DID NORM REALLY DRINK BEER ON THE SET OF CHEERS?

by Greg Colfaz (NWM Staff Writer)

Hey from Cottonwood, Idaho. So the supermarket switched my hours. It's been great 'cause I’ve been able to get some day errands done, started working on my resume, but most importantly – I've been able to catch Cheers on TVland. I’d say out of all the cast members, I can relate to Norm Peterson most of all. The loafer that like’s to hang out and have a beer or two or a hundred. Of course I always wondered if Norm actually downed all those beers on the show. With the amount of takes they do – he’d be loaded by the second scene.  In my mind I assumed no, and the net confirmed it. TV shows aren’t allowed to have people drink real alcohol in front of the camera. Thank you 1950s standards and practices. So if Norm wasn’t drinking beer, what was it? It certainly looked like it had the same consistency (gold, amber hue – lush, foamy head). I was hoping the SFX geniuses had created some mystical special-effect type potion. Sadly I found out it was just tea with a generous amount of carbonation. That’s Hollywood magic for you. I also read in some interview that George thought the stuff tasted vile. Today however, Mr. Wendt is all about the real Nectar of the Gods. He's even got a new book chock full of all his personal “Norm-esque” wisdom – Drinking with George: A Barstool Professional's Guide to Beer.

Classic Norm and Cliff moment...