Sam Malone

Sam Malone

Samuel "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Ted Danson. The central character of the series, Sam is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team and an owner and a bartender of Cheers. He is a recovering alcoholic and notorious lothario.

Although his celebrity status was short-lived, Sam retains that standing within the confines of Cheers, where he is beloved by the regular patrons. He seduces many women, yet he fails to achieve a meaningful relationship with them. Notoriously, he has on-and-off relationships with Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) in 1982–1987 and the series finale in 1993, "One for the Road." Also, he attempts to seduce Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) but fails whenever she rejects his advances. Sam and Rebecca attempt a relationship many times, but they find no passion for each other and then decide to be friends.

Sam appeared in all 275 episodes of Cheers between 1982–1993. He also made a guest appearance in the Frasier episode "The Show Where Sam Shows Up". He has been a favorite of viewers and critics alike and the subject of academic analyses (primarily about masculinity).