Give Me a Ring Sometime
| "Give Me a Ring Sometime" | |
|---|---|
| Cheers episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | James Burrows |
| Written by | Glen and Les Charles |
| Production code | 001 |
| Original air date | September 30, 1982 (Mainland U.S.) October 14, 1982 (Alaska) |
| Running time | 24:56 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Give Me a Ring Sometime" is the first episode of the American situation comedy Cheers. Written by Glen and Les Charles and directed by James Burrows, the episode first aired September 30, 1982 on NBC. The pilot episode introduces the employees of bar Cheers: Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Coach Ernie Pantusso, and Carla Tortelli; and regular customers Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin. In this episode, Diane, brought in by fiancé Sumner Sloan, meets the employees and patrons of the bar. When she realizes that her fiancé has left her alone in the bar, Diane accepts Sam's offer to be the bar's waitress to start over.
In the original script the employees were the principal characters, and Norm and Cliff were not included. Later revisions added Norm and Cliff, and scenes were restructured and rewritten. Originally, Cheers' set would be a hotel, but it was ultimatelly changed to a bar. Ratings were low when the episode first aired, but were moderately successful in reruns. It has been critically praised over the years, and earned its writers awards for Best Writing in 1983.
As owner Sam Malone opens the Cheers bar, a professor Sumner Sloane (Michael McGuire) and his Boston University student fiancée Diane Chambers are the first customers. They are planning to go to Barbados to be married, but do not have a wedding ring; Sumner leaves to get the ring from his ex-wife. While she waits, Diane learns about the other people in the bar. Sam is an ex-baseball player and a recovering alcoholic. Waitress Carla Tortelli is a bitter divorcée with four children. Male patrons are playing a "body sweat in movies" trivia game, which repulses Diane. Sumner returns a few hours later, suggesting Cool Hand Luke as a "sweaty" movie and telling Diane he could not get his ex-wife's ring. His ex-wife calls the bar with a change of heart, and Sumner leaves Diane again.
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