Boston's Cheers Pub Review

Boston's Cheers Pub Review - Welcome to the little pub where everybody knows your name here in Kansas City, Missouri. Huh? Or Barstow, California? It doesn’t quite feel right, however, these are two locations that producers of the hit television series Cheers considered setting their comedy before settling on a quaint little pub located in Boston’s Beacon Hill.

Cheers Boston

Cheers pub was originally known as the Bull and Finch Pub, an ode to famous Boston architect Charles Bulfinch whom is responsible for designing the Massachusetts State House and the U.S. The Capitol in Washington, D.C. It began operations in 1969 and was a favorite amongst locals for years. Then in 1981 everything changed when two Hollywood writers visited the pub and decided to base a television series on it. The rest, as they say, is history.

Cheers premiered on September 30, 1982 but was nearly canceled after placing dead last in television ratings in its first season (77th place). A few years later it was one of NBC’s top series as part of their “Must See” Thursday night line-up. The show lasted 11 seasons, 275 episodes, and received 100 Emmy nominations. In what was perhaps the most memorable episode on May 20, 1993, hundreds gathered outside of this famous pub to celebrate the airing of the show’s final episode. On this evening Jay Leno filmed the Tonight Show here and the evening drew to a close with Gary Portnoy (the theme song’s writer and performer) singing the theme song along with the cast one final time.

The show, in its initial planning stages, almost made some castings which would have forever changed the perspective of some of our favorite characters. The role of Sam Malone, for instance, was originally slated for Fred Dryer who would play an ex-football player (instead of baseball). And in an even more ironic twist, John Ratzenberger (who played our favorite know-it-all mailman Cliff Clavin) began auditioning for the show via the role of Norm Peterson.

Cheers is located within a 1910 five-story Georgian townhouse known as the Hampshire House. In the early 1900s, this was the site of many high society dinners and events. It received its name during the Second World War and was named in honor of the English counties of Lincolnshire and Hampshire.

• Website: http://www.cheersboston.com
• Address/Phone: 84 Beacon Street, Boston. (617) 227-9605
• Hours: Open daily at 11am
• Prices: $$
• Accept Credit Card? Yes
• Accept Reservations? No