Ted Danson will always be television royalty thanks to his iconic role as Sam Malone on the classic sitcom Cheers. But Danson managed to do something few actors have done when he delivered another iconic television performance as Michael on The Good Place.
Both of these roles could not be more different. One is a former athlete turned bartending ladies' man while the other is a neurotic demon architect of the afterlife. Danson excels in both roles, but which one is his best? Here are some reasons Ted Danson's best role is in Cheers and some reasons why it is in The Good Place.
Cheers: The Lead
Both series benefit from having an amazing cast of characters at its core and they are both very much ensemble pieces. However, Sam Malone is undoubtedly the lead character of Cheers. The whole show revolves around all the fun and excitement that goes on in Sam's bar and the wild romances he has.
Michael is certainly a key part of The Good Place, but you wouldn't consider him to be the lead of the show. With Cheers, Danson gets to be at the show's center, he gets the good storylines and he gets the spotlight.
The Good Place: The Bad Guy
The moment at the end of Season 1 of The Good Place where we find out they are actually in "The Bad Place" is one of the most memorable twists in television history. Part of the joy of that scene is seeing Danson perform that transition from helpful friend to scheming villain.
It is so much fun seeing Danson embrace his evil side in this role. While Michael doesn't stay evil for long, that turn was so entertaining and allowed Danson to play in a new kind of role. Sam in Cheers in a great character but he doesn't get any moments as good as that.
Cheers: Cool Side
Though Danson never had the opportunity to be an evil guy on Cheers, he did have the honor of being the coolest character on the show. That might not seem like a major feat given some of the buffoonish characters on Cheers, but Sam Malone must have been pretty fun to play.
Sam is a former Major Leagues' pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. If that's not cool enough, his confidence from that era never seemed to fade and that makes him a hit with the ladies. Danson has joked that Sam is the furthest thing from who he really is, but he pulled it off well.
The Good Place: Lame Side
If Sam is indeed the complete opposite of who Danson really is, then his true personality must be somewhere close to how Michael is on The Good Place. Despite being a demon, Michael is a total goofball. He is constantly flustered and making a fool of himself and Danson looks to be having a ball playing such a lame character.
While such a character could have gotten tiring very quickly, Danson makes Michael more and more charming as the series continues and the character's eccentricities shine through even more. He doesn't get to be the ladies' man, but this might be more fun.
Cheers: Sam And Diane
Whenever you think of the show Cheers, it's hard not to immediately think of the relationship between Sam and Diane. It became such an important part of the first few seasons of the show and was incredibly influential for countless sitcoms that followed.
Fans were kept on the edge of their seats as to whether or not these two characters would finally get over their fake hatred for each other and decide to be together. Though there was a lot great about Cheers, this relationship helped to make it the classic it is today.
The Good Place: Funnier
Both Sam and Michael are certainly funny characters, but the kinds of laughs they get on the show are very different. Though Sam can sometimes be the butt of a joke because of his dimwittedness, he's usually more of a straight-man to the more wacky characters on the show.
Michael, on the other hand, is probably the funniest character on The Good PlaceKristen Bell, a show already full of hilarious actors like . The show lets us laugh at him as well as laugh with him. He inspires the funniest moments on the show and is the comedic relief in the more intense scenes.
Cheers: The Ensemble
Again, the strength of both of these shows is undoubtedly the amazing cast that joined Danson and the well-written characters they play. The Good Place focuses on a small core group of characters who are all defined and developed so well. However, it just can't compare to the amazing ensemble of Cheers.
Even with a bigger cast, Cheers manages to make each of the characters such an important aspect of the show. Characters left, new ones came in and the show always managed to make the central group so entertaining and lovable.
The Good Place: The Arc
A big part of the effectiveness of a character comes the journey they go one throughout their story. For Michael in The Good Place, he gets to have probably the most interesting arc in the whole show. He goes through so much change throughout the series that we become emotionally attached to his journey.
For Sam Malone, that arc is a little more complicated. As with a lot of sitcoms that go one for years, character development sometimes becomes secondary to the jokes. In the end, there is a satisfying and lovely arc for Sam, but it's just not as fulfilling as Michael's arc.
Cheers: The Series
First things first, both of these shows are amazing. Though it is still relatively new, The Good Place is destined to be remembered as one of the greats television comedies. However, Cheers has an almost untouchable reputation as one of the best shows ever made.
Though some old sitcoms don't hold up well, Cheers is surprisingly still fresh after all these years. The characters are great, the jokes are funny and the writing is amazing. It has also directly influenced so many great shows for years after.
The Good Place: The End
No matter how great a show might have been for most of its run, endings can be really difficult. Remarkably, both Cheers and The Good Place managed to achieve endings that were widely praised by fans. Even more impressively, Danson gets the final line in both finales.
While Cheers ends on a touching moment that closes the chapter on this story, The Good Place brings its complex story to end with a thoughtful, heartwarming and beautiful conclusion that also gives Michael a particularly wonderful end.