17 Things ‘Cheers’ Fans Never Knew

13. Did They Or Didn’t They?

Producers wanted to keep Shelly Long’s departure from the series a secret as long as possible, which was a bit of a conundrum as Cheers was filmed before a live audience. To keep developments from being leaked they had to get a little crafty, and the audience witnessed Sam and Diane’s wedding at the end of season 5. However, the true ending was filmed on a closed set where Diane leaves to finish her book.

14. Norm Was Actually Hillary

Norm’s never-fully-seen wife Vera once let it slip to Carla that the resident barfly’s real name was actually Hillary Norman Peterson. He was named after his grandfather who once killed a man for mocking his name. Can you imagine everyone shouting “Hillary” as he walked into the bar? Speaking of Norm, you may or may not recall that Frasier’s son Fredrick’s first word was “Norm!”

15. Kelsey Grammer Could Deliver

It is said that the writers of Cheers often gave Kelsey Grammer, aka “Frasier,” some flat lines just to see what he would do with them. He had a way of making even dry material seem funny. No wonder he managed to parlay his spin-off series into a subsequent success. He ended up playing the role of Frasier a record twenty consecutive years.