Editing Sam Malone (section)

===Conception, writing, and casting===

Before the series began in September 1982, various actors considered or were considered for the role of Sam Malone. Before he was cast, [[Ted Danson]] appeared in films and television series. Danson appeared in the 1979 film ''[[The Onion Field (film)|The Onion Field]]'', adapted from the [[The Onion Field|nonfiction book of the same name]], as Officer Ian Campbell, who was murdered by two criminals.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LNBX1H4C98QC&q=%22ted+danson%22+%22onion+field%22+campbell+-wikipedia&pg=PA560 |title=Roger Ebert's Four-Star Reviews: 1967–2007 |year=2007 |pages=559–60 |access-date=August 23, 2015 |via=Google Books |isbn=9780740771798 |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |publisher=Andrews McMeel }}</ref> Danson also appeared in ''[[Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]'' episode, "The Unkindest Cut" (1982), as one-time character Vincenzo Senaca—"a flamboyant and decidedly effeminate hairdresser, who ruined Elaine's {{sic|[[Lock of hair|locks]]}} but got his comeuppance at the end."<ref>{{cite magazine |first1=Alan |last1=Frutkin |first2=Gerry |last2=Kroll |date=August 20, 1996 |title=Gays on the tube |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T2MEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22ted+danson%22+hairdresser+taxi+-wikipedia+elaine&pg=PA16 |magazine=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |page=16 |via=Google Books |access-date=August 23, 2015 }}</ref> ''Cheers'' creators [[Glen Charles|Glen]] and [[Les Charles]]—along with [[James Burrows]]—were executive consultants for the episode. Danson, [[William Devane]] and [[Fred Dryer]] were shortlisted for the role of Sam Malone.<ref name=audition/> [[Ed O'Neill]] auditioned for the role but did not win the part.<ref name=oneillpeople>{{cite magazine|last1=Gliatto |first1=Tom|first2=John |last2=Griffiths|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20113790,00.html|access-date=April 6, 2012|title=At Last, Ed O'Neill Knows...Sort Of...What It's Like to Be Ryan O'Neal|date=December 3, 1990}}</ref> [[John Lithgow]] missed the audition because he was ill.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iK5dAAAAIBAJ&dq=cheers%20comedy&pg=1074%2C5004379|first=Jerry|last=Buck|title=He could have been a star of ''Cheers''|date=April 27, 1986|agency=Associated Press|page=F5|work=Observer-Reporter|location=[[Washington, Pennsylvania]]}}</ref>

Originally, Sam Malone was intended "to be a former [[wide receiver]] for the American football team, [[New England Patriots]]."<ref name=audition>Meade, Peter. "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AkQsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3M4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5565%2C8417317 We'll Cry In Our Beers As Sam, Diane Split]." ''[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]] TV Update'' [Spartanburg, NC] April 29, 1984: 14. ''Google News''. Web. January 21, 2012.</ref> Fred Dryer was initially chosen for that role because he is a former football player, but the Charles brothers chose Danson because [[NBC]] executives noticed the chemistry between him and Shelley Long.<ref name=nytimes1993>{{cite news|author=Carter, Bill|title=Why 'Cheers' Proved So Intoxicating|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/09/arts/television-why-cheers-proved-so-intoxicating.html?pagewanted=6&src=pm|date=May 9, 1993|page=6|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>Balk, Quentin, and Ben Falk. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=4L7pA2tKumsC&pg=PA166 Television's Strangest Moments: Extraordinary but True Tales from the History of Television]''. London: Robson–Chrysalis, 2005. 166. ''Google Books''. Web. February 10, 2012.</ref> The character then evolved into a former [[relief pitcher]] for the baseball team [[Boston Red Sox]].<ref name=audition/> To prepare for the role, Danson attended a bartending school in [[Burbank, California]].<ref>{{cite news|title= NBC COMEDY 'CHEERS' TURNS INTO A SUCCESS|work= The New York Times|date=November 29, 1983|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/29/arts/nbc-comedy-cheers-turns-into-a-success.html?scp=14&sq=sam%20malone%20cheers&st=cse|access-date=August 16, 2010 | first=Peter | last=Kerr}}</ref>

Fred Dryer later appeared as Dave Richards, one of Sam Malone's friends and a [[sports commentator]], in ''Cheers''. Danson said:
{{blockquote|1=I had no idea how unintelligent [Sam] was. At first I thought he was making these{{mdash}}because Sam would come out with these things that were funny, and I thought, well, maybe he's being ironic. You know, maybe he's smart enough to know that he's saying stupid things in the beginning. I think it took me about a year and a half before&nbsp;...&nbsp;I had an inkling on how to play Sam Malone, because he was a relief pitcher, which comes with a certain amount of arrogance. You know, you only get called in when you're in trouble and you're there to save the day, and that takes a special kind of arrogance, I think. And Sam Malone had that arrogance. And I, Ted Danson, did not. I was nervous, scared, excited about, you know, grateful about my new job.<ref name=NPR/>|2=Ted Danson|3=NPR's "[[Fresh Air]]", September 17, 2009}}

Sam is "athletically handsome"<ref name="Masculinities 15"/> and a womanizer who casually dates and has sex with various women "who want to have fun".<ref name="Masculinities 15">Craig, Steve. p. 15</ref><ref>Piccalo, Gina. "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-oct-18-ca-ted-danson18-story.html Ted Danson is hip again]." ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' October 18, 2009. Web. January 4, 2012.</ref><ref name="Hecht 235">Hecht, 235. ''Google Books''. Web. February 11, 2012 [https://books.google.com/books?id=0GI8lFdH2bYC&q=cheers+sam&pg=PA235].</ref> However, his relationships invariably fail.<ref name="how not">Blake, Marc. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=6qPSpNwvn4sC&q=sam%20malone&pg=PT81 How Not to Write a Sitcom: 100 Mistakes to Avoid If You Ever Want to Get Produced']'. London: [[A & C Black]], 2011. ''Google Books''. Web. January 31, 2011.</ref> Les Charles said that Sam was a "[[double act|straight man]]" to Diane; after Shelley Long's departure, he became more "carefree" and a "goof-off."<ref name="Harmetz 1C">{{cite news|last=Harmetz|first=Alijean|title=Changes on tap at 'Cheers'|work=[[The Ledger]]|date=September 23, 1987|page=1C+|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g79OAAAAIBAJ&dq=sam%20diane%20cheers&pg=1701%2C3967090}}</ref>

Ted Danson wore a [[Toupée|hairpiece]] to conceal his baldness for the role of Sam Malone during filming of ''Cheers''. His baldness was revealed at the [[42nd Primetime Emmy Awards]] (1990).<ref>Herman, Valli. "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ha4cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dHoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6839%2C6020047 Actor Wins Praise for Appearing Without Hair Piece]." ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]''. Rpt. in ''[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]]'' September 24, 1990: 5E. ''Google News''. Web. January 31, 2012.</ref> In the episode "It's Lonely on the Top" (1993), Sam Malone reveals his baldness to Carla ([[Rhea Perlman]]).

Danson earned {{USD|450,000}} per episode as Sam Malone during the last few years of ''Cheers''.<ref name="Baltimore finale">Zurawik, David. "[https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/05/16/last-call-for-cheers-the-boston-bar-is-just-a-sitcom-set-but-for-viewers-it-has-become-a-real-place-where-friends-hang-out-david-zurawik/ Last Call for Cheers. The Boston Bar is just a Sitcom Set, but for Viewers It Has Become a Real Place, Where Friends Hang Out]." ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' May 16, 1993. Web. January 17, 2012.</ref><ref name="1991 salary">Lippman, John. "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=dBzKUGQurMsC&dat=19910210 Future of `Cheers' uncertain]." ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' February 7, 1991: 1D. Rpt. in ''[[The Gainesville Sun]]'' [Gainesville, FL] February 10, 1991: 7D. ''Google News''. Web. January 17, 2012.</ref> In the final season of ''Cheers'' (1992&ndash;93), Danson decided to stop portraying Sam Malone, which contributed to the end of ''Cheers''. Danson said about the way the character changed, "He got older, you know&nbsp;...&nbsp;[the writers] tried to make him Sammy again. But he's 45 now. I'm 45. It's OK to be chasing around when you're 37. But when you're 45, it's kind of sad to be chasing around that way."<ref name="Baltimore finale"/> The producers tried to continue the show without Ted Danson, and they attempted to move the show to the [[first-run syndication]], but these ideas were shelved.<ref name=nytimes1993/>

{{blockquote|1=Some people think ''Cheers'' is 'Cheers'—the bar is the soul of the show. Other people think ''Cheers'' is Cheers plus Sam, and Sam is the soul. Because (Danson) had chicken pox, we had to do one {{sic|show}} ["The Ghost and Mrs. LeBec" (1990)] without Sam, and it was a challenge. He's the one who's everyone's friend. He's the one who tells the truth. He's the one who takes care of everybody.<ref name="Rosenthal" />|2=Cheri Eichen|3=''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]'', November 1990}}