....would Cheers survive past the 3rd Season??

Because TCS premiered during the third season of Cheers, and from the night it premiered -- it was #1 in the ratings.

And as most of us know.... Cheers and TCS aired on the same night.

If it weren't for TCS.... Cheers' future may have been very different.


This is NOT a post asking whether or not you like TCS.... or trying to make you like TCS.
Im just wondering.... how do you think Cheers' fate wouldve been if it werent for the ENORMOUS jump in ratings with the obvious help of TCS?

I don't hate the Cosby Show, just sick of watching it on TV.

I don't hate the Cosby Show because 1) What you said about helping Cheers' ratings and 2) I used to watch The Cosby Show on N@N. That's how I discovered Cheers... I thought the Cosby marathon was on, but it was actually a Cheers marathon night. So I watched that instead. :lol:

And Cosby isn't that bad of a show. I have watched it and enjoyed myself a few times. :o

i don't HATE the cosby show either. it's a good show it just doesn't appeal to me. there are a couple episodes that are really funny but other than that it just doesn't hold my attention.

I don't hate it. I'm so tired of it being on allllll the time!

I however, hate the Cosby Show.:D

I, too, like The Cosby Show up through the sixth season. As is stated above, I wish they would stop showing it so damned much (I believe it's currently on four cable channels right now, not to mention countless markets showing it in syndication). There is such a thing as "too much of a good thing."

I didnt mean to make this a "do you like the Cosby Show thread"
but I guess this works to.



Im just wondering....
do you think "Cheers" wouldve stood a chance of coming back for a fourth season if it didnt see a dramatic increase in viewers (thanks to TCS)??

I do.

Originally posted by barwars88
I didnt mean to make this a "do you like the Cosby Show thread"
but I guess this works to.



Im just wondering....
do you think "Cheers" wouldve stood a chance of coming back for a fourth season if it didnt see a dramatic increase in viewers (thanks to TCS)??
I don't think it would have lasted for 11 years, probably 4 or 5 and only because NBC really didn't have any big hit shows until The Cosby Show came along.

I can't see how TCS helped out Cheers

I don't hate it. I'm so tired of it being on allllll the time!


Ditto!!! :nod:

Ironically Cheers and Family Ties debut the same year with lousy ratings during the first two seasons. If it wasn't for The Cosby Show we would not had no Cheers and Family Ties after their third season.

The first season of Cheers was quite witty and the dialogue had a distinct intellect that no other sitcom had. Shelley Long she nail the character of Diane Chambers immediately during the first season. She was hailed as the next Mary Tyler Moore.

Originally posted by Jen1989
Barwars88,
I don't understand your love obession with TCS. Cheers and other shows aren't TCS. As you pointed out on the General Board you hate when people make topics about TCS that have nothing to do with it. Well, THIS is a Cheers board, not a Cosby Show board. You seem to be trying to get EVERYONE to like it, and that's not going to happen. You say that no Cheers fan can hate TCS. What right do you have to say whether someone other than yourself can or cannot hate something? Who made you God? I do believe Cheers, Family Ties etc. would have made it WITHOUT TCS. You act as though TCS is better than everything else, when it isn't. Whether it's a good show or not isn't left simply up to you. Not everyone is going to agree with you. If you don't like other people making Cosby topics and threads then you need to stop doing it as well.

It is not saying The Cosby Show is the end all and be all. If you recall many had said sitcoms was dying. The 83-84 season did not have a single sitcom in the top 10. The Cosby Show, yes, gave a ratings boost for Cheers and Family Ties. It brought the sitcoms back to life and to basics. Sitcoms enjoyed a great revival when The Cosby Show came along and Cheers caught ratings fire. But the truth of the matter rather if it became a top ten show or not Cheers was a great and clever show for its times. Especially the first three seasons.

Cheers was an intelligent comedy with intelligent dialogue. I cannot see how Phylicia Rashad can say that The Cosby Show was something of a genius creation. It's My Three Sons with a twist.

Originally posted by Jen1989
Barwars88,
I don't understand your love obession with TCS. Cheers and other shows aren't TCS. As you pointed out on the General Board you hate when people make topics about TCS that have nothing to do with it. Well, THIS is a Cheers board, not a Cosby Show board. You seem to be trying to get EVERYONE to like it, and that's not going to happen. You say that no Cheers fan can hate TCS. What right do you have to say whether someone other than yourself can or cannot hate something? Who made you God? I do believe Cheers, Family Ties etc. would have made it WITHOUT TCS. You act as though TCS is better than everything else, when it isn't. Whether it's a good show or not isn't left simply up to you. Not everyone is going to agree with you. If you don't like other people making Cosby topics and threads then you need to stop doing it as well.


If you bothered to read my posts.... you would realize that Im not trying to make anyone like TCS.
No one has to be a fan.
And Im not saying they do.


The question was if you thought the show would survive if it hadnt been for the HUGE boost in ratings thanks to TCS.

And I never said people couldnt make Cosby topics and threads.
Its not my place.... and I believe they can anyways.

And this post wouldnt make any sense to be posted on TCS board.... when its directed at fans of Cheers.




And also if you bothered to read my posts, I dont have an "obsession" with TCS.
Cheers maybe.... but not TCS.





I never said TCS was the end-all-be-all.
People can hate it all they want.
This has nothing to do with that.
Cheers however IS the end-all-be-all!!

Originally posted by mstewart
Ironically Cheers and Family Ties debut the same year with lousy ratings during the first two seasons. If it wasn't for The Cosby Show we would not had no Cheers and Family Ties after their third season.

The first season of Cheers was quite witty and the dialogue had a distinct intellect that no other sitcom had. Shelley Long she nail the character of Diane Chambers immediately during the first season. She was hailed as the next Mary Tyler Moore.

I don't believe that Cheers and Family Ties would have been canceled if not for the Cosby Show. It always takes a while for new shows to really take hold. I'm sure the Cosby Show helped the ratings, but I think both shows would have developed and would have had descent enough ratings to remain. Of course, FT and Cheers are two of my favorite shows and I hate the Cosby Show, so I am a little defensive on the issue. I don't want to think FT or Cheers was successful because of the Cosby Show. Ick!

Like it or not, Barwars is right. Cheers and Family Ties owe a lot to The Cosby Show. If not for The Cosby Show, I don't think either show would have made it past the '84-'85 season.

But had it not been for the late, great Brandon Tartikoff giving both shows a chance, Cheers and Family Ties probably wouldn't have made it to their third season to enjoy the huge ratings burst they received from their Cosby lead-in.

So there you have it: Brandon Tartikoff and The Cosby Show saved Cheers.

Originally posted by Jen1989
I did read your post. I also read your ORIGINAL post before you "just happened" to edit it. For those of us who read your post the FIRST time, we know what you typed. Too bad you weren't quoted, then it wouldn't have helped to edit your post. You did say that no Cheers fan can hate TCS, you chose to edit that part out. It seems that you used to not like TCS as much, but now you seem to put it in your top five shows, why the sudden drastic change? Did someone tell you you had to like it and so you were swayed by someone. That's what you are trying to do now to others, and it's wrong. And yes I've read your posts. I don't like them, but yes I read them.

"Last edited by barwars88 on 03-25-2004 at 09:18 PM" - this is what it says on the very first post of this thread. I guess you think people won't remember what you originally typed.


People CAN know what I originaly typed.
I just changed it because thats NOT what I meant to make the post for.
I meant to ask how do you think Cheers' fate would've been if it werent for the huge increase in ratings in 84-85 season, which happened to be when TCS started.



TCS has ALWAYS been one of my favorite shows, in fact, about 2 years ago I thought it was the best show ever.
But Ive grown out of it a bit (due to overplaying).... but it doesnt change my opinion of the show being good or not.



Im not trying to say that anyone has to like TCS, or any show for that matter.
Its not my place.... and really.... I may be a loser but not a big enough one to care about little things in other people's lifes like whether they like TCS or not.



No one "sways" me to like anything.
I decide from the beginning whether I like a show or not.
No one else's opinion can change mine.
And Im not trying to change yours with mine.





Well Im getting kind of sick of fighting over TCS, which ever side anyone is on.
You like it.... great.
You dont.... even better.







Ill try to get back to my original intention of the post:

How do you think Cheers' fate would have been if there hadn't been a HUGE increase in ratings in the 84-85 season??
(whether or not TCS has anything to do with it.... you decide)

Originally posted by AKA
Like it or not, Barwars is right. Cheers and Family Ties owe a lot to The Cosby Show. If not for The Cosby Show, I don't think either show would have made it past the '84-'85 season.

But had it not been for the late, great Brandon Tartikoff giving both shows a chance, Cheers and Family Ties probably wouldn't have made it to their third season to enjoy the huge ratings burst they received from their Cosby lead-in.

So there you have it: Brandon Tartikoff and The Cosby Show saved Cheers.

Thanks for reminding us about the vision of the late great Brandon Tartikoff. He allow us to enjoy great shows that were not ratings powerhouses and if it weren't for him the following shows would not have the long runs that it had: Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, Cheers and Family Ties. I know there are many more but I cannot name them off at the moment.

I do understand what you meant when you raised the question if it wasn't for The Cosby Show.......

Too bad Nick at Nite is ruining great shows by running them into the ground constantly. They should learn by networks letting a show overstay their welcome and it leaves viewers with a bad taste when the show gets tired due to running out of ideas and actors being tired from playing the same role.

I wonder what Mr. Cosby's opinions are regarding the over-exposure of his show (or if he even knows how often it's on).

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and The Cosby Show is a prime example.

It would be hipocritical for me to say that I "liked" the Cosby Show after I started so many anti-cosby threads on this board back when Cosby was cutting in on our time (...well it still kind of is..lol j/k) I don't mind it (when it doesn't interfere with Cheers) I think Cheers would have survived, you have to remember that in the early 80s no major network really had a "hit" show, I think it just needed to find its audience, that's all.

Originally posted by DianeChambers87
It would be hipocritical for me to say that I "liked" the Cosby Show after I started so many anti-cosby threads on this board back when Cosby was cutting in on our time (...well it still kind of is..lol j/k) I don't mind it (when it doesn't interfere with Cheers) I think Cheers would have survived, you have to remember that in the early 80s no major network really had a "hit" show, I think it just needed to find its audience, that's all.

That is how I feel. Both Cheers and FT just had to find an audience. Season 1 wasn't very good for Cheers anyway. I like Cheers a lot, but I didn't like season 1 or 2 for that matter. As long as both shows had descent ratings, I think NBC would have stuck with them.

Yes, I really don't want to owe Cheers success to a show that I hate so much. Or Family Ties or Night Court's for that matter. Cheers had won several Emmy's and Fox was getting big on Ties, but in looking around on Yahoo! I can't find Cheers or Ties in the top 30 before Cosby. Then after Cosby it was juggernaut time, as even Ties ranked ahead of Cheers. A good site is http://www.tvtoymemories.com/TV_RATINGS.html

So I guess in a way Cosby helped, but only in getting Cheers noticed. Not like the last several years where undeserving shows like Suddenly Susan and The Single Guy got high ratings.

Originally posted by Jen1989
TCS didn't create Family Ties or Cheers. I think TCS, gets WAY too much credit, for supposedly helping FT or Cheers. Whether TCS helped or not is debateable, but nevertheless, I think the shows all stood there own ground independently. Just because TCS was on before the other two, doesn't mean people had to tune in. It was a choice people made. I seriously doubt TCS had ANYTHING to do with it. It's just as easy to say that if Family Ties or Cheers came on before TCS, that they helped TCS's ratings. What about the people who chose to turn the tv on to that channel so they wouldn't miss Family Ties or Cheers, but didn't pay attention to TCS, just had it on so that they wouldn't forget or miss any part of the shows that followed TCS? Those people helped TCS. I agree that both Family Ties & Cheers had to find an audience. Just like with TCS, it had to find an audience too.

How do you explain the sudden surge in ratings for both shows during the 1984-1985 season?

Maybe ALL the credit shouldnt be given to TCS.


But within a lineup of....

8:00 The Cosby Show
8:30 Family Ties
9:00 Cheers
9:30 Night Court
10:00 Hill Street Blues

.... how could you NOT tune in?!
Id have to say thats the best lineup of network, ever.

Why couldn't they put Roseanne in place of Cosby and leave Three's Company alone?That would've been better don't you think?

Originally posted by Jackhammer
Why couldn't they put Roseanne in place of Cosby and leave Three's Company alone?That would've been better don't you think?


what does that have to do with anything?!

I think the previous post was in regards to Nick at Nite's lineup. I had to re-read myself, having lived through the original Thursday night line-up in the 80s. I still don't think of it in terms of Nick at Nite stuff like a lot of the new fans do.

what does that have to do with anything?!

Thaey should've messed up Cosby on Nick @ Nite instead of Three's Company.In fact,I wish it was back to normal before Roseanne and Full House came to Nick @ Nite.

9-10:Cosby

10-11:Cheers

11-12:Three's Company

To quote All In The Family."Those Were The Days"