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Give Me a Ring Sometime
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Give Me a Ring Sometime
"Give Me a Ring Sometime" is the pilot episode and the first episode of the first season of the American situation comedy Cheers. Written by Glen and Les Charles and directed by James Burrows, the episode first aired September 30, 1982, on NBC in the contiguous United States and on October 14, 1982 in Alaska. The pilot episode introduces the characters at the Cheers bar in Boston: employees Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Coach Ernie Pantusso, and Carla Tortelli; and regular customers Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin. In this episode, Diane, brought in by her fiancé, meets the employees and patrons of the bar. When she realizes that her fiancé has left her alone in the bar, Diane accepts Sam's offer to be the bar's waitress to start over.
In the original script, the employees were the principal characters, and Norm and Cliff were not included. Later revisions added Norm and Cliff, and scenes were restructured and rewritten. Originally, Cheers' set would be a hotel, but it was ultimately changed to a bar. Ratings were low when the episode first aired, but they were moderately successful in reruns. It has been critically praised over the years, and earned its writers awards for Best Writing in 1983.
As owner Sam Malone opens the Cheers bar in Boston at the beginning of the series, a professor, Sumner Sloane, and his Boston University student fiancée, Diane Chambers, are the first customers of the day (sans a minor who fails an attempt to buy a beer). They plan to go to Barbados to be married but do not have a wedding ring; Sumner leaves to retrieve the ring from his ex-wife. Sumner returns a few hours later, telling Diane that he could not obtain his ex-wife's ring. His ex-wife calls the bar with a change of heart, so Sumner leaves Diane again. Sam pointedly tells her that Sumner is probably on a plane with his ex-wife. Diane calls the airport to change their flight reservation, and finds out that "Mr. and Mrs. Sloane" have already used it. Heartbroken, she prepares to go home before realizing that her job as Sumner's teaching assistant is gone. Out of pity, Sam offers her a job at Cheers as a waitress. Despite being highly educated, Diane reluctantly accepts the offer when she remembers a number of orders (including special requests) from a table. The following day, Diane's first customer is an international tourist, asking for his lost luggage.
The pilot introduces employees of the bar, Cheers, in Boston, Massachusetts in order of appearance:
The creators rejected the idea of casting a star such as Mary Tyler Moore, and sought actors who were previously unknown to the public. They interviewed almost 1,000 people for the four principal roles: Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Carla Tortelli, and "Coach" Ernie Pantusso. Steve Kolzak (credited as Stephen Kolzak) cast the original characters. According to Danson, Rhea Perlman was the first to be cast. Former umpire Ron Luciano auditioned for Coach; however, the producers "wanted an experienced actor". Robert Prosky, who later appeared as Rebecca Howe's (Kirstie Alley) Navy father in the 1992 Cheers episode "Daddy's Little Middle-Aged Girl" and an author in the 1996 Frasier episode "A Crane's Critique", turned down the role of Coach. Actor-director Nicholas Colasanto won the role.
Auditions were held for Sam and Diane. Three pairs were tested: William Devane and Lisa Eichhorn, Fred Dryer and Julia Duffy, and Ted Danson and Shelley Long. Before the show premiered Danson appeared in 1979's The Onion Field; Long appeared in 1982's Night Shift, starring Henry Winkler of Happy Days. Fred Dryer later appeared as Dave Richards, a sportscaster friend of Sam's, in "Sam at Eleven" in 1982. Sam Malone was originally "a former wide receiver for the New England Patriots", and Fred Dryer was considered for the role because he was a football player. However, NBC executives liked test scenes with Danson and Long so the creators chose them instead, making Sam a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Ed O'Neill also auditioned for the role of Sam Malone.
We had some surprises. Some actors were terrific by themselves but not in concert with others. Each actor read the same scene. Everyone got the same chance. We were looking for actors who could make us laugh by being loyal to the characters. Then we matched them up.
— Les Charles, to United Press International, July 11, 1982
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Give Me a Ring Sometime
"Give Me a Ring Sometime" is the pilot episode and the first episode of the first season of the American situation comedy Cheers. Written by Glen and Les Charles and directed by James Burrows, the episode first aired September 30, 1982, on NBC in the contiguous United States and on October 14, 1982 in Alaska. The pilot episode introduces the characters at the Cheers bar in Boston: employees Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Coach Ernie Pantusso, and Carla Tortelli; and regular customers Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin. In this episode, Diane, brought in by her fiancé, meets the employees and patrons of the bar. When she realizes that her fiancé has left her alone in the bar, Diane accepts Sam's offer to be the bar's waitress to start over.
In the original script, the employees were the principal characters, and Norm and Cliff were not included. Later revisions added Norm and Cliff, and scenes were restructured and rewritten. Originally, Cheers' set would be a hotel, but it was ultimately changed to a bar. Ratings were low when the episode first aired, but they were moderately successful in reruns. It has been critically praised over the years, and earned its writers awards for Best Writing in 1983.
As owner Sam Malone opens the Cheers bar in Boston at the beginning of the series, a professor, Sumner Sloane, and his Boston University student fiancée, Diane Chambers, are the first customers of the day (sans a minor who fails an attempt to buy a beer). They plan to go to Barbados to be married but do not have a wedding ring; Sumner leaves to retrieve the ring from his ex-wife. Sumner returns a few hours later, telling Diane that he could not obtain his ex-wife's ring. His ex-wife calls the bar with a change of heart, so Sumner leaves Diane again. Sam pointedly tells her that Sumner is probably on a plane with his ex-wife. Diane calls the airport to change their flight reservation, and finds out that "Mr. and Mrs. Sloane" have already used it. Heartbroken, she prepares to go home before realizing that her job as Sumner's teaching assistant is gone. Out of pity, Sam offers her a job at Cheers as a waitress. Despite being highly educated, Diane reluctantly accepts the offer when she remembers a number of orders (including special requests) from a table. The following day, Diane's first customer is an international tourist, asking for his lost luggage.
The pilot introduces employees of the bar, Cheers, in Boston, Massachusetts in order of appearance:
The creators rejected the idea of casting a star such as Mary Tyler Moore, and sought actors who were previously unknown to the public. They interviewed almost 1,000 people for the four principal roles: Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Carla Tortelli, and "Coach" Ernie Pantusso. Steve Kolzak (credited as Stephen Kolzak) cast the original characters. According to Danson, Rhea Perlman was the first to be cast. Former umpire Ron Luciano auditioned for Coach; however, the producers "wanted an experienced actor". Robert Prosky, who later appeared as Rebecca Howe's (Kirstie Alley) Navy father in the 1992 Cheers episode "Daddy's Little Middle-Aged Girl" and an author in the 1996 Frasier episode "A Crane's Critique", turned down the role of Coach. Actor-director Nicholas Colasanto won the role.
Auditions were held for Sam and Diane. Three pairs were tested: William Devane and Lisa Eichhorn, Fred Dryer and Julia Duffy, and Ted Danson and Shelley Long. Before the show premiered Danson appeared in 1979's The Onion Field; Long appeared in 1982's Night Shift, starring Henry Winkler of Happy Days. Fred Dryer later appeared as Dave Richards, a sportscaster friend of Sam's, in "Sam at Eleven" in 1982. Sam Malone was originally "a former wide receiver for the New England Patriots", and Fred Dryer was considered for the role because he was a football player. However, NBC executives liked test scenes with Danson and Long so the creators chose them instead, making Sam a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Ed O'Neill also auditioned for the role of Sam Malone.
We had some surprises. Some actors were terrific by themselves but not in concert with others. Each actor read the same scene. Everyone got the same chance. We were looking for actors who could make us laugh by being loyal to the characters. Then we matched them up.
— Les Charles, to United Press International, July 11, 1982