Cheers Writers Had To Scrap Their Initial Series Finale Plan Thanks To President Clinton
In 1982, "Cheers" premiered and started one of the great runs in TV history, staying on-air for 11 seasons and 275 episodes — not bad for a show that almost crashed and burned in its first season. Of course, I, being born in 1988, missed most of that run. But I've always been aware of the series' massive influence and lasting legacy as one of the finest sitcoms ever made. "Cheers" maintains that standing 30 years after the final episode aired (which, as it happens, brought in almost 100 million viewers and became one of the most-watched episodes of any series ever).
Aired on May 20, 1993, "One for the Road" quickly became the second-highest-rated series finale of all time, just losing out to CBS's "M*A*S*H" series finale. But it wasn't just the people watching from home that made the end of "Cheers" so momentous. As UPI reported at the time, "Thousands gathered at bars and parties across the nation to watch." In other words, the 90-minute finale episode was somewhat of a national moment. So big was the show's popularity at the time that it seems then-president Bill Clinton was even interested in stopping by the iconic bar to bid the crew adieu.
In the episode's closing moments, Woody (Woody Harrelson) laments the nature of change itself, saying, "I like things you can count on." Up until that point, "Cheers" had been a TV show on which everyone could count, reliably delivering a healthy dose of comforting comedy each week. But one person who couldn't be counted on so steadfastly was Clinton himself. Imagine that.
Clinton stood up the Cheers crew
As pointed out by the Daily Times, by the end of its 11-season run, "Cheers" had already played host to several politicians and public figures, including former House Speaker Tip O'Neill and ex-Senator Gary Hart. While hosting the former Speaker of the House was surely an indication of the show's reputation, landing the President was set to be its finest moment.
As series co-creator and executive producer Les Charles explained to Variety ahead of the show wrapping up, Bill Clinton sent "a communiqué that he wanted to appear in the final episode." Of course, the "Cheers" team wasn't going to turn down the President, who had been sworn into office in January of '93. So, the show's writers crafted an entire segment that would see Clinton visiting the bar. In fact, according to co-creator and executive producer Glen Charles, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter for a "Cheers" retrospective in 2018, the President was due to take up a full 15 minutes of program time with his cameo. The plan was for Clinton to stop by the set "on his way to Vancouver to meet with Gorbachev." But as Glen Charles went on to explain, things didn't work out as planned:
"We set up everything and then, in the last minute, we got word he wasn't going to be able to do it. So, we had to rewrite it."
The President can't do this week
According to the Daily Times, filming for the "Cheers" finale got underway on March 31, 1993. At the time, Bill Clinton was dealing with the usual smorgasbord of foreign and domestic issues that face any world leader. The Bosnian war and his upcoming stimulus package, were, after all, slightly more pressing than his "Cheers" cameo.
Still, it seems his failure to show up to the Paramount studios set was at least enough of an issue that Clinton's press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, issued a brief statement in which she helpfully told reporters, as if responding to a casual invite to the bar, "We can't do it this week." At the time, Myers did add, "I think there may be ways," but ultimately "Cheers" wrapped up without any sort of Presidential cameo. Which, to be honest, was probably a good thing, as Clinton showing up in a sitcom mere months into his Presidency would surely have had a lot of the same demagogic energy as Donald Trump hosting "Saturday Night Live."
Meanwhile, "Cheers" certainly didn't suffer as a result of losing its Clinton cameo. While the writers had to hastily fill the gap, it wasn't the first time the show had to resort to desperate last-minute improv. Plus, judging by the public response and ratings, it didn't detract from the finale in any significant way.