It's always hard to break the band up. There's such a firm, unbreakable chemistry there that's impossible to willingly end. It'll always feel like something is missing. Anything afterwards is trying to fill the void someone left behind. Even that doesn't always work. After Shelley Long left Cheers behind, it was particularly glaring. Her character's dynamic with Ted Danson's Sam was the heart of the show so her departure surely left the show runners in a bind. Decades later, they're addressing it.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Recently, Cheers creators Glen and Les Charles sat down with Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson for their podcast. There, they open up about some lore about the show and the feelings they had when Shelley Long took her leave. Panic is the resounding feeling that the pair felt. "There were some critics that said when Shelley walks out the door, that's the end of Cheers. And we had to live with that because that was this element of the show, the main element of the show was the Sam-Diane courtship," Glen says.
Shelley Long's Departure From Cheers Introduces 'Sheer Panic'
Les explains that the two brothers weren't very confident the show had legs without Shelley Long. It's her composure and her understanding of the character that made the show work when the rest of the cast was still working it out. "We're not sure that Cheers would have survived without Shelley in that first season," Les Charles states. "She was so strong and so confident and knew exactly who the character was and who she was. And I think all of the rest of you were finding your way a little bit."
Ted Danson playfully takes offense to the notion that he was still finding his way. But ultimately, he agrees, Shelley was the drive that gave the show its juice. "Shelley really gave the first year or two or three the boost that Cheers needed because she landed into her part feet first on the pilot and was astounding and unlike any other character we've seen since maybe I Love Lucy or something," Danson says.
