Product Description

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 01/27/2009

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9939 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2009-01-27
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: .70 pounds
• Running time: 648 minutes

Amazon.com
The 11th and last season of Cheers maintains the highest standards of the long-running, NBC comedy while adding poignancy by wrapping up the show's long-running storylines. The Final Season commences with a devastating fire that all but destroys the eponymous Boston bar owned by Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Shocking as it is to see Cheers nearly reduced to rubble, a lot of funny material comes out of it, not least the fact that manager Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) is responsible for the blaze and can't quite bring herself to tell Sam. The episode's sophisticated ending sets the tone for the season, in which all the show's characters seem prepared to cut each other more slack than usual. Other tumultuous events include an extended separation between Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) when the latter chooses to live in an underground "eco-pod" with her new boyfriend, a break-up leading to a night of near-bliss for Frasier and Rebecca. Newlyweds Woody (Woody Harrelson) and Kelly (Jackie Swanson) transcend their struggles with religious differences (they're each members of minutely different Lutheran denominations), and Woody becomes an unlikely candidate for the Boston City Council. Meanwhile, Cliff (John Ratzenberger) takes a step toward adulthood by putting his domineering mother in a retirement home, while Norm (George Wendt) takes his dream job as a taster in a brewery. Nothing much changes for acerbic waitress Carla (Rhea Perlman), but she is certainly on hand to comment on everything, including Sam's overdue self-awareness about his sexual addiction. The final half-dozen or so episodes find Rebecca, much to her dismay, attracted to a working man (Tom Berenger) instead of a millionaire, while Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) reappears in Sam's life at a particularly vulnerable moment for each. The series' finale is a corker, including a lovely last scene that ends with Sam uttering one of the best closing lines in television broadcast history. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

The ending of Cheers, the beginning of Frasier
The 92-93 season of Cheers, its last, is one of its best. For one thing, at this point everyone's story must be wrapped up, so there is quite a bit of action in the comedy this season. Woody, married at the end of the tenth season, has a few surprises in store, professionally and personally. Frasier conducts an experiment that results in Woody's election to city council. With Woody being the dangerous combination of likable and uninformed, Frasier has nightmares when he begins dwelling on Woody's possible future in politics. Frasier and Lillith break up and then reunite several months later - the reason will surprise you. Rebecca finally meets and marries the man of her dreams at the end of the season. Again, you'll be surprised who she chooses considering her gold-digging past.

The feud between Gary's Old Town Tavern and Cheers erupts once again, and Cheers brings in Harry the Hat (Harry Anderson) to help them out. This is the season after Harry Anderson's long-running series "Night Court" ended. Anderson first appeared on Cheers back in season one before Night Court began, and it is great to have him back one last time.

The final episode brings Diane Chambers back to the scene for the first time since she left for six months to write her book back in 1987. She has an interesting explanation of how six months turned into six years. Will she and Sam finally get back together? Seeing Shelley Long's Diane Chambers back on Cheers reassured me of one thing. Although it was the perfect finish to have her as part of the show's conclusion, her decision to leave after five seasons bought the show several seasons that they would not have had otherwise. Diane Chamber's part in the Cheers saga had been played well but it was played out, and Rebecca Howe and her own unique set of eccentricities made a completely different foil for Sam and the Cheers gang.

The story is ended for all but one - Frasier Crane. His character goes on to star in eleven seasons of "Frasier", and results in Frasier tying Marshall Dillon of "Gunsmoke" as the longest running TV characters of all time - 20 years each.

Looking forward to the DVD, but be warned...
I am looking forward to this final season of Cheers, but I read on another site from someone who got the season early, and the series finale is missing certain scenes as well as Rebecca Gaines, Rebecca Loses (which is missing about a minute). The finale was missing about a minute of Alan and Paul commenting on The Ninja Turtles and LL Cool J, as well as Rebecca getting a goodbye kiss from Sam near the end. Just thought I would pass this along.

Great (5 star) show though poor quality finale on DVD set
Though this DVD set does not release until next week, I was able to purchase it from a local store yesterday. I purchased this season set for the final (3-part) episode, which I watched last night. Another reviewer stated that certain scenes in this episode are missing; I can't vouch for that as I do not intimately recall the aired finale nor do I have it on VHS. What I would like to make known is the substandard quality of the final episode itself. Though the majority of the episode is fine (similar in quality to that of the first 5 seasons which I own), several specific scenes look like they were taken from poor quality VHS tapes and spliced into the episode to make it the original length. When the episode shifts to one of these scenes, it is very jarring and watching these scenes is irritating. I cannot believe that a television episode that aired only 15 years ago can look so bad.