GLSCinephile OP t1_iudw0ya wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:19 PM

Reply to comment by coldcynic in Why did Shelley Long leave CHEERS and would the show have lasted had she stayed? by GLSCinephile

Yes, Shelley Long was vocal about how she was leaving after her 5 year contract was done. At the time, Shelley Long was the break-out star of CHEERS, she was the one who was getting the movie deals, and apparently never got along with the cast.

Years later, Ted Danson paid tribute to Long and said that she was the reason CHEERS survived its first year. Originally, CHEERS was going to get cancelled because Season 1 had bad ratings but Emmy night made the Network give it a second chance.

coldcynic t1_iudzfe8 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:42 PM

Exactly. On paper, Long ticked all the boxes for a lasting career (Emmys, Golden Globes, name recognition), and it didn't really happen. No such thing as a sure thing, I guess.