Ted Danson Teases Possible ‘Cheers’ Cast Reunion: ‘I’ve Seen Them Recently’
After five Cheers cast members appeared on stage together earlier this month at the Emmy Awards, Ted Danson is teasing another potential reunion.
"Well you know it's interesting ... I've seen them recently, everybody, pretty much everybody," the 76-year-old actor told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published Tuesday, January 30, suggesting that his former costars may get together again.
Danson, who portrayed bar owner Sam Malone on the famed sitcom, joined fellow Cheers alums Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger and George Wendt on stage at the Emmys on January 15, recalling that it "was really fun" to team up with his old colleagues.
They appeared at a recreation of the Bull & Finch Pub, which served as the exterior of the Cheers bar “where everybody knows your name.”
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“Thank you for getting us all here. Ah, this feels so nice to be here in front of all of you, thank you,” Danson said to host Anthony Anderson at the awards show. Ratzenberger, who starred as mailman Cliff Clavin, added, "Think of it as a long-overdue class reunion.”
Among the series stars who did not appear at the Emmys was Shelly Long, who portrayed Malone’s on-off girlfriend Diane Chambers. Woody Harrelson, who starred as bartender Woody Boyd, also missed the reunion.
"I'm sorry Shelly [wasn't there] and Woody was off doing a play in London — which I saw and he was amazing," Danson told ET. "But it was lovely."
While it was a joyous occasion, Danson shot down the hope that the costars were planning to work together again in an official capacity, noting that it would be difficult for a "bunch of older folks" to agree on a project.
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Cheers ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993 on NBC. It is considered one of the greatest TV series in history, earning 28 Emmy Awards throughout its run.
The show also produced two spinoffs: The Tortellis and Frasier. Grammer, 68, returned for the Frasier reboot, which premiered in October 2023 on Paramount+.
Danson is now busy with the 12th and final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. He has starred in the series as a fictionalized version of himself since the first season in 2000.
Larry David created the series and also portrays a fictionalized version of himself. Danson told ET that, in reality, David, 76, "has a heart of gold” and is “very loyal.” He also joked that “there's some real similarities” between “TV Larry” and the one in real-life.
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"His social manner is, you know, if there is a social IQ, [he's] really low on the scale. Just like his character," Danson said. "But no, look at all the friends of his that he's put in the show, and friends that he's known for years, and they're here with him. He's very loyal."
In addition to Danson, the returning cast also includes Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove and Richard Lewis. Vince Vaughn and Tracey Ullman will join the show for season 12.
The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning series premiered with an hour-long special in October 1999. The first eight seasons of the series aired from 2000 to 2011. Curb then took a six-year hiatus before returning for a ninth season in 2017. Seasons 10 and 11 aired in 2020 and 2021, respectively..
HBO describes the show as a “comedy series that continues to prove how seemingly trivial details of one’s day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events.”
The final season, marking the end of the network’s longest-running comedy series, is set to premiere on Sunday, February 4, and will consist of 10 episodes.
