The medium of television has been around long enough that, statistically speaking, audiences should already long ago enjoyed a series co-headed by Cheers vet Ted Danson and Married with Children fave Katey Sagal. At least one, if not more. But somehow, the ever-popular actors have yet to share the small screen together. That shocking drought will soon end, thankfully, as Segal has just been added to Danson’s newest show.

And to be sure, this isn’t an instance where Sagal was cast as a one-off character in a flashback episode that has nothing to do with Danson’s role. They’re gonna be hooking up! Maybe not quite the same visuals as that statement would have sparked in 1990, but still.

Sagal was part of one of TV’s most havoc-filled weddings opposite John Goodman in The Conners, and obviously spent more than a decade dolled up opposite Ed O’Neill’s Al Bundy. Now, she’s set to woo Danson in a series rom Will Trent and The Passage co-creator Liz Heldens and Best Medicine and Madam Secretary writer Matt Ward. The still-untitled project is destined for streaming via Apple TV subscription, though without a firm development timeline.

Okay, so technically, the key lead of the new project is Elizabeth Banks, who co-starred with Sagal in 2015’s Pitch Perfect 2. She’s playing a newly divorced woman named Heidi who wants nothing more than to put her past relationship behind her to enjoy greener pastures with her children. Her new path in life is soon disrupted when she “stumbles into coordinating her father’s retirement community sexcapades,” according to the series logline, per Variety.

Sounds like Danson will be bringing the Sam Malone womanizer vibes to the role, albeit the version of Sam Malone that gets AARP discounts. Sagal is set to portray his character’s newest girlfriend Mavis, which sounds like it’s on slightly more solid ground than other sexcapades. Sounds like she’ll be getting down and dirty more than Peggy Bundy ever did. (On top of being a TV mom that never gets enough credit, Peggy was also the somewhat rare sexualized sitcom wife, even if her husband was blind to it.)

Mavis also has a son who’s described as being “perpetually single,” who will be played by the ever-hilarious Rob Delaney (Catastrophe, Bad Monkey). He’ll find himself in an unexpected coalition with Heidi, presumably in regards to their parents’ dalliances. Thumbs up for Banks and Delaney as co-stars, but bigger thumbs up for their fictional parentals.

Sagal has seemingly been as busy as ever in recent years, co-starring in features such as 2025 thriller Trust and this year's rom-com Carousel, while also popping up in shows such as hubby Kurt Sutter's creation The Abandons and NBC's Stumble. She'll soon be back in the beloved role of Turanga Leela when Futurama returns to Hulu, and she's currently working on another new show opposite Jane Lynch. Hopefully that one and the Apple TV series can co-exist without issue. The more Katey Sagal, the better!

You can catch Ted Danson’s excellent work heading up A Man on the Inside via Netflix subscription, which can also be used to stream Katey Sagal’s run on The Conners and in Season 2 of One Piece, which debuted earlier in the 2026 TV schedule. (Not to mention her guest spot in Dead to Me.)

For the past few years, Ben Affleck has been contributing to some of the funniest Super Bowl commercials with his star-studded, Boston-loving Dunkin’ ads, and it looks like that trend will continue in the new year. When Super Bowl LX airs on the 2026 TV schedule, the two-time Oscar winner will reportedly be peddling those holey breakfast pastries with the help of several stars from the best sitcoms of all time — including Friends’ Jennifer Aniston and Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander.

After another round of the super-popular DunKings commercials during the 2025 Super Bowl, Ben Affleck is allegedly doing a Good Will Hunting riff for the upcoming big game in Levi’s Stadium, which will be titled, naturally, “Good Will Dunkin’,” per Page Six. Some big names have apparently signed onto the project, including Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Jason Alexander, Alfonso Ribeiro, Ted Danson and Tom Brady.

What in the 1990s is going on here? Whatever it is, I really do hope we get to see a Friends reunion between Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston in these wildly successful Dunkin’ commercials. There’s no word on whether they’ll be playing their characters Joey Tribbiani and Rachel Green, but Ted Danson will allegedly appear as his character Sam Malone from Cheers.

It will be interesting to see how all of these actors come together, with Jason Alexander (aka Seinfeld’s George Costanza) and Alfonso Ribeiro (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Carlton Banks) in the mix.

Tom Brady, meanwhile, obviously has a meaningful connection to Boston following a long career with the New England Patriots. He also previously appeared with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as a member of the fictional boy band The DunKings.

Details of the upcoming commercial are being kept super secret, sources say, as the production staff reportedly were required to put “tape over the cameras on their cell phones for added security” while shooting in Los Angeles.

It’s not surprising that the actor wants to churn out another doughnut-themed mini-movie, given how much he makes from the Dunkin’ commercials. Plus, fans get pretty excited, too, when Ben Affleck is seen sporting that Dunkin’ Donuts tracksuit.

The most recent offering, which came at Super Bowl LIX in February 2025, featured appearances from Donnie Wahlberg, Jeremy Strong, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Casey Affleck, Bill Belichick and Belichick’s girlfriend Jordon Hudson, who reportedly “forced her way” into the commercial.

I’m sure more surprises are in store this time around, but the actors who have already been allegedly announced are exciting enough for me. I can’t wait to see Ted Danson (presumably) back behind the bar as Sam Malone, and this will be Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc’s first time on-screen together since the Friends reunion in 2021 (available to stream with an HBO Max subscription).

Speaking of the Morning Show star, Jennifer Aniston has also appeared in Super Bowl ads in the past. She previously reunited with Friends co-star David Schwimmer in an ad for Uber Eats and continued to flaunt her comedic skills in a funny Skinny Pop commercial earlier this year.

We’ll definitely have our eyes peeled for what she, Ben Affleck and the rest are up to when the Super Bowl airs Sunday, February 8, on NBC and streaming with a Peacock subscription.

The holiday season is getting closer, and while there are more than a few brand new Christmas movies streaming this month, we’re going to take a moment to recognize a few things that may not put you in the holiday spirit, but will still make you feel pretty warm inside. From hilarious comedy to deep character dramas to some Epic theme park attractions, here’s what’s streaming this week.

Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks - November 17 (Peacock)

After being previously put on the release schedule for those with a Peacock subscription twice before, only to have the series pushed back (the second time due to tragedy), Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks is certainly hoping that the third time will be the charm. The series promises to be for Universal Destinations and Experiences what The Imagineering Story was for Disney Parks. A look at the history of Universal’s incredible creations, as well as a look at the newest addition, Epic Universe, and maybe, if we’re lucky, a peek at what is to come.

A Man on The Inside, Season 2 - November 20 (Netflix)

In an era where it seems that even incredibly popular streaming shows get the ax after only a single season, a problem that seems worse on Netflix than anywhere else, fans are likely very happy that A Man on the Inside, starring Ted Danson, is back for a second season, and returning less than a year after the first season debuted. I hope you didn't cancel that Netflix subscription, thinking Season 2 would take years.

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays - November 20 (Netflix)

The latest season of The Great British Baking Show is over, and while the televised comfort food that is the show may be done, it’s time for our annual holiday treat in the form of the show’s regular holiday episodes. The Christmas and New Year’s episodes are technically from last year, but if you haven’t seen them, they’re new to you.

The Family Plan 2 - November 21 (Apple TV)

The action comedy The Family Plan with Mark Wahlberg probably wouldn’t have been the sort of movie to set a massive box office record even if it had been released in theaters. That said, it was clearly a massive hit for everybody with an Apple TV subscription. It’s been less than two years since the original film’s release, and the sequel is here, which is an incredibly fast turnaround for any film.

Train Dreams - November 21 (Netflix)

This time of year, cinema fans are always on the lookout for the movies that are likely to be part of the new year’s awards conversation. Considering its strong reception and the Sundance Film Festival and the awards Train Dreams has already locked up, this movie could be there. Train Dreams stars Joel Edgerton as a man trying to help bring the railroad across America, despite the toll it takes on him and his family.

Next week is Thanksgiving, and many streaming platforms will have special programming designed to keep you indoors and watching. Get ready for The Beatles to take over Disney+, and not for the first time, alongside the beginning of the end for Stranger Things.

TV is just better when Ted Danson is on it, and we’ve thankfully had decades of experiences that can justify that belief. As such, I can’t wait for the upcoming Netflix release A Man on the Inside Season 2, which will hit the 2025 TV schedule in the near future, on November 20. The streaming giant finally unveiled the first trailer for the mystery-driven comedy, and it’s packed with fun guest stars from other small-screen favorites like NCIS, The Good Place, New Girl and more.

First and foremost, though, let’s celebrate the fact that show creator Michael Schur is giving fans a full TV season where Ted Danson gets to act opposite real-life wife Mary Steenbergen in a way that doesn’t reflect their real lives, as it went for their many Curb Your Enthusiasm appearances. Here, she'll be playing a former musician named Mona Margadoff, though further details are hard to come by.

The new season will take Danson’s wannabe spy Charles on a new undercover mission embedded within the educational institution of Wheeler College. There, he acquaints himself with a lineup of wacky new characters that will no doubt draw all kinds of suspicions before the season is through.

Let’s check out some of these new characters, such as Brad Vinick, as portrayed by NCIS and Veep vet Gary Cole.

Brad is a bazillionaire exec who donates a very large sum of money to the college, which is what sparks Charles’ involvement in the case. Cole is perfect at playing egotistical and aloof characters, and it’s all very much on display in the trailer, as well as in the still above. I do want that mini-portrait of him as show merch now.

Then we have The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine vet Jason Mantzoukas bringing his signature madcap energy to the show, and his character name is aces.

Meet Apollo Lambrakis, a charming enough contractor who has an overarching goal of authoring the mythical Great American Novel. No clue whether that ends up becoming a reality or not, but I hope he does the audiobook if so. I also hope he gets to share the screen with former B99 co-star Stephanie Beatriz.

Now let’s take a look at some of the other excellent co-stars filling out the rest of A Man on the Inside Season 2.

• Max Greenfield (New Girl, The Neighborhood) portrays Wheeler College president Jack Beinger, who is known for his donation-gathering talents
• Michaela Conlin (Bones, For All Mankind) plays economics teacher Andrea Yi, who supports the changes that the new donations will bring
• Lisa Gilroy (Jury Duty, Twisted Metal) plays Brad's new wife Kelseigh Rose, whose passion involves photography
• Sam Huntington (Being Human, Superman Returns) is a troublemaker with Wheeler's ranks as professor Max Griffin
• David Straithairn (The Bourne Legacy, Alphas) will be the head of the college's English Dept. as Dr. Cole, whose levels fame and popularity are atop those of all other faculty
• Jill Talley (SpongeBob SquarePants, Mr. Show) rocks the great character name Holly Bodgemark, a stressed out and hardworking provost
• Madison Hu (The Brothers Sun, The Boogeyman) will play Claire, a college junior who busies herself working multiple jobs in order to keep her tuition paid
• Constance Marie (George Lopez, With Love) is playing one of Julie's part-time criminal sources named Vanessa.
• Linda Park (iStar Trek: Enterprise, For All Mankind) will head up the college's fine arts department as Elizabeth Muki.

So much talent to look forward to, and not enough crimes to suspect them all of. Will we get any sob-worthy moment like Charles and Gladys’ touching scene from this lineup of talents? There's only one way to find out, and it's not by sending someone undercover into Netflix.

A Man on the Inside Season 2 will be available to stream via Netflix subscription starting on November 20. Plenty of time to buy an oversized magnifying glass and deerstalker cap.

It would seem that Netflix’s A Man on the Inside Season 2 is taking a page out of Only Murders in the Building’s playbook and absolutely stacking its ensemble of guest stars. I write that not just because the critically acclaimed Ted Danson-led comedy has cast his real-life wife as his love interest, but there’s an NCIS vet joining the cast in a very fun role, too.

Months after A Man on the Inside received its Season 2 renewal, we got some information about the new episodes’ release date, story and stars from EW. We learned the series will return on Netflix’s 2025 schedule on November 20, and we finally got to know who Danson’s actual wife, Mary Steenburgen, will be playing, and it’s his love interest! We also got some other new info, as it was announced who Gary Cole will be playing.

Alright, with that said, let’s break down what we know. In the synopsis for the upcoming season, we got a small taste of the new mystery Danson’s character Charles will be trying to solve. We know he’ll be attempting to figure out who is blackmailing the president of Wheeler College, and he’ll go undercover as a professor to try and answer questions like:

At this point, I know Gary Cole best for his work on NCIS since he took over for Mark Harmon. However, I also know him from films like Dodgeball and other TV shows like The Good Wife. Personally, I can't wait to see him play an “iconoclastic billionaire,” and I think he’ll be really funny in the role too. Honestly, the image below kind of proves that to me, and makes me very excited to see his take on this rich fella:

While that’s exciting, I think I’m even more thrilled that Danson’s wife of nearly three decades will be playing his love interest. According to the synopsis, the Book Club actress will portray a teacher who makes Charles feel “feelings he thought he’d buried after the passing of his wife.” That certainly sounds like the sparks of romance to me, especially when you read the full excerpt:

Of course, Steenburgen and Danson have worked together before. In fact, they met when he auditioned for the play Cross Creek, and their relationship began while they filmed the movie Pontiac Moon. They also played versions of themselves on Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred opposite each other in Gulliver’s Travels and It Must Be Love. So, they’re no stranger to sharing the screen; however, it’s always a dream to see them together.

Along with these two new additions, Max Greenfield, Michaela Conlin, Jason Mantzoukas, and more are joining the cast, too, meaning we’re in for one funny and lovely time when the series returns on the 2025 TV schedule. So, make sure your Netflix subscription is ready, so you can see this new mystery that features a new cast of characters unfold this fall.

Ted Danson has accumulated a lot of impressive TV credits over the years, ranging from Becker to The Good Place to CSI for a dramatic turn. He may always be best remembered for his Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning work as Sam Malone on Cheers, however, and he still has stories to tell about his time on the sitcom that ended more than thirty years before this point in the 2025 TV schedule. He recounted instances when jokes would flop on Cheers, but sometimes for a perfectly straightforward reason.

Cheers, which ran for eleven seasons on NBC from 1982 - 1993, could boast a consistently funny cast made up of Rhea Perlman, the late George Wendt, a very young Woody Harrelson, future Frasier star Kelsey Grammer, and John Ratzenberger, to name just some of Ted Danson's co-stars. Having a stacked cast didn't mean that there weren't sometimes jokes that just didn't land on set, as Danson shared with SNL vet Fred Armisen on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast:

There are perks to having a live studio audience during sitcom tapings, with many Night Court guest stars hyping that element of production as one example. Apparently, there are also downsides when it comes to those in-studio audiences not cracking up at the jokes that totally broke the actors. Fortunately, Danson's reveal that the actors could laugh at the silence means that he wasn't recounting a horror story on his own podcast. He went on:

Talk about a simple reason for why a joke wasn't landing with audience members! James Burrows was a major part of Cheers as the director of a whopping 243 of the series' 270 episodes as well as a co-creator, so it's only natural that he could connect the dots to microphones as the problem with a somber audience. Technical difficulties weren't always to blame for silence on set, however, as Danson went on to recall:

Well, eleven seasons' worth of jokes can't all rank among the funniest moments in Cheers history! The sitcom, which is available streaming in full with a Paramount+ subscription and the first four seasons via a Hulu subscription, has a lasting legacy in TV shows and pop culture, and not just because because the "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" theme song is as catchy in 2025 as it was back in the '80s and early '90s.

The show went on to launch Frasier as a spinoff, and it's possible that Ted Danson might not have landed his future lead roles if he hadn't proved himself for so long on Cheers. In fact, the relationship between Danson's Sam and Shelley Long's Diane is so iconic that I'd heard of "Sam and Diane" before I'd seen even an episode of Cheers.

You can revisit any and all episodes of Cheers streaming now, as well as hear from Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson in their Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson & Woody Harrelson (Sometimes) podcast.

It was a truly sad day when news broke that George Wendt passed away. However, it was lovely to see his Cheers co-stars, including Ted Danson and Kelsey Grammer, pay tribute to him. In that same vein, it was wonderful to hear how Jason Sudeikis, who is Wendt’s nephew, Brett Goldstein and the writers of Ted Lasso commemorated the late actor after learning about his death.

Back in March, Jason Sudeikis confirmed that Ted Lasso Season 4 was happening, and now, they’re writing the new episodes. So, while on Ted Danson’s podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name, the Roy Kent actor shared that he was with his co-star and Wendt’s nephew when news of his passing broke, saying:

Watching some of Wendt's greatest moments from one of the best sitcoms of all time is such a sweet way to remember him. Plus, considering the fact that Ted Lasso’s co-creator is directly related to the Cheers legend, it makes sense that they took a moment while writing their show to pause, remember and honor him.

As he sent his condolences to Danson, who had started the podcast by saying, “Can we not pretend that we didn’t just start a conversation about George Wendt,” Goldstein also shared his own stories about the late actor. He noted that his Ted Lasso co-star had told them tales about his uncle. However, while working on one of the best Apple TV+ shows, he also got to meet the man behind Norm, explaining:

After that, Danson opened up about processing the death of his friend, how tragic it is, as well as the importance of celebrating him and his legacy. Well, it sounds like that’s exactly what they did here as well as in the Ted Lasso writers' room.

However, Ted Lasso’s love for Wendt and Cheers goes beyond this moment. In the Season 3 finale, there’s actually a Cheers Easter egg in Mae’s pub. They included a picture of Geronimo, which was on display in the bar that Sam Malone ran. It was in the pub for Ted Lasso's entire run. However, for the finale, they moved it to a more prominent place so it was visible to viewers.

So, all around, there’s a lot of love for Wendt and Cheers among the Ted Lasso cast and crew, and Goldstein made it clear that they loved and adored him as well as appreciated his support of their show.

Overall, George Wendt’s death is tragic. However, I’m grateful that folks like Danson and Goldstein are speaking up about his kindness, skill and legacy. So, with that in mind, you can go back like the Ted Lasso writers did and watch Cheers with a Paramount+ subscription.

The world of television entertainment lost a major talent today, as George Wendt, who played Norm Peterson in all 11 seasons of Cheers (one of the best TV sitcoms of all time) died at the age of 76. Although Wendt showed off his acting skills in a variety of other projects, including Fletch and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, it’s safe to say that the public still knows him best for his six-time Emmy-nominated role. So it’s only appropriate that Ted Danson and several of his other co-stars paid tribute to the man after the news of his death was made public.

Per Wendt’s family, the actor passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday morning. Hours later, Variety received statements from Danson, John Ratzenberger and Rhea Perlman about their late co-star. Danson, who played Sam Malone, owner of the Cheers bar and its main bartender, had this to say about Wendt:

In addition to his wife and their three children, George Wendt is also survived by his nephew Saturday Night Live alum and Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis, the son of his sister Kathryn. Wendt made his professional acting debut in 1978 with an uncredited role in the movie A Wedding. Following a handful of other film appearances and guest spots on TV shows like Soap, Taxi and M*A*S*H, he was cast as a series regular in Cheers (which is packed with funny moments) alongside Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, Nicholas Colasanto and Shelley Long. The beloved sitcom can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.

John Ratzenberger was also present in Cheers starting from the first season, although he initially recurred as Cliff Clavin, and then was upgraded to the main cast in Season 2. Ratzenberger (who recently shared how a fan once showed up to a Cheers taping with a samurai sword) honored George Wendt as follows:

Ratzenberger also described Wendt as a “true craftsman — humble, hilarious and full of heart,” and that he’ll miss their “conversations and the quiet moments of friendship that meant the most.” Finally, Rhea Perlman, who played wisecracking waitress Carla Tortelli on Cheers, honored Wendt with these words:

George Wendt, Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman were the only actors to appear on every episode of Cheers. After the show ended in 1993, Wendt reprised Norm for an episode of Frasier, as well as voiced the character for amusing appearances in The Simpsons and Family Guy. Wendt’s final film and TV appearances included 2022’s Christmas with the Campbells, a 2019 guest spot in The Goldbergs, and performing as a contestant in The Masked Singer in 2023.

We here at CinemaBlend offer our condolences to George Wendt’s family and friends during this difficult time. Amidst his other work, he’ll always be known as being one of the key reasons for why Cheers was so successful.

As one of the best TV sitcoms of all time, Cheers’ legacy continues to reign supreme, and a lot of that is due to the Boston bar’s cast of characters. ​And, of course, there’s no reminiscing about the cast without mention of Ted Danson or Woody Harrelson. On that note, when the latter joined the cast in Season 4, the rest of the actors, including Danson, went from competing against to pranking their newest member. Now, The Good Place actor has revealed why their plans pivoted from challenging Harrelson to regularly trying to pull a fast one on him.

The longtime friends and past peers are reliving the best of Cheers with their popular podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name. During an interview with director James Burrow, he praised what a great addition Harrelson was to the iconic series. Danson quickly agreed, noting that it was his youthful energy that riled up the rest of his male co-stars. While that annoyed them at first, they eventually came to terms with it, as Danson explained:

The onboarding of Woody Harrelson eliciting this dynamic from the 30-something Ted Danson and company makes complete sense. As he describes, the realization of knowing you’re no longer in your 20s can make you do wild things, especially when there is someone that age in front of your face. But when no one could outdo that newcomer, the cast of Cheers got creative with how they razzed him.

As mentioned, the men pivoted to pulling pranks on the actor who played Woody Boyd. Regardless of when a gag was hatched, it was always saved for the 25-year-old. And though it all sounds like chaos on set, Danson recalled loving the fun of it all, and it was thanks to his podcast co-host:

While the conversation of their attempted Harrelson antics isn’t anything new, it’s great to know the countless behind-the-scenes bits were all good-spirited and birthed an undeniable kinship between the pals. Of course, the feeling shone through the rest of the cast of lovable drinking buddies and workers, too. Plus, this chemistry was one of the things that was undeniable to audiences and fans.

The silly signature and magnetic styles of these actors still radiate through their individual careers, too, including Harrelson's many films and Danson's hit A Man on the Inside, which was renewed for Season 2 and is available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

I'd like to think these antics behind the camera between Danson, Harrelson and co. aided the longevity of Cheers’ success. At the very least, it makes it clear that these folks had a grand time working together for so long. Now, learning about the competitive prank pipeline tidbits makes me want to use my Paramount+ subscription to commit to a rewatch and return to the bar where everybody knows your name.

Cheers was one of the world’s most popular TV show when it aired from 1982-1993, and it still ranks as one of the best sitcoms of all time. But a series having such wide appeal can also lead to some strange incidents for the main cast. For Cheers, one of those moments came when a fan showed up to an episode taping with a samurai sword and an unnerving focus on Shelley Long and Ted Danson.

John Ratzenberger, who played Cliff Clavin for the entirety of Cheers’ run, recounted this story while appearing on Still Here Hollywood Podcast w/ Steve Kmetko. He was the one who noticed that something was off about this person in the audience, explaining:

Yeah, I can understand why this would have made Ratzenberger suspicious. The actor, who’s also voiced many Pixar characters, didn’t specify when this weird incident took place, although since Shelley Long was involved, that places it sometime during Cheers’ first five seasons, when she was a series regular. The warning bells going off in Ratzenberger’s head were strong enough for him to let someone know, which led to the following:

I really need to know the thought process behind this Cheers fan deciding to put Diane Chambers and Sam Malone performers’ names on a samurai sword, and then bring the blade to an episode taping. What did he think was going to happen? That they would be excited to see the sword and heap praises upon him? I also can’t help but think of that funny Step Brothers scene (though not the funniest scene in the movie) when Will Ferrell’s Brennan tells John C. Reilly’s Dale that he got his samurai sword autographed by Randy Jackson when he was at the mall.

If there’s a lesson to be learned from this, it’s that it’s not a good idea to express your enthusiasm for a movie or TV actor by putting their name on a weapon. It sends the wrong message. And if you’re like me, hearing this story will make you want to revisit Cheers, which can be streamed Paramount+ subscription.

Before Kelsey Grammer starred as Dr. Frasier Crane on the aptly-titled Frasier for 11 seasons, he shined as the character for eight seasons on Cheers, with both those shows, as well as the Frasier revival, being available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. While Cheers was one of the most popular TV shows of its day and still ranks as one of the best sitcoms of all time, that doesn’t mean everything was hunky dory behind the scenes. It turns out that Grammer had a feud going with Cheers co-star Ted Danson for 30 years that was specifically tied to the show.

Grammer and Danson had previously addressed how they hadn’t spoken to each other in 30 years due an argument, but the former elaborated on what specifically happened between them while being interviewed by The New York Post. Per the Frasier actor, it wasn’t so much an argument as Danson getting annoyed with how Grammer was conducting himself on set:

Ted Danson starred for the entirety of Cheers as lead character Sam Malone, a former baseball player who ran the same-named bar in Boston, Massachusetts. Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist, was a recurring character in Seasons 3 and 4, and then Kelsey Grammer was upgraded to the main cast in Season 5, a position he held until the show concluded in 1993. So he and Danson spent a lot of time together, but it got to a point where Grammer’s drinking became too much for Danson because of how it was affecting the shooting of Cheers week to week. Grammer continued:

Following Cheers’ conclusion, Ted Danson reprised Sam Malone in a 1995 episode of Frasier, but it wasn’t until last October that the two men had a proper reunion. At that time, Danson lamented missing out on “the last 30 years of Kelsey Grammer” and decided to “apologize” for how he “got stuck a little bit” with his co-star and recalled “a memory of getting angry” at him. Grammer took everything Danson had to say in stride and fondly remembered a moment when the fellow Cheers actor approached him when he turned 40 and said that meant he was “finally worth having a conversation with.”

It’s good to hear Kelsey Grammer and Ted Danson are on much better terms with one another these days. Unfortunately, because the Frasier revival was cancelled after two seasons, Sam and Frasier won’t be reuniting on our small screens unless CBS Studios finds the show another home.

Dick Van Dyke is a true living legend. He's been entertaining people for three-quarters of a century, and considering the man is 99 years old, we’re all just lucky he’s still living. Based on Van Dyke’s current health and vitality, it seems quite likely that he’ll make it the remaining 11 months between now and turning 100 years old. Which, according to him, isn’t due to anything particularly special, just old-fashioned exercise.

The actor and his wife Arlene Silver recently appeared on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast hosted by Ted Danson and his wife, Mary Steenburgen. In addition to talking about how Van Dyke and his wife met, they also discuss the actor’s age, which even Van Dyke himself seems shocked to have reached, saying simply…

Barring some breakthrough in medicine, most of us probably won’t make it quite as long as Dick Van Dyke has, so it’s not that surprising that even he is having trouble believing he’s made it this far. Still, Van Dyke says that he just thinks the reason he’s made it so long while others haven’t is that he exercises more than others. He explained…

However, it has to be said that the owner of the worst English accent in the history of film doesn’t just exercise. Apparently Ted Danson used to frequent the same gym as Van Dyke, and when he saw the Mary Poppins star working out, he didn’t simply lift weights or use the different machines, Danson said…

We know that Dick Van Dyke can still dance. His cameo appearance in Mary Poppins Returns back in 2018 when he would have been a youthful 91 years old included a fantastic dance sequence alongside a speech that brought the cast and crew to tears.

Van Dyke now apparently goes to a different gym, a newer place closer to his home, but he’s still there three times a week. While he may have reduced the impact of the kind of workout he does, he’s still doing the work. Van Dyke continued…

If exercise really is all he’s been doing to stay in such great shape, it’s something we could all do, and something I should probably start doing.

It’s been eleven years since Seth Meyers married Alexi Ashe. The gorgeous wedding was widely covered by the press at the time, but more than a decade later, it’s one of the speeches that people are still talking about. Comedian Will Forte stood up during the rehearsal dinner and fired off a six minute toast as Hamilton Whiteman, an obscure SNL character that’s “a neo-Nazi basically.” By all accounts, it went over well with some in the audience and not so well with others.

Among those it went over very well with were Ted Danson and Bill Hader. The two could not stop laughing as they reminisced about the speech on the Cheers star’s podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name. Danson said the bride’s family was “not amused” and Hader said he was laughing so hard you can hear him in the background of the wedding video losing his mind. Here’s a portion of Hader’s thoughts below…

A video clip of Danson and Hader talking about the speech has been widely shared on social media recently, but it’s not the only time the speech has been talked about in public. Meyers once had Forte on Late Night With Seth Meyers to talk about it, and they even showed a clip from the speech, which Meyers said was the only thirty seconds appropriate to air on network television.

Fortunately, Meyers was clearly amused by the whole thing, as there’s probably some expectation you’re gonna get weirdness if you invite Will Forte to your wedding. You can watch a clip of the two of them talking about it, as well as those thirty seconds from the actual wedding below…

The speech came up on the podcast because Danson and Hader were initially having a more general conversation about Forte. More specifically, they were talking about how he always wanted to do work that he liked and was more concerned about doing things that he considered good versus things the audience liked. Hader said it was a great lesson to see someone not be worried about outcome and instead focus on the process and what they were trying to say.

That really tracks with Forte, whose outrageous personal life stories and work tend to cover unusual ground. Something like MacGruber, especially the movie and TV show, were never going to hit with a wide audience (which is probably why Pepsi was hesitant to partner). The humor is really specific and creatively daring, and there’s nothing about it designed for broad appeal. You could say the same about a lot of Forte’s sketches on SNL too like say, Jeff Montgomery, a local man dressed as a sex offender on Halloween who may or may not actually be a sex offender or Tim Calhoun, a political candidate who gives speeches in an awkward tone of voice and with over the top political mannerisms.

Fortunately, there are plenty of fans out there who really get what Forte is trying to do and appreciate his humor, and there are also plenty of his fellow comedians who are on the same wavelength. After Forte’s big speech at the wedding, he was approached by his SNL co-star Andy Samberg who asked him to give a toast in character at his wedding too. Fingers crossed we get more info on what happened there someday.

There is so much to watch on television these days. Too much, when you factor in all of the great streaming options available with a Netflix subscription, the Marvel and Star Wars options with your Disney+ sub, or all the great action and sci-fi that’s at your fingertips thanks to Amazon Prime Video. Because the streaming landscape can be a sea of choice, anytime I get a recommendation from someone I trust, I tend to swim towards it. And more than enough people had recommended the great A Man On The Inside, available through Netflix. I tried it. I absolutely adored it. And today, Netflix gave me the best news possible.

Despite the fact that A Man On The Inside ended with a very deliberate tease for a second season, Netflix held off on renewing the comedy, for some odd reason. Until this morning. It has been reported that A Man on the Inside Season 2 will arrive on the streaming service in 2025. The show’s creator and executive produce Michael Schur said in a statement:

Now that you have good reason to dive into A Man On The Inside Season 1 (in preparation for the next story), let me explain to you why I think this is the best new show available, and a complete and total delight.

Ted Danson is a consummate pro who has mastered the sitcom format.

Obviously, we know Ted Danson from numerous sitcoms over the years, starting with Cheers and following all the way up to A Good Place, which he made with A Man On The Inside creator Michael Schur. And watching Danson in A Man On The Inside makes it abundantly clear how much this gifted actor understands the ins and outs of the 26-minute sitcom. He knows when to bring the humor, and he knows when it’s time to push the right emotional buttons. Danson rarely gives too much, or too little. And his restraint allows Schur and his writers the freedom to take the show to unexpected but logical places, as dictated by the story.

Season 1 of A Man on the Inside begins as a whodunit mystery involving stolen jewelry in a retirement home. But it gradually becomes a devastatingly hornets conversation about loneliness and the elderly. And Danson keeps both subjects flowing beautifully. He really is a pro’s pro, and I’m thrilled he’ll get to keep doing it in A Man on the Inside Season 2.

The next season can (and should) be something totally different.

The first season of A Man on the Inside found Ted Danson’s character, Charles, working for a private investigator named Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada). Charles is a widower who agreed to pose as a retiree so he could investigate a series of thefts that were happening inside of the Pacific View Retirement Community in San Francisco. Naturally, Charles grew close to the residents, specifically the magnificent Stephen McKinley Henderson, a lonely man named Calbert who enjoyed playing backgammon.

As Season 1 drew to a close, Julie was offered another case. We learn nothing about it, though she begrudgingly realizes that the ideal candidate to help her solve this next case is Charles. He accepts, but we don’t know what his case is.

My hope is that A Man on the Inside Season 2 is something drastically different than the retirement community. There are several other aspects of Charles that make him a unique lead. He was a professor of architecture. He has a daughter and three hilarious grandchildren. There are really good situations that one can drop Charles into, and still be amusing, emotional, and fun. That’s not to say we can’t bring Stephen McKinley Henderson back. Charles and Calbert undercover makes me laugh just typing that. Figure out some way for the characters of Season 1 to play along, when it’s appropriate.

I think the formula of this show is ripe for multiple seasons of exploration. And I can’t wait to see where Julie takes Charles next, because Danson is delightful in the role, and Michael Schur knows exactly how to write to his actors’ strengths. Bring on A Man on the Inside Season 2. Bring our favorite spy back in from the cold.

Ever since Ted Danson's A Man on the Inside premiered on the 2024 TV schedule it's been a hit among fans who streamed it with a Netflix subscription and critics. However, despite the comedy from Michael Schur crushing on Rotten Tomatoes and trending on the streamer, Netflix hasn't renewed it yet. However, while there's still no word on Season 2, luckily, we do have some good news.

Schur previously told CinemaBlend that while a second season of A Man on the Inside wasn’t set in stone yet, they “always wanted it to be a show that lasted many seasons.” Additionally, critics have been calling the Ted Danson-led comedy “perfect television,” so it feels like a shoo-in for a renewal. Thankfully, it seems like the comedy's star thinks that too, as he told THR that news about Season 2 should be coming soon:

It should be pointed out that Netflix is notorious for canceling shows after one season, regardless of how well it does. So, while it seems like the streamer knows that A Man on the Inside deserves more seasons, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen.

However, it's comforting to know that both Danson and Schur are optimistic about another season happening. A Man on the Inside only premiered on November 21, so we're still in the normal period of waiting for a greenlight on another season. Plus, Schur has no plans to quit, as he said:

As for when Netflix could eventually announce news of the renewal, it’s unknown.

However, it's worth knowing that Schur has created or co-created quite a few classic long-running comedies, like The Good Place (which also starred Ted Danson), Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Office. So, the guy knows how to craft a show that's built to last. Plus, he has made it as clear as day that he wants to work on A Man on the Inside for as long as Netflix will let him:

Between it's heartfelt scenes, clever jokes and callbacks (like the one to The Good Place), and a wonderful main character who is a retiree-turned-amateur private investigator, it feels like this show is built to last. So, here's hoping it does.

According to Danson and Schur, it seems like it should only be a matter of time before Netflix makes the official announcement about their show's future. So, while we wait for that and hope Season 2 of A Man on the Inside winds up on the 2025 TV schedule, you can check out Netflix’s 2024 schedule to see what's premiering during the final weeks of the year.

Ted Danson’s first foray into heading up an exclusive streaming series has unsurprisingly been just as successful and well-received as most of the actor’s other big shows. Audiences love A Man on the Inside, and the most heartstring-tugging comedy on the 2024 TV schedule has also been a winner with critics, as it reconnected Danson with The Good Place creator Michael Schur and featured several on-screen reunions. But arguably the biggest cameo was the easiest one to miss, involving both Kristen Bell and a striped sweater.

The A+ Callback To Kristen Bell's Good Place Character

To say it right up top, this cameo happens in the Season 1 finale of A Man on the Inside, but I won't delve into any plot-related spoilers here, since I'm sure some readers may want to know about the appearance without learning the conclusion.

Near the end of the episode, and of the season as a whole, Danson's character Charles is giving a lecture to a class whose professor is played by The Good Place's D'Arcy Carden. It was obviously an applause-worthy moment on its own, considering how many scenes they shared together as Michael. and Janet, respectively.

Charles' lecture was shown from the students' seats a few times, which is where viewers could see a blond female wearing a sweater with colorful stripes encircling the top.

Though the woman is never seen, just the back of her brought to mind The Good Place's excellent series finale, since it's the same motherforking top that Kristen Bell's Eleanor wore in the episode, as seen below. (Fans can currently stream both Good Place and Man on the Inside with a Netflix subscription.)

Obviously we can't start up any wild fan theories here, since Eleanor was dead as soon as The Good Place started, and almost definitely would not have gone to any lectures like the one Charles was giving even when she was alive. And so the explanation here is simply were at one point two people in this universe (at least) who look exactly like Kristen Bell/Eleanor, and they both owned the same striped-up-top sweater.

D'Arcy Carden Confirmed It Really Was Kristen Bell

Obviously, it would have been easy for Michael Schur & Co. to just have an anonymous actress standing during the scene while wearing that signature sweater. But that kind of casting is for amateurs, not someone who crafts things as lovingly as Schur.

D'Arcy Carden took to Instagram with a post confirming that was indeed Kristen Bell's back that was turned to viewers, with fellowing Good Place vet Mark Evan Jacobs also popping in for the group shot.

While it's unlikely fans will ever get any kind of official follow-ups from the after-world of The Good Place, we can possibly rest assured — or perhaps rest a-Schur-ed — that its creator will keep giving us winks, nods, and split-second cameos for the foreseeable future. Now let's get Season 2 in motion, what's say?

And while I'm throwing out random requests, here's hoping Ted Danson gets to make a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in the second season of Kristen Bell's Netflix series Nobody Wants This.

The 2024 TV schedule may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of quality shows. Netflix subscription holders, in particular, have been treated to some sweet originals as of late. One such title is the comedy series A Man on the Inside, which is headlined by fan-favorite actor Ted Danson. The comedy not only crushed on the mega streamer, but it has also nabbed a Rotten Tomatoes score that exceeds 90%. However, what really impresses me is the audience score on that same site.

Created by The Good Place’s Michael Schur, this funny new series currently holds a 97% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. To say that’s impressive would be an understatement, and that goes for any big or small-screen title that’s been tabulated on the site. Of course, what the pundits have to say is just half the battle when it comes to RT. There’s also the audience rating and, when it comes to Schur’s new show, it now has a 94% rating in that regard.

You may be wondering why I find the latter metric to be a bit more impressive than the former. The critics’ opinions are definitely important but, for a number of titles, it can be difficult to win over general audiences. Let’s be real: people can be hard on shows, so it’s surely a feat whenever one manages to cut through and find a place in people’s hearts (and streaming queues). Honestly, given how popular this new comedy show seems to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if that audience score rises.

A Man on the Inside is based on The Mole Agent – a 2020-released documentary that was helmed by Maite Alberdi. The show follows Ted Danson’s Charles Nieuwendyk, a widower and retired professor who lands a job as an investigative assistant. With that, Charles is tasked with going undercover at a retirement home and locating a ruby necklace. His job becomes challenging, however, when begins forming bonds with some of the residents there. The ultimate result is a funny and heartfelt romp that may leave you sobbing.

It really can’t be understated just how much critics are loving Man on the Inside, too. The reviews have been absolutely sensational thus far. In fact, some pundits even went as far as to call it “perfect television.” Needless to say, that’s incredibly high praise and, quite frankly, you love to see a show getting such love.

Of course, given all of this success, one now has to wonder whether a second season might be in the cards. Mike Schur discussed a potential Season 2 with CinemaBlend just recently, and it would seem that he’s more than ready to make more episodes if called upon to do so. Additionally, Schur teased, at the time, that it wouldn’t be too long before he and his team received word on a renewal. When we’ll hear an answer one way or another remains to be seen.

Honestly, it would be very surprising if the Ted Danson-led show didn’t receive a second-season pickup, especially since it was also the No. 1 trending Netflix show for a time and currently sits in the No. 4 spot. Those facts paired with the RT ratings would seem to help the series’ chances of returning. Time will tell but, at the very least, Danson, Mike Schur and their collaborators can take comfort in knowing that they’ve created something that’s striking a chord with an audience.

You can stream A Man on the Inside now on Netflix. And, coincidentally, anyone who wants to see another quality show that’s a result of a Danson/Schur team-up can also stream The Good Place on that same streaming service.

Below are spoilers for the first few episodes of A Man on the Inside on Netflix. If you still need to catch up with the series, you can check out all eight episodes with a Netflix subscription right now.

The 2024 Netflix schedule has gifted us plenty of new shows this year, but one of my personal favorites has been A Man on the Inside, the latest series from Michael Schur, and one particular scene between star Ted Danson and co-star Susan Ruttan had me sobbing for several minutes . Thankfully, I was able to speak to Danson, who told me the heartfelt story behind that moment in Episode 5

A Man on the Inside is based on the documentary The Mole Agent and follows an elderly man who takes on an investigative job to find out who stole a priceless necklace in a retirement community. While there, he meets Gladys, one of the residents who is suffering from early dementia and slowly regressing more with each passing day.

In Episode 5 of the series, Charles and Gladys have several scenes together, which is poignant since Charles' wife passed from the same disease. When I had the chance to speak to Danson about this episode and the story behind filming these scenes and if he was prepared for something like this, he openly admitted that he had experience with a family member who suffered the same disease:

He went on to tell me that while he did have that experience, it was working with Rattan that made that episode all the more remarkable, especially the scene where Gladys becomes frightened because she can't recall where she is:

A Man on the Inside is a certified win for Schur and Danson, and it's currently topping Netflix's TV charts. The creator himself has said how passionate he is about A Man on the Inside; they would love to do a Season 2 that furthers Charles' story of being the ultimate (if not a bit clumsy) spy.

Really, from speaking with Danson, the show isn't just about espionage (even if it is one of the best spy TV shows right now) or the thrill of it – it's about finding family when it feels like you've lost so much in your life, which is the beauty of the community at the retirement home Charles stakes out in. Gladys was just one of those many people that made a lasting impact on the character, and on me and the audience too.

Since Charles will most likely be in a new place on a new mission, I doubt we will see Gladys again—it won't be like The Good Place cast, where we see the same people every season. Even so, I'm okay with that.

Hearing the story behind Danson and Ruttan's filming made those scenes that much more special, and it just made me love the show even more, and I'm exciting for any emotional directions it takes me in next.

Ted Danson has been a part of several of the best sitcoms of all time over the decades as the star of Cheers and The Good Place and a recurring role on Curb Your Enthusiasm. For his latest project, he’ll incorporate a true story into those laughs with A Man on the Inside, a Netflix new release that’s available to stream now. The series is based on the Oscar-nominated documentary The Mole Agent, and critics are weighing in after watching the eight-episode show ahead of its release.

A Man on the Inside centers around Charles (Ted Danson), a widower who is hired to go undercover at a retirement home to investigate some possible wrongdoings. Coming from Michael Schur, the creator of gems like The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Amber Dowling of The Wrap says fans may not be expecting how well the show sits in its moments of silence and tackles life’s biggest questions. Danson is more than up to the task, the critic says, writing:

Meredith Hobbs Coons of AV Club grades the upcoming 2024 TV series a B, calling it a sweet show that emphasizes its heart more than its punchlines. With a stellar cast to tell these emotional stories, A Man on the Inside is a winner that’s bound to make you cry. The critic continues:

Aramide Tinubu of Variety agrees that Ted Danson is delightful in the new comedy, calling AMOTI a “charming and hilarious whodunit that examines grief, love and the excitement of new beginnings from the perspective of seniors.” More from Tinubu:

Daniel Fienberg of THR says whether you’re laughing or crying at A Man on the Inside, the emotion feels earned, with its great cast expertly walking the line between humor and heart while handling issues of aging, dementia and illness with seriousness and respect. Fienberg writes:

A Man on the Inside sounds like another win for Ted Danson, though some may not have expected a project between him and creator Mike Schur to carry such emotion, especially in just eight 30-minute episodes. If these reviews have inspired you to check this show out, the entire first season is available to stream now with a Netflix subscription.

Over 30 years after its 11-season run came to an end, Cheers is still considered to be one of the best sitcoms of all time. The TV show following the regulars at the title bar was anchored by Ted Danson’s Sam Malone, and in Season 3, Cheers introduced Kelsey Grammer’s Dr. Frasier Crane, who would go on to lead his own successful 11-season show and is now reprising his beloved character on the Paramount+ subscription-exclusive Frasier revival. However, just because Sam and Frasier were on friendly terms with each other on Cheers (most of that time) doesn’t mean that Danson and Grammer always were. In fact, the former recently apologized to the latter for an argument that happened decades ago.

Danson and Woody Harrelson, who played Woody Boyd on Cheers, host the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast together, and their latest episode saw them catching up with Grammer. During the trio’s conversation, Danson admitted that he “got stuck a little bit” with Grammer during the Cheers years, as he had “a memory of getting angry” at the Frasier actor once. After Grammer noted that he knew what Danson was talking about, The Good Place alum continued:

Ted Danson and Kelsey Grammer didn’t provide specific details about what prompted this argument, but all these years later, Danson felt it necessary to take responsibility for what he did. Considering that Danson reprised Sam Malone in an episode of the original Frasier, evidently whatever unfolded wasn’t bad enough that the two couldn’t at least work together post-Cheers, but was nonetheless bad enough that Danson felt he missed out on a lot of quality time with his former co-star. Still, it sounds like the two men have been on good terms for a while now, and Grammer had this to say after Danson apologized:

Hopefully Danson and Grammer being so cozy with each others bodes well for the chances of then collaborating on screen together. After all, the new Frasier is set in Boston, Massachusetts, and while it’s already been clarified that there are no plans to revisit the Cheers bar on the show, that doesn’t Frasier Crane can’t reunite with some people the days before he moved out to Seattle. Kelsey Grammer has specifically expressed interest in having Ted Danson and Shelly Long, who played Diane Chambers, come back, and since the Frasier showrunners told me they have “a few toeholds” into Cheers-related stories, maybe that’s something we can look forward to in a potential Season 3.

For now, you can revisit Cheers and the original Frasier, and keep up with the current Frasier, on Paramount+, with the latter releasing new episodes Thursdays on the 2024 TV schedule.

Ted Danson has never been one to shy away from being humorously candid on-screen and off. With characters like Sam Malone from Cheers and Frasier to Michael in The Good Place, he’s always ready to bring something new to the table. So when you think about it, there’s no surprise he revealed recently that an A-list co-star's "[vegan] farts" used to clear a scene.

Simu Liu was interviewed by the Cheers alum along with Woody Harrelson, on their aptly named podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name. The trio discussed Liu and Harrelson’s new movie Last Breath which you can find on our 2025 Movie Release schedule.

Liu shared some details of the various levels of intensive training the two went through in prepping for the film, including what to do if the equipment stopped working while underwater. After marveling at the commitment of the other two, Danson continued to ask about other stages they worked on within the film. He then injected an acrid anecdote that involved Harrelson:

Leave it to Sam ‘Mayday’ Malone to resurface some interesting tidbits about Woody Boyd and share some insight into their past relationship. The story gave the podcasters and Liu a good laugh, and a slight insight into Harrelson’s habits today–which Liu attests sound better than they did. If you’re interested in heading back to or visiting the bar where everybody knows your name, you can stream Cheers if you have a Hulu subscription or Paramount+ subscription.

For those interested in current watches with Danson, keep an eye out for Michael Schur’s A Man on the Inside with our 2024 TV Schedule coming to Netflix in November. Catch some big hitters like Bored to Death or The Good Place available with multiple streaming platforms if you have subscriptions.

Woody Harrelson fans probably already know about his 2024 films Suncoast (available to stream with a Hulu subscription or Disney+ subscription) and Fly Me to the Moon (available to rent on streaming services), both of which are out. This coming year will bring a lot more projects for the Zombieland alum, including Last Breath.

If you can’t wait for the Last Breath, you can catch Liu in multiple television and movies in 2024 like Jackpot! and Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, with more on the way in 2025. He’s continued to grow exponentially in his career, spanning just over a decade. We can’t wait to see where it heads for him, maybe something with Danson?

It’s good to know that Harrelson’s flatulence hasn’t been anyone's "last breath" and all are alive to tell the tale. We look forward to the more candid moments between the two podcasters and the deep sea film that lies ahead.

When you picture the cast of one of the best sitcoms of all time, Cheers, you likely see Woody Harrelson in the group. He’s such an indelible part of the Cheers cast, a series that is still frequently referenced in other shows, that it’s easy to forget that he joined the series mid-way through its run during a major cast shake-up. It turns out that the core cast, including Ted Danson, decided to have a bit of fun with their new, much younger, castmate, which went very badly for all of them.

Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson both appear in a new episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast, where The Good Place actor reveals that the rest of the cast, who were all much older, wanted to show the new kid who was boss. They thought they would beat him at sports, but Harrelson showed them quickly that that wasn’t going to work for them. Danson explained:

Woody Harrelson would, of course, go on to star in the movie White Men Can’t Jump with Wesley Snipes, which is all about basketball. But Cheers was the actor’s first major role, one Harrelson has said he didn't really want, and so nobody knew anything about him, including that he was quite good at the game.

The image of Pixar stalwart John Ratzenberger and Woody Harrelson leg wrestling is hilarious, as is the image of Woody beating the guy, which he apparently did quite easily.

The Cheers crew didn’t stop there, however. They tried even more ways to beat the kid and even tried to outthink him when they realized they were bested physically, but that didn’t work either. Danson continued:

It sounds like the “not hazing” of Woody Harrelson went on for some time in the form of pranks. At some point, however, he became part of the team. Harrelson and Danson are clearly friends now, having a blast together on the podcast, laughing at the story. Of course, it’s easy for Harrelson to enjoy the story, he won.

To go back and watch these two legends on Cheers, you can stream it with a Paramount+ subscription.

Don’t get me wrong, the Only Murders in the Building Season 4 cast is truly stacked! Between Eugene Levy reuniting with Steve Martin and Martin Short, Meryl Streep returning, Molly Shannon joining the ensemble and so much more, this star-studded cast is about to kill it (pun intended). However, I think there’s one comedy legend the show’s missing, and to whoever casts OMITB I hope you're listening, because I desperately need you to get Ted Danson on this show.

Now, I realize this chasting choice feels random and out of left field, but it actually makes perfect sense. Last season Only Murders cast theater vets in tons of roles, and this season they’ve got comedy legends filling the parts of the ensemble, with the likes of Levy, Shannon, Zach Galifianakis and Kumail Nanjiani. This leads me to my point regarding Only Murders in the Building Season 4. If you are going to cast all these comedically gifted folks, why not add sitcom legend Ted Danson into the mix? Not only would he generally be a great fit for this show, but I have also cooked up a fabulous way for him to be involved. So, welcome to my Ted Talk.

Ted Danson Is A Comedy Darling, And He’d Fit Into This Cast Perfectly

Along with his best-known roles in Cheers and The Good Place, Ted Danson has also been part of the ensembles for CSI, Fargo, Becker and Damages (among many others). He’s worked with everyone from Rhea Perlman to Laurence Fishburne to Kristen Bell, and over the course of his wildly successful career, he’s proven that he can take on any role with any cast and kill it.

However, considering the silly goofy nature of beloved comedies like Cheers and The Good Place, it’s clear to me that he’d fit in perfectly with the cast of Only Murders in the Building. 

On top of all that, Danson being in Only Murders would serve as a reunion, because he worked with Martin Short on Damages. Already the Season 4 cast features folks the leading actors have worked with before, like Eugene Levy. So, I can’t help but continuously think about how the Cheers star would fit in perfectly on one of Hulu’s best shows, and after you hear my idea for who he could play, I think you’ll agree with me.

I Have A Great Idea For Who Ted Danson Could Play In Only Murders In The Building

OK, so, ever since the Season 3 finale of Only Murders when we learned about the murder of Jane Lynch’s Sass, I’ve been thinking about the cast of characters that could be involved in her mystery. We know the trio is going to Los Angeles for part of the season, and since Sass was Charles’ stunt double on Brazzos, I can’t help but think that we’ll meet some other people who worked on the procedural. 

Enter Ted Danson.

This hilarious and ongoing gag that Jane Lynch is Steve Martin’s stunt double is one of my favorite jokes on Only Murders. So, why not add another tall person with white hair, glasses and a quick wit into the mix? Since Charles worked on the show for so long, and I presume there was a lot of action required in the series, it seems logical that he’d have more than one stunt double. Ted Danson would be a perfect fit for this role!

Honestly, he’d be great as any character though, especially if they can relate it to the made-up Brazzos as well as the actor’s legendary real-life television career. If this stunt double idea isn’t working, then maybe he could do a cameo like Matthew Broderick and Sting did, or he could play a high-powered producer, or he could just play another guy in the building.

Frankly, while I have my dreams about how he could be involved, when it comes down to it, I really just think Ted Danson would be brilliant in Only Murders in the Building. So, casting people, if you are reading this, please consider my plea. I know the comedy is in production and expected to premiere on the 2024 TV schedule. However, I can’t help but hope that somehow, someway Ted Danson ends up in the fourth season of this beloved Hulu hit. 

Many Hollywood stars don't actually live in California these days. While some of the stars on this list might have a home in LA, they certainly seem to prefer to spend their off time very far away from the glitz and the glamour. Here are just some of the many stars that live outside of the Golden State. 

Nicole Kidman - Nashville

Nicole Kidman and her husband (and fellow Aussie) Keith Urban have quite a few homes around the world, including LA and their native Australia, but it's the greater Nashville area that they call home most of the time. 

Meryl Streep - Connecticut

21-time Oscar nominee Meryl Streep was born in New Jersey, went to school at Vassar and Yale, and certainly strikes me as an east coast type of person. While she's lived in LA at times throughout her career, it's Connecticut that she's called home for most of her adult life. She's lived in Salisbury for decades now. 

John Goodman - New Orleans

John Goodman spent years living in LA, but in the '90s he'd had enough of California and he and his Louisiana-born wife made a choice between his hometown of St. Louis, and her home state. They moved to New Orleans, where they've been ever since. 

Matthew McConaughey - Austin

You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the boy. Matthew McConaughey was born in Uvalde, TX, went to school in Austin, and has long lived on a ranch near the Texas state capital and getting fed up with the paparazzi in Malibu.

Bill Murray - Charleston, SC

Bill Murray has lived all over the place, LA, NYC, and Chicago... but he's a known fixture around Charleston, South Carolina and even owns his own restaurant in town called Harold's Cabin. He's also invested in the Charleston minor league baseball team. 

Harrison Ford - Jackson Hole, WY

Harrison Ford moved to LA in the '60s to follow his acting dreams, but once he hit it big, he bailed out. While he does own a home in Brentwood, he spends most of his time at his 800-acre ranch outside Jackson Hole, WY. The ranch has been his primary residence since the 1980s and it seems he prefers to call that home. 

Demi Moore - Idaho

When Covid hit in early 2020, Demi Moore and her daughters holed up together in her longtime house in Sun Valley, Idaho. They were soon joined by her ex-husband and father to her daughters, Bruce Willis. Eventually, Willis' current wife Emma Heming, and her child with Willis also joined the big happy family. Moore has lived in Sun Valley for years and it's often featured on her Instagram page.

Jeff Daniels - Chelsea, MI

Jeff Daniels grew up in the small town of Chelsea, Michigan and as soon as he could after finding success in Hollywood, he moved back. He's a true small-town kind of guy and it makes perfect sense. While he makes his money in Hollywood, his heart is always in Michigan. 

Chris Rock - New Jersey

Chris Rock has always been an East Coast guy. Though he was born in South Carolina, his family moved to Brooklyn when he was a baby. He grew up in Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy. He started his comedy career in New York City, and for a couple of decades has lived in Alpine, New Jersey.

John Travolta - Ocala, FL

John Travolta loves to fly and is a first-class plane spotter. As such, he seems to have found the perfect place to live. The Pulp Fiction star has called Ocala, FL home for decades now. While that might sound odd, it's not when you find out his house backs up to an actual airport, so he can park his planes right at home. Sounds pretty awesome. 

Tom Cruise - Clearwater, FL

Superstar Tom Cruise actually has houses all over the world. LA and London, for starters. The most surprising place he's owns property though has to be Clearwater, FL. Cruise has what's described in the Tampa newspaper as a "sprawling penthouse" just blocks from the headquarters of the Church of Scientology, to which he has long been an outspoken member, so it makes sense. 

Taylor Swift - Nashville

Music star Taylor Swift grew up in Pennsylvania and Nashville and still has a home in the latter, where she seems to spend a lot of her time when she's not on the road. In fact, she has homes all over the place, including LA, Rhode Island, and New York City. 

Chris Evans

Chris Evans grew up just outside of Boston in the suburb of Sudbury, MA. Even though he's become one of the biggest stars in the world, he's stayed close to home. He and his new bride live nearby where he grew up in Massachusetts, after getting married in Boston. 

Chris Hemsworth - Byron Bay

The Australian native Chris Hemsworth couldn't ignore the siren call of home. After years in Hollywood becoming one of the biggest stars in the world, he decided it was time to move home. He and his wife Elsa Pataky settled in a small surfing community south of Brisbane called Byron Bay in 2015 and have never looked back. 

Tommy Lee Jones - Texas

Tommy Lee Jones doesn't seem to care much for the trappings of fame, though he has used some of the money he's earned as an actor to buy a huge tract of land in Texas. Jones might be Harvard-educated and work in Hollywood, but he's Texas through and through. 

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani - Tishomingo, OK

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani might be Hollywood's most unlikely couple, at least until you see them together. Less surprising is that they split time between her home stomping grounds in LA and his in Oklahoma. The two built a house on Shelton's ranch in Tishomingo, OK, where they spend most of their time. 

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds - Bedford, NY

The enduring couple of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds don't seem to be interested in big city living, instead opting for the small upstate town of Bedford, NY They maintain a couple of other houses, but their real home is in Westchester County, NY, where they live a quiet, but luxurious life in a small enclave with some celebrity neighbors including Martha Stewart and Micheal Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. 

Mark Ruffalo - Callicoon, NY

Mark Ruffalo is another actor who prefers the peace and quiet of small-town America to the bright lights of Hollywood. The Avengers star and his wife Sunny live in the tiny berg of Callicoon in the Catskill mountains of New York State. 

Elijah Wood - Austin

Elijah Wood doesn't actually live in a shire, like his Lord of the Rings character, but he doesn't live in a huge city, either. Wood has called Austin, TX home for years and a when he was on Hot Ones, he explained where to get all the best meals in town. 

Dave Chappelle - Yellow Springs, OH

Yellow Springs, Ohio might be the last place you'd expect to find a celebrity living among us, but when you understand Dave Chappelle's background, it makes perfect sense. The legendary comedian grew up in Yellow Springs and though he's made a name for himself in Hollywood, the Ohio town is clearly the place he calls home. 

Julia Roberts - Taos, NM

Many years ago, Julia Roberts bought a ranch in Taos, NM, and it seems every year, she spends more and more time there. She even married her husband Danny Moder there. While she does split time in a house in Malibu, closer to work, she seems to prefer the peaceful life of Taos, as she's explained in the past. 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Ireland

Long before Daniel Day-Lewis decided to retire from acting, he had settled into living in Ireland’s County Wicklow. It's hardly surprising that an actor like Lewis would shun the spotlight, after all, he really only worked when the part really fascinated him, and he retired in 2017 despite unparalleled success as a performer. 

John Cena - Land o' Lakes, Florida

Don't confuse John Cena's hometown of Land o' Lakes, Florida for a stick of butter. The Fast X star has lived in the town outside Tampa for a long time. Even as his star has risen in Hollywood, with a major role in the DCEU as Peacemaker both in The Suicide Squad and his own show, The Peacemaker, Cena has resisted moving to California. 

Vera Farmiga - Woodstock, NY

Upstate New York is a popular place for stars to escape the public eye and Vera Farmiga is one of the stars that prefers it that way. The Many Saints of Newark actor lives in the famous artist colony of Woodstock in the Hudson Valley, following in a long tradition of celebrities retreating to the woods to get out of the spotlight, even when she's popping into rock shows in Woodstock to play Iron Maiden covers in a bar band. 

Woody Harrelson - Maui, HI

Woody Harrelson is definitely a man who moves to the beat of his own drummer, so the fact that he lives in Hawaii is hardly a shock. He even semi-retired for a while at the height of his career. While he's not "off the grid", he's certainly off the beaten path. Thankfully, his home was unaffected by the tragic wildfires earlier this year. 

John Mayer - Livingstone, MT

John Mayer has settled down into a much quieter life in recent years. The Dead & Co guitar player has found peace and quiet in the small Montana town of Livingstone. While life on the road certainly has its wild times, one would think, it must be nice for Mayer to get back home for some relaxing peace. 

Ken Jennings - Seattle, WA

Despite being named co-host of Jeopardy! a couple of years ago, and really taking a shine to the gig that shoots in LA, Ken Jennings does not seem to have plans to permanently relocate to Southern California. Jennings and his family have long called Seattle home and it seems he's happy to commute when it's time to shoot new episodes of the legendary game show. 

Robert De Niro - New York City

It's hard to imagine Robert De Niro living anywhere but New York. He just doesn't seem to be a California type of guy at all, right? He even helped get the Tribeca Film Festival off the ground, which bolstered not only NYC but the actual neighborhood he lives in in Manhattan as it struggled to recover from the 9/11 attacks. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence is bi-coastal, for sure. She does have a house in LA, but her husband Cooke Maroney is an art dealer whose business and gallery are in New York City, so she seems to spend most of the time she's not working in the Big Apple. 

Dan Aykroyd - Sydenham, Ontario

Dan Aykroyd has always been proud to be Canadian and he's been a longtime resident of Sydenham, Ontario, near Kingston, ON, not too far from where he grew up in Ottawa. 

Jennifer Hudson - Chicagoland Area

Superstar Jennifer Hudson is a Chicago girl and as such, she's stayed close to home. She may be a worldwide star, but Chicago is what made her who she is today and despite the means to live anywhere, Hudson chooses to live in the suburb of Burr Ridge, outside Chi-Town. 

Nikki Glaser - St. Louis, MO

Despite being the hometown of a lot of huge stars like John Goodman, Sterling K. Brown, Jenna Fischer, and Jon Hamm, most don't stay in town. The exception to that rule is comedian and comedy roast specialist Nikki Glaser. She moved back during the pandemic and found it much more fulfilling to live in her hometown than on either coast. 

While Los Angeles may be the city of dreams, it's not always the city of permanent residence for stars that have reached those lofty heights. Most may get their start on the West Coast but many of the biggest stars in the world don't live in California. 

Recently I was out having a pint with some of my buddies, and as much as I enjoy their company, I kept thinking about which Cheers character with whom I would rather be at the bar. Like any neighborhood watering hole, Cheers was frequented by an array of different people and personalities, and since I spent a lot of time in my youth obsessing over the show, and the city of Boston, I thought “Why not rank the Cheers characters in the order I’d most like to sit down at a bar with”? So here we go. 

11. Rebecca

This is a tough choice here. I absolutely adore Rebecca Howe and the beloved, late Kirstie Alley’s portrayal of her is fantastic. I know at the time fans were upset about the change in the show after Diane left, but I don’t think the show missed a beat by adding Rebecca. That said, I’m not sure I’d ever want to have a drink with her. In her finest moments, she was a strong, confident boss who navigated the pressures of having a corporate overlord watching the bar’s every choice, but in her lowest moments, she could be an emotional wreck. I’ve tipped back a few in my day with people like that and I’d be very nervous that after a couple of drinks, she’d break down. I’d rather be out with someone having a good time. 

10. Fraiser

Dr. Fraiser Crane, brilliantly played by Kelsey Grammer was a staple on NBC for two decades, first on Cheers and then its spinoff, Fraiser (which is being revived on Paramount+). Grammer won all kinds of awards for playing the character on both shows, which he richly deserved. Let’s be honest here though, it might be a bit of a bore to hang out with Frasier for some drinks. His pompous nature would likely get very grating. On the positive side, whenever someone on the show had a problem, he was happy to provide free counseling, so maybe if times were tough, he’d be the perfect bar mate. On the other hand, sometimes the last thing I wanted was to get unsolicited advice from a guy at a bar, which was another of Frasier’s less endearing qualities.

9. Lilith

Frasier’s wife on Cheers, Dr. Lilith Crane (Bebe Neuwirth), has a lot of the same qualities as Frasier. She’s sort of annoying, she’s a snob (maybe a bigger one than he is) and she’s uptight. She’s also incredibly witty and snarky, which are two qualities I love in a drinking buddy. It would be a lot easier to get past the snobbery after a couple of glasses of wine and Lilith started relaxing and letting her tight bun of hair down. I think she’d be very funny to hang out with once her guard qa down, and a little liquid courage would go a long way there. There’s just something about her wry wit underneath her icy, robotic outer shell that seems like it would be a lot of fun to experience. I can't wait to see how she shows up in the new Frasier series. 

8. Woody

Ok, so what do you do with Woody? I don’t mean where do I put him on this list, I literally mean what do you do with him? Woody, played by Woody Harrelson in a role he wasn’t interested in at first, is easily the most lovable character on Cheers. He’s a country-bumpkin in the best sense of the term. He’s honest, he’s forthright, and he’s kind. He’s often accidentally funny, but who wants to drink with someone they are laughing at rather than with? Not me. I have nothing against Woody at all, so there are good reasons to avoid having a tipple with the man, but I worry I would spend a lot of my time bored and looking at my phone as Woody rambles on about how terrible French Lick, Indiana is compared to his hometown of Hanover, IN. While I’m here for trashing talking Larry Bird, that’s probably where my interests end, right?

7. Evan Drake

Over its 11 seasons, Cheers had a lot of guest stars, and for the most part, this list would get pretty out of control if I thought about all of them. However, one who I would love to have a drink with is Rebecca’s boss, Evan Drake. Mr. Drake, played by the always cool Tom Skerritt, is everything you want in a drinking buddy. He’s funny and he goes with the flow, no matter how nuts it gets. He navigates Rebecca’s overzealous crush on him well and seems to have a good time with all the shenanigans the Cheers regulars commit. He even hired Norm to paint his apartment. Plus, being as rich as he is, I’d count on him paying for the really good stuff on the top shelf. 

6. Diane

Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) gets a bum rap from the other Cheers characters. As was too often common in that era, the smart person is the subject of ridicule rather than praise. She’d be fascinating to have a drink with. Who doesn’t want to sit around with someone and talk late into the night about all the great books of history, and Diane has a vast knowledge of them all. Plus, we have a lot in common. We’re both writers, we both attended Boston University and we both left Boston to start our careers, so we’d certainly have plenty of fodder to keep the conversation going! 

5. Coach

Now we’re getting to the nitty gritty, the Cheers characters who really seem like they’d most fun to drink with. For pure hilarity and fun, you have to think Ernie "Coach" Pantusso, played by Nicholas Colasanto in a role that could’ve gone to Sid Caesar, if you can believe it, would be at the top. Sure, he’s kind of an idiot, like Woody, but Coach lived a whole more life than Woody ever did. He’s a former baseball coach, hence the nickname. He also served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. There would be all kinds of cool stories to share over a beer, assuming he remembers them all. Even if he forgot half of each story, he’d still be a blast to hang out with at the bar. 

4. Cliff

Cliff Claven, played by Pixar superstar John Ratzenberger, might not seem like a top choice here, but let me explain. Ask any of my friends, like the ones I was hanging with recently, and they’ll tell you I have the same knack for peppering in useless trivia into all my conversations. I say, “You know,” as often as Cliff does. I’ve long secretly dreamt of being on Jeopardy! and I love going to pub trivia nights at my local watering hole. Just imagine walking into your local dive for trivia with a former Jeopardy! almost champion who knows more useless facts than anyone you’ve ever met. We’d be unstoppable, which would mean free pitchers all night as the winners of every round! 

3. Carla

Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) on Cheers is everything I look for in a dive bar waitress. Most importantly, she’s snarky as hell. I have to admit, after a couple of beers, I can get pretty cynical and snarky, and I love someone who can match witty barbs thrown at other people. It’s not my best trait, but it’s one I share with Carla. I can totally see myself sitting on a patio in front of a bar on a busy street in Boston’s Back Bay throwing shade on everyone walking by with Carla. It would be one of those nights that I would laugh so hard it would hurt, especially because Carla wouldn’t even crack a smile as she wisecracked her way to last call. 

2. Sam

This one gets a little weird because fans of the show will note that Sam Malone (Ted Danson) is a recovering alcoholic, so maybe having a drink isn’t the best idea. Well, I disagree. We might not end up getting whacky on the sauce together, but that wouldn’t stop me from having a great time hanging out with a former Red Sox pitcher with friends like Kevin McHale and Wade Boggs! I also really need to know exactly what happened with his sailboat that he bought with the money he got for selling Cheers when it ran aground between Seasons 5 and 6. I’ll still have a whisky, he’ll have club soda, or whatever. 

1. Norm

Could there be anyone else at the top of the list of Cheers characters you’d want to have a drink with other than Norm Peterson? He's the every man, the salt of the earth, the guy that everyone is so happy to see when he darkens the door of Cheers that they all yell his name. Just like it says in the theme song, I want to go where everyone knows my name, just like Norm. George Wendt’s portrayal of Norm is just perfect. He’s happy-go-lucky when he needs to be and he’s the quippiest part of the gang of regulars. He’s loyal to his friends, especially Cliff, and he’s the one who everyone in the bar would choose to have a drink with, so who am I to disagree?

In my imaginary world where I don’t leave Boston after college, I think of myself walking down those stairs and feeling “home” with all the regulars at Cheers. The characters on Cheers feel, like so many of our favorite TV characters, like my buddies. It’s so good to know that even now, all these years later, those buddies are still everyone’s friends, and the show’s enduring appeal is due in large part to how great they are.  

Pretty soon, Paramount+ subscribers will be hearing the blues are calling tossed salad and scrambled eggs again. In early 2021, a Frasier revival was greenlit by the streaming service, and by October 2022, it scored a 10-episode season. Now a key piece of information has been revealed that would make it easier for Kelsey Grammer to take part in crossovers with Ted Danson and other folks from Cheers, the show that introduced Frasier Crane to the world.

As part of the official announcement that the Frasier revival is beginning production this week, it was mentioned that the new show, which is being shot in front of a live studio audience in Los Angeles, will see Frasier Crane returning to Boston, Massachusetts, i.e. where Cheers was set. To be clear, no other Cheers actors have been unveiled for the new Frasier, but now that the renowned psychotherapist and radio show host is back in his old stomping grounds, one would imagine it’s only a matter of time before he runs into a familiar face or stops by the bar, right? Alas, since the original Frasier’s series finale saw the title character going to Chicago to be with Laura Linney’s Charlotte, it would seem that things didn’t work out between the two of them.

Like Frasier, Cheers lasted for 11 seasons, airing from 1982 and 1993, and earning 28 Primetime Emmy Awards from 117 nominations total, among other accolades. Three months after Cheers ended, the original Frasier spun out of it, taking Kelsey Grammer’s character back to his hometown of Seattle, Washington to reunite with his father Martin and brother Niles, played respectively by the late John Mahoney and David Hyde Pierce, and meet the likes of Peri Gilpin’s Roz Doyle and Jane Leeves’ Daphne Moon. Bebe Neuwirth, who played Fraiser’s ex-wife Lilith, continued to recur on Frasier following her time on Cheers, and aside from Kirstie Alley (who recently passed away), all of the other surviving main cast members from Cheers made guest appearances on Frasier.

For now, aside from Kelsey Grammer, the Frasier revival is comprised entirely of new people, though one of them is playing an established Frasier character. In Boston, Frasier Crane will reconnect with his son Freddy, who was primarily played by Trevor Einhorn in the first show and is now being brought to life by Jack Cutmore-Scott. The new show is also taking a page from the Night Court revival’s book by including Anders Keith’s David Crane, Niles and Daphne’s son who was born in the original Frasier's series finale. Since David Hyde Pierce has said he has no interest in reprising Niles, and there’s been no word about Leeves’ involvement, we’ll have to learn through David what his parents are up to these days.

The Frasier revival’s cast also includes Jess Salguerio as Eve, Freddy’s roommate; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Frasier’s old college buddy who’s now a university professor; and Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university psychology department. James Burrows, who co-created Cheers and directed multiple episodes of the original Frasier over its first four seasons, is helming the revival’s first two episodes. Writers Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli are leading the charge on the revival, and executive producing with Kelsey Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon.

There’s no timetable yet on when Frasier will premiere on Paramount+, though with cameras now rolling, a late 2023 or early 2024 drop seems like a reasonable bet. Should it end up being the former, we’ll add Frasier to our 2023 TV schedule, so stay tuned for that information and more updates on the sitcom’s progress.

Kirstie Alley’s career in TV and film started over 40 years ago, even before her breakout role in the NBC sitcom Cheers, and, over the decades, she shared the screen with a number of notable actors and actresses. Known for series like Veronica's Closet and movies like Look Who’s Talking, she was beloved by her former co-stars, as evidenced by their outpouring of love following Alley’s death on December 5 at age 71. Many people, including John Travolta, Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman, took time to pay tribute and send their condolences.

Kirstie Alley’s children issued a statement on social media to inform the world of their mother’s death, and many actors who had worked with her over the years took to their own accounts with memories of the actress. John Travolta called their friendship “one of the most special relationships he ever had,” as they starred in three Look Who’s Talking films together: 

But before she was Mikey’s mom Mollie in that trilogy, she was Rebecca Howe, the bar manager at the establishment where everybody knows your name. The late actress joined the all-star cast in 1987, earning an Emmy Award and two additional nominations for the role. Co-star Ted Danson (a.k.a. Cheers bartender Sam Malone) spoke to Deadline about a lovely memory from their time together, saying: 

Rhea Perlman, who played Carla Tortelli on the NBC sitcom and later appeared on Kirstie Alley’s TV Land sitcom Kirstie, also mourned the loss of her friend, who she said she connected with “almost instantly” after Alley joined the Cheers cast in Season 6. Perlman told Deadline: 

Kelsey Grammer preferred to keep his thoughts close to the vest, but said, per Deadline, of his Cheers colleague:  

Actors from Kirstie Alley’s other projects also spoke out following news of her passing, including Scream Queens’ Jamie Lee Curtis. Alley appeared on Season 2 of the Fox slasher comedy, and Curtis remembered her as a “beautiful mama bear”: 

In addition to acting, the Drop Dead Gorgeous star was known for the work she did as a spokesperson for campaigns involving Jenny Craig and Pier One. Fellow Jenny Craig mouthpiece Valerie Bertinelli reacted to the sad news: 

Kirstie Alley’s final film appearance was in 2015’s Accidental Love. Later in her life, she appeared on the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother, where she was runner-up in 2018 and, earlier this year, she appeared on Season 7 of The Masked Singer, hiding her identity under the Baby Mammoth costume. Her death after a short battle with cancer is heartbreaking for so many, and our condolences go out to all of her family, friends and fans. 

Saving Private Ryan helped cement Tom Hanks’s leading man career. The movie proved that you could put him in any role and he would probably excel. The film also helped launch the careers of many aspiring actors, like Vin Diesel and Nathan Fillion. It also featured future big-name actors in small roles, like Bryan Cranston. If you’re like me, you’re probably going, “Wait what? Bryan Cranston and Nathan Fillion are in Saving Private Ryan?” Yes, my friend, indeed they are in it.

Recently, I rewatched Steven Spielberg’s war classic and had many moments of, “Oh wait, he’s in this?” Saving Private Ryan is full of appearances by many recognizable names, either in one of their first screen roles or as-sort of cameo appearances. Let’s look at some of the actors featured in Saving Private Ryan that you may have forgotten appeared in the film.

Warning: Spoilers ahead. I’ll be discussing some plot points from Saving Private Ryan**, so turn back if you want to remain unspoiled.**

Vin Diesel (Private Adrian Caparzo)

Vin Diesel plays Private Caparzo in Saving Private Ryan. He’s one of the original men selected to join Captain Miller (Tom Hanks)’s team. Technically, one would assume that Vin Diesel was one of the main characters in Saving Private Ryan, but if you haven’t seen the film in a while, I have some news for you: he dies pretty early in the movie. So many Saving Private Ryan fans may have forgotten he was even in the movie.

This was also one of Diesel’s early movies, so he wasn’t well known at the time. His appearance is something that I assume only people who watched it many years later (after he became a big star) would recognize. Diesel is best known for being part of the Fast & Furious franchise. He’s also one of the biggest action stars today, leading other franchises like The Chronicles of Riddick and the XXX films. He has also voiced adorable Groot in The Guardians of the Galaxy films and other Marvel movies.

Bryan Cranston (Colonel Mack)

Cranston’s character Colonel Mack appears in one of the opening scenes. He’s one of the first colonels informed that all three other Ryan brothers have died. He makes the decision to tell General George C. Marshall (Harve Presnell), which inspires him to send Miller’s crew on a mission to save the final Ryan brother.

Cranston worked consistently prior to Saving Private Ryan but hadn’t had his big break yet. He only appears in two scenes in the movie, so it’s easy to forget. Cranston is best known for his role as Walter White in Breaking Bad and the movie El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. He also spent years making viewers laugh as Hal in Malcolm in the Middle. He’s also appeared in films such as Argo, Trumbo, and The One and Only Ivan.

Ted Danson (Captain Fred Hamill)

Ted Danson plays Captain Hamill in Saving Private Ryan. He’s the captain of one of the units that Miller’s unit encounters on their quest to find Private Ryan (Matt Damon). Ironically, Hamill’s unit has a James Ryan, it’s just not the right one. Ted Danson had already made a name for himself by playing Sam Malone in Cheers. He had also appeared in the films She’s Having a Baby, Cousins, and the Three Men and a Baby films.

Therefore, it’s easy to recognize Ted Danson when he pops up on Saving Private Ryan, but it’s such a quick cameo that it’s a blink and you may miss it moment. He’s also a bit overshadowed by the slightly comedic scene involving a soon-to-be star. Ted Danson has become even bigger since Saving Private Ryan appearing in many movies and shows, including Fargo, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The Good Place.

Nathan Fillion (Private James Frederick Ryan)

Saving Private Ryan is a pretty serious film, but it has some scenes of comedic genius. One of those scenes involves a fresh-faced Nathan Fillion. Captain Miller and his team believe that they have found the Private Ryan that they’re on a mission to find. They ask his captain (played by Ted Danson) to call him, and Miller tells him that his brothers are dead. Private Ryan has a full breakdown, only for them to learn that he’s Minnesota Ryan, not Ohio Ryan, and his brothers are too young to be in the war--so very likely alive.

This moment is just a prerequisite for Fillion’s future comedy roles. Fillion is best known for his role as Mal in the cult-favorite Firefly and its spin-off film Serenity. He also appeared in the film version of Waitress, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and soon-to-be-released The Suicide Squad. Fillion is also best known for his role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Desperate Housewives, Castle, Santa Clarita Diet, and The Rookie.

Paul Giamatti (Sergeant Hill)

Sergeant Hill (Paul Giamatti) helps lead Captain Miller to Captain Hamill, but his clumsiness leads to a stand-off between some German soldiers and Miller’s unit. Giamatti also has a blink and you might miss it moment. He appeared in Saving Private Ryan before he really became a recognizable name and face.

Paul Giamatti is best known for films like American Splendor, The Last Station, Win Win, Sideways, 12 Years A Slave, and Cinderella Man. He is also known for the HBO miniseries John Adams and the Showtime series Billions. Paul Giamatti is also one of those actors that has appeared in so many films that you’ve at least seen him in one thing or another.

Dennis Farina (Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson)

Dennis Farina plays Lieutenant Colonel Anderson, the man who Captain Miller reports to after the big opening battle on the beach. He also gives Miller his new assignment to find Private Ryan. Farina only appears in one scene in the film.

Farina is best known for his role as Det. Joe Fontana in Law & Order. He’s also known for his roles in Midnight Run, Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Snatch. He also played Nick (Jake Johnson)’s dad in New Girl. Farina passed away in 2013.

Leland Orser (Lieutenant DeWindt)

Leland Orser plays Lieutenant DeWindt in Saving Private Ryan. Miller and crew encounter him while searching for Ryan. He had recently led a mission that resulted in some planes being taken out of the sky by a storm. DeWindt is clearly still processing the event and all the men lost because of it. He also gives Miller’s crew some dog tags to search to see if Ryan’s name is among them.

Leland Orser appears in a few scenes but this is one of the most standout encounters because, in his few words, the weight of what has happened is felt by the audience and Miller’s crew. Orser is best known for his roles in E.R, Berlin Station, Ray Donovan, and the I Am the Night miniseries. He has also appeared in the films Seven, Excess Baggage, The Bone Collector, Pearl Harbor, Daredevil, and the Taken films.

Max Martini (Corporal Fred Henderson)

Max Martini plays Corporal Fred Henderson in Saving Private Ryan. Henderson is protecting a bridge when he encounters Miller and his crew. He happens to be on a mission with Private Ryan and another man.

Max Martini is best known for his roles in Pacific Rim and the Fifty Shades of Grey, films He played Jack Wiley in the series Level 9, Mack Gerhardt in The Unit, Frank Stevens in Revenge, Arlo Turk in NCIS: Los Angeles, and Edward Coventry in Netflix’s The Order. He also played Ryan Grant in the second season of The Purge.

Ryan Hurst (Paratrooper Michaelson)

The second humorous scene of Saving Private Ryan involves Ryan Hurst’s character, Paratrooper Michaelson. He’s a friend of Private Ryan. He is being questioned by Captain Miller about Private Ryan's whereabouts. Michaelson has recently suffered hearing loss (which isn’t funny), so he can’t hear Miller and continues to loudly repeat him without realizing it (which is funny).

Hurst is practically unrecognizable as a young clean-shaved version of himself. Saving Private Ryan was one of his first roles, but Ryan Hurst fans most likely recognize him for his roles in Remember the Titans, Sons of Anarchy, Bates Motel, Outsiders, and The Walking Dead.

Harve Presnell (General Marshall)

Harve Presnell plays General Marshall. He’s the one so moved and saddened by Ryan’s brothers’ death that he sets things in motion for Captain Miller and his crew to go find him. He appears in a few scenes in the movie. Presnell is known both as a screen and stage performer. He appeared in The Unsinkable Molly Brown musical in the 1964 film version alongside Debbie Reynold.

Harve Presnell also appeared in Broadway productions of Scarlett, Camelot, and Annie. His TV credits include playing Matthew Crane in Ryan’s Hope, Arthur Brooks in Dawson’s Creek, and the voice of Leo Lionheart Sr. in The Lionhearts. His most recognizable film work is as Wade Gustafson in Fargo. He also appeared in the movies Face/Off, Mr. Deeds, Old School, and Evan Almighty. Harve Presnell passed away in 2009.

Saving Private Ryan is now not only known for being a great war movie, but also a great movie that features future big-name stars. Saving Private Ryan is available to purchase or rent on your favorite Video On Demand service. Rent it here.

Television shows large and small are hitting the small screen in the 2020-2021 TV season after the previous season had to come to an abrupt end due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with precautions in place for the safety of the casts and crews. Unfortunately, those precautions don't always work to keep everybody on set 100% COVID-free, resulting in the shutdowns of several shows, including some on NBC. Now, an upcoming NBC comedy joins Chicago Med and Chicago Fire in halting production due to positive COVID tests.

The Good Place alum Ted Danson's return to NBC with Mr. Mayor has run into a problem. Production shut down on December 14 following multiple positive tests for COVID-19, according to Deadline, with the positive tests coming from Zone A. On Mr. Mayor, Zone A includes the cast as well as crew members who interact with the actors. Four tests have reportedly come back since Friday, December 11. All of that said, Mr. Mayor may not be in the for the same kind of two-week shutdown that NBC dramas Chicago Med and Chicago Fire (both of which have since resumed) faced.

The production shutdown is reportedly only in effect for the day of December 14 at the time of writing, while contact tracing happens for the cast and crew who have been exposed in accordance with guidelines from the state, the county, and NBCUniversal. Universal TV is evaluating what's happening with Mr. Mayor to make the call about whether filming can begin again on December 15.

Although it may seem somewhat surprising that it's even possible for Mr. Mayor to resume filming so soon after positive COVID tests when NBC's Chicago Med and Chicago Fire had to suspend production for far longer, Med and Fire faced guidelines from Illinois and Chicago while Mr. Mayor films in Los Angeles. Mr. Mayor is currently scheduled to make its NBC premiere with a double episode on Thursday, January 7 starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Ted Danson plays the titular mayor in Mr. Mayor, but not a career politician. His character is a retired businessman whose reason for running for mayor of Los Angeles is to prove that he's "still got it." He clearly has "still got it" enough to win the election for the mayor of L.A., but actually doing the job might not be easy for him.

Holly Hunter plays his greatest critic, while Kyla Kenedy will appear as his teenage daughter. In his attempts to gain his critic's respect and connect with his daughter, he'll also try to tackle the challenges of his new job. Bobby Moynihan, whose post-Saturday Night Live sitcom was cancelled by CBS, is on board the NBC comedy as well.

Only time will tell if Mr. Mayor resumes production this week or if the suspension lasts longer. For now, you can look forward to Ted Danson's return to NBC following the end of The Good Place on January 7. If you're in the market for additional viewing options in the new year, check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.

For 15 seasons and well over 300 episodes, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation became one of the most popular shows in CBS's history, resulting in a TV franchise that continued to expand and evolve over the course of this ongoing millennium. The show wrapped up in 2015, providing an end to a long-standing era of crime television, but what has the cast done since the show came to a close? A few actors have remained as busy as ever while others aren't working quite as consistently. Nevertheless, here's what the cast of CSI is doing now.

William Petersen (Gil Grissom)

As Gil Grissom, a forensic entomologist and CSI Level III Supervisor for the Las Vegas Police Department, William Petersen played the lead role in CSI for its first nine seasons. The actor won a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance, and he received several Emmy nominations as a producer on the show. 

Prior to his role in CSI, Petersen was notably seen in Thief, To Live and Die in L.A., Manhunter, Young Guns II, Fear, Mulholland Falls, and Hard Promises, which he also produced. He also appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone and the mini-series The Kennedys of Massachusetts. During his time in CSI, Petersen was also seen in The Contender, Detachment, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and Without a Trace.

Following his CSI tenure, William Petersen starred in WGN America's Manhattan. He also appeared in an episode of Blue.

Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows)

Playing the part of Catherine Willows, a CSI crime scene investigator, Marg Helgenberger provided an Emmy-nominated performance in CSI. As an actress, Helgenberger first gained notice for her role in the soap opera Ryan's House. She was then seen in China Beach, for which she won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in Tootsie, Always, Bad Boys, Species I and II, Fire Down Below, and Erin Brockovich before she starred in this long-running drama series. During her time on CSI, Helgenberger also starred in In Good Company, Mr. Brooks, and Columbus Day.

When Marg Helgenberger left CSI, she became a series regular on Intelligence, which ran for 13 episodes. She was then a recurring character on Under the Dome. When CSI wrapped up in 2015, Helgenberger was seen in Almost Friends and A Dog's Journey. She currently plays a main character on All Rise.

Gary Dourdan (Warrick Brown)

In the role of Warrick Brown, an audiovisual specialist and crime scene investigator, Gary Dourdan played a main cast member for nine seasons on CSI. A musician as well as an actor, Dourdan has worked on both the stage and screen, notably in films like Weekend at Bernie's II, The Paper, and Alien: Resurrection, and TV shows like A Different World, Beggars and Choosers, Soul Food, and more.

Following his time in CSI, Dourdan appeared in Jumping the Broom, The Woods, The Last Letter, and Reversion. He also appeared in episodes of Kim Possible, Glee, Being Mary Jane, Power, Hawaii Five-0, and Mistresses. Most recently, Dourdan was seen in All She Wrote, Guns Guitars and a Badge, and this year's Influence. Up next, Dourdan can be seen in Righteous Villains and Redemption Day.

George Eads (Nick Stokes)

Playing Nick Stokes, a CSI Level II (then Level III), George Eads appeared in nearly every CSI episode. Prior to his role in this CBS series, Eads was seen in episodes of ER, Grapevine, and Savannah. During his time on CSI, Eads was also seen in an episode of Two and a Half Men and he was heard in Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice.

Following his role in CSI, George Eads took on a main role in CBS' MacGyver. The actor was also seen in Sex Ed and The Battle of Jangsari. He was also a star and executive producer in Gutshot Straight.

Paul Guilfoyle (Jim Brass)

In the role of Jim Bass, a CSI Shift Supervisor and Homicide Detective, Paul Guilfoyle was seen in all-but-one season of CSI. An actor of the stage and screen, Guilfoyle was a prominent stage performer in Boston and his resume includes film roles in Howard the Duck, Beverly Hills Cop II, Three Men and a Baby, Cadillac Man, Hoffa, Mrs. Doubtfire, Quiz Show, Wall Street, L.A. Confidential, Ransom, Primary Colors, Amistad, and Air Force One. He also had guest roles in shows like Miami Vice, Ally McBeal, and Law & Order.

During his time on CSI, Guilfoyle was also seen in Session 9, American Violet, and Company Man. Following CSI's conclusion, Guilfoyle appeared in Colony and The Good Fight. He was also seen in Spotlight, Pandemic, Turnover, and episodes of A Million Little Things, Blindspot, and The Morning Show. He'll next be seen in The Good House.

Eric Szmanda (Greg Sanders)

Playing Greg Sanders, a CSI technician, Eric Szmanda played a constant presence throughout CSI's long-standing run. Finding his start in the series The Net, Szmanda found his claim to fame through this extensive crime series. During his time on CSI, Szmanda was also seen in 100 Girls, Little Athens, True Vinyl, and The Rules of Attraction.

Following the series finale, Eric Szamanda was seen in 2018's Shangri-La: Near Extinction and Adverse, which was released earlier this year. He is also the executive producer of a new documentary, P.S. Burn This Letter Please. Additionally, in 2015, the actor appeared in a stage production of The Nerd.

Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle)

As Sara Sidle, a Crime Scene Investigator at the Las Vegas Crime Lab, Jorja Fox played a prominent role throughout the majority of CSI's run. The actress first came to prominence through her recurring role in ER. She followed up this success with a role in The West Wing. Beyond these parts in these three popular shows, Fox has also notably been seen in The Jerky Boys: The Movie, Velocity Trap, and Memento.

Following her time on CSI, Jorja Fox starred in last year's sci-fi film, 3022. She was also a producer on several documentaries, including Extinction Soup, Roll with Me, and most recently, The Animal People.

Robert David Hall (Al Robbins)

In the part of Al Robbins, a medical doctor involved with the CSI, Robert David Hall has been a prominent part of CSI since his introduction in Season 1. Prior to his time in this show, Hall was seen in episodes of The Littles, L.A. Law, Life Goes On, Beverly Hills 90210, Party of Five, The Practice, and The West Wing. He was also heard in G.I. Joe, Batman: The Animated Series, and Superman. He also had roles in Starship Troopers and The Negotiator.

Following his time on CSI, Robert David Hall starred in Rock Story. He's set to play a role in an episode of susaneLand and the sci-fi film Aaah! Roach!

Wallace Langham (David Hodges)

In the role of David Hodges, a lab technician for the Las Vegas Crime Lab, Wallace Langham became a reoccurring character in CSI's third season and eventually became a main character from Season 8 onward. Prior to his role in this popular CBS series, Langham was best known for his role in HBO's acclaimed The Larry Sanders Show. He also played roles in Weird Science, Michael, and The Invisible Kid. He was also a guest star on Murphy Brown, Sex and the City, Murder She Wrote, Medium, 21 Jump Street, and more. He also lent his voice to the series, Mission Hill.

During his time on CSI, Langham was also seen in Daddy Day Care, The Social Network, Hitchcock, and more. Following the show's conclusion, Langham has notably played roles in Taken 3, War Dogs, LBJ, Battle of the Sexes, The Darkest Minds, and Ford v. Ferrari.

Laurence Fishburne (Raymond Langston)

As Raymond Langston, the crime scene investigator who took over for Gil Grissom following his departure, Laurence Fishburne played the lead role in CSI from the midpoint of Season 9 through Season 11. An acclaimed actor of the stage and screen, Fishburne is often best known for his roles in The Matrix trilogy, Boyz in the Hood, Apocalypse Now, The Color Purple, School Daze, Event Horizon, Akeelah and the Bee, and What's Love Got To Do With It, for which he was Oscar-nominated. He's also Emmy-nominated for TriBeCa.

Following his time on CSI, Laurence Fishburne was notably seen in Contagion, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, John Wick Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Last Flag Flying, Ant-Man and the Wasp, The Mule, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette? He also appeared in several episodes of Hannibal. He can currently be seen on black-ish.

David Berman (David Phillips)

Playing David Phillips, an assistant coroner to Chief Medical Examiner Al Robbins, David Berman was a recurring presence for nine seasons of CSI before he became a main character from Season 10 onward. In addition to his work in front of the camera, Berman also served a head researcher on the show. During his time with CSI, Berman was also seen in episodes of Vanished, Drop Dead Diva, and Desperate Housewives.

Following his work with CSI, David Berman has most notably been seen on The Blacklist. He also appeared in episodes of Proven Innocent, Daybreak, and Bones. He was also given parts in Midnight Sex Run and Rebel in the Rye.

Ted Danson (D.B. Russell)

In the role of D.B. Russell, the CSI Level III Supervisor who took over for Laurence Fishburne's Raymond Langston, Ted Danson starred in the final four seasons of CSI. He eventually reprised his role in CSI: Cyber's second and final season. Best known for his work on Cheers, its spin-off series, Becker, Three Men and a Baby, and its sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady, Danson is a veteran actor with a great deal of experience in film and television. He is also known for his work in Damages, Bored to Death, Fargo Season 2, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Made in America, and more.

Following his time in CSI, Ted Danson has most notably been seen in The Good Place, which finished its run earlier this year. He also starred in Hearts Beat Loud and episodes of The Orville. Next, he'll star in the sitcom Mr. Mayor.

Elisabeth Shue (Julie Finlay)

As Julie Finlay, a blood splatter specialist, Elisabeth Shue played a series regular for four seasons of CSI. Best known for her film roles in the '80s and '90s, including The Karate Kid, Back to the Future Part II and III, Leaving Las Vegas, Soapdish, Cocktail, and Adventures in Babysitting, Shue is an Oscar-nominated actress with a wealth of experience. She is also known for her work in Hollow Man, Molly, Tuck Everlasting, Mysterious Skin, Piranha 3D, and Hamlet 2.

Most notably, Elisabeth Shue played a prominent role in Amazon Prime's The Boys, and she was also recently seen in 2018's Death Wish and this year's Greyhound. Next, we're hoping she'll reprise her role as Ali Mills in Cobra Kai's third season. Shue's also slated to join the series On the Verge.

Who is your favorite CSI actor? Let us know in the comment section below!

Ted Danson is, without a doubt, one the of the most fascinating actors in Hollywood. Over the course of his career he's played a former baseball player who opens a bar where everybody knows your name, portrayed a quirky magazine editor with a New York penthouse full of issues, and the architect of a seemingly picturesque afterlife. But the two-time Emmy winner's life when he's not standing in front of the camera is just as interesting.

From his days as a failed basketball player to standing up for a number of worthwhile causes, and yes, some kookiness in between, here are eight things you might not know about The Good Place and Cheers star.

Ted Danson Originally Wanted To Play Basketball Before Getting Into Acting

Ted Danson is most known for his portrayal of a washed-up relief pitcher who left the game behind to open a bar on Cheers, but having a character who transitioned from sports to a new line of work is something close to home for the veteran television actor because he originally wanted to play basketball before finding his passion in acting while a freshman at Stanford. During a 2015 conversation with INFORUM regarding the FX series Fargo, Danson revealed that while one dream came to an abrupt end that first year at college, he found another — acting — which he believes is not too far off from playing a team sport, especially when dealing with the large ensemble casts he's been a part of over the years.

Ted Danson Didn't Think He Was Cut Out For Sam Malone After Watching The Cheers Pilot

Anyone who has watched even part of an episode of Cheers knows that Sam Malone (Ted Danson) is one cool character, perhaps one of the coolest in the history of television. But Danson revealed during a 2018 conversation on The Off Camera Show that he initially didn't think he was cut out for the role after watching the pilot and still didn't feel comfortable in the role for at least a year before coming to terms with it, revealing:

The Cheers star eventually came around and quit being terrified anytime anyone would say that Sam Malone was this sexy man and learned to just keep his mouth shut while he faked it.

Ted Danson Has A Rather Simple, Yet Amazing Way Of Getting Jobs

Since first becoming a massive star with Cheers, Ted Danson has remained relevant with major roles in a number of different shows like Becker and CSI, as well his most recent role as Michael on The Good Place. But you might be wondering, what's Danson's secret and how does he get so many great gigs? Well, here's what the award-winning actor told Variety in 2018:

No wonder Ted Danson has worked with some of the funniest showrunners in modern television with phenomenal runs on HBO shows like Bored To Death and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Speaking of which…

Ted Danson Agreed To Do Curb Your Enthusiasm Because He Felt Sorry For Larry David

Although he's not in every episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ted Danson (or at least the fictionalized version of himself) is one of the best things about Larry David's anxiety-ridden yet highly entertaining comedy series. But as Danson revealed in a 2015 conversation the AV Club, the actor agreed to help out on the show because he felt sorry for how people responded to a private screening of the show's pilot. The Cheers veteran said he approached David after the screening and said that if he could ever be of any help he would be willing to do so. A year later, Danson said he got the call and has been making the show's version of the Seinfeld creator's life a living hell ever since. And he's pretty, pretty good at it too.

The Bored To Death Star Once Got So High He Forgot His Lines

For three seasons, Ted Danson portrayed George Christopher, the editor of a made-up New York magazine and friend Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman) on the HBO comedy series Bored to Death, and during that time played one of the most unique potheads in the history of stoner comedies. But according to the show's creator and executive producer Jonathan Ames (the real one), Danson once got so high with members of the cast the night before reshoots that the veteran actor forgot his lines the next day. Ames explained during Vulturefest (via Vulture) that this was the first time in the show's history that Danson had forgotten his lines, and the showrunner felt awful for messing with what he called a machine.

The Cheers Star Had A Hard Time Getting Behind The Bar For An Episode Of The Good Place

The Season 2 finale of The Good Place might have featured one of the most clever and appreciate callbacks to Ted Danson's role of Same Malone on Cheers, but the veteran actor was horrified when he first learned that his character, Michael, would be stepping behind the bar, something Danson hadn't done on television in than 25 years. Here's what Danson had to say about the experience during a 2018 conversation with EW:

Michael's job behind the bar went on to be well-received by viewers of the Season 2 finale, but who can blame them, it was awesome seeing Sam Malone, or at least the guy who brought him to life all those years ago, tending bar once again.

Ted Danson Can Do A Really Gross Party Trick With A Swedish Fish

Ted Danson seems like a good time wherever he goes, but his fellow actors on The Good Place were shown the lengths the actor was willing to go to get a good laugh out of people on set. In a 2018 interview with Vulture, Manny Jacinto, who portrayed Jason Mendoza on the NBC comedy series, revealed that Danson once showed everyone what sounds like the grossest party trick imaginable, stating:

The Good Place star said that Ted Danson's trick left everyone in a state of shock and disgust and that several members of the cast freaked out and ran across the stage after seeing something no one will surely ever forget.

Ted Danson Has A Pretty Amazing Passion For The Natural World

Ted Danson has made a name for himself as a funny man in film and on television over the years, but if there is one thing that The Good Place star is serious about it is the environment. Whether it be having a role in the 2011 environmental drama Big Miracle or getting arrested at a climate change rally in 2019, the actor takes his love of the natural world very seriously. One of Danson's biggest contributions to the field of conservation was the creation of the American Oceans Campaign, which merged with Oceana, a nonprofit ocean conservation organization, where the actor serves as vice chair. Danson even wrote a book on his efforts in 2011 called "Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do To Save Them."

See, Ted Danson is more than just a funny, confident guy he has played on television all these years. Look behind the roles and you find a sensitive, passionate, and yes still hilarious human being with a lot of love for the world and those living on it.

In January, The Good Place ended its run after four seasons on NBC. The critically-acclaimed comedy series from Michael Schur, starring Kristen Bell, Ted Danson and several more, was considered among the best shows on TV. But nothing can stay on television forever. The showrunners decided to end it when they felt it was right, and that means the cast must move on to different projects. Suffice to say, looking at all the projects these performers have lined up in the future, they're certainly keeping themselves busy. We're here to list everything the stars of The Good Place have coming up next.

Kristen Bell (Eleanor Shellstrop)

Playing the lead role of Eleanor Shellstrop, Kristen Bell was the protagonist of The Good Place. As someone who was very selfish, inconsiderate, and rude during her time on Earth, it certainly came as a surprise when she entered The Good Place. Though, as the show progressed, there was more-at-play. Having previously established her star status through several hit TV shows, including Veronica Mars, Heroes, Gossip Girl, and House of Lies, as well as movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Burlesque, Scream 4, the Bad Moms series, and the Frozen franchise, Bell was already a star when The Good Place came to NBC. But the show's strong critical acclaim (including a Golden Globe nomination for her performance) only furthered her career.

Outside of The Good Place, Kristen Bell can be seen as the presenter and host of Disney+'s Encore!, and she recently reprised her title role of Veronica Mars during Hulu's revival last year. Additionally, the actress is soon set to star in the comedy Queenpins with Leslie Jones. Last year, Bell and her husband, Dax Shepard, founded the company Hello Bello, which is a plant-based baby care product line. It is available exclusively through Wal-Mart.

William Jackson Harper (Chidi Anagonye)

Known for being kind and very intelligent, as well as habitually quoting famous philosophers, William Jackson Harper's Chidi Anagonye was certainly among the most beloved and well-liked characters in The Good Place. And it helped make William Jackson Harper a household name for TV viewers, which allowed him to have bigger roles in other exciting projects. Most notably, Harper's recent turn in A24's excellent Midsommar in 2019. In addition to The Good Place, Harper also recently appeared in a couple new episodes of Amazon's Jack Ryan, and the actor additionally played a role in the overlooked drama Dark Waters. Now, he is currently filming a reoccurring role in Barry Jenkins' upcoming Amazon series, The Underground Railroad.

Jameela Jamil (Tahani Al-Jamil)

The highly-intelligent, brightly spoken and well-educated Tahani Al-Jamil, played by Jameela Jamil, was one of the principle characters on The Good Place, particularly as the NBC show went through its different turning points. A former radio personality before she moved to the United States to become an actress, Jameela Jamil is practically as prolific as the character she played on the show. Next, she'll be seen in the comedy How to Build A Girl, which comes out in May. She also provided her voice for the animated series, Mira, Royal Detective, and she's expected to appear in the new film, Marry Me. Recently, Jamil came out as queer on Twitter after she announced that she will host the HBO Max competition series, Legendary, which centers around modern day ball culture which originated in the LGBT community.

D'Arcy Carden (Janet)

The source of all information and all knowledge for humans within The Good Place, D'Arcy Carden's Janet is one of the most memorable, quotable and beloved characters in The Good Place. In the acclaimed turn, Carden certainly won over many viewers. Away from The Good Place, D'Arcy Carden can also be seen in another critically-acclaimed series, HBO's Barry, which will soon premiere its third season. The actress recently appeared in Bombshell and made a guest appearance on ABC's Single Parents. Next, D'Arcy Carden appears in the Amazon show, A League of Their Own, based on the film.

Manny Jacinto (Jason Mendoza)

In the role of Jason Mendoza, Manny Jacinto broke out in a big way with The Good Place. While he had already appeared in a few other prominent TV shows, including (but not limited to) Supernatural, Bates Motel, The 100, Once Upon A Time, and iZombie, the role of EDM-obsessed "lovable doofus" Jason Mendoza helped pave the way for a bigger, more prominent acting career. Now that The Good Place is done, Manny Jacinto is set to make one of his biggest roles to date playing a part in this summer's upcoming Top Gun: Maverick. He is also starring in the new horror-thriller series, Brand New Cherry Flavor, with Rosa Salazar, Eric Lange, and more. Additionally, Jacinto proposed to his girlfriend, Dianne Doan, last year. They are now engaged.

Ted Danson (Michael)

Introduced as an immortal being known as The Architect, it's later revealed at the end of The Good Place's first season that Ted Danson's Michael is actually a demon from The Bad Place who masterminded a plan to torment four people — Eleanor, Chidi, Jason, and Tahani — into believing that they were in The Good Place. Played by legendary TV star Ted Danson, who is best known for Cheers and Becker, as well as the Three Men and a Baby movies, the actor's presence in The Good Place was one of biblical proportions, and it helped re-establish the actor to a new generation of TV viewers.

These days, Ted Danson can be seen reprising his role of "Ted Danson" in the tenth season of HBO's fantastic Curb Your Enthusiasm. Next, he serves as an executive producer on the new musical Best Summer Ever, which is set to be released later this year. With The Good Place finished, Danson is now working on his latest TV project: a brand new sitcom with 30 Rock's Tina Fey. Expect more details about this exciting new TV show to arrive soon.

Marc Evan Jackson (Shawn)

An established actor, comedian, and voice-over artist who previously appeared in shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation, as well as 22 Jump Street and the staged production/podcast series Thrilling Adventure Hour, Marc Evan Jackson continued to prove his talents in the supporting role of Shawn, a judge of conflicts between The Good Place and The Bad Place who is later revealed to be the supervisor of The Bad Place. In addition to his role on the show, he also hosted The Good Place: The Podcast. Most recently, outside of The Good Place's fourth and final season, Jackson was seen in Bombshell as Fox News anchor Chris Wallace. Up next, Marc Evan Jackson is expected to appear in Eko's digital series Scroll Wheel of Time, where he will play Steve Jobs. Furthermore, while The Good Place podcast is now finished, Jackson still works with Brooklyn Nine-Nine: The Podcast.

Josh Siegal (Glenn)

Though he's more prolific for his behind-the-scenes work, including writing and producing a number of well-acclaimed modern television series, fans of The Good Place will recognize Josh Siegal best for his reoccurring role as Glenn, a Bad Place torturer and one of Neighborhood 12358W's residents. Away from his role in the show, Siegal keeps himself busy primarily with work away from acting. In fact, his role as Glenn remains one of his very few acting roles to date. He served as a writer and producer on TV shows like Monk, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Great News, to name a few. With The Good Place wrapping up earlier this year, it's not entirely clear what he has coming up next. Though the sitcom producer/writer recently sold a pilot to NBC called Someone Out There, alongside Matt Hubbard and Dylan Morgan. If it gets picked up for series, it'll be his latest TV endeavor.

Maya Rudolph (Judge Gen)

As the all-knowing Judge Gen between The Good Place and The Bad Place, known as The Neutral Zone, Maya Rudolph made a surprise appearance in an early episode of The Good Place, but she continued to be a presence throughout the next few seasons. An actress and comedian best known for her work on Saturday Night Live, as well as her role in 2011's Bridesmaids, Rudolph continues to work consistently in both film and television, notably playing voice-only roles in Netflix's Big Mouth, Disney's Big Hero 6: The Series, and Fox's Bless the Harts. She also lent her voice to a few recent films, including The Lego Movie: The Second Part and The Angry Birds Movie 2, while also playing supporting roles in Booksmart and Netflix's Wine Country.

Next, Maya Rudolph stars in the new Adam Sandler Netflix comedy, Hubie Halloween. She'll also provide her voice to two upcoming animated movies, Connected and The Willoughbys. She's married to Oscar-nominated director Paul Thomas Anderson, and she provided inspiration for Phantom Thread.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Simone Garnett)

Another favorite reoccurring character on The Good Place is the cheery, optimistic Simone Garnett, played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste. She works at St. John's University and formed a relationship with Chidi before he broke things off. Outside of The Good Place, Howell-Baptiste can be seen in a wide number of other shows, including Killing Eve, Barry, Hulu's Veronica Mars, and CBS All Access' Why Women Kill. Now, she can be heard in Cartoon Network's Infinity Train. The TV actress has a few films lined up next, including Cruella and Happily, and she's filming a role in the comedy, Silent Night.

Who was your favorite actor or actress from The Good Place, and what are you looking forward to seeing them do next? Let us know in the comments.

NBC's The Good Place is coming to an end, and while fans may have wanted the series to continue indefinitely with great twist after great twist, they've been assured it's for the best. Even so, it's still okay to feel a little disappointed about it all coming to an end, especially for those who are a part of the cast and crew.

With that said, how did Kristen Bell and Ted Danson find out The Good Place is ending? Both shared their experiences during the TCA summer press tour, and CinemaBlend was on hand at the Good Place panel to hear about Kristen Bell's phone call, ultimatum, and acceptance when speaking to creator Mike Schur.

One of the most stressful things about a show ending for an actor can be finding another job, so good on Kristen Bell for trapping Mike Schur into writing another television series for her ahead of him delivering that news! Jokes aside, Bell sounds like she was ultimately fine that the ride was coming to an end, mainly because she has yet to be burned for putting her faith in The Good Place creator.

Much like Bell, Ted Danson ultimately took the news about The Good Place ending well. Danson explained his acceptance over the news was largely tied to his experience on the show, and a feeling that the status quo would continue into the final episodes.

Danson didn't need to hold out for another series as he's already got something going with Tina Fey, but even if he didn't, he's happy because he knows the show is going out on its own terms. Not every show gets that kind of luxury, so few can blame him for being so grateful even if there might've (the ratings weren't that great) been more life in The Good Place yet.

The Good Place Fans Were Shocked To Discover Blake Bortles Is A Real Football Player

The Good Place's final season airs on NBC this fall, so be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest on what's happening in the world of television and movies.

Few shows will ever be able to top 30 Rock's signature brand of occasionally absurd satire, but perhaps a spinoff series from co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock would do the job. Amazingly enough, there allegedly was a 30 Rock follow-up project in the works, with Alec Baldwin's pompous businessman Jack Donaghy at the center. For better or worse, Baldwin is said to have backed out of the project, which then became The Good Place star Ted Danson's new show. What the fork?

Let's back things up. For close to a year, negotiations were in place to bring Alec Baldwin back to the 30 Rock universe for a new comedy spinoff that would have seen Jack Donaghy as the Mayor of New York City. The show would have focused on Jack's reign an entity that is slightly bigger than the General Electric/Kabletown corporation that he ran on 30 Rock.

The new 30 Rock-inspired project was being developed as a new original series for the upcoming Comcast and NBCU streaming service, which is set to debut its ad-supported platform in the spring of 2020. THR reports that Baldwin was in extended negotiations for many months before eventually backing out of the project. No reasons were mentioned for why he may not have wanted to be involved.

At this point, it's stated that Tina Fey and Robert Carlock reached out to Ted Danson to see if he was interested in running New York City for the new comedy. Danson, who will turn 72 years old in December, made it clear he did not want to move to New York to take the role, however.

Ted Danson Has A Brilliantly Simple Way To Get Cool Acting Jobs

Instead of reaching out to even more actors to gauge their interests, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock decided to change the story itself to adhere to Ted Danson's locational wishes. The duo transferred the central story to have Danson's character run for mayor of Los Angeles, as opposed to the Big Apple. Once the setting got shifted, that took away just about everything tying the project to 30 Rock, beyond the creators, so probably don't expect to see Jenna Maroney singing about her muffin top or Tracy Jordan getting women pregnant behind family pharmacies. May do expect to see Danson behind a bar.

Ted Danson's new collaborative effort with Tina Fey and Robert Carlock was awarded a straight-to-series order from NBCU and Comcast's upcoming streaming service, though it's not clear when the project will see the light of day. Danson is currently filming the fourth and final season of NBC's The Good Place, so that filming will need to conclude before he's able to dive into a new project.

30 Rock regularly took aim at the entertainment industry, workplace politics, and its central hub of New York City. Considering Tina Fey and Robert Carlock's other projects together were pretty good about sharing those attributes, it can be assumed that their new Ted Danson comedy will showcase the same kinds of humor. Perhaps there will be a point when Alec Baldwin will agree to make a guest-starring appearance, and perhaps he will reprise Jack.

This wasn't the only time that rumors of a 30 Rock spinoff have gone public. Tina Fey, who will soon be seen in Amazon's anthology romance Modern Love, spread some herself last year by talking about making a new show focusing on her Liz Lemon and Amy Poehler's Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope. That could technically still happen, so our fingers are still crossed for it.

Don't expect this project to be the only upcoming streaming series that was conceived as a spinoff, revival or reboot. Studios and networks are seemingly as eager as ever to bring past projects back for current-day glory, with some like Will & Grace and The Conners being on the successful end of the spectrum. So expect to hear more about potential reboots for The Office, Friends, ER and more.

As stated earlier, it's unclear when Ted Danson's new show with Tina Fey and Robert Carlock will arrive on NBCU's new streaming service. We don't even know when that service will be started, but stay tuned for that, as well as Comedy Central's upcoming roast of Alec Baldwin.

The Good Place took fans by surprise last month when the series made a huge announcement. Its upcoming fourth season will also be its last. The cast subsequently shared their reaction to the news. With that decision made, it is time for cast members to start finding their follow-ups, and Ted Danson already has his lined up.

The actor has signed on for a new NBC series from Saturday Night Live legend Tina Fey and her producing partner, Robert Carlock. Fans will recall Fey name-checking Carlock when addressing those 30 Rock revival rumors last year. As for the Ted Danson-led series, you do not have to wonder if you will ever get to see it.

The show has already landed the much-coveted straight-to-series order. In it, Ted Danson will play a wealthy businessman who runs for mayor in Los Angeles. Following his victory, he goes on a personal journey to find out what he stands for, earn his staff’s respect, and “connect with his teenage daughter,” per NBC.

Sounds intriguing! The series, which is currently untitled, was tailor-made for Ted Danson and was actually written for him, per THR. Curious minds will have to stay tuned for a release date on the series, though, because NBC did not announce one. Burt, some answers are worth the wait, and they should eventually come. For now, Ted Danson has The Good Place’s fourth and final season in the cards.

There is also the anticipation of finding out if he will win a 2019 Emmy for his performance on the series. Ted Danson was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy for his portrayal of Michael. It is his thirteenth career nomination in the category.

The actor signing on for the NBC series ensures that he will remain on television for the foreseeable future. Before doing The Good Place, Ted Danson starred in the second season of FX’s anthology series, Fargo, and the CSI franchise. Having risen to pop culture prominence on Cheers back in the ‘80s, it is fair to say that television has been a “good place” for Danson.

For Tina Fey, news of the NBC series marks another television project at the Peacock Network. Fey rose to fame on its long-running sketch series, Saturday Night Live. She subsequently starred in 30 Rock, which she created. The comedy ran for seven seasons on NBC before ending in 2013. Fey's future television roles include Amazon’s upcoming series, Modern Love.

Tina Fey’s upcoming series starring Ted Danson marks another effort between her and producing partner, Robert Carlock. He co-produced Fey’s 30 Rock and the duo co-created the Netflix series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Fans will have to stay tuned to find out more as their series for Ted Danson continues taking shape.

After this summer’s premieres, The Good Place will return for its fourth and final season on September 26. New episodes will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. You can currently stream the comedy’s first two seasons on Netflix, along with a myriad of other upcoming content.

Ted Danson has starred in a number of series over his long career, showing off his comedic and dramatic acting chops. Despite all his many jobs, he was best known in pop culture for his role as Sam the bartender on Cheers for a very long time. Danson currently stars as Michael on The Good Place, and the show stuck him back behind a bar in the Season 2 finale. Despite Danson's extensive experience as a TV bartender, he wasn't super excited to go back to bartending on the small screen. He had this to say:

Sam may have been bartending in primetime for 11 years, but Ted Danson was never a professional bartender, and he went more than 20 years without needing to perform as a bartender on a sitcom. Apparently, working as a fake bartender on television isn't just like riding a bike! Throwing a towel over his shoulder was one thing; handling the booze and having an important conversation at the same time was something else entirely, and according to his comments at The Good Place's panel at San Diego Comic-Con (via EW), the prospect was horrifying.

The good news for everybody is that Ted Danson's return to tending bar went well. He managed to get back into the Sam headspace enough to turn in a believable bartending performance as Michael in the Good Place Season 2 finale. Of course, he probably could have botched the job without upsetting anybody, given the craziness of the finale twist. If you doubted that The Good Place could ever pull off a cliffhanger that even rivals its Season 1 cliffhanger, the reveal that Eleanor was back on Earth at the end of Season 2 probably proved you wrong. Michael knew what was up, but Eleanor is still in the dark. Does this mean we could get more of Michael the bartender in Season 3?

We'll have to wait and see. The Good Place returns for Season 2 on NBC in the fall, with new episodes airing on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET between episodes of Superstore and Will & Grace. Season 3 should be a big departure from the seasons that came before, and it will undoubtedly be interesting to see how the relationships between the characters return (or do not return) to form after the memory wipes when Eleanor and Co. returned to Earth.

If you need some shows to watch during the wait for Season 3, check out our summer TV premiere guide. For a blast from the Good Place past, Netflix has the full first season streaming. Our 2018 Netflix premiere schedule can point you toward some additional streaming options.

Ted Danson is enjoying critical success on NBC's hit comedy The Good Place. In an interview discussing what he thinks makes the show work, he also shared a crucial lesson he has learned through his career, and it has to do with how he selects his upcoming projects. Danson shared his reasonably straightforward approach for going about it, saying:

With his career going strong, Ted Danson's strategy seems to be working. While he revealed the method to Variety, the article does not mention which projects of his have come to fruition using the tactic. Danson has certainly worked with his share of brilliant people throughout his career. He counts The Good Place's creator Michael Schur to be among the "brightest" he has encountered.

It is interesting that Ted Danson's career has led him back to acting in a half-hour comedy that airs on NBC, as it is the same network on which his career first took off. The actor's big break came on the classic sitcom Cheers, which ran for eleven seasons, beginning in 1982 and ending in 1993 on the Peacock network. For a while, the comically-inclined actor seemed to be leaning towards the more dramatic end of the spectrum.

In 2007, Ted Danson had a major role on the first season of the FX legal drama Damages. After a considerable run on the CSI franchise and a role in the second season of FX's Fargo, Danson is currently starring as Michael on The Good Place. The show wrapped up its second season back in February, and NBC has greenlit it for a third 13-episode season.

For The Good Place, the actor gets a chance to dabble in the realm of the afterlife. The series follows Kristen Bell's Eleanor, who wakes up after dying in what she believes is the post-life destination for good people. Unfortunately for Eleanor, Season 1's shocking finale reveals that Ted Danson's Michael is actually a demon and she is in "the bad place."

Ted Danson's strategy of working with a creative person is a strong one for an actor to pursue. Creativity tends to conjure the image of an individual with a vibrant imagination. To keep a television show running for multiple seasons, you certainly need to have that in steady and high supply. Given that Danson has starred on long-running series, it would indicate he has had success recognizing such creative forces.

You can catch Ted Danson when The Good Place returns to NBC. For what to watch in the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres. If you are done looking through that and still need more info on what's on the horizon, check out the 2018 network TV rundown to find out which shows have been cancelled and which ones have been renewed like The Good Place.

When the TV show Cheers gets mentioned, either in passing or as one of the greatest small screen comedies of all time, it's hard not to picture Ted Danson's Sam Malone standing behind the bar and donning both a sparkling smile and a head of perfectly coifed hair. But when Cheers was first coming together at NBC back in the early 1980s, there was a moment when it was possible for Bill Cosby to have become the guy pouring beers for Cliff and Norm. Here's what co-creator Les Charles about the initial casting process.

Just think: if brothers Les and Glenn Charles had been excited about getting a major TV star front and center for Cheers, then nabbing Bill Cosby would have been pretty big. Cosby's career in the 1970s was probably more celebrated for his stand-up comedy than for films like The Devil and Max Devlin and the sketch comedy show Cos. Still, though, considering the writing and the ensemble cast had as much to do with Cheers becoming a mega-hit as Ted Danson's affable charisma, Cosby wouldn't have needed to stretch his own personality much to gain viewers.

Alas, Les and Glenn Charles had no interest in adding a well-known entertainer for the role of Sam Malone (or whatever the lead character's name would have otherwise been), and went with Ted Danson, who'd been working on TV movies and bit parts on comedies like Laverne & Shirley and Taxi. The part turned Danson into a superstar, and set him up for a career in which he's been able to pick and choose winning roles on shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Good Place, with the latter also on NBC.

And it's not like the network absolutely failed hardcore when Cheers' creators passed on adding Bill Cosby. Just two years after the bar-set sitcom made Sam and Diane the most dynamic romance around, The Cosby Show debuted on NBC and became a hard-to-stop juggernaut in both the ratings and the Emmys game. (Appreciation for the show has suffered due to Cosby's sex offender conviction, to be sure.) And as far as "What If" situations go, though, this scene below would be worlds different if Danson was replaced with Cosby.

Beyond the prospects of seeing Bill Cosby waxing sarcastic with Carla, the Charles brothers also revealed to THR that another one-time comedy icon, Sid Caesar, had specific interests in joining the show in its development period. According to Glen Charles:

Since Sid Caesar lived until 2014, unlike late actor Nicholas Colasanto, his version of Coach would have presumably survived throughout the entire run of the show, Which means we never would have gotten to meet Woody Harrelson's Woody Boyd, which would have been a travesty. So let's all thank the TV gods for making Cheers a show that hasn't lost a step over the years.

Though Cheers is only around in streaming form these days, it's absolutely worth a rewatch every so often. But there are tons of other new shows coming to primetime soon, and you can find it all with our summer premiere schedule.

The Good Place is a hilariously inventive series that all television audiences should be watching for many reasons, and few would dispute the Season 1 finale being the series' greatest trick (and treat.) Creator and former Office writer Michael Schur knew audiences finding out the series' big twist too soon could ruin the fun of the build-up, so he swore stars Ted Danson and Kristen Bell to secrecy about everyone actually being in "The Bad Place." Both swore they wouldn't say a word, and then Danson preceded to spoil the twist to John Krasinski for a silly and hilariously petty reason.

Ted Danson technically had no way of knowing whether or not John Krasinski actually thought The Good Place was anything more than The Office with heaven as the setting, since this was all based on a look, but he didn't want to risk it. The television legend made sure to let Krasinski know right then and there that series creator Michael Schur wasn't trying to reinvent his past successful series The Office in an ethereal new setting, but rather attempting something entirely new. Apparently, Danson was ready to let everyone know what the deal was, as Schur also revealed at a special Good Place screening and Q&A (via EW) that the star was telling anyone who would listen about The Good Place's big twist.

Ted Danson was apparently better at keeping his spoiler habits a secret than the show's plot. Michael Schur was the person to out the actor for having devilishly loose lips, but also added that Danson didn't even come clean about his own blabber mouth until the season finale had wrapped. Luckily, very few people were able to accurately guess what was in store for the show's characters, despite Danson's terrible ability to keep secrets.

While Schur did call out Danson for nearly ruining the biggest twist the show has introduced to date, he also added that the reveal scene wouldn't have been so amazing had Danson not improvised Michael's evil laugh when Eleanor revealed that everyone was actually in The Bad Place. He's got some talent, that Danson kid.

The Good Place Season 3 is on its way to NBC. In the meantime, fans can binge Season 1 of the afterlife comedy on Netflix, and catch portions of Season 2 on Hulu. Those interested in other things coming to streaming in the near future should visit our Netflix premiere guide. For a more general list of upcoming shows headed to television, visit our summer premiere guide.

Warning! The following article contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of The Good Place. Read at your own risk!

The Good Place threw so many of its fans for a loop in its Season 2 finale that many may have missed a hilarious and rather obvious reference it made to Cheers. The moment came when Michael snuck down to earth to intervene in Eleanor's second chance at life by posing as a bartender, which was an obvious nod to the character he portrayed on Cheers, Sam Malone:

The Good Place didn't overdo the reference by making the bar resemble the set of Cheers or anything, but they did put Eleanor in a position where everybody knew her name. Of course, Eleanor didn't recognize Michael when they talked in the empty bar as her memory had been wiped after The Eternal Judge granted her and the gang a second chance at life. Ted Danson, who back on his classic series would've been written to woo Eleanor, instead planted the seeds that would set Eleanor on the path to be reunited with her afterlife friend and forgotten love interest, Chidi Anagonye.

The nod to Cheers was nice, but some fans felt The Good Place wasted an opportunity to do more with it. A fan on Twitter remarked that a quick appearance by Ted Danson's former Cheers co-star George Wendt would've been a nice touch, and some seemed to agree that might've been better than just putting Danson behind a bar and giving him a plaid shirt to wear. NBC was apparently content with how the show referenced the past hit series and even referenced a quote from Sam Malone to Diane in Season 1 in an effort to draw a parallel between the two shows:

Whatever opportunities The Good Place missed in Ted Danson's appearance as a bartender could surely be revisited in a later episode. Even with Chidi by her side, Eleanor is bound to stray from the path of righteousness once again, which likely means Michael will have to step in and try again to set her on the right path. The big question is how he'll be able to do that now that Eleanor is in Sydney, Australia considering she already knows him as a bartender in Phoenix, Arizona.

Of course, Michael's stint as a bartender on The Good Place doesn't have to be the only place it can reference Cheers. Former cast members of the show could always appear as immortal beings in the Good or Bad Place, or as actual people in the real world as the series continues. The show has been creative enough throughout its run that there's no shortage of scenarios that could include a cameo by Rhea Perlman, Shelley Long, or even Kelsey Grammar. If Dr. Frasier Crane somehow ended up being a colleague of Chidi and the two frequently traded philosophical emails that would be amazing!

The Good Place will return for Season 3 to NBC. For some information regarding upcoming television in 2018, head on over to our midseason premiere guide.

When it comes to television actors, you'd hard pressed to find one more rock solid than Ted Danson. He's a TV veteran with a number of great roles and shows under his belt. From the classic Cheers to the more recent (and very excellent) The Good Place, Danson knows how to bring it. But he's also a human being, and sometimes people get really high the night before filming and can't remember their lines. This happened to Danson back when he was starring on HBO's Bored to Death, but it wasn't totally his fault; the show's creator is the one who gave him the drugs in the first place.

The Bored to Death cast knew how to party and they must have been pretty persuasive. Show creator Jonathan Ames and castmembers Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis recently reunited for a panel at Vulturefest (via Vulture), where Ames told a fun anecdote about the one time Danson ever forgot his lines. It all started when Ames saw a cameraman using a Volcano vaporizer, recommended by Woody Harrelson, no less. Ames, a weed connoisseur, did a vapor bag himself and then wrote it into the show. Then later one evening before reshoots was supposed to take place in New York, Ames, Danson, and Schwartzman smoked the volcano together.

After a night of stoney shenanigans -- like ordering everything off the menu of a vegan restaurant -- Ames was surprised to learn the next day that Ted Danson was still recovering from the volcano and couldn't remember any of his lines. Understandably, Ames got a little worried.

We're guessing that everything turned out alright and Ted Danson was able to get through filming that day. It sounds like Danson wasn't as good with his recreational drug use that night as his Bored to Death character, George, was on the show. You can check out a clip of George bonding with Zach Galifianakis' character over some shared pot down below.

The status of a Bored to Death movie is still up in the air, but you can currently catch Ted Danson on The Good Place, which returns with new episodes on Thursday, January 4, 2018, at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC. For the rest of the 2018 lineup, be sure to check out our midseason premiere guide!

The CSI universe has been a staple of CBS programming for the better part of two decades, but things aren’t looking too great for the franchise thanks to some terrible news coming from the big name behind CSI: Cyber. Ted Danson will be jumping ship from the crime drama to star opposite Kristen Bell in a new NBC sitcom called Good Place that, frankly, already sounds more entertaining than CSI: Cyber.

Good Place will follow the story of a New Jersey woman named Eleanor (Bell) who decides to turn over a new leaf after realizing that she hasn’t been a terribly good person. She sets out to learn what it means to be good and bad, then works to make up for her past behavior. Danson will play Michael, who will be an invaluable resource as Eleanor’s guide through her self-designed course of self-improvement.

Danson’s new sitcom has only been ordered for 13 episodes at this point, according to Entertainment Weekly, so there’s not necessarily any reason why he shouldn’t be able to drop by CSI: Cyber in the future or possibly even return if Good Place flops. Still, Danson returning to his comedy roots to play opposite Kristen Bell, on a comedy produced by Mike Schur of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Office fame, means the odds aren’t half bad that Good Place has a long future ahead of it. Danson’s departure from the already-struggling CSI: Cyber may be the last straw for what relatively few viewers are still tuning in each week.

Of course, CSI: Cyber didn’t exactly start pulling in record numbers once Danson jumped from the end of the cancelled CSI to join the crew for Season 2 of the last remaining spinoff in the franchise, but Cyber might not have held on as long as it has had Danson not come on board when he did.

Danson’s show might not be the only one to lose a cast member to Good Place. Kristen Bell has starred on Showtime’s comedy House of Lies for five seasons. Although Season 5 has yet to air, the possibility of the initial 13-episode order for Good Place being boosted up to a standard network season order of 20+ episodes could make working double duty tough on the actress.

Still, it is possible that Bell is doing the same thing as Danson and getting ready to jump from a sinking ship. Funny as it has been over four seasons to have aired thus far, House of Lies has never been Showtime’s highest-rated series, and Season 5 was the first in the show’s history to have its order cut down from twelve episodes to ten.

Ted Danson and Kristen Bell signing on for Good Place may not bode too well for CSI: Cyber or House of Lies, but it could mean great things for NBC. Danson still has some time left on Cyber so be sure to tune in to CBS on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET if you want to catch the rest of his appearances. If CSI: Cyber isn’t your cup of tea, check out our list of midseason premiere dates to see when your favorite shows are hitting the airwaves in 2016.

Ted Danson has had a good history with HBO, playing a lead in Bored to Death as well as appearing on Curb Your Enthusiasm. However, in a recent profile interview, the CSI: Cyber actor revealed that his role in Curb happened following an early screening of the HBO comedy that didn’t go as well as expected. You can check out the hilarious full story, below.

Speaking with the AV Club, Danson’s account more than implies that the original pilot for Curb Your Enthusiasm was terrible. It wasn’t even bad in a good way, it was so forgettable that people even fell asleep—a feat for a TV show, which doesn’t run nearly as long as a movie. If Danson hadn’t felt so bad for Larry David while watching the pilot, it’s unlikely the actor would have said yes to the series, as he also mentions that he had been stuck for too long in “the half hour comedy party.” If the pilot had been better, he probably would have missed out on a pretty memorable role.

However, it all turned out to be pretty, pretty good. Danson and his real-life wife Mary Steenburgen popped up on the HBO comedy playing a TV version of themselves and ended up first appearing the second episode in Season 1. He later was a part of numerous episodes of the show-often with his wife in toe—frequently butting heads with Larry, as often happens on Curb. While Danson has hopped to CBS and taken drama roles like CSI and Fargo in the time since, we’re happy he stuck with comedy for this gig. Danson seems to acknowledge this too, actually noting:

Curb Your Enthusiasm hasn’t produced a new season since 2011, but the show ended on an open-ended enough note that it could theoretically come back at any time. In fact, every few months someone related to the show tends to discuss the chances of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s eventual return, and they look good. So, with a little luck, maybe we’ll eventually get a ninth season of the comedy. If it does happen, we’ll be sure to let you know.

For now, here’s what TV shows HBO has coming up at midseason.

The original CSI may have ended its run just a few short days ago, but for one main CSI cast member, the ride isn’t over yet. Since George Eads and Elisabeth Shue left the CBS drama even before the big 2-hour event (and Grissom and Sidle boated off into the sunset), it may be a little easy to guess the person who is heading to CSI: Cyber this week. That’s right, Ted Danson is heading to CSI: Cyber, where he has been added to the cast as a series regular.

The stint won’t be the first time that Danson’s CSI universe character, D.B. Russell, has headed to another show within the franchise. He also popped up in an episode of CSI: NY earlier this decade. While fans aren’t quite as invested in Russell as they have been with some of the original CSI characters, it’s nice that the network found a way to keep him on. In addition, adding Danson could give some former CSI audiences a reason to tune in and check out CSI: Cyber during this weekend’s big Season 2 premiere.

After kicking off at midseason last year, CSI: Cyber did well enough that CBS renewed the series for a second season. The cast of the drama is already stacked, including Patricia Arquette and James Van Der Beek, and adding Ted Danson just makes the cast stand out a little further. Plus, while Season 1 debuted to middling reviews, CSI: Cyber will at least boast a really creepy plot for its Season 2 premiere episode. CBS recently released a clip for the new season, which features D.B. Russell interacting with the new gang as they try to solve a case involving a predator who is hacking dolls owned by little girls in order to get what he wants.

If you caught the CSI 2-hour finale movie last weekend, you probably already know that Russell left his post in Las Vegas, declaring his intent to “head east.” He later handed off his post to Sara Sidle, although Catherine Willows seemed to know Sidle might leave with Grissom and offered to take over the lab, as well. While we’ll miss the likes of Sidle and Greg a lot, we liked the movie's nod to Danson's move to Quantico in CSI: Cyber, and we like that he’ll be on our TVs a lot this season.

CSI: Cyber is getting a late premiere, thanks to the CSI finale movie dominating the schedule last week. Luckily, Cyber is expected to return very soon, airing on Sunday, October 4 at 10 p.m. ET. To find out when the rest of your favorites are set to return, check out our fall TV premiere schedule.

Photo courtesy of CBS.

When CBS released their fall schedule earlier today, one show’s absence was glaringly obvious. The network has now made it official that CSI’s Season 15 was definitely its last one, and the celebrated procedural has been canceled. It was also confirmed that the series will come to a close with a feature-length TV movie that will bring back two of the show’s most memorable cast members of years past, William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger.

A series that spawned three successful spinoffs, CSI will bid farewell to Las Vegas with a two-hour movie that’s set to air on September 27. CBS execs and creator Anthony Zuiker were mulling over whether a movie or a limited series would be the best way to end things, and this was apparently decided to be the best way to bow out. It will presumably pick up after the Julie-related cliffhanger that Season 15 left viewers wondering about, although that season finale didn’t exactly get the same kind of attention that those of years past has.

It’s unclear just how Petersen’s Gil Grissom or Helgenberger’s Catherine Willows will re-enter the story for the movie, but we can expect a warm re-welcoming. (Though maybe not from Sara.) Petersen left the show in Season 9 to focus more on stage work, though he did appear in an uncredited cameo in Season 11 and a voiceover cameo in Season 13. Helgenberger also left the show for stage work, though she stuck around until the middle of Season 12, at which point her character left to join the FBI.

For those worried that Ted Danson was going to go off and join Fargo Season 2 and leave D.B. Russell behind him completely, fear not! According to THR, Danson (whose CSI contract expired after Season 15 anyway) has signed on to join the latest spinoff CSI: Cyber as a series regular for Season 2, and he’ll lead the cyber crime squad with Patricia Arquette’s Avery Ryan.

CSI’s cancellation was to be expected, as its shift from Wednesdays to Sundays last year left it in fairly dire straits when it came to ratings, and it was no longer the most watched TV show in the world, a distinction lost to NCIS. The shortened Season 15 order of 18 episodes was also a pretty good sign that things were coming to a close. I’m sure it’ll get rebooted in 10 years anyway.

So don’t forget to tune into CBS for the CSI TV movie finale on Sunday, September 27. To find out the future of all your other favorite shows, check out our cancelation/renewal list here.

CBS might be dropping one of its CSI series after this season, but it’s guaranteed that the original CSI is avoiding the axe, at least for one more year. On Wednesday, CBS renewed CSI for another year and made sure Ted Danson would be back to boot.

According to Deadline, Danson has actually signed another 2-year contract to stay on CSI, but the network has only renewed the series for one more year so far. As plenty of famous names, including Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen have left the show to pursue other projects, it seems smart to sign the man on for an extra year just in case the show gets picked up for two more seasons. Regardless, it’s good to know that Season 14 will be happening.

Recently, the eye network made a similar decision with one of its other long-running shows, NCIS, signing a deal with lead Mark Harmon around the same time a renewal was made. Fans of the veteran program will be happy to hear CSI isn't going anywhere, although the same can probably not be said for CSI: NY, which is expected to be cancelled. While it may seem strange the network would keep an original program over a newer spinoff, CSI regularly wins the “most watched show in the world” award at the International TV Audience Awards. A network won't dump a show that is profitable worldwide, and I expect the show may be on the air for some time to come.

We’ll keep you in the loop as CBS continually updates its schedule.

Elisabeth Moss, Mark Duplass and Ted Danson are all well known for their TV work, starring in Mad Men, The League and CSI (and many, many others), respectively, but now the three of them are set to join together for a feature effort. The three actors have all been cast in The One I Love, a new romantic indie directed by Charlie McDowell.

Deadline says that Duplass and Moss will be playing a young married couple experiencing problems. To help talk about their issues and try to solve them, they go to see a therapist, the character played by Danson. The film will be McDowell's directorial debut and he will be working from a script written by newcomer Justin Lader. Strangely, the site doesn't mention the tone of the film, whether it be a comedy or a drama. It's a credit to the actors, but with this cast it could go either way.

Just last year Duplass and Moss had roles in Lawrence Kasdan's lost dog dramedy Darling Companion, and strangely enough both Danson and Moss were featured in 1999's Mumford - also written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan.

Moss will be back on Mad Men when the sixth season starts up next month, while Danson continues his run starring on CSI. Duplass, meanwhile has been keeping incredibly busy, recently doing a stretch on The Mindy Project and filming parts in the Kennedy drama Parkland and the Stephen King adaptation Mercy. He's also completed production on Peachfuzz, a horror comedy he co-wrote and is starring in with co-writer/director Patrick Brice.

For three seasons a Brooklyn-based writer turned amateur detective-for-hire sleuthed his way through sidesplitting scandals and goofy mysteries on HBO's quirky comedy series Bored to Death. But the noir-inspired fun came to an end in 2011 when HBO pulled the plug, causing fans to lament the loss of one of television's most bizarre but engaging three-way bromances, which had blossomed between Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson. However, there's now a chance that Jonathan Ames—the show's fictional character loosely based on its real-life writer—might rise again! And this time in the movies!

THR reports Ames, the show's creator, is currently drafting a screenplay that would be a continuation of the plot cut short at the end of season three of the series. HBO is at work developing the feature that's logline reads:

So, basically it's business as usual for the Bored to Death crew.

It seems safe to assume that Schwartzman, Galifianakis and Danson would return for the film, especially as it was Danson who first leaked that a script was in the works. Since then, he slipped some plot details, revealing that Jonathan (Schwartzman) becomes a police officer—meaning he'd have legit authority in his crime fighting—and that the slovenly comic artist Ray (Galifianakis) and the ever-dapper ladies' man George (Danson) become roommates. Based on this bit of plot alone I'm eagerly anticipating the return of this deeply deranged trio.

There's no word on when the Bored to Death movie might shoot. But in the meantime, audiences can see Schwartzman in A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, which opens February 8th in limited release. Then this summer Galifianakis will return with The Hangover Part III. As for Danson, he has nothing currently slated for a 2013 release, but some are still holding out hope for another Three Men and a Baby movie.

Before HBO's Girls were roaming around Brooklyn, there were the boys of Bored to Death. The series, starring Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson was also set in the hip New York borough before being recently cancelled after just three short seasons (eight episodes a piece). Bored to Death followed Schwartzman's Jonathan Ames, named for the series' creator and popular author, as he took up private investigating in order to distract himself from his woes.

Soon his best friend Ray, a cartoonist played by Galifianakis, and his boss George, a wealthy socialite and magazine editor, also get caught up in Ames misadventures. Well, they got caught up because, as I said, the show was cancelled (the last episode airing last November), however, Vulture reports that the crime solving (that's generous) gang might be getting back together for another case. During an interview at the Monte Carlo Television Festival, French journalist Pierre Langlas spoke with Danson and apparently a Bored to Death movie might be in the works.

Now, for those who don't speak French, the tweet reads that the former Cheers star said there was a strong possibility of a 90-minute installment of Bored to Death for HBO. It's hard to get into specifics in 140 characters but Vulture was able to speak with a representative from the network and there "have been conversations" about a movie but it's still "at a very early stage." There's no mention of whether the BtD film would go theatrical or merely air on the network, but going by the history of HBO Films, it seems likely that it would stay on cable.

The post-series movie seems to be an ever popular rallying cry for fans and series creators alike (thanks Serenity) but it rarely ever comes to fruition. But the key difference between a 90-minute Bored to Death and say, the much-discussed but never going going to happen Deadwood film is the price. BtD's relatively inexpensive price tag compared to the prestige network's other ventures makes it seem much more likely. And for those like me who miss the white wine and pot fuelled antics of the trio, that's pretty exciting. Would you watch a Bored to Death film?

Turns out that when Steve Guttenberg started talking up plans for a new Three Men and a Baby movie last fall, he wasn't just making things up as a desperate ploy to revive his career. I know, I'm surprised too. Talking to MTV to promote his role in the soon-to-be-awful Killers, Tom Selleck confirmed that Disney had checked up on him, Guttenberg and Ted Danson to gauge their interest in a third movie together, this one to be called Three Men and a Bride.

According to Selleck there's a script, but we'll only know if he'll actually make it once we know if the script is any good.

As someone barely older than the baby of the first movie and little lady of the second, I'm totally weirded out by the notion that she would be getting married by now-- and yes, I know that's probably the least of anyone's concerns about this potential disaster. Then again, Selleck, Guttenberg and Danson are all funny guys who don't get nearly enough work these days. Would a reunion be enough to get them back in business? And even if the movie is terrible, would you pay just to see the gang reunited again?