Sam Malone - Reception

Reception

Ted's a true leading man If there's any kind of ripple in the chemistry of the show, he'll address it personally. He doesn't just read his lines and go back gome.

—John Ratzenberger, actor

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology author, in his 1991 journal article, thanked Sam Malone as part of his acknowledgements for "bringing laughter" along with other cast of Cheers. McKechnie from the Totem journal called Sam's "lucky bottle cap" from the episode, "Endless Slumper" (1982), an example of fetishes used by baseball players for "good fortune". Bill Simmons, previously from ESPN, praised Danson's performance for giving life and color to Sam Malone. In The Complete Idiot's Guide book, Sam Malone " magic to establishment" and is praised for "successfully running ." The Shark Guys website ranked Sam the No. 3 bartender of the "top ten coolest bartenders of all time". In the 2009 NPR interview, Terry Gross called Sam "the opposite of intellectual" and "shallow and vain."

Actor Roger Rees, who portrayed Robin Colcord in Cheers, remarked that no other character may fill in Sam Malone's spot if Sam is written out of the show. Actor Woody Harrelson, who played Woody Boyd, called Sam the person who brings an ensemble together. Rees further commented that the show would not survive without Sam and Danson. Television critic Phil Rosenthal from Los Angeles Daily News found Danson's performance as Sam irreplaceable and remarked that no other actor may capture Sam's "sexiness, vulnerability, and goofiness". Rosenthal credited Sam Malone for helping the series survive by becoming the show's central.

The role of Sam Malone earned Ted Danson two Emmy Awards as the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: one in 1990 and another in 1993. It also earned Danson two Golden Globe Awards as the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series: one in 1990 and another in 1991. It also earned him an American Comedy Award as the Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series.

Sam's appearance in Frasier is mixed. Scott D. Pierce from The Deseret News found him too "old and " Nevertheless, John Martin, a syndicate from The New York Times, enjoyed Sam's interaction with main characters of Frasier. Frazier Moore from The Associated Press called Sam's appearance a ratings ploy but a must-see for a Cheers fan and any other viewer who lacks interest on the show Frasier. Gregory Wakeman from Screen Junkies called Sam one of worst boyfriends on television for his promiscuity.

Sam Malone has been compared to a few later roles whom Ted Danson portrayed. In 1998, David Bianculli from New York Daily News metaphorized Danson's guest role, the plumber, in Veronica's Closet as Sam Malone's "close cousin: a confident womanizer, and not the brightest guy in the room". In 1999, Danson remarked that Sam and John Becker (Becker) are in common "very lonely men".

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