Daily Dose of Awesome: Cheers

Who would've thought that a sitcom about a bunch of people hanging around in a bar would've become such a classic?

Even after 20 years, the show is still funny and has a timeless quality that allows it to be enjoyed despite the passage of time.  Most shows don't hold up that well.  Shows like Seinfeld and Friends, while enjoyable, are clear products of the 90's.  With Cheers, the time setting isn't clearly established.  Even the clothes and hairstyles aren't so drastic that you find it jarring.

The characters are all three dimensional and come off as real people.  They even seem like characters you would want to hang out with.  I don't know how it compares to the real experience of having a regular bar, but it looks about right.  It's down to earth enough that it maintains its suspension of disbelief while still being able to dabble in goofball humor from time to time.

The show went on for 11 seasons and still remains one of the best sitcoms of all time.  As if that wasn't an indication of its quality, its spin-off, Frasier is also highly regarded and went on for about the same number of seasons.

At first, I thought that the early seasons were weak and that the show didn't really find its footing until Rebecca showed up, but while the first season was pretty weak, the show started to pick up well before that.  The Rebecca era was still superior, but there are some Diane episodes that are quite funny.

The point is that Cheers is a great show and is revered as a classic for good reason.  Considering how long the show ran, and how long it's been airing re-runs, recommending it seems pointless, but it's a show worth checking out again.