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

Ted Danson may have played the smooth, confident ex–Red Sox pitcher turned bartender, but none of that came naturally at first. He’d never bartended a day in his life, and he wasn’t a sports guy at all when he was cast as Sam Malone. The role required a whole new skill set.

To get him ready, the studio put Danson through months of bartending lessons and a crash course in baseball knowledge. By the time the pilot rolled around, he could pour drinks, talk stats, and look like he’d lived behind that bar for years — pure sitcom transformation.