In all the decades that television has been a regular part of our living rooms the most popular format has been the half hour situation comedy. During this time literally thousands of sit-coms have come and gone. The life span of such a series is typically very brief; a show is considered as fortunate if it manages to get through an initial season and is picked up for a few years. Sometimes it seems that sit-coms run for more years than they deserve just because the networks lack something to take up the time slot. In any case the number of sit-coms that is capable of lasting a decade or more are rarified at best. One of the most well known and beloved sit-coms is a little show called ‘Cheers’. It had staying power as evident by its eleven year run from 1982 through to 1993. Even more amazing is the fact that the series maintained much of its popularity for that whole time. Many fans remained true for the entire eleven years faithfully tuning in week after week. As expected the series underwent numerous changes during its long and successful time of the air. For most series any alterations in the cast or format would be deadly. This would make ‘Cheers’ one of the exceptions that proved the rule. Most of the original cast stayed for the whole time but in the later years a few actors left only to be replaced and the brilliance of the series was the natural way that these alterations were infused into the overall story arc. This show became one of the defining things that many people remember about the eighties and early nineties. It was a difficult time for Americans with financial problems, the coming and going of the Reagan years and the rise of Bill Clinton to the world stage. With all those changes going on around us it was somehow reassuring to have a place that seemed familiar and comforting to come back to week after week. ‘Cheers’ offered that refuge from the troubles of the world as noted in its theme song. CBS Paramount has been releasing the entire series at a ready pace over the last five years. They have now have completed that goal with this release of the eleventh and final season.

The series was created by the already proven team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. They dominated the television landscape from the late seventies through to the nineties with a series of hits including ‘Friends’, ‘Will & Grace, ‘Taxi’ and ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’. Many of their series have given rise to spin offs that achieved a level of success close to that of the parent show and other have gone on to at least come close to the decade mark. In short they are still one of the most successful sit-com creators in history. There is something thematically in common with all of their shows; people can readily relate to the premises and characters. The settings are frequently off beat such as a television news room or the drivers waiting area in a taxi company but basically they are working class people. This series was perhaps the most relatable of all their settings, a local bar. A lot of people enjoy stopping off at the neighborhood bar for a drink or two after work before going home. It provides a transition from the demands of work and the responsibilities at home. The bar is a safe haven where you can enjoy a little time for yourself. It was amazing that this series captured that local atmosphere so long and so well. The antics may have been zany but the feel was being right at home and over the years the audiences accepted these characters as their friends. As was the cast with most of the series created by Burrows and the Charles this was an ensemble cast. The affect was to take the focus off just one or two characters and spread the stories out to a larger group. In this way the audience was able to follow the exploits of their personal favorite.

Still around after all the years is the Sam Malone (Ted Danson) who in a previous season had to sell the bar to a big corporation. He became involved with the neurotic corporate representative sent to oversee the operation, Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley). Besides Sam the bar has two other employees the bartender Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) and the waitress Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman). What Woody lacks in intellect he more than makes up for with his wide eyed innocence and big heart. Carla, on the other hand, is a diminutive woman with a mouth big enough to insult any and all in earshot. Customers may come and go but three have been regulars for years. First there is Norm Peterson (George Wendt), an affable big man with an unquenchable thrist for beer. His best friend is a mail man, Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger), a self professed expert on everything in the world although none of the things he spouts have any resemblance to the facts. Last there is the upper crust psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). He may be socially above the rest of the patrons of the establishment but over the years he has become one of the guys.

The knowledge that this was the last season must have been liberating for the cast and crew. It gave them a greater degree of latitude in taking some of the stories over the top. The first eipsode starts off with a bang when Rebecca, struglling with her smoking habit, manages to burn down the bar. She tries to blame it on faulty wiring but knows that somehos the truth will get out. While the bar is being rebuilt Carla, a single mother of a large pack of children, has to find another job. Considering her less than plesant demeanor this is quite a task. Woody is now married to his long time girlfriend Kelly (Jackie Swanson) and discovers that they have some differences when it comes to religion. The chronically unemployed Norm briefly gets what he thinks is an ideal job, a beer taster at a local brewery. When the bar is rebuilt there is a new addition; a slot machine. Rebecca becomes addcited to it with near disasterous results. In a last season like this the writers were able to play with formerly stable relationships. Fraiser discovers that his ice queen of a wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) has been ceating on him and a divorce ensues. This sets up the perfect reason for Fraiser to move back to Seattle for his own long lasting spin off series. It would turn out that Grammer would play the role of fraiser for a record twnty years.

This series was more than just one that fans embraced for over a decade. It was a piece of our cultural history. The characters are remembered like old friends that have moved away. The DVD here is the capstone of the series and is a must have for any collection.