In what year did Cheers first air?

Cheers first aired in 1982, premiering on NBC on September 30 of that year. The sitcom went on to become one of American television's defining ensemble comedies.

Created by Glen and Les Charles with director James Burrows, Cheers centered on a Boston bar where a familiar group of employees and customers met night after night. The original ensemble included Ted Danson as Sam Malone, Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, Nicholas Colasanto as Coach, Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, George Wendt as Norm Peterson, and John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin.

The show had a surprisingly modest start: its premiere ranked near the bottom of the evening's television ratings. Strong word of mouth and growing audience loyalty eventually turned it into a major NBC hit, especially as part of the network's Thursday-night “Must See TV” lineup. Cheers ran for 11 seasons, concluding in 1993 after 275 episodes.

1982 is sometimes confused with 1983 because the show became a major ratings success after its launch, but its first broadcast was in September 1982.