CHEERS 11th Season & DVD Reviews

 

The 11th & final season of Cheers was a bittersweet one for me because I had only become a rabid fan of the show a couple years prior & was hoping this gang would stick around a while longer. The Frasier show gave Cheers fans the opportunity to catch glimpses of what may be going on in the fantasy land of Cheers Boston, although I think if Frasier never existed we may have gotten a real reunion of sorts. Frasier seemed to just give us enough, Cheers-wise, & no doubt Kelsey Grammer was not interested in touting past successes when his own spin-off would prove to be a massive success & run 11 seasons . . . just like Cheers!

I thought the gang & the writing seemed ever so tired in the 11th season. I remember Woody Harrelson voices his criticism of the quality of writing that year. I was quite surprised how much I actually liked the 11th season when I returned to it. There are some truly classic episodes but there is also the sense that they were running out of ideas. I think Cheers was in danger of jumping the shark with another season. Sammy/Ted looks tired & almost crankily uninterested in certain episodes; the Frasier & Lilith & Rebecca triangle; Woody becoming a Congressman . . . these are broad & almost desperate attempts at comedy. Luckily for Cheers, it still had good writers & season 11 survives an entertaining outro for this classic TV show.

I’ll let the following reviewer articulate the Cheers fans’ disappointment at the lack of extras on the DVD release (& it was too early to know of the many edits present on the set).

(from TV Shows On DVD.Com)

“We've got a look for you today at the rear package art of Cheers - Season 11: The Final Season on DVD [see above]. Fans have been wondering if the January 27th [2009] release would the Bob Costas-hosted special "Cheers: Last Call," which aired just prior to the triple-length final episode. OR if it would include any of the footage from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that aired afterward, live with the Cheers cast on location at Boston's Bull & Finch Pub (which the bar in Cheers was based upon). The back of the box seems to answer these questions: the answer is "no." The only bonus material mentioned here is "episodic promos on all episodes." We're sure this comes as no surprise to many fans, who have expressed upset at how bare-bones many of the season sets for this program have been. One reader, Dean, quoted a line Diane Chambers said: "For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these: it might have been." Yes, that quote does seem applicable!”

Check out this exhaustive review of the 11th season DVD release from Sitcoms Online

Introduction:

It's the cozy little Boston bar where everybody knows your name... raise a bar to Cheers - the Emmy Award-winning smash-hit television series that kept the laughs uncorked for 11 seasons. In Cheers: The Final Season, it's finally last call, as the milestone comedy ends its historic run with Sam (Ted Danson) rebuilding the bar after Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) sets it on fire. Meanwhile, Norm (George Wendt) gets audited, Cliff (John Ratzenberger) gets promoted, and Lilith leaves Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) in order to live in a biosphere. And as Woody (Woody Harrelson) runs for city council and Carla (Rhea Perlman) sees her daughter get married, Sam invites Diane Chambers back to Boston, then pretends he's married to Rebecca! The uproarious sitcom goes out with a bang, with a 28-episode set. A tost to Cheers... and many happy returns! [MORE here]

Here’s another fan’s compilation of the edits from the last episode. It includes commercials & news items from their TV channel celebrating the last episode & an early spot for Fraiser.

Episode #270-271-Rebecca Gaines, Rebecca Loses-11x23-24-1993

 

(from Cheers IMDb)

“Rebecca is having her rich man obsession again, the object of her affection this time being Mr. Gaines.

Although she has never really had any interest in him before, their shared knowledge of classical music - for her, it's more of a loathing due to her forced classical music upbringing - brings them together.

He invites her over to his house for an evening of classical music.

This evening is not quite what either expects, which in turn makes Rebecca do some things she probably would like to forget.

Rebecca ultimately comes to a realization about her rich man obsession in general, but she has to translate that realization into action.

Meanwhile, Cliff and Ma Clavin are feuding.

By Cliff's words, the tone of his voice, his actions and absence of any trace of Mrs. Clavin when Carla, Norm and Paul break into Cliff's apartment, the threesome are convinced that he has murdered her. Written by Huggo”

What’s really eerie about this episode is that the very same day it was aired (May 6, 1993) there were two separate Postal Worker shootings in the United States! I distinctly remember there being a warning before the episode aired explaining that the show was made before these events & apologized for the unintentionally sensitive material!

I mistakenly recorded over my original broadcast copy so again do not know if the DVD is edited. This was a special hour-long episode that was later broken up into two for syndication.

Episode #272-The Guy Can’t Help It-Season 11x25, 1993-Synopsis

 

(from Cheers IMDb)

‘Cheers runs into major issues (urgent issues to Norm) when the beer taps go out of commission.

Sam calls for a repairman, and gets Don Santry.

After Don fixes the bar taps, Rebecca returns from her vacation, complaining about her terrible experience. Don overhears this, and asks Rebecca out on a date, which she agrees to.

After some time, both Rebecca and Don have become enamored with each other . . .

. . . to the point that Sam takes Rebecca aside for a little chat. It is then that Sam reveals that Rebecca is the fall-back if he doesn't find the right woman in the next couple years. Rebecca does not take kindly to this, and lets Sam know for certain.

Sam then goes to Frasier in regards to his concerns about what Rebecca said, and Frasier suggests that Sam should go to a sexual compulsion group.

Sam is at first reluctant, but after attending a group meeting, begins to be more comfortable talking about his 'problems.'

(Page last updated by uruseiranma)

****I was not able to record this episode in May 1993 so don’t know if the DVD release contains any edits or not. Anyone with an original broadcast copy or any info please leave a comment, thank you!