Could CHEERS be re-booted?

I recently saw a new stage version of YES MINISTER, based on the beloved British sitcom from the ‘80s. The new show was a smash on the West End (duh!) and is getting its American debut in Los Angeles down the street from a Ralph’s market. Like the original, it was quite witty and droll. The two gentlemen who wrote the series – Antony Jay & Jonathan Lynn – wrote this as well.

I read an interview with Lynn where he said their big trepidation was: would the audience accept a version without series stars Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne? Both of those extraordinary actors have unfortunately passed on. Happily, Lynn reported that West End audiences did go along with new actors in the roles. As for me? I was sitting so far back I have no idea who those people were on the stage.

But it brings up the question, would American audiences accept a stage version of CHEERS without Ted Danson and Shelley Long? These actors are so etched into our minds as those characters that it might be hard getting past other actors in the roles. And if you use other actors, would you want their interpretation to be different and unique to them or a more faithful mimic of the characters you know?

There have been numerous movie adaptations of TV series – the latest being the Lone Ranger. I can’t answer that one because the reviews have been so horrendous I’ve been afraid to see it. I hear, however, that they portray the Lone Ranger as kind of an idiot. I’ll hold out till the reboot of WILD BILL HICKCOCK.

Some reboots have been successful. I liked THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, although that was more of a spoof. And how hard is it to fill the role of Carol Brady? (Ironically, it was Shelley Long who played her.) And some of the Tom Cruise MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movies worked. I liked the cast of the STAR TREK prequel (although some of you did not).

But most reboots are pretty bad. The worst has to be BILKO starring Steve Martin in the Phil Silvers’ part. I have no fucking clue what Steve Martin was playing or even hoped to achieve. Why not just get Oprah Winfrey to play Ernie Bilko?

And then of course there are TV reboots. Don’t get me started on HAWAII FIVE-O. Oprah would be a better Steve McGarret too.

I once had the pleasure of seeing a live version of Neil Simon’s ODD COUPLE play that starred the TV Felix & Oscar -- Tony Randall & Jack Klugman. That was fun although I felt like I was attending the world’s best but longest network runthrough.

I think a new stage version of CHEERS could be done. The first ten minutes might be a little disconcerting, (“Afternoon everybody.” “Norm????”), but if you got terrific young actors and the writing was CHEERS-caliber, I think the audience would go along with you. And just to make sure, sit the audience as far back as I was for YES MINISTER. (“Is that Oprah playing Cliff?”)

I myself am lucky. None of the shows I co-created lasted long enough for the characters to become engrained in anyone’s minds. In fact, if I do a stage version of BIG WAVE DAVE’S there’s a good chance the play will have a longer run than the series.