About the Book
A fascinating look at one of the greatest shows of all time.
For eleven seasons, Cheers was a critically acclaimed program, ultimately earning more than 100 Emmy nominations and securing 28 wins, including 4 for best comedy series. One of the most popular shows of all time, the series centered on a group of Boston, Massachusetts locals who gathered to drink and socialize. Bar owner Sam Malone was the de facto leader of the group and boss to Carla Tortelli, Coach Ernie Pantuso, Woody Boyd, and Diane Chambers, Sam’s on-again, off again paramour. Regular patrons Norm Peterson and Cliff Claven completed this ersatz family, later joined by Frasier Crane; his wife Lilith; and Rebecca Howe, a new foil for Sam. Cheers not only provided laughs, it revolutionized American sitcoms with its long-running stories and famous will-they-won’t-they relationship of Sam and Diane.
In Cheers: A Cultural History, Joseph J. Darowski and Kate Darowski offer an engaging analysis of the show, providing insights into both the onscreen stories and the efforts behind the scenes to shape this beloved classic. The authors examine the series as a whole but also focus on the show’s key characters, narrative arcs, and many themes, ranging from alcoholism to adultery. This volume also provides close looks at how set design, class issues, and gender roles informed the series throughout its run.
Also included is an opinionated compendium of every episode, highlighting the peaks and dips in quality across more than a decade of television. Cheers: A Cultural History will appeal to the show’s many fans and bring back beloved memories of the place where everybody knows your name.
About the Author :
Joseph J. Darowski teaches English at Brigham Young University and is the editor of the Ages of Superheroes essay series, which has volumes on Superman, Wonder Woman, the X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the Justice League. He is the author of X-Men and the Mutant Metaphor: Race and Gender in the Comic Books (2014) and coauthor of Frasier: A Cultural History (2017), both published by Rowman & Littlefield.
Kate Darowski has a master’s degree from Parsons School of Design, where she studied the history of decorative arts and design, with an emphasis on twentieth-century modern design and pop culture in design. She attended Brigham Young University–Hawaii, where she majored in cultural studies. She has written about design for Modern Magazine. With her brother, Joseph, she is the coauthor of Frasier: A Cultural History (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017).
Review :
The award-winning television series Cheers (1982–93) drew audiences into the lives of a motley crew of characters who worked in and frequented the titular popular bar in Boston. Among the first sitcoms to move beyond a format of self-contained episodes to one of sustained story lines, the show famously traced the developing relationship between popular mainstays bar owner Sam Malone and waitress Diane Chambers, as well as the experiences of other employees and patrons, including Norm, Cliff, Carla, and Woody. In this well-researched and engaging volume, the Darowskis examine the show’s history, style, themes, plots, and clever brand of humor, paying careful attention to the setting as a unifying element. The bar is a home away from home for a disparate group of familiar faces who share their perspectives on everything from life to sports. The authors analyze ways in which the program goes beneath the surface to explore everyday issues as well as more serious ones—from alcohol to aging—with sensitivity and honesty. An extensive bibliography and notes and a compendium of individual episodes enhance the narrative. A must for Cheers fans and students of popular culture, this is a thorough and thoughtful look at a groundbreaking television gem.
The authors follow up their recent Frasier: A Cultural History (2017) with an equally interesting look at that show’s predecessor, the classic sitcom that introduced the character of Frasier Crane, not to mention Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Ernie Pantusso, Carla Tortelli, Norm Peterson, Cliff Clavin, Woody Boyd, and Rebecca Howe (among others). Cheers, the show about a bar and its patrons that would have been canceled after its disastrously low-rated first season if NBC had had anything better to put on the air, ended up running for 11 seasons, a major accomplishment for a half-hour comedy, then and now. The Darowskis look at the reasons why the show became a smash hit: the writing, the casting, the stories, the setting (most episodes took place entirely in the bar). Cheers, the authors assert, was a revolutionary show, with many of its key elements, such as multi-episode story arcs, having now become standard; however, the show also had its flaws, including an attitude toward women that would not be permitted in the current climate. Combining perceptive analysis with infectious enthusiasm, this is a must-read for Cheers devotees.
