On this day March 31 1983 one of television’s most iconic couples shared their first kiss. In the season 1 finale of Cheers Sam Malone and Diane Chambers finally gave in to the tension that had been building all season and locked lips in the bar’s office marking the beginning of one of the most memorable on screen romances of the 80s.
Cheers had struggled in the ratings early on but the chemistry between Ted Danson and Shelley Long helped the show find its voice and audience. The kiss at the end of the episode Showdown Part 2 became a defining moment not just for the series but for 80s television as a whole.
80s insight: When the episode aired it was one of the first major will they or won’t they moments to deliver on the tension and it helped set the blueprint for future TV romances.
Cheers had struggled in the ratings early on but the chemistry between Ted Danson and Shelley Long helped the show find its voice and audience. The kiss at the end of the episode Showdown Part 2 became a defining moment not just for the series but for 80s television as a whole.
80s insight: When the episode aired it was one of the first major will they or won’t they moments to deliver on the tension and it helped set the blueprint for future TV romances.
