Cheers' creators discuss Diane (Shelley Long)'s return in the series finale, and why she and Sam (Ted Danson ... to see them together one more time on TV.” ...

Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Mark Harelik as Reed, Shelley Long as Diane, Ted Danson as Sam, and Kirstie Alley ... The finale begins with the Cheers gang gathered around the ...

I'm a follower of pop culture from gaming, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and TV for over 30 years. I grew up reading magazines like Starlog, Mad, and Fangoria. As a writer for over 10 years ...

‘Cheers’ premiered on Sept. 30 way back in 1982. The beloved show remains one of the best TV comedies ever ... Danson played the iconic bartender Sam Malone on Cheers for all 11 seasons.

NBCUniversal via Getty Images ... s the end of ‘Cheers.’ And we had to live with that because that was this element of the show, the main element of the show was the Sam-Diane courtship.” ...

His slick, nimble, and womanizing Sam proved so irresistible to audiences that Danson eventually became the highest-paid actor on TV ... Long's waitress Diane Chambers was key to Cheers' appeal ...

"Shelley really gave the first year or two or three the boost that Cheers ... was the Sam-Diane courtship." Sign up for Entertainment Weekly 's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news ...

“Cheers,” which aired for 11 seasons on NBC from 1982 to 1993, followed womanizing former pitcher Sam Malone (Danson), and the customers who frequented the bar he owned. Long co-starred as ...