Cheers: The Complete 7th Season (DVD)

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Take an ex-Red Sox pitcher and ex-alcoholic bartender who thinks of himself as "the Cy Young of skirt chasers," a waitress who has more children that she can keep tabs on, a mailman who dabbles and babbles in made-up trivia, a well-intentioned buy naïve bartender-actor, a lush for whom beer is career, and an attractive career woman who'll do anything to get to the top . . . except sleep with a certain bartender. Then shake well.

Welcome to Cheers, the Boston bar where "everybody knows your name" and why you spend 75 percent of your life there. Though "Cheers" finished dead last in the Nielsen ratings the week it debuted back in 1982 (at #77), the show would go on to have an enviable 11-year run. During that time, it would win an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series on four occasions—including the seventh season. Over the years "Cheers" would become a frequent nominee at the Emmys, winning 27 and proving that it was one of television's most successful and talented ensembles by the sheer fact that all ten cast members who played regulars on the show received Emmy nominations: Ted Danson, playing ex-jock Sam Malone; Nicholas Colasanto, as his former "Coach"; Woody Harrelson as country-boy bartender Woody Boyd; Rhea Perlman as abrasive waitress Carla Tortelli; Shelley Long as egghead waitress Diane Chambers; Kelsey Grammer as patron Dr. Frasier Crane; Bebe Neuwirth as his love interest, Dr. Lilith Sternin; John Ratzenberger as mailman Cliff Clavin; George Wendt as barfly Norm Peterson; and Kirstie Alley as the would-be corporate ladder-climber.

The seventh season has some memorable moments. In one episode, the gang at Cheers experiences a player swap as Swingin' Sammy tends bar for a month at a Cancun resort owned by the same corporation, while his swarthy Latin counterpart tends to Cheers. Cliff Clavin gets on-the-spot shock therapy to try to cure himself of saying all those obnoxious things that leap from his mouth. Sam gets religion following a paternity scare (and Woody as Moses scares the pants off him). Carla and Eddie careen toward the altar. Rebecca and Sam seem to careen toward each other.

And Woody? In some of the season's funniest episodes, Woody starts to date a rich girl who has no idea how the rest of us live. As she enters Cheers to talk to Woody and Cliff tries to get her to try one of his latest creations made from his invention of a beet/rutabaga hybrid, he says, "Beetabaga fajita on a pita?" To which she responds, "No hablo Ingles, Senor." And when she complains to Woody that her rich boyfriend had been treating her like chattel, Woody responds, "I believe that's pronounced cattle?" Lines like that and an engaging storyline and performance by Harrelson won him an Outstanding Supporting Actor award, while Rhea Perlman picked up another Outstanding Supporting Actress award for the way she was able to bring mean-mouthed, feisty, and quick-witted Carla to life. It was the most awards the show won since its third season, and one reason why this season remains a favorite of fans.

Here's the rundown on the season's 21 episodes:

1) "How to Recede in Business"—When Evan Drake takes off for Japan, Rebecca's hopes for corporate advancement go with him. What's worse, one of the new honchos (Brian Bedford) promotes Sam to manager and fires Rebecca.

2) "Swear to God"—This funny episode has Sam swearing off sex if God spares him from paternity, but it takes Woody-as-Moses to make him keep that promise.

3) "Executive Sweet"—Rebecca heads straight for corporate to talk to the Big Guy . . . who turns out to be a really little guy with an interest in her. To keep him at bay, she says she's seeing someone already . . . Sam.

4) "One Happy Chappy in a Sappy Serape"—With Sam in Mexico opening a new bar for the corporation, Rebecca has to face up to her diminutive boss (Martin Teal).