# Which combination of Cheers and Married With Children co-starring characters do you prefer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 20, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853 "2026-01-20T15:02:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/1 "2026-01-20T15:02:52Z")
For those of you who like both Cheers and Married With Children, which combination of the two co-starring characters that changed in the middle of their runs do you like better? I was thinking this over the other day, and I have a hypothesis that the numbers will probably be split in a particular way, but I don’t want to influence the poll with my hypothesis or my preference, so I’ll wait about 24 hours before posting those. _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/2 "2026-01-20T15:27:12Z")
Fun fact - Ed O’Neil was the other actor on the short list to play Sam, they would have made him an ex-football player instead of ex-baseball. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/3 "2026-01-20T15:51:47Z")
I voted for Steve and for Rebecca, who seem more — multifaceted, I guess? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/4 "2026-01-20T16:12:19Z")
Jefferson worked better as a replacement for Steve than Rebecca did as a replacement for Diane. While the change in dynamic from the primary female character being an employee to Sam’s direct superior was interesting and a good plot twist, the pursuit of the relationship really undermined his romance with Diane, even if that was “over.” And the triangle with Robin was never as good as the one with Frasier. Robin was mostly an off-screen character, and when he did appear, he was highly unlikable. Jefferson OTOH was just someone else for Al to complain to, and became more of a sidekick than a neutral or sometimes hostile party as Steve usually was. Al needed a real buddy, not another enemy. Everyone else on the show was already against him. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/5 "2026-01-20T19:56:27Z")
See, I think Cheers became much better once Diane was out and Rebecca was in. The focus shifted to more of an ensemble comedy, rather than being The Sam and Diane Show. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/6 "2026-01-21T21:37:50Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Jefferson OTOH was just someone else for Al to complain to, and became more of a sidekick than a neutral or sometimes hostile party as Steve usually was. Al needed a real buddy, not another enemy. Everyone else on the show was already against him Yeah, Steve was as much an antagonist for Al as he was a buddy or neutral. Jefferson was always a neutral or friendly character. Marcy became the primary antagonist once Steve was out of the picture. And I agree, Al needed a buddy, and Jefferson being something of a himbo was perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/7 "2026-01-21T22:59:12Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Jefferson OTOH was just someone else for Al to complain to, and became more of a sidekick than a neutral or sometimes hostile party as Steve usually was. Al needed a real buddy, not another enemy. Everyone else on the show was already against him. I always figured the last episode of _Married with Children_ should have Al murder everyone with an ax and be acquited by a jury of twelve shoe salesmen. It’s a little dark for a comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/8 "2026-01-22T00:55:10Z")
Psycho Dad! ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/9 "2026-01-22T01:18:04Z")
My hypothesis was the exact opposite of the results. I figured people would either like Diane and Steve, since they were both the serious / down to earth type (in comparison to Rebecca and Jefferson), or Jefferson and Rebecca, since they were both less serious, although in different ways. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/10 "2026-01-22T01:40:13Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Fun fact - Ed O’Neil was the other actor on the short list to play Sam, they would have made him an ex-football player instead of ex-baseball. I always heard it was Fred Dryer (the former L.A. Rams defensive end who went on to star in _Hunter_) > [@](#): > > Cheers" writer Ken Levine remembered almost casting Fred Dryer as Sam Malone on his blog, pointing to the Charles Brothers’ original vision for the character as a former football player for the New England Patriots. “Fred Dryer was more who they had in mind,” explains Levine. “And he was a finalist for the role (along with William Devane [of ‘Knots Landing’ fame]).” Ted Danson proved to be “so charming” and had such good chemistry with Diane Chambers actor Shelley Long that he won out over the other finalists for the role. However, that meant the producers were faced with changing Sam’s backstory. “Ted as a football bruiser is only slightly more believable than me as an NFL lineman,” writes Levine. “So they made Sam a baseball player instead.” > **[A Legendary Football Player Was Almost Cast As Sam Malone On Cheers - TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/2075024/ted-danson-sam-malone-cheers-almost-cast-fred-dryer/)** > > "Cheers" could have looked drastically different if Ted Danson was never cast as Sam Malone. Surprisingly,, a star NFL player nearly took on the iconic role. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/11 "2026-01-24T00:19:23Z")
Julia Duffy, who played Diane’s poetry-loving friend Rebecca in an early episode of _ **Cheers!** _ (and Stephanie in _ **Newheart** _), was considered for Long’s role and played opposite Dryer in test footage. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-combination-of-cheers-and-married-with-children-co-starring-characters-do-you-prefer/1026853/12 "2026-01-24T00:55:41Z")
I’m not sure I ever really thought it through before, but: when I’m watching a TV show, the biggest question seems to me to be _am I interested in seeing what this character does next?_ And — compared to Steve and Rebecca — I routinely have a good idea of what Jefferson and Diane are going to do next. If I start spelling out a scenario involving one of ’em, I bet you could interrupt me with a _really_ solid guess about exactly where it’s going. No, that’s not insurmountable. But, as a tiebreaker, it’s pretty terrific.