goodbye, Norm

[Auld Phart]

it was nice knowing you

 

[toobfreak]

it was nice knowing you

Just remember: It is a dog eat dog world out there and Norm was wearing Milk-Bone underwear.

Which when bunched up, wasn't worth getting up to straighten out as, left alone, would probably straighten out in time by themselves.

 

[The Irish Ram]

Sad.

 

[Auld Phart]

Sad.

he was my age

 

[Blaster]

He was overweight.

 

[Foxfyre]

it was nice knowing you

George Wendt's character "Norm" was the only Cheers customer to appear in all segments of that show, the only original customer in the cast. Cliff Claven, Frazier, Lillith et al all came later.

Ironically he died on the 32nd anniversary of the last show of the series that aired May 20, 1993.

"Cheers" reruns can be found on television pretty much every day of the week now.

 

[1srelluc]

I liked the "Executive Executioner" episode.



RIP big guy.

 

[HeyNorm]

Noooooooooooooo!

Say it ain’t so

 

[skye]

RIP

 

[toobfreak]

it was nice knowing you

Originally, every episode began with Norm entering the bar with some quip, until the writers simply ran out of things to say. After that, Norm would enter only occasionally when they thought a new one up.

A lot of people in Cheers got their start on Taxi. In one Taxi episode, Norm was an exterminator going after cockroaches in Louis' cage.

George Wendt's character "Norm" was the only Cheers customer to appear in all segments of that show, the only original customer in the cast. Cliff Claven, Frazier, Lillith et al all came later.

I think Cliff made his first cameo in the second episode as a minor bar patron. I think they originally had Norm slated to be more like Cliff.

Lilith too was only meant to be an extra in one episode, but they liked her chemistry with Frazier so much, they brought her back as a semi-regular.

RIP

 

[Foxfyre]

Originally, every episode began with Norm entering the bar with some quip, until the writers simply ran out of things to say. After that, Norm would enter only occasionally when they thought a new one up.

A lot of people in Cheers got their start on Taxi. In one Taxi episode, Norm was an exterminator going after cockroaches in Louis' cage.


I think Cliff made his first cameo in the second episode as a minor bar patron. I think they originally had Norm slated to be more like Cliff.

Lilith too was only meant to be an extra in one episode, but they liked her chemistry with Frazier so much, they brought her back as a semi-regular.

I didn't recall the character of Cliff being that early but you could be right. We watched the first program and rarely missed it all those years.

 

[HeyNorm]

One of the most beloved sitcom characters ever!

 

[toobfreak]

I didn't recall the character of Cliff being that early but you could be right. We watched the first program and rarely missed it all those years.

 

[odanny]

 

[Cougarbear]

NORM!!! I was just watching a Cheers episode when I saw on Facebook that he had passed away. Every actor was perfect for that show. George was funny in his part as Norm. It was natural for him.

 

[toobfreak]

Every actor was perfect for that show.

Thus a major reason why the show succeeded. All television cares about is selling advertising. It takes several qualities to raise television to an art:

1. A great original idea (creator and producer).
2. Great writers and themes.
3. A great cast of cast members who have a real chemistry for the show, their roles, and each other.

Cheers had all three, at least through a whole bunch of their seasons.

1950s:

• The Honeymooners

1960s

• The Dick Van Dyke Show
• Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea (first couple of seasons)
• Lost In Space
• Star Trek
• Gunsmoke

1970s:

• M*A*S*H
• All In The Family
• Kung Fu
• Taxi

1980s:

• Cheers

1990s:

• Seinfeld

2000s:

• The King Of Queens
• Two and a Half Men

2010s:

• The Big Bang Theory

Not to say there were not many other good TV shows, but I think these were the true iconic hits of its day.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Definitely an icon role in TV history, him and Cliff both.
I was a fan until not totally sure - maybe season 6 or 7??
I didn't care for Rebbeca's character, liked Frazier of course - looking it up, looks like I quit watching it all together season 8.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Thus a major reason why the show succeeded. All television cares about is selling advertising. It takes several qualities to raise television to an art:

1. A great original idea (creator and producer).
2. Great writers and themes.
3. A great cast of cast members who have a real chemistry for the show, their roles, and each other.

Cheers had all three, at least through a whole bunch of their seasons.

1950s:

• The Honeymooners

1960s

• The Dick Van Dyke Show
• Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea (first couple of seasons)
• Lost In Space
• Star Trek
• Gunsmoke

1970s:

• M*A*S*H
• All In The Family
• Kung Fu
• Taxi

1980s:

• Cheers

1990s:

• Seinfeld

2000s:

• The King Of Queens
• Two and a Half Men

2010s:

• The Big Bang Theory

Not to say there were not many other good TV shows, but I think these were the true iconic hits of its day.

One big one left out is "The Office" - first 5 seasons before it became the "Jim and Pam show".

 

[toobfreak]

I didn't care for Rebbeca's character, liked Frazier of course -

Well, the Becky character was the weakest, there are only so many ways you can play a shallow character who is a gold-digger crybaby and keep her likable--- they never much developed the character--- even Cliff got developed more. Despite top billing, she usually only blipped in and out of the main story line, more like a secondary character.

But really, the show really unraveled due to the loss of the Coach character.

• With Coach gone, also gone was the main thread for tying the bar and Sam to sports and thus to his babe-chasing past.
• With the sports element faded out and Sam less of a babe-magnet, they tried to settle him down with Diane, but a settled Sam wasn't interesting.
• Worse, Coach was also the cement which kept Shelly Long interested in the series. Her and Nick Colasanto had an affinity together and his loss accelerated her departure from the series.
• Of course, with relations with Diane failing, they needed to bring in Frazier as her love interest and psychiatrist, then kept him on. Lilith was just an accident that worked out.
• They replaced Coach with a younger version, Woody, whose every relative had met with some sort of tragic farming accident.
• And with Diane leaving, the needed some sort of female counter, so brought in Rebecca.

But pretty much all or most of the reshuffling of characters began with the loss of Coach, because Coach was the one character which tied Sam's past and present together thus providing the motivation for most of the thread storylines.

I'm sure everyone here knows they kept a memento of Coach there on the set after he died.

 

[Cougarbear]

Definitely an icon role in TV history, him and Cliff both.
I was a fan until not totally sure - maybe season 6 or 7??
I didn't care for Rebbeca's character, liked Frazier of course - looking it up, looks like I quit watching it all together season 8.

Are you kidding? Rebbeca was awesome! And Kirstie Alley was perfect and funny as could be. Way more than the skinny blonde who got real old after a while. Without the change and Kirstie, the show would have ended years before. Diane just got old. After the show ended, Kirstie didn't know if she would get another acting opportunity and decided to get her property and causalty license. California requires certain amount of hours of classroom training before taking the exam for the license. She was in the same one I was in. Georgeous!