The “Cheers” Oral History

When they came in and [pitched the show], you could feel the room shudder. “What kind of show would be in a bar? How do we handle all the alcohol?” But the Charles brothers very clearly said, “This isn’t about the place. This is about a family; it just happens not to be a group of brothers and sisters.”

I have mentioned before how I really enjoy oral histories. They’re great! Just the best. So obviously I enjoyed GQ‘s oral history of “Cheers,” considered by many to be one of the four greatest sitcoms in television history (the list also includes “Seinfeld,” “The Simpsons” and, yes, “Arrested Development,” and I realize the problems inherent in focusing on shows from the last three decades, and I also realize the issue of “Arrested Development” running for just three seasons, and I candidly admit that both “All in the Family” and “I Love Lucy” should be judged relative to the eras in which they aired, but — but! — these things are all subjective).

Also! I believe the version GQ posted online is actually longer than the one that appeared in the print edition, which means it has lots of additional material, which is quite nice.