Ted Danson’s Skeptical Take: Why He Thought Shelley Long Would Bust on Cheers

Brace yourself for a rare Hollywood confession: Ted Danson openly admits he pegged Shelley Long as a disaster waiting to happen when Cheers was still a fledgling sitcom. In a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, the Every Mother’s Worst Nightmare star—yes, the same guy who gracefully sipped pints at Sam Malone’s bar—revealed he was less than impressed when Shelley Long first walked onto the set in 1982. According to Danson, he recalled thinking, “She’d be terrible,” before Long even delivered her first line.

Let’s break down the full scoop without the usual sugarcoating. Danson told EW that during the pilot read-through, Long’s style struck him as “a little too sitcom-cookie-cutter,” and he couldn’t see how Diane Chambers would stand out among the sea of barflies. He wasn’t alone: a memo from NBC exec Brandon Tartikoff leaked to People Magazine last year confirms network heads shared Danson’s skepticism. Even casting director Lynne Rogers admitted in a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter that Long’s refined delivery felt out of sync with the show’s rough-and-tumble vibe.

But hold onto your coasters—Long had unexpected political backing. Producer James Burrows, quoted in Variety, insisted her theater background and quick wit were the secret sauce Cheers needed to snag viewers. After a few retakes, producers softened their stance. Danson watched Long pivot from prim and proper to hilariously desperate, turning Diane into the reluctant intellectual chasing barroom bravado. Critics soon ate their words: Cheers premiered in September 1982 amid lukewarm ratings, only to surge into cult status by season two, thanks largely to the electric Danson-Long chemistry.

Fast forward to today, and the duo’s on-screen banter still shines in Cheers syndication worldwide. In hindsight, Danson concedes his initial doubts were “a bit dramatic”—though he maintains it made for great storytelling. Meanwhile, Long—who snagged an Emmy in 1983—laughed off the confession on Good Morning America, calling it “proof that even sitcom pros can be wide off the mark.” Audience metrics back the turnaround: per Nielsen data, Cheers climbed from a 26th-place premiere slot to a top-10 favorite within a year.

So what’s the takeaway? Hollywood’s crystal balls are just as foggy as ours, and initial impressions can flop harder than a bad punchline. Danson’s mea culpa is a reminder that chemistry—and maybe a little stubborn faith from producers—wins the day more often than slick casting memos. And that’s your dose of reality; consider your cynicism satisfied. Nothing shocking here, folks—just another example of Tinseltown’s hit-or-miss crystal ball.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed