George Wendt, Norm!, has passed away

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coolhandgopher

coolhandgopher

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A few months ago, Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson had Wendt join them on their podcast and it was a wonderfully nostalgic ride through the heydays of Cheers:
podcasts.apple.com

George Wendt (Re-Release)

Podcast Episode · Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes) · 04/09/2025 · 59m
podcasts.apple.com podcasts.apple.com
 






Wendt had rather good taste in music. I had a brief interaction with him at a Paul Westerberg show at the El Rey Theater in Hollywood, 1996. I mentioned that I thought it was cool that he was in the Soul Asylum video for Black Gold.

His response, "Oh my god it was HOT that day."

NORM!
 


RIP, big George

I would say that I liked Cheers, but it wasn't a show that I lived and died with; not something that I desperately looked forward to each week or just could not miss. Lots of good talent, and good writing, never disappointed, but I wasn't a fanatic by any stretch at all.
 

Wally said:
Used to watch Cheers every night after the news.
It was classic.
Click to expand...
KARE 11 refused to air the Tonight Show at 10:35 for years to air Cheers instead.
 



howeda7 said:
KARE 11 refused to air the Tonight Show at 10:35 for years to air Cheers instead.
Click to expand...
At Serum's in Anoka, they used to have Cheers on in the bar every weekday night. Each time Norm took a sip, the entire bar got a free tap beer. We spent the night there during the Halloween blizzard. Good times.
 

Cheers best sitcom ever in my humble opinion. Best intro song as well btw.

To me, Cheers seemed like it could have actually happened. Seemed real. More so than other top sitcoms.
 

Cheers was a rare series in which I was in on from the get go to the end. With DNA from a couple of other all time greats (The Mary Tyler Moore Show & Taxi), I remember my Dad and I taking a flyer on it from Week 1.

That first season was tremendous, but the ratings sucked. I think it only got a reprieve from cancellation because of all the critical/award recognition.

It was gaining eyeballs gradually. Then The Cosby Show arrived and Cheers caught the wave to a bonafide juggernaut. Syndication reruns lifted it higher.

The ability to add/replace characters kept it vibrant throughout and I thought was worthwhile to end.

As with any show that lasts more than a handful of seasons, the characters do become caricatures somewhat. That was apparent when I revisited the series start to finish just a couple of years ago, for the first time in decades.

In general though, it holds up just fine.
 
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golf said:
Cheers best sitcom ever in my humble opinion. Best intro song as well btw.
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It is great, but I'd argue that The Mary Tyler Moore theme was just as good, maybe better.
 

Ope3 said:
It is great, but I'd argue that The Mary Tyler Moore theme was just as good, maybe better.
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Yes that is a great theme but in my book Cheers theme is number 1
 



Ope3 said:
Wendt had rather good taste in music. I had a brief interaction with him at a Paul Westerberg show at the El Rey Theater in Hollywood, 1996. I mentioned that I thought it was cool that he was in the Soul Asylum video for Black Gold.

His response, "Oh my god it was HOT that day."

NORM!
Click to expand...

Here's more detail about his passion for MN music, Soul Asylum, etc., a nice local angle:

www.startribune.com

Many Minnesota rock musicians knew ‘Cheers’ star George Wendt’s name

The Chicago-rooted actor best known as the TV character Norm often hung out in other bars where Soul Asylum and the Replacements played.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Norm!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Here's more detail about his passion for MN music, Soul Asylum, etc., a nice local angle:

www.startribune.com

Many Minnesota rock musicians knew ‘Cheers’ star George Wendt’s name

The Chicago-rooted actor best known as the TV character Norm often hung out in other bars where Soul Asylum and the Replacements played.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Norm!!
Click to expand...

Indeed.

Just a few months after I saw Wendt at the El Rey Theater for the Westerberg show, he was indeed also there holding court at the bar for the Bob Mould (solo Hubcap tour) gig.
 

Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
RIP, big George

I would say that I liked Cheers, but it wasn't a show that I lived and died with; not something that I desperately looked forward to each week or just could not miss. Lots of good talent, and good writing, never disappointed, but I wasn't a fanatic by any stretch at all.
Click to expand...
Cool story.

This thread is not about you.
 


howeda7 said:
KARE 11 refused to air the Tonight Show at 10:35 for years to air Cheers instead.
Click to expand...
Every once in a while the network would pressure them to air the Tonight Show right after the local news and there would be protestors at the station. You could hear them when the weather guy was in the Backyard doing the forecast.
 


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