30 years after Cheers' final episode UK version looks set to begin development
From the production company behind The Outlaws and Ludwig
Last updated 1st Oct 2024
It's been a massive 30 years since we said goodbye to the US comedy Cheers, starring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Woody Harrelson and Kelsey Grammer, however the show that spawned the popular spin-off Frasier, looks set to get a UK version.
According to Deadline, Big Talk Studios - the production company behind The Outlaws and Ludwig - have pitched a UK version of the hit TV show, bringing on Men Behaving Badly writer Simon Nye.
Kenton Allen, Big Talk’s chief executive, told Deadline that it was a "huge honour" to be given the opportunity to work with the comedy, after they were given permission to develop an adaptation by distributor CBS Studios, going on to say it was a "huge challenge" to get it right.
While several UK shows have been successfully adapted for American audiences, such as The Office and Ghosts, it has rarely worked in reverse, with several British adaptations being cancelled after just one season, such as Golden Girls (The Brighton Belles), That ’70s Show (Days Like These), and Married… with Children (Married for Life).
While Kenton hasn't revealed a lot about the UK version, he joked: "I might be insane. The British pub is an endangered species, so there’s an answer for the ‘Why now?’ about it.
"The attitudes of Cheers in the ‘80s are very different to the attitudes of today, so there’s a massive amount of work to be done around taking inspiration from the original characters but creating something fresh."
The original series of Cheers ran for 11 seasons between 1982 and 1993, and was set primarily in a bar in Boston where a group of local friends would meet to socialise and drink.
The show then spawned the popular spin-off Frasier with an initial run between 1993 and 2004, later being rebooted with many of the original cast in 2023, to huge success, it was renewed for a second season, which is now airing on Paramount+.
Take a look through TV shows we'd liked to see make a comeback:
SM:TV Live
Our Saturday mornings were made better with three hours of sketches, competitions and cartoons brought to us by a fresh-faced Cat Deeley and Ant and Dec. Remember the "Chums" sketch? Or Wonky Donkey!
Gladiators
Watching pro athletes battle contestants in an epic 'survival of the fittest' was awesome TV. Plus with characters named like Wolf, Storm and Pather, how could it lose?
Footballers' Wives
Broadcasting between 2002-2006, Footballers' Wives followed fictional Premier League football club Earls Park, as well as all of the drama from both the players and their fiery wives!
Friends
It's the question we've all been asking for the last 10 years, but in 2020 all six members of the Friends cast reunited! Thankfully we will get a fresh take on the series soon as the main six cast members are reuniting for a one-off special to look back at the show, although it's been postponed due to the Coronavirus.
Bad Girls
Set inside a fictional women's prison, Bad Girls aired on ITV between 1996-2006 and featured some very famous faces, including Claire King and Debra Stephenson.
The Bill
First broadcast in 1983, police drama The Bill certainly proved popular, airing until 2010. The show focused on the lives and work of police officers and starred well-known actors such as Trudie Goodwin, Graham Cole and Mark Wingett.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
She was confident, funny, magical AND she had a talking cat. Sabrina made us all want to be a witch!
Ugly Betty
Believe it or not, it's been a massive 10 years since Ugly Betty last aired on our screens! The show, which featured actress America Ferrera, followed a character called Betty Suarez, who despite her lack of 'style', landed a job at a very prestigious fashion magazine.
Where The Heart Is
The British drama, which was filmed in the Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite, proved very popular with viewers between 1997-2006, showcasing the lives of a group of district nurses and their families.
It's a Knockout
It was stupid, it was crazy, but it was certainly fun! It's a Knockout started way back in 1966, but the show made a number of returns on BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5!
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Although all episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air are now on Netflix, we'd love to see Will Smith get back into his character alongside Carlton Banks.
Stars In Their Eyes
A true classic! Stars In Their Eyes, originally hosted by Leslie Crowther, first aired in 1990 with Matthew Kelly taking over in 1993. The show did make a return with Harry Hill in 2015, but it didn't quite take off!
The Queen's Nose
Who would have thought that rubbing a 50p coin would be so interesting? We used to love watching the adventures of Harmony as she used up her magic wishes.
Fun House
We used to love watching two schools battle each other in three rounds of madness. Bring back the gunge and Pat Sharp's crazy hairstyles!
Grange Hill
Despite being at school all day, we loved to come home and watch other people be at school. Strange. But gripping story lines and relatable characters had us glued to our screens.
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