Ted Danson as Sam on Cheers
Movies - TV
Cheers’ Creators Came Together Because Of A Different ‘70s Sitcom
By CHRIS EVANGELISTA
Characters at the bar in Cheers
One of the most popular sitcoms of all time, “Cheers” ran for 11 seasons and featured a cast that included Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, and Woody Harrelson.
Characters from Taxi
Glen Charles, Les Charles, and James Burrows were the show's creators. The group had worked together on a different popular sitcom before setting up shop at "Cheers."
The cast of Taxi
The show was "Taxi," starring Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, and Tony Danza. It ran from 1978 to 1983 and was set in a New York City depot.
Ted Danson as Sam, Ted Danson as Sam, and Woody Harrelson as Woody in Cheers
In an oral history published by GQ, the Charleses revealed it was their work with Burrows on "Taxi" that inspired the trio to team up to create "Cheers."
Danny Devito as Louie on Taxi
Les Charles said: "I think we felt like contemporaries — like we were in the same college class, and suffered a lot of the same injuries and blows to our egos."