Sam Malone and Diane Chambers may have had their fair share of tension as an on-again off-again couple on "Cheers," but 30 years later, Ted Danson (Malone) thinks Shelley Long (Chambers) has everything to do with the show's success.
"You really put us on the map," Danson told Long at the "Cheers" 30th Anniversary Reunion Dinner, according to "Entertainment Tonight." "And this is not my opinion. This is everybody's. We hadn't seen a character like Diane Chambers for years ... You really put 'Cheers' on the map with your astounding performance."
Long took home an Emmy for her performance on the sitcom, with the series earning a total of 28 Emmys over the course of its 11 seasons. 'Entertainment Tonight" had exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the "Cheers" Reunion Dinner, which took place on Sat., Oct. 6. and was hosted by the show’s creators, James Burrows, Glen Charles and Les Charles. Danson, Long and their "Cheers" co-stars Kirstie Alley, Shelley Long, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Bebe Neuwirth and Rhea Perlman were in attendance.
Interestingly enough, Long wasn't looking for a small screen role when she first read the "Cheers" script.
"I was not looking for a sitcom, because the philosophy at that point was that you had to make a choice: Were you going to do movies or TV? You couldn't cross over," Long told GQ according to the magazine's "Cheers" oral history. "Then this script came along, and it was the best TV script I'd ever read."
