The 25 best episodes of 'Cheers'

From Season 9, this was an unofficial version of Cheers' reoccurring "bar wars" with rival Gary's Olde Towne Tavern. This time, the competition is a 3-on-3 basketball game with $50,000 bet on the line. To ensure victory, Sam (Ted Danson) enlists the services of Boston Celtics' star Kevin McHale. Hale eventually learns of Sam's scam and makes life even tougher for the Cheers gang when he gets injured in the game. We also learn of Woody's disdain for fellow Celtics great Larry Bird's hometown of French Lick, Ind.

More from Kevin McHale. The Celtics star is back for more in Season 10, delivering a team jacket to Norm (George Wendt) for his birthday. While doing so, he gets caught up in Cliff's bar trivia, particularly the question regarding how many bolts are found on the old Boston Garden's parquet floor. McHale becomes obsessed with finding out the answer, so much so that he's counting bolts while in the middle of a game. Eventually, Sam, Norm, Cliff and Woody are called in to help.

The second installment of Cheers' popular bars wars against Gary's Olde Towne Tavern featured a Season Seven Bloody Mary contest, which also included other bars in the area. The consensus was that Gary made the best Bloody Mary, so the Cheers gang had to come up with creative ways to pull a fast one on Gary and get him out of the contest. Woody (Woody Harrelson) even went to work for Gary, and turned to his acting chops to bring the ruse home — or at least close to it. 

Some of Cheers' memorable moments were so good they needed two episodes to keep the laughs coming. In this case, from Season 5, Carla (Rhea Pearlman) falls for Boston Bruins goaltender Eddie LeBec (Jay Thomas), who happens to be on a winning streak. However, when the pair get serious in their relationship, the superstitious LeBec starts to lose. So, Carla calls it off, but then she realizes she's in love. Ultimately, the two get back together and stage a fight before each of Eddie's starts.

Fast forward to Season 8, when Carla learns of the tragic death of her husband, who is now part of a touring ice show. Portraying a skating penguin, Eddie is killed while saving a fellow character from an oncoming Zamboni. However, the real drama begins when Carla realizes at the funeral that she wasn't Eddie's only current wife — a funeral complete with his former teammates stick-tapping the casket. In the true spirit of hockey, Carla and Eddie's other wife Gloria (Anne De Salvo), get into a hair-pulling scrap. 

Some of the most special Cheers episodes featured other Hollywood elite. In Season 10, Emma Thompson was brilliant as "Nanny G," a famous child entertainer who is loved by young Frederick Crane, and for a spell, his father, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer). Away from the stage. she's Nanette Guzman and Frasier's first wife, whom he was briefly married while in medical school. The two meet up again at a performance, with Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) in tow, to celebrate Freddie's second birthday. The hilarity, and some drama, ensue.

Ever the scholar, over-qualified waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) decided to use playboy Sam as a case study for her Human Sexuality class. However, the results of her researched paint Sam in a rather undesirable picture in this episode from Season 4. Though, it's also one of the more endearing episodes in series history, showing the comedic love between two television's most iconic sitcom characters. This episode also is the first to reference "Nanny G."

There are plenty of television and media critics who hail the finale of this two-part Season 1 ender as one of the most memorable moments in sitcom history. The will-they-won't-they saga between Sam and Diane was the highlight of a Cheers' first season that was pedestrian when it came to ratings. In the season's two-part finale, the sexual tension between the two was building higher. Throw Sam's well-to-do brother Derek into the mix to woo Diane, and viewers were on the edge of their seats wondering if they would admit they love each other. Finally, after some hilarious back-and-forth bickering, the moment came.

When we left Sam and Diane at the end of Season 1, they finally seemed ready to get serious about a romantic relationship. Finding the right place and time to consummate the relationship proves to be a challenge, though, especially, when Diane wants to make the moment truly special and Sam is ready to dive in like the ladies man he's long been. Of course, nothing is ever easy with these two, but always fun to watch.

Just when we thought Sam and Diane would officially commit to their relationship through marriage. In the penultimate Season 5 episode, Diane finally accepted Sam's marriage proposal, but due to Shelley Long's decision not to return to the show, her character also opts out of her relationship — for the time being within the Cheers universe — and job at Cheers to follow her passion to leave town and finish her novel. Leaving Sam to utter "Have a good life," after Diane leaves the bar. Though, as we'll see, not for good.

Shelley Long made her final regular Cheers appearance in the aforementioned Season 5 finale, so for Season 6, we're introduced to the show's new female lead. By-the-book and insecure Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) is now running the bar that Sam sold to a big corporation. She immediately sees right through the suave moves by Sam, who has returned to Boston after failing to sail his boat around the world. Cheers employees Woody and a pregnant Carla are wearing uniforms. Ultimately, Rebecca hires Sam as a bartender, due to his legacy as a Major League Baseball player. Meanwhile, the Cheers gang finds a genius way to get rid of stuffy bartender Wayne. Who's up for a Screaming Viking?

Midway through Season 8, Rebecca finally has her moment of intimacy with wealthy crush Robin Colcord (Roger Rees). Though Robin, too, professes his love for Rebecca, he's far from a one-woman man. In fact, Rebecca finds herself amid a competition for Robin's affection, while Sam, who has his own feelings for her, is struggling to be a good friend in the process. Added to the fun of this two-parter is Little Wally's Pup and Burger restaurant and an appearance by Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers.  

Rebecca is putting on a bachelor auction to raise money for a local Children's Hospital. She asks Woody to be part of it, and Sam eventually works his way in as the main attraction. When it's Sam's time up, the bid reaches $1,250, until Lilith swoops in with a $2,000 proclamation. Not because she is totally eager for some alone time with Sam, but to stick it to soon-to-be husband Frasier, who made her sign a prenuptial agreement.

From Season 9, Woody's girlfriend Kelly (Jackie Swanson) returns from France with her friend Henri. Brilliant played by Anthony Cistaro, the good-looking, womanizing Henri is determined to steal Kelly from Woody. He often tells Woody what he plans to do, though Kelly thinks it's all in good fun. It's a seriously funny episode, but it's also important to the relationship arc between Woody and Kelly. Not to mention, the secondary storyline of Norm wanting to freeze his head when he dies is sub-plot comic gold.

This was the end of the road for Cheers. Literally. The final episode. As far as series finales go, it was well above average. Woody is about to begin his new life as a city councilman, and Rebecca is going make a life with "everyman" Don (Tom Berenger). However, the highlight of the highly anticipated finale is the return of Diane into Sam's life. But, as Norm put it to Sam, "You can never be unfaithful to your one true love. You always come back to her." Roughly 42.4 million households watched this final episode.

For those who could not get enough of Henri from Season 9, he returns in Cheers' final campaign. It's also one of the highlights from Season 11. Serving as a fill-in bartender while Woody is on his honeymoon, Henri competes with Sam to see who can get the most female phone numbers. Their efforts are lengthy and sincerely funny. Especially, Henri changing his dialect to serve as everyman "Chuck, from Portland." In the end, it becomes a matter of patriotic pride for Sammy.

In terms of holiday sitcom episodes, the Cheers Thanksgiving show from Season 5 has long been, from a critical standpoint, among the best such offerings in television history. After other Thanksgiving dinner options fall through, aren't very appealing, or simply non-existent, the Cheers gang ends up at Carla's house. With Diane dressed as a pilgrim (after arriving from a previous engagement), Norm and Carla argue over whose to blame for the undercooked turkey. That leads to massive food fight, which the leaves the guests covered in cold side dishes and our sides hurting from laughter.

This just might be the most charming episode in Cheers history. As Woody continues to court Kelly, who comes from a wealthy family, he's invited to their lavish home for Kelly's birthday party. The strapped-for-cash Woody sings her a song played on the piano as her gift. Known as "The Kelly Song," it's as much of Cheers lore as Norm's entrance responses, Tecumseh and Melville's. Let' just say, the innocence of Woody and Kelly's relationship is dim-wittingly wonderful.

Frasier's building passion — or better put, lust — for Lilith is becoming obvious, but it might not have been too plain to see that both actually are about to fall in love with one another. After each made fools of themselves on television, they finally realize the attraction is mutual. Leading to one of Frasier's most memorable lines — directed at Lilith after she literally let her hair down — in that character's legendary run on the show: "I'm going to kiss you. I'm going to kiss you hard and I'm going to kiss you long. But make no mistake about it, I'm going to kiss you."

When Sam gets the chance to fill in for his buddy and popular local television sports anchor Dave Richards (Fred Dryer), it seems like a good idea. Until Sam goes from boring to obnoxiously incompetent during his run. From incorporating a little ventriloquism to his editorials to his memorable rap about having a groin injury, Sam's short-lived stint as a sports anchor was a dent to his reputation and credibility as an ex-athlete. However, it was terribly entertaining.  

There was something special about Coach Ernie Pantusso (Nicolas Colasanto), the beloved, aging bartender. It was kind of sad that we never learned more about the death of Colasanto's character on the show, following his own passing in 1985. Coach had many memorable moments, but his best might have come in the fifth episode of Season 1. When his daughter Lisa (Allyce Beasley) visits the bar with her obnoxious boyfriend, Roy, Coach has issues with the abrasive and demeaning manor in which he treats his daughter. Allyce, who lacks self-esteem because of her looks, understands Roy only wants to marry her for business reasons. But after a heart-to-heart, pep talk from her father, she has the courage to walk away from the relationship.

Another special moment from Season 9. Woody gets a gig pitching a vegetable-based health drink. However, he can't stand the taste, thus feels guilty about being in the commercial "Veggie Boy." Eventually, he comes around and becomes obsessed with the drink. At one point, Woody is determined to make the drink himself since it fails to succeed on the market. Also, Cliff isn't too happy with the positive response the bar's trivia-laden cocktail napkins are receiving from the customers and his friends. 

We knew the wedding of Woody and Kelly was not going to be a boring affair. Viewers were not disappointed. Anything that could possibly go wrong just about does. Woody can't keep his hands off his bride-to-be, leading to Kelly ripping her wedding dress and her father wanting a piece of him himself. The minister has a fatal heart attack, Cliff is blinding folks with his old-tyme camera, Lilith plays the spoons, and Frasier delivers the line of the event while trying to keep Kelly's surly uncle inebriated with help from Dr. Jack Daniels. 

We've mentioned the "bar wars" tradition between Cheers and Gary's Olde Towne Tavern. The best of those episodes came near the end of Season 6. Cheers is celebrating the second anniversary of beating Gary's in bowling. However, the bowling trophy is missing, and the gang suspects Gary was involved. From there, the fun really begins. Carla sends dribble-glasses of champagne over to Gary, only to have him retaliate by greasing Cheers' bar stools and putting sheep in Rebecca's offense. But when the Cheers gang taps into Gary's cable to to interrupt a highly-anticipated boxing match with some poetry courtesy of Norm and Cliff, Gary concedes and sends Boston Red Sox star Wade Boggs over to the bar to sign autographs. Of course, the folks at Cheers don't believe it's really Boggs, and steal his pants.

Yes, it wasn't easy coming up with our choice as the top Cheers episode of all time. However, we really can't go wrong with this instant classic from Season 8. It's also John Ratzenberger's moment to shine. His Cliff earns a spot on Jeopardy! when the popular game show visits Boston. Thanks to some favorable early-round topics such as "Civil Servants," "Beer" and "Bar Trivia," Cliff is way ahead entering the Final Jeopardy. Of course, in true Clavin fashion, he finds a way to blow his winnings. Meanwhile, the late Alex Trebek is also quite good in his cameo. Also, the sub-plot of Sam's little black book going missing is nearly as brilliant as the main storyline.