Cheers: Where The Liquor Flowed…And So Did The Drama!

Ted Danson Now

Ted Danson, now a 69-year-old, looks fantastic! Though he’s best known as Sam Malone, Danson has continued working in television, with a starring role as Dr. John Becker on the CBS sitcom Becker, a recurring role in Curb Your Enthusiasm, and regular roles in Damages, Bored to Death, Fargo, and The Good Place. Danson has also embraced environmental activism. In the 1980s, Danson helped found the American Oceans Campaign, which merged with Oceana in 2001. Danson is now a board member at Oceana. He also published a book with Michael D’Orso in 201 titled Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them. He is married to accomplished actress Mary Steenburgen.

Sam Signs Off

Ted Danson played the character of Sam Malone, bar owner of Cheers and main star of the show. When Ted Danson decided to leave the show, the show was still very popular and television executives wanted to continue to air the series without Ted Danson’s character. The plan was to have Woody Harrelson’s character of Woody Boyd to take over the bar and continue with him in the starring role. However, Woody Harrelson refused to do the show without Ted Danson and the series ended as a result. Sam Milone was the heart of the show and would be hard to continue without him. Harrelson had already served as a replacement on the show once. He was added in the fourth season after Nicholas Colasanto, who played Coach, passed away.