The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / The Original "Cheers" Theme Song Was Different Than The One You Know

**Posted by RadioActive** February 4, 2025 2:48 pm

It turns out producers had a different song entirely in mind, but it was being used by another TV show and they couldn't get it. So they turned to a tune called "Where Everybody Knows Your Name," co-written by Gary Portnoy, a composer most of us had never heard of.

His original song contained words that didn't end up on TV, including a reference to the Boston Red Sox, the city where the show took place.

Here's the story behind that famous tune, back when TV shows still had theme songs that you heard every week.

Who Wrote the ‘Cheers’ Theme Song & Where Are They Now?

Here's the song producers originally wanted. It was called "People Like Us," and I can only say thank God it was being used by someone else, a show you never watched called "Preppies". The one they went with was far, far, better.

**Posted by mace** February 5, 2025 7:56 am

Cheers had a rocky beginning. It ranked 74th and 34th in its first two seasons. The only reason the series didn't get cancelled is because then third place NBC simply had no replacement series for it. Then in 1984, Cosby arrived and Cheers moved to 12th and became a top 10 series for the remainder of its run.

**Posted by RadioActive** February 5, 2025 8:01 am

It's also because then NBC programming boss Brandon Tartikoff believed in the show.

He was a great programmer and had an innate sixth sense about what would work if he let the audience find the show. Hill St. Blues was another big hit that had a terrible first season. NBC renewed it anyway and it became a huge hit.

Sadly, there are no Tartikoffs around today.

**Posted by newsguy1** February 5, 2025 12:51 pm

Yikes what a dud of a song. I also could not catch most of the words which seemed to be overly melodic and complicated.
The eventual theme song is what it should be. Catch tune with lyrics you can memorize after a couple of listens.
Remember when Happy Days began? It used the old standby Rock Around The Clock.
Fine.
But the eventual theme song became a hit in its own right and was played on top 40 radio.