Cheers to George Wendt: Remembering the Beloved Norm Peterson

by

On the popular sitcom “Cheers,” John Ratzenberger played Mailman Cliff Clavin, a character known for his blue-collar job with the U.S. Postal Service. In contrast, George Wendt portrayed Norm Peterson, an accountant who embodied the everyday man.

Wendt passed on Tuesday of natural causes. He was 76.

I imagine Wendt’s deceased loved ones cheered him warmly with a loud, unified “George!”, but that might be overshadowed by a crowd of fans shouting “Norm!” instead. Then, Coach Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto) might have greeted his old Cheers bar regular at the gates with a pint of beer, though let’s hope it’s not the same type they served at the fictional Cheers Boston, where Sam Malone (Ted Danson), Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), and the rest of the Cheers (1982-1993) crew once poured drinks.

Norm spoke about the moment in the final minutes of the Cheers series finale.

He says to Malone, ‘If there’s a place like Heaven, I won’t go unless my toilet seat is already prepared.’ And let me add, even if God himself is sitting on it, that wouldn’t make it inviting for me.’

What Peterson says next is the real takeaway.

Norm tells Malone, the unpredictable proprietor of the bar, “I believe it’s immaterial what you’re passionate about, Sammy. It might be someone or something. The crucial point is that your affection for it should be wholehearted, unreserved, and without prejudice.

Norm Peterson had a deep affection for his beer and his wife Vera. Both the regular patrons and staff at Cheers held a special fondness for Norm. In both the series and the character of Cliff Clavin, America developed a strong affection for George Wendt.

In the popular sitcom “Cheers,” Wendt stood out from the usual ensemble cast members. Unlike others, he, along with Danson and Rhea Pearlman, graced every one of the 275 episodes. Moreover, among all actors on the show, Wendt received the most Emmy nominations. He was nominated a total of six times in a row for the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys.

On that memorable evening as Cheers Boston closed its doors for good, it was only fitting that after Sam, it was Norm who was the last to leave. In fact, Norm was the one who locked up the bar, following Woody, to savor that moment with Malone.

Overlooking a small inconsistency (Norm exits through an open door that Malone fails to relock, and later a customer knocks on the unlocked door; this leads to Malone delivering the series’ concluding line, “Sorry, we’re closed”), many television enthusiasts regard the finale of Cheers as one of the greatest in TV history.

Just like Norm, Wendt also had a fondness for beer. After the show “Cheers,” Wendt took on roles as spokesperson for Miller Lite and Meister Brau. He even authored a book about this popular beverage.

As a laid-back gamer, I don’t require much to be content. A comfy gaming chair, some soft background music, a live stream of my favorite game in the speakers, and a chilled drink nearby – that’s all it takes to make me truly happy. To be honest, if I had to choose, I could manage without the comfortable chair. Soft music is pleasant, but it’s not essential for enjoyment. And there are moments when I don’t have access to my favorite game stream.

He went on, ‘Imagine a life without beer?’ I’m not sure such a world is one I’d be willing to inhabit.

Well, he could have done without the Cheers Boston beer.

As a gamer named after my grandfather Hilary Norman Peterson, I’ve always got a beer in hand or a quick one on the run, but when it comes to on-camera action, I rarely sipped real brew on Cheers, neither did the rest of the cast. You see, behind the scenes, our beer was always non-alcoholic – a standard practice in film and TV for reasons like performance consistency, safety, and adhering to industry norms. The beer served at Cheers Boston was often room temperature, if not warm, and flat, needing a pinch of salt just to create some foam.

It was “disgusting,” Wendt said, and potentially dangerous.

Back in 1985, I spent an entire day chugging those concoctions, and boy, were they vile! Fear of a potential health scare from high blood pressure was always looming. However, with practice, I mastered the art. I no longer had to hide all those beverages except when the spotlight was on me. It took a few years, but now I’ve learned to play the game. I let the camera dictate my actions. That’s how I earn my living. That’s acting.

There was one time that he didn’t need to act; just drink, baby.

In the 1993 finale of the television series “Cheers”, before Norm offers some life advice (with some peculiar incidents involving the front door’s lock) to Sam and the 93 million viewers at home, Malone, Boyd, Clavin, Carla Tortelli (Pearlman), and Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar) gather for a heartfelt goodbye at their cherished hangout spot. They consumed real beer for the scene, although Crane opted for Sherry; off-camera, Burrows indulged in drinks with the cast.

Following the final round of cheers, the actors grew quite tipsy. While the Cheers cameras might not have captured this moment, The Tonight Show cameras certainly did.

The final episode of the sitcom “Cheers” was so significant that Jay Leno temporarily moved “The Tonight Show,” which is well-known on NBC like “Cheers,” from Burbank, California to Boston’s Bull & Finch pub, the actual bar used as the exterior for Cheers in every episode. Leno delivered his monologue outside, on what is now called Eddie Doyle Square, named after the longtime bartender at the Bull & Finch, Eddie Doyle. In an agreement with NBC, The Bull & Finch has since been rebranded as “Cheers Beacon Hill.

The remaining part of the unique “Tonight Show” continued indoors. It was at this location where the cast of “Cheers” bid a heartfelt farewell to one another, and it is worth noting that they were consuming genuine alcohol.

Cheers, George Wendt.

Read More

2025-05-21 23:57