Show cover for Cheers

The Best Episodes of Cheers

Every episode of Cheers ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Cheers!

The story about a blue-collar Boston bar run by former sports star Sam Malone and the quirky and wonderful people who worked and drank there.
Genre:Comedy
Network:NBC

Best Episodes Summary

"One for the Road" is the best rated episode of "Cheers". It scored 9.1/10 based on 1049 votes. Directed by James Burrows and written by Ralph Phillips, it aired on 5/20/1993. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "Dinner at Eight-ish".

  • One for the Road
    9.1/101,049 votes
    Loading...

    #1 - One for the Road

    Season 11 Episode 25 - Aired 5/20/1993

    Whilst watching the National Cable Ace Awards, the gang sees ex-waitress Diane Chambers winning the award for best writing in a mini-series. This leads to Sam calling Diane to congratulate her, and to find out that she is married and has children. Sam tells her Diane that he too has a wife and kids, and invites Diane and her husband to visit them. Sam strongly believes Diane is lying and becomes really shocked when she walks into Cheers the following day to meet Mrs Malone. Meanwhile Rebecca's boyfriend Don proposes to her and she accidently says no, ends up heartbroken and agrees to play Sam's wife to fool Diane. Sam and Rebecca have dinner with Diane and her husband, Reed Manchester. During the dinner Don arrives and proposes to her again, and this time she manages to say yes! They leave the dinner, and Sam thinks he must look like a fool. Then Diane's husband turns out to be a fake when *his* husband Kevin appears!

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Ralph Phillips

  • Dinner at Eight-ish
    8.8/10878 votes
    Loading...

    #2 - Dinner at Eight-ish

    Season 5 Episode 20 - Aired 2/26/1987

    Frasier and Lilith invite Sam and Diane over for dinner to celebrate their first week of cohabitation. But things start going wrong when Lilith finds out Frasier and Diane were engaged, and she locks herself in the bathroom. Then Sam and Diane have an argument as well. Meanwhile Cliff agrees to babysit Carla's kids.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Phoef Sutton

  • Abnormal Psychology
    8.6/10719 votes
    Loading...

    #3 - Abnormal Psychology

    Season 5 Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/1986

    Diane tries to help Lilith, the lady psychologist attracted to Frasier, to soften her appearance and surprise Frasier during their television debate.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Janet Leahy

  • Thanksgiving Orphans
    8.6/10815 votes
    Loading...

    #4 - Thanksgiving Orphans

    Season 5 Episode 9 - Aired 11/27/1986

    The gang gathers at Carla's house for a Thanksgiving dinner of frozen turkey and overdone peas.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Cherie Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner

  • Simon Says
    8.6/10767 votes
    Loading...

    #5 - Simon Says

    Season 5 Episode 21 - Aired 3/5/1987

    Diane badgers a noted British marriage counselor into seeing her and Sam for a pre-nuptial session, then refuses to heed his advice.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Peter Casey, David Clark Lee

  • An Old-Fashioned Wedding
    8.6/10648 votes
    Loading...

    #6 - An Old-Fashioned Wedding

    Season 10 Episode 25 - Aired 5/14/1992

    Woody and Kelly's wedding faces some funny obstacles, before and during the ceremony, including Sam's flirtation with a German guest who turns out to be married, the priest dying and Kelly's Uncle Roger having to perform the ceremony - but only if he is drunk, Rebecca having to ice the cake after insulting the kitchen staff, and Lilith having to sing to the guests in order to stop them, and Woody and Kelly, from finding out the disasters going on behind the scenes.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: David Lloyd

  • Pick a Con... Any Con
    8.5/101,060 votes
    Loading...

    #7 - Pick a Con... Any Con

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 2/24/1983

    Sam enlists Harry the conman to help fleece a card shark who cheated Coach out of a lot of money.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: David Angell

  • I Do, Adieu
    8.5/10718 votes
    Loading...

    #8 - I Do, Adieu

    Season 5 Episode 26 - Aired 5/7/1987

    Dr. Sumner Sloane returns to Cheers on Diane and Sam's wedding day to tell her that a publisher is interested in one of her class manuscripts if she can go to work immediately on rewrites.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Glen Charles, Les Charles

  • One Hugs, the Other Doesn't
    8.5/10578 votes
    Loading...

    #9 - One Hugs, the Other Doesn't

    Season 10 Episode 16 - Aired 1/30/1992

    A Boston performance by children's singer Nanny Gee for Frederick's birthday sheds light on Frasier's past as Lilith and the barflies discover Nanny is Frasier's first wife! Frasier had forgotten to mention this fact to Lilith and when Nanny arrives at Cheers she and Lilith soon get into a catfight!

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: N/A

  • Bidding on the Boys
    8.3/10556 votes
    Loading...

    #10 - Bidding on the Boys

    Season 6 Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/1987

    Sam and Woody are up for bids at a charity auction but less than thrilled at their new ""owners.""

    Director: N/A

    Writer: David Lloyd

  • What is... Cliff Clavin?
    8.3/10530 votes
    Loading...

    #11 - What is... Cliff Clavin?

    Season 8 Episode 14 - Aired 1/18/1990

    Jeopardy makes an appearance in Boston, and Cliff gets on the show. The Jeopardy! round had all 6 categories Cliff specializes in, such as celebrities or the US Postal Service. But when Final Jeopardy approaches, he loses all his money putting a stupid response ""Who are three people that have never visited my kitchen?"" and becomes depressed afterwards. Meanwhile someone has stolen Sam's little black book and started ringing all the girls in it.

    Director: Andy Ackerman

    Writer: Dan O'Shannon

  • Bar Wars VII: The Naked Prey
    8.3/10541 votes
    Loading...

    #12 - Bar Wars VII: The Naked Prey

    Season 11 Episode 19 - Aired 3/18/1993

    It's the annual St. Patrick's Day battle of sales between Cheers and Gary's Olde Towne Tavern. Not only does Cheers lose the battle of the hi-jinx with an unsuspecting Woody taking the brunt of the battle, Cheers also loses the sales bet. Sam has finally had as much as he can take not only with the loss once again to Gary's but performing the most humiliating task he and the guys have had to endure due to the loss. Sam threatens Gary and decides to pull out one of the biggest guns he knows: Harry the Hat. Sam asks Harry to devise and execute the ultimate plan to beat Gary. Harry refuses. Despite Carla's assertion to take matters into her own hands, Sam finally gives up permanently to Gary. When Sam goes over to Gary's to wave the final white flag, he witnesses in horror what he believes is Carla's master plan. But what he witnesses is part of a deal Gary made with Rutherford Cunningham, who Sam knows better by another name.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: David Isaacs, Ken Levine

  • It's Lonely on the Top
    8.3/10502 votes
    Loading...

    #13 - It's Lonely on the Top

    Season 11 Episode 22 - Aired 4/29/1993

    Because of Woody's civic election win, Sam needs another bartender, a job he gives to Carla. To celebrate, Carla whips up a batch of one of her powerhouse drinks for the guys. The day after, everyone has a hangover. What's worse, Carla, who imbibed and got drunk herself, has a sneaking suspicion that she took someone home and slept with him, that person she believes being one of the Cheers regulars. She confides in Sam alone, and after he tells her it wasn't him, she panics and they both ponder who it could have been, with her worse nightmare having it be Cliff. When her bed-mate ultimately reveals himself, Carla and Sam have to decide how best to handle the information. Two other revelations come to light in the aftermath of the drunken spree. And Sam makes an admission of his own to Carla to make her feel better about her own further revelation.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Heide Perlman

  • Endless Slumper
    8.2/10977 votes
    Loading...

    #14 - Endless Slumper

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 12/2/1982

    Rick Walker, a friend of Sam, seeks his advice on how to end a losing streak.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Sam Simon

  • Showdown (2)
    8.2/10873 votes
    Loading...

    #15 - Showdown (2)

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 3/31/1983

    Diane's fascination with Sam's older brother brings their long simmering relationship to a boil when the sibling asks Diane to go to Paris with him.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Glen Charles, Les Charles

  • The Heart is a Lonely Snipe Hunter
    8.2/10661 votes
    Loading...

    #16 - The Heart is a Lonely Snipe Hunter

    Season 3 Episode 14 - Aired 1/10/1985

    The guys take Frasier on a ""snipe"" hunt in the woods after Diane asks them to include the psychologist in their masculine pursuits.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: N/A

  • The Big Kiss-Off
    8.2/10522 votes
    Loading...

    #17 - The Big Kiss-Off

    Season 6 Episode 24 - Aired 4/28/1988

    Sam and Woody wager over who can be the first to plant a three-second kiss on Rebecca.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: David Isaacs, Ken Levine

  • Norm, is That You?
    8.2/10551 votes
    Loading...

    #18 - Norm, is That You?

    Season 7 Episode 6 - Aired 12/8/1988

    Norm tries to hide the fact that he's become an interior decorator.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Cherie Steinkellner

  • Sisterly Love
    8.2/10539 votes
    Loading...

    #19 - Sisterly Love

    Season 7 Episode 21 - Aired 4/27/1989

    Sam tries to reconcile Rebecca and her sister.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: David Lloyd

  • The Bar Manager, The Shrink, His Wife and Her Lover
    8.2/10447 votes
    Loading...

    #20 - The Bar Manager, The Shrink, His Wife and Her Lover

    Season 11 Episode 17 - Aired 2/18/1993

    After returning to Boston only to discover Frasier in bed with Rebecca, Lilith comes to Cheers to seek Sam's advice. Frasier comes after her, and Rebecca shows up as well to explain. Frasier says he can't take Lilith back after what she did - just as her lover, Dr Pascal, shows up and takes the gang as hostages unless Lilith returns to him. When Paul and John Allen Hill show up and also get taken as hostages, Lilith has to persuade Pascal to let them all go, and that she doesn't want to go back. Plus will she reconcille with Frasier?

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Kathy Ann Stumpe

  • Woody Gets an Election
    8.2/10484 votes
    Loading...

    #21 - Woody Gets an Election

    Season 11 Episode 21 - Aired 4/22/1993

    When City Councilman Kevin Fogarty comes to Cheers on his re-election campaign spouting a whole lot of political nothings that nonetheless woos the crowd, Frasier bets the gang that he can even get a trained monkey on the ballot and garner 10% of the vote. Without a trained monkey in sight, Frasier chooses Woody as a good surrogate. Frasier does indeed get enough signatures to get Woody on the ballot. Woody helps his own political cause when Holly Matheson, a local reporter covering the City Hall beat, mistakes Woody's farm talk as an analogy for the problems of City politics. In an early poll, Woody garners 8% popular support, enough for the gang to concede defeat to Frasier.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Dan O'Shannon

  • Give Me a Ring Sometime
    8.1/101,543 votes
    Loading...

    #22 - Give Me a Ring Sometime

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/30/1982

    Bride-to-be Diane Chambers becomes the center of attention at a cozy bar called Cheers.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Glen Charles, Les Charles

  • Diane's Perfect Date
    8.1/10884 votes
    Loading...

    #23 - Diane's Perfect Date

    Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/10/1983

    Sam and Diane dare each other to find the other's perfect date, but Sam's last minute choice doesn't quite measure up.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: David Lloyd

  • Fairy Tales Can Come True
    8.1/10719 votes
    Loading...

    #24 - Fairy Tales Can Come True

    Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/1984

    Cliff meets a woman during a costume party at Cheers that he likes very much, but he's afraid to see her again as himself.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Sam Simon

  • Cheerio, Cheers
    8.1/10646 votes
    Loading...

    #25 - Cheerio, Cheers

    Season 3 Episode 22 - Aired 4/11/1985

    Diane announces that she's leaving Cheers to accompany Frasier to Italy and Sam throws her a going-away party.

    Director: James Burrows

    Writer: Sam Simon