The Tortellis was a Cheers spin-off that aired for four months in 1987. NBC had an open spot in their comedy lineup, and decided to attempt to benefit from the success of Cheers. The show only ran for thirteen episodes, ranking only 50th out of 79 shows, with an average rating/share of 13.3/20, and today is largely forgotten.
Controversy
The show's early cancellation may have been due to ongoing protests of its stereotypical depictions of Italian Americans.citation needed
Cast
The cast of The Tortellis consisted of
- Both Kasem and Hedaya reprised their roles several times on Cheers.
- Timothy Williams as Anthony Tortelli
- Williams appeared in one episode of Cheers prior to The Tortellis, and four episodes after.
- Mandy Ingber as Annie Tortelli
- Ingber appeared in three episodes of Cheers prior to The Tortellis, and also appeared in two after.
- Watkins never appeared on Cheers, but in 1997 she played an unrelated character on Frasier.
Guest stars
Carla, Norm, and Cliff of Cheers all guest starred on The Tortellis.
Episodes
| Episode No.• |
Date Aired (1987)• |
Episode Title |
| 1-1 |
January 21 |
(Pilot) |
| 1-2 |
January 28 |
An Affair to Remember |
| 1-3 |
February 4 |
Frankie Comes to Dinner |
| 1-4 |
February 11 |
Svengali |
| 1-5 |
February 18 |
The Ad Game |
| 1-6 |
February 25 |
Viva Las Vegas |
| 1-7 |
March 18 |
Coochie, Coochie |
| 1-8 |
March 25 |
Man of the Year |
| 1-9 |
April 1 |
The Good Life |
| 1-10 |
April 21 |
Father Knows Best |
| 1-11 |
April 28 |
The Customer’s Always Right |
| 1-12 |
May 5 |
Innocent as Charged |
| 1-13 |
May 12 |
His Girl Friday |
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Cheers |
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Main actors
(respective to above) |
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Recurring actors
(respective to above) |
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