Surprising Behind-the-Scenes Stories from the Set of Cheers

During season three, both Shelley Long and Rhea Perlman became pregnant in real life — but only Carla’s baby bump was written into the storyline. Diane, on the other hand, stayed pregnancy-free on Cheers, which meant the crew had to get creative with how they filmed Long.

For most of the season, Long was kept behind the bar, seated at tables, or framed from the neck up to hide her pregnancy. It became a subtle production dance that viewers rarely noticed, while Carla’s chaotic, ever-growing brood fit perfectly into the show’s humor.