well you know what honestly I realized

it when we were doing Cheers that there

was something great there This has the

potential to be one of the greatest

shows ever now because

Midstream Cheers was one of the most

popular sitcoms of all time and for over

a decade it kept audiences laughing with

its sharp humor and unforgettable

characters But while everything on

screen looked effortless behind the

scenes it was a very different story

entirely Beneath the polished comedy was

a set filled with intense tension feuds

and shocking power struggles that

lingered for years But Kelsey Grammar

has finally opened up about the show And

what he revealed has stirred up one of

the most talked about secrets in sitcom

history Which beloved star turned the

Cheers set into anything but friendly

it’s not who you’d expect and the answer

might just change everything you thought

you knew about the show The Birth of

Cheers In September of 1982 NBC

premiered a new sitcom that looked and

felt unlike anything else on television

It was called Cheers and its entire idea

revolved around a neighborhood bar in

Boston where as the famous theme song

said everybody knows your name The

setting was quite simple It was a cozy

woodpanled pub filled with regulars and

an endlessly rotating mix of unusual

customers But what really made Cheers

special was its characters At the heart

of the show was Sam Malone a charming

ex- baseball pitcher turned bartender

played by Ted Dansen Sam was confident

good-looking and usually more interested

in romance than responsibility Opposite

him stood Diane Chambers portrayed by

the iconic Shelley Long Diane was

intellectual idealistic and had an air

of superiority that clashed directly

with Sam’s laid-back personality Their

lovehate relationship quickly became the

backbone of the show’s early seasons and

their funny back andforth talks and real

feelings made the show more than just a

typical sitcom Ria Pearlman brought grit

and sarcasm to the show as Carla

Tortelli the playful waitress with an

endless supply of children and insults

Nicholas Klesanto played coach Ernie

Pantuso Sam’s loyal and somewhat

dim-witted co-bartender who provided a

gentle lovable energy that grounded the

cast Then there were the bar’s two most

iconic regulars George went as Norm

Peterson a perpetually unemployed

accountant with a love for beer and John

Ratzenberger as Cliff Claven a postal

worker whose useless trivia and awkward

delivery made him the butt of countless

jokes But despite its strong cast and

clever writing Cheers got off to a rocky

start In its first season it ranked a

poor 77th out of 100 shows in the

Neielson ratings Most networks would

have canceled it immediately but NBC

made a rare and risky decision to keep

the show alive banking on its quality

and giving it a chance to find its

audience Over time thanks to strong word

of mouth more praise from critics and

some key time slot changes the show

began to gain traction Viewers fell in

love with the familiarity of the bar the

chemistry between characters and the

witty dialogue that set it apart from

the normal sitcoms of the era By the mid

1980s Cheers had become a television

powerhouse Its ratings climbed steadily

and it was soon one of NBC’s biggest

hits It also became a major player

during awards season Over its 11 season

run Cheers was nominated for a

staggering 117 Emmy awards and won 28 of

them including outstanding comedy series

four times What started as a low-rated

newcomer had turned into one of the most

celebrated and influential sitcoms in

television history In 1984 during the

show’s third season the writers

introduced a new character who would

unexpectedly shift the entire dynamic of

the show That character was Dr Frasier

Crane played by a then relatively

unknown stage actor named Kelsey Grammar

Frraasier was brought in as a temporary

plot device At the time Diane and Sam’s

relationship was on another one of its

many breaks and the writers needed

someone new to stir the pot Frasier was

a Harvard educated psychiatrist who

spoke in long elaborate sentences had a

deep love for opera and psychology and

believed he was the smartest man in any

room He was introduced as Dian’s new

love interest someone more aligned with

her refined tastes and cultural

interests At first the character wasn’t

meant to last beyond a few episodes and

there were no long-term plans for Kelsey

Grammer’s involvement in the show beyond

that But what happened next surprised

everyone From the moment Grammar

appeared on screen he stood out not in a

flashy way but with an unusual blend of

dry humor awkward arrogance and

unexpected vulnerability Audiences

responded quickly to his character even

if they didn’t quite like him at first

He was pompous overly analytical and

sometimes frustratingly proud But he was

also unique funny and very memorable The

producers noticed how much comic

potential Frasier had especially when

placed alongside characters like Sam and

Carla who weren’t afraid to make fun of

how he acted like he was better than

others And this led to some of the

show’s funniest and most quotable scenes

Over time Frasier went from just a

background character to a central figure

in Cheers His story lines became more

developed His interactions with the rest

of the bar grew richer and the audience

began to understand his anxieties his

insecurities and his desperate need to

be respected He wasn’t just Dian’s

boyfriend anymore He had become a full

member of the Cheers family Kelsey

Grammer’s performance played a huge role

in that transformation He gave Frasier a

depth that wasn’t typical of sitcom

characters in the 1980s Beneath the

layers of sarcasm and snobbery was a man

trying so hard to connect with others to

be loved and to feel at home in a place

that constantly reminded him how out of

place he was Despite how awesome

Grammar’s character was behind the

scenes there were mixed feelings about

expanding the cast and some actors

reportedly worried about their

characters being pushed to the side

Kelsey Grammar took a character meant

for a few episodes and turned him into a

television icon It’s hard to imagine

Cheers without Frraasier Crane Yet in

the beginning almost no one saw it

coming But while the laughter on screen

felt effortless and the bar always

seemed like a place of warmth and

friendship things behind the scenes

weren’t always so simple Fame creative

tensions and clashing personalities were

starting to brew beneath the surface As

the spotlight grew brighter so did the

pressure And what many viewers didn’t

see was the storm quietly building just

outside the Cheers set The challenges

that haunted the cast On the surface

Cheers looked like a dream job The cast

had incredible chemistry The scripts

were smart and funny and millions of

fans tuned in every week to feel like

part of that Boston bar family But

behind the scenes things weren’t nearly

as light-hearted As the show’s

popularity exploded the pressure on its

stars began to mount Long filming days

public scrutiny and the emotional toll

of sudden fame all took their toll While

the cast worked hard to deliver perfect

comedic timing on screen many were

struggling silently when the cameras

weren’t rolling and no one faced more

personal chaos during the height of

Cheers than Kelsey Grammar By the time

Grammar joined the show in 1984 he was

already carrying a lifetime of emotional

scars Just a few years earlier in 1975

he had suffered a tragedy few could ever

fully recover from His sister Karen

Grammar tragically lost her life when

she was just 18 years old Kelsey was

only 20 years old at the time and at the

beginning of his acting career was left

to deal with the extremely devastating

and deeply traumatic loss The loss

changed him forever Though he rarely

spoke about it publicly during the

Cheers years close friends and

colleagues knew the pain never left him

It haunted him and it became one of the

emotional cracks that over time widened

into something much darker As his

character’s popularity grew so did his

paycheck and celebrity status But behind

the polished performances he was

battling a deepening dependency on

alcohol and elicit substances What

started as casual drinking quickly

escalated and soon his off-screen life

was spiraling out of control Grammar

later admitted that the more successful

he became the more he used alcohol and

substances to numb himself The pressure

to maintain his rising fame combined

with unresolved grief created a storm he

couldn’t outrun There were nights he

didn’t show up for rehearsals There were

mornings he came to set still recovering

from the night before While the show’s

production team worked hard to keep

things running smoothly those close to

him could see the warning signs Then

came 1990 a year that would mark a

turning point Just as Cheers was

preparing for another major season

Grammar was arrested for driving under

the influence and possession of a

controlled substance The incident landed

him in jail for 30 days and quickly made

headlines Fans were shocked and so were

many in the entertainment industry The

incident was a major wake-up call not

just for Grammar but for the entire

Cheers team But instead of making a

public spectacle the show’s producers

and cast responded with a quiet but

clear message They supported Grammar as

a colleague and friend but they expected

change Several cast members reportedly

rallied around him privately offering

compassion without enabling him At the

same time there were firm conversations

about professionalism and responsibility

Grammar’s future on the show was never

publicly in question but the message was

clear He had to take care of himself and

get serious about turning his life

around In later interviews Grammar

credited the Cheers team with helping

him feel grounded again at least for a

while But the road to recovery would

still take many years and the challenges

didn’t end with his legal troubles While

Kelsey Grammar struggled with demons

behind closed doors another major

emotional blow hit the Cheers cast again

And this time it was one they couldn’t

keep private Nicholas Klesanto who

played the lovable slightly

absent-minded coach was a fan favorite

from day one His warm presence gentle

humor and real life kindness made him

beloved both on and offcreen But what

fans didn’t know was that Kolanto had

been battling heart disease for years By

the third season his health was

declining rapidly Despite his illness

Kolanto continued to show up for work

determined to be there for the show and

his fellow cast members But in early

1985 just before production began on a

new episode Nicholas Kosanto passed away

at the age of 61 The cast and crew were

devastated For many he had been a father

figure especially to the younger cast

members The producers made a decision

not to recast the role of coach They

believed no one could replace what

Kolasanto brought to the show Instead

they wrote his character out quietly and

respectfully allowing the bar to feel

his absence just as the cast did in real

life Later that season a new character

was introduced Woody Boyd played by a

then unknown actor named Woody Harelson

Unlike Coach Woody was young naive and

from a small town in Indiana His energy

was different but it worked Harrelson

quickly became a fan favorite and his

chemistry with the rest of the cast

helped ease the transition Still for

those who had known Kolanto personally

the set never felt quite the same In his

honor the producers kept a photo of the

Apache warrior Geronimo which Kolanto

kept in his dressing room for good luck

on the main set of Cheers But the

challenges didn’t end there In 1987 the

show faced yet another major change

Kirsty Ally joined the cast as Rebecca

How the bar’s new manager Her character

wasn’t overly intellectual or

emotionally complicated She was

ambitious image conscious and deeply

insecure And this provided a whole new

kind of humor for the show to explore

However although Alli’s arrival injected

fresh energy into the series and ratings

stayed strong outside the show her

personal belief started to draw

curiosity especially her very public

affiliation with the Church of

Scientology At the time Scientology

wasn’t nearly as publicly scrutinized as

it would later become but Alli’s open

support of the church raised eyebrows

Some media outlets began speculating

about how her beliefs might be

influencing the show or her working

relationships Internally the Cheers team

maintained professionalism and Ally

herself never brought her beliefs into

the workplace Still the topic became a

quiet source of media attention

especially as she rose to greater fame

Her personal life also became tabloid

fodder with high-profile relationships

and public weight battles making

headlines Like Grammar Ally faced

personal struggles during her time on

the show though hers were less centered

on addiction and more on emotional

well-being and intense media scrutiny As

the seasons passed the cast of Cheers

continued to deliver one of the most

beloved comedies in TV history But

success came with a price And at some

point the cast wasn’t just performing

they were surviving The public saw

laughs witty banter and warm-hearted bar

scenes But backstage each cast member

was navigating their own journey Some

filled with pain others with pressure

and all with the weight of being part of

something far bigger than any individual

role And while the show never broke

stride in front of the camera the true

story of Cheers wasn’t just about the

characters we saw every Thursday night

It was about a group of actors each

carrying something heavy each coping in

their own way and somehow still coming

together to create magic week after week

Through it all the show kept moving

forward But not every storm was easy to

weather and not every cast connection

was as warm as it looked on screen

Behind the laughs and cheers there was a

tension between two cast members that

was so real it threatened to tear the

show apart Shelley Long’s onset behavior

and clash with Kelsey Grammar Shelley

Long who played Diane Chambers on Cheers

was a central figure in the show’s early

years Dian’s character was smart witty

and often the driving force behind many

of the shows funniest moments But behind

the scenes Shelley Long earned a

reputation for being difficult to work

with And unfortunately many people who

worked on the show have had something to

say about her behavior on the set of the

show Shelley has often been described as

controlling and very particular about

how her character and the show’s scripts

were handled Writers and co-stars alike

have said she took on a habit of

regularly questioning the script She

didn’t just accept the lines or scenes

as they were written Instead she

insisted on reworking or rewriting

scenes she didn’t agree with This was

not a one-time thing but a frequent

behavior that sometimes caused tension

during production Ted Dansen who played

Sam Malone has talked openly about these

challenges While he acknowledged Shel’s

talent he also said she could be tough

on set Ted mentioned that Shel’s strong

opinions about the script and her role

sometimes led to disagreements Yet he

respected her professionalism and her

commitment to the show’s quality He once

said “It was hard for us sometimes to be

in the room together but when we started

working it was just fantastic.” Ken

Lavine one of the show’s writers and

producers also shared his experience

working with Shelley Long Lavine

described her as a professional but he

did admit she was challenging at times

He explained that she was passionate

about Dian’s character and wanted to

make sure the role was portrayed in the

best way possible This passion sometimes

meant she pushed hard for changes in the

scripts or how scenes were played out

Unfortunately this behavior affected

more than just the writers It created a

working atmosphere that was sometimes

tense for the cast and crew They often

had to deal with the pressure of having

to navigate Shel’s demands while trying

to keep production moving smoothly and

this made the job less enjoyable The way

Shelley Long approached her role in the

show affected many people around her

Cast members found it challenging to

work with someone who often questioned

the scripts and wanted to change scenes

on the fly This added stress and

sometimes created friction between cast

members especially during busy shooting

schedules Her insistence on controlling

the direction of her character sometimes

interfered with the natural flow of the

show Since Diane was a lead character

and appeared in many scenes her endless

decisions and demands had a negative

impact on the show’s production What

made things worse was the fact that when

other actors characters interacted with

Dian’s any changes made by Shelley would

affect their own performances and

storylines and this made the job more

taxing Unsurprisingly one person who

felt this impact strongly was Kelsey

Grammar When Kelsey Grammar joined

Cheers during its third season as Dr

Frasier Crane his character was

originally meant to be a short-term

addition However Frasier quickly became

popular and his role quickly expanded

into a regular part of the show Most

people couldn’t deny the fact that

Shelley Long and Grammar had real

chemistry on set and so fans were

completely shocked when in his memoir

Grammar revealed that Shelley Long was

not happy with how the character Frasier

quickly gained importance According to

him Shelley wanted Frraasier’s character

written off the show In fact Grammar

claimed that Long felt threatened by how

much attention his character was getting

and she became worried that he was

taking away from her spotlight as a lead

character Grammar even claimed that

Shelley actively pushed the producers to

remove his character because of these

concerns He went on to suggest that the

producers decided to extend his role as

a way of pushing back against Shel’s

complaints In other words Grammar

believed that part of the reason his

character stayed on the show was to

spite Shelley and resist her demands

However Ken Lavine who was closely

involved with Cheers throughout its run

eventually decided to respond to

Grammar’s claims and make some

clarifications He denied that Shelley

Long ever tried to have Kelsey Grammar

removed from the show and explained that

the decision to keep Frraasier on the

show was based entirely on Grammar’s

talent and the positive response from

audiences According to him Grammar

brought something unique to the show

with his portrayal of Frasier Crane and

his character added a new kind of humor

and intelligence to the bar’s mix

However Lavine admitted that Shelley

Long could be a difficult presence on

set saying she could be difficult She

could be obstinate She could overthink

something to death but it was never out

of spite It was just her very exacting

process at times I will admit it was

frustrating and exhausting but Shelley

has a good heart He pointed out that she

was strong willed and passionate about

her role but still super professional

Lavine rejected the idea that Long

actively campaigned against grammar or

even tried to undermine his role on the

show Instead he stressed that the

producers made all casting decisions

based on what was best for the show But

when Shelley Long made the decision to

leave the show after five successful

seasons on Cheers fans and industry

insiders were left stunned The show was

already a hit growing in popularity with

solid ratings and critical acclaim and

it was pretty unusual for a lead actress

to leave such a popular series

especially when the future looked bright

Shelley eventually admitted that the

main reason for leaving was to focus on

a career in film She wanted to explore

new opportunities beyond television and

take on movie roles that would allow her

to stretch her acting skills in

different ways This desire to pursue a

film career was understandable but it

left the cast and producers facing a

major challenge of continuing the show

without one of its central characters

Shel’s departure meant the end of Diane

Chambers story on Cheers Diane had been

at the heart of many storylines

especially her complicated relationship

with Ted Dansen’s Sam Malone Without

Diane the show needed fresh energy and

new characters to keep viewers engaged

The producers responded by bringing in

Kirsty Ally as Rebecca How Rebecca was a

very different character from Diane and

her arrival marked a shift in the show’s

tone introducing fresh conflicts and

story lines centered around her attempts

to manage the bar Contrary to some

rumors at the time Shelley Long’s exit

was reportedly amicable Though there

were stories about behind-the-scenes

tensions official accounts suggest that

she left on good terms with the cast and

crew She remained proud of her work on

Cheers and even reportedly maintained

friendly relationships with some of her

former colleagues This positive

connection was evident years later when

Shelley made guest appearances on

Frasier the successful spin-off starring

Kelsey Grammar as Frasier Crane These

guest roles allowed fans to reconnect

with her once again and it proved that

her departure from the original series

did not mean a permanent goodbye Her

willingness to revisit her role also

demonstrated her respect for the show’s

legacy and the characters she helped

bring to life It reassured audiences

that despite any past difficulties the

relationships formed during the show

were still valued by the actors involved

But while Shelley Long’s exit marked the

end of one chapter it was just the

beginning of new and unexpected dynamics

behind the bar For Kelsey Grammar who

had become a key player on the show

navigating relationships with his

co-stars would prove to be just as

complicated and sometimes more revealing

than the scripted drama on screen Kelsey

Grammar’s relationships with other

co-stars Kelsey Grammer’s time on Cheers

was not just about playing the clever

psychiatrist Dr Frasier Crane because

offscreen his relationships with fellow

cast members shaped much of his

experience on the show Among these his

friendship with Kirsty Ally who joined

the series after Shelley Long left

stands out as particularly close and

supportive When Kirsty Ali joined the

show she and Grammar quickly discovered

that they shared more than just a

workplace They connected on a personal

level as well Grammar often spoke warmly

about Kirsty’s lively and bold

personality He admired her for being

straightforward and full of life

qualities that made their friendship

strong Kirsty’s presence on set made the

workplace feel more like a supportive

family Grammar described how having her

around lightened the mood even when

things got stressful behind the scenes

Their friendship was one of mutual

respect and understanding helping both

actors grow professionally and

personally This bond became especially

important during some tough times in

Grammar’s life Like many actors Grammar

faced personal challenges including

struggles with the law During these

moments Kirsty’s support was vital She

stood by him quietly but firmly offering

friendship without judgment Their

closeness helped him feel less alone

during the most difficult periods of his

life When she passed away in 2022

Grammar paid tribute to her saying “I

loved Kirsty She was always beautiful

She just had that thing about her She

was a radiant human being and that came

through her.” While his friendship with

Kirsty was special Grammar also

maintained good professional

relationships with other cast members

The Cheers ensemble was large and

diverse with each actor bringing their

own unique style to the show Despite

these differences Grammar was known for

being professional and respectful to his

colleagues He understood the importance

of teamwork especially on a show that

relied so much on cast chemistry with

Ted Dansen who played Sam Malone Grammar

shared many key scenes and storylines

Though their characters sometimes had

conflicts on screen the actors

themselves maintained a polite and

professional rapport Grammar respected

Dansen’s leading role and experience

often learning from his co-stars

confidence and ease in front of the

camera George Went and John Ratzenberger

who played Norman Cliff respectively

were beloved for their comedic timing

and easygoing nature Grammar appreciated

their humor and the way they brought

lightness to the show While he wasn’t as

close personally with these cast members

as he was with Kirsty Ally their working

relationship was friendly and

constructive On the other hand Ria

Pearlman who played Carla was known for

her sharp wit and strong character

Grammar also respected her acting skills

and professionalism Though their

characters had different story arcs

their time working together was marked

by mutual respect Overall Kelsey

Grammar’s relationships with his Cheers

co-stars were a mix of friendship

professional respect and sometimes quiet

distance He understood the importance of

maintaining a good working environment

especially on a long-running show with

such a tight-knit group Despite this not

every working relationship ended on a

positive note just like his relationship

with Shelley Long In the end Cheers

wasn’t just a sitcom It was a pressure

cooker of talent egos heartbreak and

unexpected friendships Behind the

laughter and applause were real people

navigating fame grief and personal

demons all while trying to make magic on

screen And while some tensions were

never fully resolved they added to the

layered legacy of a show that is still

remembered decades later Whatever you

think of the behind-the-scenes drama one

thing’s for sure There was always more

going on at that Boston bar than Met the

Eye Who was your favorite Cheers

character let us know what you think in

the comments And if you enjoyed this

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