Monday night’s Emmys offered “Cheers” fans a sentimental walk down memory lane.
Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, Ted Danson, John Ratzenberger and George Wendt reunited on stage at the 75th Emmy Awards to present two comedy Emmys, the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
The actors gathered on a set that was modeled after the sitcom’s Boston bar.
“This feels really nice to be here in front of all of you, thank you,” Danson said from behind the bar. Ratzenberger and Grammer chimed in before Perlman asked after the envelope for the Emmy they were awarding. (The team actually presented two awards, for best directing of a comedy series and best writing of a comedy series.)
That’s when Wendt, who played bar fixture Norm, appeared with the envelope for the award.
But not all of the cast favorites were there.
Woody Harrelson, whose Woody Boyd was backup bartender to Sam after the death of Nicholas Colasanto, who played Coach in the show’s early years, was missing. And Shelley Long, who won an 1983 Emmy for her role on the show as Diane Chambers, also wasn’t there. Kirstie Alley, who played Rebecca Howe on the sitcom from 1987 to 1993, died in 2022 after a short battle with colon cancer. However, Alley was honored with a portrait on the wall of the set, a gentle nod to the fan-favorite who kept millions laughing from the show’s sixth season to its final season.
Throughout its 11 seasons, “Cheers” was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series every year. The cast and crew won 28 Emmys and 117 nominations during its television reign, including Emmys for outstanding comedy writing and directing. So it was fitting that the cast reunited to hand down these Emmys to the next generation of comedy stars.
Watch “Cheers” iconic cast presenting on stage at the Emmys on YouTube:
In addition to the reunion of “Cheers,” the 75th Emmy Awards also reunited other iconic sitcom casts. “Martin” had a mini-reunion on stage with stars Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II and Tichina Arnold on hand to present the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. And the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy” even reunited on the hospital set.
“Ally McBeal” fans also enjoyed a nostalgic romp down memory lane with stars Greg Germann, Calista Flockhart, Gil Bellows and Peter MacNicol appearing to present the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. And, yes, they recreated season 4’s famous bathroom dance sequence:
In addition to these classic television reunions, actors also paid homage to iconic television history. Natasha Lyonne and Tracee Ellis Ross did their best Lucy and Ethel impressions in a skit modeled after the chocolate factory episode of “I Love Lucy,” and Christina Applegate was honored with a standing ovation as she came on stage.
The ‘Cheers’ cast reunited at the bar during the Emmys originally appeared on Simplemost.com
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