‘You Could Hear A Pin Drop’: Ted Danson Recalls Cheers’ Live Audience Not Laughing At The Jokes, And The Surprisingly Simple Reason Behind It

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Ted Danson boasts an impressive array of television roles spanning from ‘Becker’ to ‘The Good Place’ and ‘CSI’, showcasing his versatility in dramatic performances. Despite being renowned for his Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning character Sam Malone on ‘Cheers’, he continues to share captivating anecdotes about his time on the sitcom that concluded over three decades ago, as evidenced by this 2025 TV schedule. He shared instances where jokes on ‘Cheers’ fell flat, but occasionally for a simple explanation.

During its 11-season run on NBC from 1982 to 1993, the sitcom “Cheers” featured a talented and consistently amusing ensemble cast that included Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, Woody Harrelson (then quite young), Kelsey Grammer (who later starred in “Frasier”), and John Ratzenberger. With such an impressive lineup, it’s not surprising to learn that there were times when jokes fell flat during filming, as revealed by Ted Danson on the podcast “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” with Saturday Night Live alum Fred Armisen.

On Saturday Night Live, you might have experienced a similar situation. All week on Cheers, we’d rehearse and there was always something so amusing that we couldn’t help but laugh uncontrollably. We were rolling around on the floor with laughter. Later, when the audience arrived, it was time for the big moment. You could have heard a pin drop. But instead of being shocked or horrified, it was the funniest thing because suddenly, out of nowhere, your body seemed to be falling towards the ground.

During sitcom recordings like “Night Court,” having a live studio audience can offer advantages, but it also comes with potential drawbacks. For instance, if the audience doesn’t respond to jokes as expected, it can put pressure on the actors. However, Danson shared that in such situations, the actors could still laugh at their own silence, indicating that he wasn’t sharing a distressing anecdote during his podcast. He continued further…

On one occasion, a joke fell flat, and director James Burrows glanced towards the audience, inquiring, “Can you all hear it? Are the microphones functioning?” To which they replied, “No.” Upon turning on the microphone, the joke was met with laughter.

James Burrows, who directed 243 out of 270 episodes of Cheers and was also a co-creator, has an exceptional knack for understanding the show’s nuances. In this instance, he might have identified the issue as stemming from the microphones, given the somber demeanor of the audience. While technical glitches aren’t always the culprit in such scenarios, John Laroquette (Danson) further explained that there were times when the silence on set was due to the audience not finding the humor appealing rather than any technical malfunction.

A week had passed before I made up my mind to proceed. I paused, ‘Let me check, can you all hear us?’ They confirmed, ‘Yes, we can.’ Interestingly, when [Burrows] signaled earlier, it was because the microphones were not functioning. However, when I signaled, it was more like, ‘Oh dear, you’re clearly audible to us.’

As a devoted fan of Cheers, I must admit that eleven seasons’ worth of laughter can’t all be the funniest moments from this iconic show! This timeless sitcom, which you can stream in its entirety with a Paramount+ subscription or watch the first four seasons on Hulu, continues to leave an indelible mark on television and pop culture. The “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” theme song may have been catchy back in the ’80s and early ’90s, but believe me, it’s still just as infectious in 2025!

The show eventually spun off Frasier, and it’s plausible that Ted Danson might not have secured his later leading roles if he hadn’t demonstrated his talent for such a long time on Cheers. In fact, the pairing between Danson’s character Sam and Shelley Long’s Diane is so well-known that I had heard about “Sam and Diane” before watching any episode of Cheers at all.

You currently have the opportunity to rewatch all episodes of “Cheers” online, and also listen to conversations between Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson on their podcast titled “Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson & Woody Harrelson (Occasionally)”.

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2025-07-01 16:07