Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site peora.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!bellcore!petrus!sabre!zeta!epsilon!gamma!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!petsd!peora!jer From: jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: _Cheers_ and relationships Message-ID: <1567@peora.UUCP> Date: Tue, 3-Sep-85 09:13:22 EDT Article-I.D.: peora.1567 Posted: Tue Sep 3 09:13:22 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 4-Sep-85 00:33:43 EDT References: <162@ssc-vax.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: Perkin-Elmer SDC, Orlando, Fl. Lines: 55 > I am a devoted fan of _Cheers_, and was wondering if anyone else out > there in net.land has noticed the excellent script writing as it pertained > to relationships in general and to Sam and Diane's tempestuous relation- > ship in particular ... Hi... this being your first posting and all, please don't take the following comments as antagonistic, because they're not meant that way at all, though I do disagree with you somewhat... I do agree that Sam and Diane are in some senses "typical". But really, they, and most of the character types on that series, are archetypical. They represent the pure personality characteristics out of which real people are made; they are extreme cases of what you see in everyday life. I used to watch _Cheers_, because a good (female) friend of mine was always telling me "You should watch Cheers. It is an intelligent program." It took me awhile to figure out that it was an "intelligent program" because it depicted an intelligent woman on it. (This person was the same person who also said she hated _Duck_Factory_, which in my opinion was the greatest TV series to appear since _The_Waltons_ (I even have a letter, on official _Duck_Factory_ stationery, from the producer of the show, due to my writing and making suggestions for plot evolution in future shows).) I've always thought Diane was kind of insulting, because she doesn't act very intelligent; I used to have an SO who I felt was very intelligent, and she was nothing like Diane. In _Cheers_, "intelligent" seems to be equivalent to "cultured", i.e., familiar with European languages, writers, and philosophers. I've also always felt a little annoyed at some of the other characters, particularly the "abnormal" ones, because they seem so insensitively por- trayed. But, most of all, the basic theme of the Sam & Diane relationship seems such a dismal, hopeless one; two people who appear to be essentially incompatible, who remain together (in some sense) merely out of an attraction they feel for one another. This may be real, but it is hardly very positive. (Compared to _Duck_Factory_, which was the exact opposite... people who superficially appeared to be absolute stereotypes, but who underneath were complex, interesting people. Who can forget the t-shirt worn in one episode by the woman (already I have forgotten her name) who always seemed so lonely? Regrettably, I recall that a critic wrote of the program that it was not any good, because it wasn't like any other TV series! It was filmed, rather than taped, he complained, and that just wasn't how you do it. No wonder TV is not too interesting.) Now, remember, I don't mean the above as antagonistic... I do agree that it is an interesting program, and I do wonder if Diane married Frasier or not (I never did see the resolution to that show, if there was one). -- Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642