Synopsis
This is pretty redundant, I know. If you don’t know what Cheers is about, you won’tstart watching it now. Anyway, Sam and Diane are having an affair, Norm is out of work, Carla’sex-husband (Dan Hedaya) resurfaces, and so on. Definitely a sitcom whose ensemble approachwas a real strength, and backed up by consistently witty writing.
Audio
The audio is 2.0, and is crisper than most people would have heard it back in 1983-4. Thereis a definite s…rround environment, but this is exclusively the province of the laugh track. Ofcourse, this isn’t a series that operated on much beyond dialogue, as far as sound goes. So you’reright there in the midst of the audience. Actually, the audience seems to be on all sides, withinvisible members laughing in front of you as well.
Video
A fine TV transfer, with very little grain, in contrast to a fair number of other releases withsimilar origins. The image is sharp, and the blacks are very strong. The contrasts are strong, andthe colours are invitingly warm.
Special Features
Very little here, especially given that this is a box set. There’s season 2 featurette (with bothnew and vintage interviews) that runs less than ten minutes. Everything else (“Cliff’s Notes,”“Carla The Comeback Queen” and “Di Another Day”) are 3-4 minute clip compilationsintroduced by another actor saying something nice about the performer in question. In otherwords, useless filler. There’s a blooper reel to round things out. The menu is basic.
Closing Thoughts
Nothing wrong with the series or the transfer, but the extras are an almost complete wasteof time.
Special Features List
- Season 2 Featurette
- Clip Compilations
- Gag Reel