Coach memorial episode - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

tvje · 07-23-2002, 08:30 PM

Why didn't the show do a memorial episode for Coach? In the beginning of the 4th season they just go ahead a few months and say Coach died a few months ago. They should have in the first episode of the 4th season tie up loose ends from season 3. Second episode all the characters find out Coach is dead and do a proper memorial episode when the characters deal with Coach's death. And then in episode three introduce Woody.

FOLN@NFan · 07-23-2002, 09:03 PM

we've talked about this b4...there is no good reason why they didnt do a show about coach's death.

the only reason i could think of is it wouldnt b serious. like, for eddie lebec's death, he died in a penguin suit by a ice-smoothing machine(zamboni). would u want coach's death to be funny? or serious?

i almost liked how they kept dropping hints of him throughout the series(in the one at yankee stadium, sam is pitching to an old rival, and carla keeps blowing up at him, just like coach did. then the breaks down and goes into the locker room to cry lol. his niece, daugher, all came back. the picture in the finale. anything else?)

Doug

Coach · 07-23-2002, 10:24 PM

I think they could have done a little more to remember Coach by, but I don't really know what they could have done. Like FOLN@NFan said, they did drop hints about him throughout the rest of the series. Two of my favorites being the one he mentioned about the one at Yankee Stadium, and the other one being when Gus, Cheers' previous owner, played by Pat Hingle, came back, and Woody did something naive like he usually did, Gus said, "You must be Coach's boy!"

One question I've always wondered is why didn't Nick Colasanto ever say "Cheers is filmed before a live studio audience"? It seemed to me that everyone else did during those first three seasons. Not that it's anything major, it's just strange that he's the only one that never said it.

Something else I just thought of, in the third season finale, the opening features Coach and Carla with one of the usual type of openings. I'm also aware that some of those episodes were filmed out of order, but throughout the season Colasanto's health declined and it was evident whenever we saw Coach, as he had gotten thinner and even looked a little sicker. My question is, was that opening something that had been filmed during the first or second seasons and just never used so they decided to stick it in there so we could see Coach one last time?

tvje · 07-23-2002, 10:33 PM

One question, did they even dedicate an episode to the memory of Nick Colasanto?

To answer your question, I thought if they did a proper memorial episode it should be funny and serious like the way "Newsradio" did it for Phil Hartman.

Also I am very sure the opening scence in the season 3 finale was not filmed at the same time as the rest of the episode because exept for the opening scence Coach does not appear at all in that episode.

Janice · 07-24-2002, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tvje
Why didn't the show do a memorial episode for Coach? In the beginning of the 4th season they just go ahead a few months and say Coach died a few months ago. They should have in the first episode of the 4th season tie up loose ends from season 3. Second episode all the characters find out Coach is dead and do a proper memorial episode when the characters deal with Coach's death. And then in episode three introduce Woody.

You may want to scroll down and read the thread titled, Coach's Farewell, Not. It's the most recent discussion on the subject. I'm the biggest Cheer's fan going, but I think they should hang their heads in shame for the disrespect displayed towards Nick Colasanto. He made a valuable contribution to the show, and he deserved to be honored. A few references to him and picture on a wall is lame, lame, lame. They should have dedicated a show to Nick Colasanto--have the cast reminisce about him--with flashbacks showcasing Coach's finest moments. It would have been both funny and sad--bittersweet.
They dropped the ball on that one bigtime. I watched the show during its original run. I thought it was lousy then, and I'll always think so.

Coach · 07-24-2002, 04:10 PM

The day after Colasanto died, they cancelled the show for that day and ran the episode "Coach's Daughter". Right before it aired, you could hear Ted Danson say, "This episode is dedicated with love and respect to the memory of Nick Colasanto," or something very similar.

So, yes, they did dedicate an episode to his memory. The episode "Norm and Cliff's Excellent Adventure" was dedicated to Al Rosen when he died.

Janice · 07-24-2002, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Coach
The day after Colasanto died, they cancelled the show for that day and ran the episode "Coach's Daughter". Right before it aired, you could hear Ted Danson say, "This episode is dedicated with love and respect to the memory of Nick Colasanto," or something very similar.

A voiceover by Ted Danson--I'm not impressed. He deserved to have a show dedicated in his honor--by that I mean, a show made to address his life and his passing.
As I posted before, when Jack Soo from Barney Miller passed away, a tribute show was filmed in his honor. That's class.

Brian Damage · 07-24-2002, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JanLady617

A voiceover by Ted Danson--I'm not impressed. He deserved to have a show dedicated in his honor--by that I mean, a show made to address his life and his passing.
As I posted before, when Jack Soo from Barney Miller passed away, a tribute show was filmed in his honor. That's class.

You're absolutely right! A Jack Soo-esque type tribute would've been very fitting. The Cheers writers definitely fumbled the ball on that one.

FOLN@NFan · 07-24-2002, 06:17 PM

do they repeat that voiceover in syndication/N@N? id like to hear it anyway...(i doubt they repeat it)

there were a number of ppl that never did the voice overs in the beginning that were main cast members. sam, diane, carla, woody and cliff did. coach, norm, frasier, lilith, and rebecca never did(that i know of)

the season 3 finale(Rescue Me) was filmed episode #60 for the show, but didnt run until episode #70(or 69,depending on who u ask). episode 69(or 68), the one where carla sees her old principal and wants revenge on her, was the actual last episode filmed for season 3. even so, everyone looks different from that teaser from the rest of the ep(carla, pregnant, then not, i think), so i bet it was filmed way earlier

Doug

Coach · 07-25-2002, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FOLN@NFan
do they repeat that voiceover in syndication/N@N? id like to hear it anyway...(i doubt they repeat it)

Doug

No, I've never once heard it repeated on any rerun of that episode. I think it was just that one time.

They only time they really talked about Colasanto and Coach was during the 200th episode, but even that was several years after he died. It was nice to hear them talk about him on the Entertainment Tonight special, Cheers: Behind the Bar, a couple of years ago. But, yeah, they really could have done more to remember him by.

Janice · 11-16-2002, 03:10 PM

*bump*

80sSitcomNostalgic · 11-24-2002, 02:45 AM

I agree totally that Cheers did not show enough love and affection for Coach/Nicholas Colasanto.

They brushed right over his death.

Shame on them.

07-23-2002, 08:30 PM	#1
tvje Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 26, 2002 Posts: 1,402	Coach memorial episode Why didn't the show do a memorial episode for Coach? In the beginning of the 4th season they just go ahead a few months and say Coach died a few months ago. They should have in the first episode of the 4th season tie up loose ends from season 3. Second episode all the characters find out Coach is dead and do a proper memorial episode when the characters deal with Coach's death. And then in episode three introduce Woody.
	__________________ tvje

07-23-2002, 10:24 PM	#3
Coach Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 21, 2002 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 45	I think they could have done a little more to remember Coach by, but I don't really know what they could have done. Like FOLN@NFan said, they did drop hints about him throughout the rest of the series. Two of my favorites being the one he mentioned about the one at Yankee Stadium, and the other one being when Gus, Cheers' previous owner, played by Pat Hingle, came back, and Woody did something naive like he usually did, Gus said, "You must be Coach's boy!" One question I've always wondered is why didn't Nick Colasanto ever say "Cheers is filmed before a live studio audience"? It seemed to me that everyone else did during those first three seasons. Not that it's anything major, it's just strange that he's the only one that never said it. Something else I just thought of, in the third season finale, the opening features Coach and Carla with one of the usual type of openings. I'm also aware that some of those episodes were filmed out of order, but throughout the season Colasanto's health declined and it was evident whenever we saw Coach, as he had gotten thinner and even looked a little sicker. My question is, was that opening something that had been filmed during the first or second seasons and just never used so they decided to stick it in there so we could see Coach one last time?
	Last edited by Coach; 07-23-2002 at 10:31 PM.

07-23-2002, 10:33 PM	#4
tvje Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 26, 2002 Posts: 1,402	One question, did they even dedicate an episode to the memory of Nick Colasanto? To answer your question, I thought if they did a proper memorial episode it should be funny and serious like the way "Newsradio" did it for Phil Hartman. Also I am very sure the opening scence in the season 3 finale was not filmed at the same time as the rest of the episode because exept for the opening scence Coach does not appear at all in that episode.
	Last edited by tvje; 07-23-2002 at 10:35 PM.

07-23-2002, 09:03 PM	#2
FOLN@NFan Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 27, 2001 Location: PA Posts: 706	we've talked about this b4...there is no good reason why they didnt do a show about coach's death. the only reason i could think of is it wouldnt b serious. like, for eddie lebec's death, he died in a penguin suit by a ice-smoothing machine(zamboni). would u want coach's death to be funny? or serious? i almost liked how they kept dropping hints of him throughout the series(in the one at yankee stadium, sam is pitching to an old rival, and carla keeps blowing up at him, just like coach did. then the breaks down and goes into the locker room to cry lol. his niece, daugher, all came back. the picture in the finale. anything else?) Doug

07-24-2002, 04:10 PM	#6
Coach Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 21, 2002 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 45	The day after Colasanto died, they cancelled the show for that day and ran the episode "Coach's Daughter". Right before it aired, you could hear Ted Danson say, "This episode is dedicated with love and respect to the memory of Nick Colasanto," or something very similar. So, yes, they did dedicate an episode to his memory. The episode "Norm and Cliff's Excellent Adventure" was dedicated to Al Rosen when he died.
	Last edited by Coach; 07-24-2002 at 04:12 PM.

07-24-2002, 06:17 PM	#9
FOLN@NFan Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 27, 2001 Location: PA Posts: 706	do they repeat that voiceover in syndication/N@N? id like to hear it anyway...(i doubt they repeat it) there were a number of ppl that never did the voice overs in the beginning that were main cast members. sam, diane, carla, woody and cliff did. coach, norm, frasier, lilith, and rebecca never did(that i know of) the season 3 finale(Rescue Me) was filmed episode #60 for the show, but didnt run until episode #70(or 69,depending on who u ask). episode 69(or 68), the one where carla sees her old principal and wants revenge on her, was the actual last episode filmed for season 3. even so, everyone looks different from that teaser from the rest of the ep(carla, pregnant, then not, i think), so i bet it was filmed way earlier Doug

11-16-2002, 03:10 PM	#11
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	bump

11-24-2002, 02:45 AM	#12
80sSitcomNostalgic Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 21, 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 111	I agree totally that Cheers did not show enough love and affection for Coach/Nicholas Colasanto. They brushed right over his death. Shame on them.