-catastrophic ratings...
- 12/28/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
For 11 seasons, "Cheers" (1982-1993) was, as NBC put it back then, "must-see TV." For five of those seasons, we watched Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) and their on-again-off-again relationship in a Boston bar. When Long left for a movie career, Kirstie Alley was hired as the female lead, Rebecca Howe. She was a business woman who was brought in to manage the bar after a corporation buys it, and Sam, lothario that he was, hits on her constantly.
As the show went on, Rebecca went from a put-together woman with a penchant for rich men to a neurotic and decidedly annoying woman. (I watched it as it happened and I just couldn't stand her character.) She was funny, sure, and they definitely leaned into her falling apart, but it was ... a lot. It also led the show to its very first Emmy Award in 1989. It was...
As the show went on, Rebecca went from a put-together woman with a penchant for rich men to a neurotic and decidedly annoying woman. (I watched it as it happened and I just couldn't stand her character.) She was funny, sure, and they definitely leaned into her falling apart, but it was ... a lot. It also led the show to its very first Emmy Award in 1989. It was...
- 12/23/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
When "Cheers" premiered in 1982 on NBC, fans became immediately invested in the Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) romance. First, there was the will they/won't they dynamic, and then they got together. However, these very mismatched love birds broke up at the end of the second season. Enter her new psychologist, Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). We didn't know it at the time, but this very pretentious boyfriend was going to have not one, but two series set around him. I never did get his appeal during the run of "Cheers." I really hated his character ... and yet somehow found myself watching his NBC spinoff "Frasier." Yes, I bought into the tossed salad and scrambled eggs of it all like the rest of the world. Well, most of the rest of the world.
According to a 2018 feature in The Hollywood Reporter to celebrate 25 years since the end of "Cheers,...
According to a 2018 feature in The Hollywood Reporter to celebrate 25 years since the end of "Cheers,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Without hyperbole, "M*A*S*H" is one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Centered on the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, the anti-war comedy-drama became one of the most-watched shows in history and is continually revered by younger generations discovering it for the first time. The show boasted a phenomenal ensemble cast, with Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda) serving as the defacto main character. He's the chief surgeon after all, but he's also a bit of a lush. Then again, just about everyone on "M*A*S*H" drank from time to time. This is the show that gave us the iconic line, "War isn't Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse," so it isn't surprising that there'd be a bit of self-medicating happening. But a few years into the series' run, there was a noticeable shift in how...
- 12/17/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
When the NBC comedy series "Cheers" began in 1982, fans quickly fell in love with Ernie "Coach" Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto). He was a retired baseball coach working at the bar with Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). He wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the condiments bar, but he had a good heart and gave sort of ridiculous yet profound advice. He was a beloved character and a staple of the show. However, when Colasanto passed away after a heart attack in 1985, Coach died in the show as well.
In season 4, we got a new bartender in the form of Woody Boyd, played by a very young Woody Harrelson. He had the same very naive and sweet quality that Coach had, though he was far younger. I mean, look at the picture above. He was a baby! Woody Boyd was a pen pal to Coach and had to...
In season 4, we got a new bartender in the form of Woody Boyd, played by a very young Woody Harrelson. He had the same very naive and sweet quality that Coach had, though he was far younger. I mean, look at the picture above. He was a baby! Woody Boyd was a pen pal to Coach and had to...
- 12/11/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
"Cheers" dominated the TV landscape in the 1980s. Viewers were caught up in the relationship between bartender/bar owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and the barmaid who felt like she was too good for the job, Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Would she unbend enough actually to have fun with Sam? Could he manage to stand how pretentious she was? Hanging out with Sam, Diane, and the bar denizens of "Cheers" was like visiting old friends, gossiping about their lives, and getting invested in relationships that we weren't part of.
As it turns out, Shelley Long was as invested as fans were in the Sam and Diane storyline. In fact, there was an episode early on that had the actor breaking down behind the scenes, according to a 25th-anniversary feature in The Hollywood Reporter from 2018. That episode involved a moment between Sam and Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) that Diane wasn't even there for.
As it turns out, Shelley Long was as invested as fans were in the Sam and Diane storyline. In fact, there was an episode early on that had the actor breaking down behind the scenes, according to a 25th-anniversary feature in The Hollywood Reporter from 2018. That episode involved a moment between Sam and Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) that Diane wasn't even there for.
- 12/10/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Another former silver screen icon has passed, with THR reporting that Ryan O’Neal, star of Love Story and Barry Lyndon, has died at 82. While his star had dimmed since his heyday, at the height of his fame, Ryan O’Neal was considered one of the biggest stars in the world. His 1970 classic Love Story, co-starring Ali McGraw, made him one of the decade’s biggest heartthrobs, and he followed it up with a couple of stone-cold classics, including a few movies by Peter Bogdanovich. His first movie with the director, What’s Up Doc, paired him for the first time with Barbra Streisand, with the two reuniting years later for The Main Event – both of which were massive hits. Probably his best movie with Bogdanovich, Paper Moon, paired him with his daughter, Tatum O’Neal, who took home an Oscar for her role in this black-and-white depression-set classic.
Other classic seventies...
Other classic seventies...
- 12/8/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Frasier Crane might hear those blues a-callin’ but will he ever share suds with Cliff, Norm and the rest of the Cheers gang again? With the revival of Frasier proving to be a hit with audiences – and now that the doc is back in Boston – there is certainly buzz that we might get some of our beloved Cheers characters back. And while Kelsey Grammer has an idea for a way to work in Cheers, it may not be what viewers hope for.
Speaking with Deadline, Kelsey Grammer suggested he may run into some legal issues if Frasier Crane ever returned to the bar where everybody knows your name. “I’m not sure the guys who wrote Cheers would want us to go back to Cheers. It’s like, let’s let that be where it is. It’s a monument in the minds of television history.” This is similar to...
Speaking with Deadline, Kelsey Grammer suggested he may run into some legal issues if Frasier Crane ever returned to the bar where everybody knows your name. “I’m not sure the guys who wrote Cheers would want us to go back to Cheers. It’s like, let’s let that be where it is. It’s a monument in the minds of television history.” This is similar to...
- 11/23/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Actor Woody Harrelson made a name for himself by starring in the hit television series Cheers. But he figured the classic sitcom might be the peak of his career after he couldn’t find any more work.
Woody Harrelson couldn’t find acting work for years while starring in ‘Cheers’ Woody Harrelson | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Before he was known for his film career, Harrelson was recognized for his work as Woody Boyd in the 1980s sitcom Cheers. Ironically, the actor wasn’t completely sold on lending his talents to the small screen. But he auditioned for the role, anyway.
“I was 23, and I kind of had an idea that I didn’t want to do television because I generally didn’t like the quality,” Harrelson told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2017 interview.
Harrelson revealed that his Cheers audition successfully, and perhaps surprisingly, convinced the casting director that he suited the role.
Woody Harrelson couldn’t find acting work for years while starring in ‘Cheers’ Woody Harrelson | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Before he was known for his film career, Harrelson was recognized for his work as Woody Boyd in the 1980s sitcom Cheers. Ironically, the actor wasn’t completely sold on lending his talents to the small screen. But he auditioned for the role, anyway.
“I was 23, and I kind of had an idea that I didn’t want to do television because I generally didn’t like the quality,” Harrelson told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2017 interview.
Harrelson revealed that his Cheers audition successfully, and perhaps surprisingly, convinced the casting director that he suited the role.
- 11/15/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The NBC series "Cheers" ran for 11 seasons from 1982-1993. The show, which earned an incredible 28 Primetime Emmy Awards during its run, took place in a bar in Boston. Former baseball star Sam Malone (Ted Danson) now runs a bar and has an on-again-off-again relationship with Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), a sort of stuck-up woman who has to become a cocktail waitress to make ends meet. The bar was littered with characters like Norm (George Wendt), a barfly whose name everyone does indeed know, Cliff (John Ratzenberger), the bar know-it-all, Carla (Rhea Perlman), the acerbic waitress, Coach (Nicholas Colasanto), the doddering but loveable owner, and Woody (Woody Harrelson) as the dopey bartender. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), the prissy psychiatrist who got his own show out of it (that is currently in revival form), also appeared, as well as Rebecca (Kirstie Alley), who replaced Diane as a waitress and love interest after Long left.
- 11/4/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for "Frasier."Reboots, revivals, and spinoffs are odd things. So often they reek of money-grubbing creative bankruptcy, their only reason for existing being they might squeeze a bit more money out of a loyal audience before their passion slowly fizzles out. Sometimes it's clear that whoever had the most driving power behind them — the directors, the stars, usually the producers — cared only about what they could get from the new project, not about how it might retroactively impugn the legacy of the original. And sometimes, even despite all that, they still have something worthwhile to offer. Odd!
Paramount+'s "Frasier" revival falls somewhere in the vast grey area between a revivification so thoughtful and bold that it improves upon the original and a total disaster. In this very publication you can take in the range of perspectives that have generally characterized the reactions to the revival.
Paramount+'s "Frasier" revival falls somewhere in the vast grey area between a revivification so thoughtful and bold that it improves upon the original and a total disaster. In this very publication you can take in the range of perspectives that have generally characterized the reactions to the revival.
- 10/30/2023
- by Ryan Coleman
- Slash Film
Once upon a time in Boston, there was a bar where everybody knew your name. That bar was the setting for the NBC series "Cheers," which ran for 11 seasons from 1982-1993. Behind this bar was bartender/owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson), a former baseball player and alcoholic who had an on-again-off-again romance with the more cultured (at least she thought so) barmaid Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) started his TV life here, later going on to have his own show, with a revival currently running on Paramount+. George Wendt played the accountant Norm, whose name was yelled every time he walked through the door. Rhea Perlman was Carla, the acerbic cocktail waitress. The show had so many incredible characters, but my favorite was always Cliff Clavin.
Played by John Ratzenberger, Cliff Clavin was a mailman who frequented the bar and always had a string of lovable...
Played by John Ratzenberger, Cliff Clavin was a mailman who frequented the bar and always had a string of lovable...
- 10/29/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
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