Premiering in 1982, Cheers was a staple in many households for the better part of the decade, introducing audiences to a colorful group of characters that spent their days and nights drowning their sorrows in suds at the titular Boston locale. Though the show was nearly canceled after its first season due to low ratings, some NBC execs saw its potential and were willing to give the series a chance. Their instincts proved correct, as Cheers went on to become one of the greatest sitcoms in TV history, and placed in the Top 10 ratings list for eight of its 11 seasons. Now, UK execs are hoping that lightning will strike twice, as the influential classic is getting the remake treatment for a British audience.
According to a new report from Deadline, Big Talk Studios is in the early stages of developing a remake of Cheers, with Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly, The Durrells) at the helm. The project has already been approved by CBS Studios, the current rights holder and distributor of the American sitcom, and while it has yet to be given the green light, Nye is hopeful his pitch will land a home. He says the trick is to find the balance between old and new, and to create something fresh that will resonate with today’s viewers.
“I might be insane. The British pub is an endangered species, so there’s an answer for the ‘Why now?’ about it. The attitudes of Cheers in the ’80s are very different to the attitudes of today, so there’s a massive amount of work to be done around taking inspiration from the original characters but creating something fresh.”
While Americanized versions of British classics like The Office have managed to find success across the pond, the reverse hasn’t always proven to be as lucrative. The Golden Girls, That ’70s Show, and Married… with Children are prime examples of U.S. shows that were adapted for British TV, but were canceled after one season. Of course, there are always outliers, as sitcoms based on Friends (Coupling), Curb Your Enthusiasm (Lead Balloon), and Who’s the Boss (The Upper Hand), managed to hang on for multiple seasons before they were shown the door. Many attribute the gap in American and British humor as the reason why it’s always been relatively hard to translate North American TV to the UK, so Nye certainly has his work cut out for him when it comes to adapting Cheers.
Cheers’ Impact on Pop Culture
To say that Cheers had a lasting impact on American pop culture would be an understatement. The iconic series has been referenced throughout the years in TV shows such as Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mother, and The Good Place, while also being hinted at in comic books and video games like Fallout 4 and Tony Hawk’s Underground 2. To this day, the bar’s location at 84 Beacon Street in Boston is still a hot spot for tourists, and signs and t-shirts can be easily purchased from retailers such as Amazon.
As with many successful sitcoms, a couple of spin-offs were attempted as well, with the first being the 1987 series The Tortellis, which focused on Nick and Loretta, two minor characters that popped up from time to time on Cheers, with the former being Carla’s (Rhea Perlman) ex-husband. Unfortunately, the series was canceled after 13 episodes, but that didn’t stop execs from trying again in 1993, thus giving birth to Frasier, which is arguably the most successful TV spin-off in history. It received tremendous critical acclaim that propelled it to an 11-season run before it ended in 2004, though it was revived in 2023, and is currently in its second season.
While it remains to be seen if the British remake of Cheers will find success (or even get off the ground), it’s still a testament to the lasting impact that the series has had on the culture. Here’s hoping that Nye and all involved in the project will at least be given the chance to create something special for a new generation of patrons that know one another’s names.
Cheers
is available to stream on both Hulu and Paramount+.