George Wendt (Re-Release)

Summary

Summary of "George Wendt (Re-Release)" Episode

Podcast Title: Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes)
Episode Title: George Wendt (Re-Release)
Release Date: April 9, 2025

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Introduction and Reconnection

The episode kicks off with Ted Danson welcoming listeners back to the podcast, announcing a series of nostalgic re-releases before returning to new interviews. The first re-release features George Wendt, reminiscing about their initial recording session for Cheers. Ted humorously notes their shared nervousness during that first conversation.

Ted Danson [00:26]: "We were both so nervous. Anyway, we talked about how George got cast as Norm Peterson and the infamous time we all played hooky."

Casting George Wendt as Norm Peterson

George Wendt shares intriguing details about his casting process. Initially offered a minor role, he eventually secured the iconic character of Norm Peterson after other possibilities fell through.

George Wendt [11:49]: "The role was George. And so I read it and then they decided they were gonna try to make it work out where I could do both shows. And then the other show got canceled."

Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson discuss the behind-the-scenes decisions that led to George's enduring role, highlighting the meticulous casting and chemistry considerations by the producers.

George Wendt [14:09]: "Actually the day that we did not get picked up for Making the Grade, the offer came in for Cheers. They knew because it was Paramount."

Life at Second City and Early Career Struggles

George delves into his early days at Second City, detailing his challenges with improvisation and his journey from sweeping stages to performing.

George Wendt [25:20]: "I was determined not to do something I hated... I thought, wow, if I could do that, I bet I wouldn't hate that."

He humorously recounts an encounter with Del Close, the notorious improvisational coach, and the chaotic moments that shaped his comedic style.

George Wendt [30:32]: "And he was a notorious substance abuser. Notorious."

Memorable On-Set Stories and Pranks

The trio shares numerous anecdotes from their time on Cheers, including elaborate pranks and memorable on-set moments. Ted Danson reminisces about getting pantsed by George, leading to laughter that resurfaces years later.

George Wendt [43:37]: "She goes up to Woody, 'What's happening?'... and he says, 'Don't rip the tape.'"

Woody Harrelson recounts the infamous shower prank captured by a Polaroid, which later became part of a rap video, showcasing the playful dynamics among the cast.

Ted Danson [43:13]: "Kirsty took a Polaroid... confirming your leading man status."

The Hooky Boat Ride Incident

One of the standout stories is the recounting of a day the cast decided to play hooky and take a boat ride. Ted describes his intense experience under the influence of mushrooms amidst turbulent waves, with Woody helping him stay calm.

Ted Danson [44:43]: "I ate an extraordinary amount of mushrooms... And you looked skeletal. That was my only kind of visual buzz from mushrooms."

The incident underscores the camaraderie and sometimes reckless adventures of the Cheers family.

Tribute to Late Cast Members

The discussion turns poignant as they remember Nick Colesando, the actor who played the bartender with a heart condition. They share heartfelt memories and rituals the cast adopted to honor his legacy after his passing.

George Wendt [55:42]: "It's almost as if T Bone is still here with us."

A touching moment is shared about how they insisted on keeping a sepia photograph of Nick in the bar, ensuring his memory remained part of the show's fabric.

Favorite Bits and Behind-the-Scenes Humor

George shares his favorite Cheers bits, particularly those initiated by Woody, highlighting their harmonious comedic collaboration.

George Wendt [50:28]: "What's my favorite show? Jumping jerks... We can't tell them back at the bar. We gotta come up with a story."

They laugh over the challenges of maintaining comedic freshness over the show's long run, including improvisational gambits and unexpected laughs during filming.

George Wendt [53:30]: "Jimmy claims it's the only time he ever had to cut the camera on a laugh."

Conclusion and Reflections

The episode wraps up with Ted, Woody, and George expressing mutual appreciation for their enduring friendships and shared experiences on Cheers. They tease potential future episodes featuring other Cheers guests, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating more nostalgic content.

Ted Danson [57:12]: "It's a privilege for me and for Woody to share our friends with you."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• George Wendt [00:05]: "Yeah, not really. More like America caught on."
• Woody Harrelson [02:23]: "He likes to win."
• George Wendt [11:49]: "The role was George."
• Ted Danson [44:43]: "I ate an extraordinary amount of mushrooms."
• George Wendt [55:42]: "It's almost as if T Bone is still here with us."

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This episode offers a heartfelt and humorous dive into the lives of beloved Cheers characters, providing fans with treasured behind-the-scenes insights and stories that highlight the strong bonds formed during the show's formative years.

Transcript

[Woody Harrelson]

But so, like, in the first year, people are starting to recognize you and.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, not really. More like America caught on. Second, third year, sort of. I think it was pretty much when you start.

[Ted Danson]

Welcome back to Where Everybody Knows yous Name. For the next few weeks, we're revisiting some of our favorite episod episodes from last year before we come back with all new interviews in a few weeks. We know you've been loving all the Cheers nostalgia, so we thought, what the heck, let's revisit our conversation with George Wendt. It was the first one we ever recorded, which I think will become blatantly clear. We were both so nervous. Anyway, we talked about how George got cast as Norm Peterson and the infamous time we all played hooky. So here he is, George Wendt.

[George Wendt]

The.

[Woody Harrelson]

Incredible George Wint, who we. Who did all 275 episodes of Cheers.

[Ted Danson]

Did anyone else do that? All of them or was it just you? I can't remember.

[George Wendt]

I don't think so.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was you guys. A couple of babies, you, Rhea and Teddy.

[George Wendt]

But on the night we had to shoot around Teddy when he went to Africa for a movie.

[Ted Danson]

That's.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, so he didn't really do.

[Ted Danson]

No.

[George Wendt]

And nor did Ria because she had a couple of kids, you know. Well, she had three, but only three involved production. Say what it was me kids never.

[Woody Harrelson]

Interfered with your ability to get there and shoot the episode.

[Ted Danson]

I think the heading is reminiscing.

[George Wendt]

Okay.

[Ted Danson]

At the moment.

[George Wendt]

Okay.

[Ted Danson]

And then catching up with anything you want to catch up with. But I, I love, I love this combination because you and I, roughly the same age, right? We were like 37 or something when Woody at age 25 showed up. And immediately there was this sense of kind of a pissing contest, you know, and let's, let's show the young buck who we are, the new boy. And I remember taking him out to play basketball. Do you remember?

[George Wendt]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And he kicked our ass. Yeah, basically.

[George Wendt]

Well, that's the thing about Wood. He's a gamer, you know. Like, he would kick your ass in basketball and then he would beat you in chess and then he would beat you in arm wrestling and then he would beat you in a water fight and then he would beat you in poker and you know what I mean? He likes to win.

[Ted Danson]

It's true. To the point where if we had a good practical joke, it would be a waste to do on anyone except Woody. Woody was the focal point of the. You know, I remember also you, you'd come in on Monday and the. Eventually, yeah, eventually, he'd be late, but, yeah, he'd come in and we'd both go, you know, come on. Come on, Sharon, tell us what you did this weekend.

[George Wendt]

I know.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, you know, what was funny is yours. You're saying it from your perspective. From my perspective. I was, like, so scared. Like, God, these guys, you know, Like, I just looked at you guys as just these walking gods. And, like, I just was. I was very nervous.

[Ted Danson]

Hand on a Bible. Is this true or is this. No, no, this is doing a bit.

[Woody Harrelson]

This is true. And. But I mean, I'm saying, you know, this is. At first, eventually, you guys made me feel so welcome and at home. And then there was also the thing of coach being, you know, you were.

[Ted Danson]

Stepping into someone else's.

[Woody Harrelson]

Strange.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Remember, like, the first day, like, I remember we were all, like. We were still reading from the script at that point, and. And I remember we're all like, you know, getting our blocking and just the very first. First doing it. And then Shelly goes, oh, God, it's so strange, you know.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, remember that? Not to have Nick there.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. Nick isn't here, and there's this new face.

[George Wendt]

So you didn't. But you hadn't seen the night I met you. You had not seen Cheers yet.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, when we met at the store.

[George Wendt]

Yeah. We were at Gelson's.

[Woody Harrelson]

That's right.

[George Wendt]

And I see these two young guys giggling and faces turning red and pointing at me. And we'd been on the air for, like, two years, maybe two and a half, three. And so I was sort of used to it. And eventually one boy prevailed and pushed the other over to me, and it was Wood. And he goes, I just wanted to say hello. My friend told me, you know, I'm auditioning for your show tomorrow.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, you're kidding.

[George Wendt]

And I said, oh, that's great, man. Well, tell you what, good luck with that. And, hey, what's your name anyway? Woody. Oh, no, no, not the character's name. What's your name? He goes, woody. I go, I think I might be seeing you tomorrow.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, so, yeah, that was. I forget who I was with at that time, but I do remember Clint.

[Ted Danson]

Clint.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, or Clem.

[George Wendt]

Clem. Or maybe it's Clint. No, it's Clem. Yeah, it's Clem.

[Woody Harrelson]

Anyway, yeah, he said, he's on Cheer because I hadn't seen it yet, you know, because I was a television addict.

[Ted Danson]

You were a movie star already by then, Right?

[Woody Harrelson]

I was a television addict. And then I quit television cold turkey when I went to college. And I Didn't watch it again. Which Cheers, you know, started while I was in College. It was 82, I believe, and then so. And I. And I didn't want to do television. I wanted to do theater.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I had been on a sabbatical from the. The play to go do this movie with Goldie Hawn. And then while I was. That was. That happened while I was finishing it up, and I was in la, and I ran into Leo Jeter, who's from our college, and he said, you know, I just auditioned for this show, Cheers. You should audition. The part is. They're calling the part Woody, and you should audition for it. And I said, well, I don't really want to do tv. He says, well, this is a pretty special tv. Well, after I met you. And then that next day, I did the audition, and then I'm like. At the end of the audition, then they're like, you know, we're going to bring you in for the. What do you call it? The. The thing where The. The last thing where you got to sign the network. Audition Network, Yeah, that's what they call it. And so you got to sign your life away at that point. So I'm like, well, I better watch this show. And then I watched it. I went, oh, my God, this is a good. And, you know, the way it was so different qualitatively, just cinematically, because it was, like, filmed.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

So you look at other television, and it was.

[Ted Danson]

And even the set was pretty amazing. Richard.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, that's right. And the lighting, the way he could light so you could be anywhere on the set, and it kind of worked.

[Ted Danson]

For it really was a big character. The set itself and the show, because it was like doing theater. You had to be. Everyone in the bar had to be live at all times because you'd be in the background, you know, of almost every shot.

[George Wendt]

Yeah. And, you know, the audience. For the audience, it is theater. And, you know, so. And you think about it, theater is a master, you know, and, like, honest to God, I was, you know, like a theater. Well, improv. But still, it was stage work.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[George Wendt]

You know, I didn't know. I had no idea where the cameras were, ever. I was only playing to the house.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, you mean during Cheers?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah.

[George Wendt]

I mean, the first couple years. Right, right, right afterwards, I was like, wait a minute, I'm not drinking this piss. Like, camera's way over there.

[Ted Danson]

The only thing I realized about cameras was if you had. Because we were all live, and you'd be crossing in behind the Bar Riad be crossing behind. You know, we were. You were in your corner, but there was lots of crossing and everything. And I noticed that when I had a great joke, Ria, Woody, everyone would be crossing right behind me. If I had a crappy joke, it was like, you know, tumbleweeds. No one could be found in the shot. It's like, no, no, stay away from that. There is. Let me. This. We're bouncing all around. This is not urban legend, though, that when we would be in the middle of the week rehearsing, and we would notice that one of us was having trouble with a pretty hefty speech or something, or a moment, we would get glints in our eyes.

[Woody Harrelson]

We loved it.

[Ted Danson]

And we would go, oh, we'll be there for you on the night. And then we had those spitballs, those little short straws, bar straws, cocktail straws. And there was actually, I think, a shot, or at least this is the urban legend where you can see a spitball in your hairline, where one of us had managed to land one while you were trying to do your.

[George Wendt]

Well, I'll never forget. I hit you right in the uvula.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[George Wendt]

Seriously, you were laughing like that. Your mouth was that open, and I saw it, and it was a Zen moment. Ding. But land on your uvulus.

[Ted Danson]

But that led to realizing this is a great new version of the game. And we would actually do that. We would open our mouth and stand back.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. God, that was fun. We remember we did that even on the. At the. The thing with Jay Leno. At the very end, we were doing spitballs. We were so drunk. By the time that came around, they.

[Ted Danson]

Had brought us in, this was the. We had finished shooting and we hadn't seen each other for two or three months. And this was the final goodbye. The episode was airing and Jay Leno was going to have this after. Final episode episode. And they brought us into the bar to do interviews at, like, 2 in the afternoon. And we were in the bar at Cheers. Bullen, Finch. What do you do in a bar? You start drinking and then later you start smoking. And so by the time, literally, that Jay Leno, he looked up from his notes and they were going, five, four, three. And he looked up and saw us all, really, for the first time. And his eyes started to spin, going, oh, my. We got a lot of shit for that. You remember?

[George Wendt]

Well, not only. Sorry, I put it back on Jay, but not only was he green, I think it was his first live episode. Probably he may have never done it live again after that.

[Woody Harrelson]

I Wouldn't blame him.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, it was.

[Woody Harrelson]

We were in poor shape to be doing anything.

[Ted Danson]

I think actually the only sober person was Kelsey.

[Woody Harrelson]

Everyone else, because he was kind of mandatorily.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, maybe. I don't know. But I remember the rest of us.

[Woody Harrelson]

Ironic.

[Ted Danson]

Okay, go back to casting. How did you get cast? What was that process for you?

[George Wendt]

Yeah, my agent called and said, you know, honey, they want you to do this Cheers. Now you're not available because I had this other show at Paramount, right. It was for cbs. And then they go, but they want you to come in anyway. And it's really small, though. I go, oh, okay. Well, I like those guys. You remember them from Taxi. Yeah, yeah. And how small? Well, it's really just one line. I go, oh, okay. Oh. Actually, you know, it's one word. I'm like, oh, really? Well, you know, come to think of it, it's one syllable. I go, what's the syllable? She goes, beer. And the bit was Shelly. It was to be a tag, which didn't really exist on our show afterwards. And Shelly was the end of the pilot. And Shelly was going to go, hi, I'm Diane, I'll be your waitress. Well, I'm not really a waitress, I'm an academic. And she goes into a page long recap of her as she did. And then she goes, oh, I'm sorry, I should be taking your order. What can I get you? And I go, beer. And she goes, beer. Perfect. And that was the end of the episode. But they said that Kolcak, Stephen Kolczak said that it's too small. We can't get a. Don't read that here. Read this other. And it was George. And so.

[Ted Danson]

Read this other. Wait, what?

[George Wendt]

This other role. The role of George. And so I read it and then they decided they were gonna try to make it work out where I could do both shows. And then the other show got canceled.

[Woody Harrelson]

Making the Grade.

[George Wendt]

Making the Grade.

[Woody Harrelson]

So I was thinking about that because, you know, as I was saying earlier with Teddy, like, you know, I learned some things just looking through the. These bios that I didn't know, like Making the grade was 82 and you did six episodes and then it got canceled. And you must have been so freaking demoralized. And yet, thank God.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, Actually the day that we did not get picked up for Making the grade, the offer came in for Cheers. They knew because it was Paramount. Paramount.

[Ted Danson]

Oh.

[George Wendt]

Oh.

[Ted Danson]

So you know, now your part in the pilot though, got bigger because I can remember my favorite, one of my favorite lines is you trying to make conversation with Shelley? What are you reading, a book?

[George Wendt]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's.

[Ted Danson]

Wasn't that in the pilot or.

[George Wendt]

No, it might have been as the George character, which I didn't really see till later. And then one day about not too long ago, seven, eight years ago, I was doing a symposium with Glenn and Les and Jimmy at UC Santa Barbara, and they were having a Q and A with this audience, and I was sitting back. Oh, they meant for me to come on about halfway through the program as a surprise, but I'm watching Glenn, unless I'm in the wing, you know, just sitting on a bar stool and they're answering all these questions. Someone said, now, did you have anybody in mind when you were writing Cheers? And they go, oh, God, no. Oh, no. Oh, we saw everybody in Hollywood and New York and we. Months and months of meticulous casting and chemistry, and this is for Sam and Diane. And then they go, but, Ria, we did have Rhea in mind. And George, I'm like, what the fuck? I'm sitting now I find out, like 20 years later. And you think of it, the role was written George. But anyway, I know that other people were considered, but they fessed up to that. That was weird.

[Ted Danson]

See, I didn't know the George part, that there was a character named George.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

That became Norm or.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, they changed it to Norm when they cast me.

[Ted Danson]

Oh.

[Woody Harrelson]

So when they were writing it, they called it George.

[George Wendt]

In the script it was George. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Were they involved with making the grade? Were they?

[George Wendt]

No, but I had done Taxi.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, right.

[George Wendt]

And did a bit. It was a fun bit. I must have scored. Yeah. Teddy, you scored on Taxi.

[Ted Danson]

That's. I was doing Taxi. Kind of a last minute replacement to come down and do it. But that was when I was shooting that or rehearsing. That was this. I got called in the lesson, Glenn and Jimmy's office, to talk about Cheers. That was the first time I heard about it. I remember talking about auditioning. I met him a couple times and read maybe once or twice. And then at one point they said, okay, great, do us a favor. Don't take any other work until you check with us. And I went, so does that mean it's my part? And they went, no, no, just check with this before. And I walk out. There were two entrances. There was an entrance and an exit in their office. It was on the second floor. And I walk out the back door and I see a line of actors coming up. It's like, oh, man. I think for sure, I don't Think I know for a fact that I got the part because of Shelly, that Shelley and I read well together, and Shelly was such a home run for that part.

[George Wendt]

Your chemistry, was she already cast at.

[Woody Harrelson]

That point or not?

[Ted Danson]

No, but she was, I think, everybody's favorite. They knew that she was the one. Sorry. They knew she was the one who was gonna play that part, but that's.

[Woody Harrelson]

A little disheartening, walking out the wrong door and seeing that long line.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. But actually, this was the first time in my life I did not do the oh, I won't get it, or oh, I won't. I just. Some part of me went, don't do that. Just. Yeah, I think this could be yours kind of thing.

[Woody Harrelson]

And it was nice.

[Ted Danson]

Do you ever have that moment where you go, it happened to me, I don't know, probably 10 years ago. But all of a sudden I went, oh, my God, I got to play Sam Malone. You know, it struck me, wow. Unbelievable. What an amazing character. And I got to play Sam Malone.

[George Wendt]

But the cool story is Rat.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, yeah.

[George Wendt]

He went in for my role, you know, for George, and he sensed it wasn't going well, and then he literally, in this case, had one foot out the door. And everybody's, well, thanks for coming in. Yeah, thanks. One foot out the door, he pops his head back in. Do you have a bar? Know it all? And they go, no, what do you mean? And he started riffing as that character. Yeah, yeah, Cliff.

[Woody Harrelson]

He just started going off a little bit, talking, and then just. They're like, holy shit. This guy to this day, he had a lot of. I can't remember the name of his group, but it was like, him and another guy.

[George Wendt]

Sal's Meat Market.

[Woody Harrelson]

Right.

[George Wendt]

It was him and this guy Ray.

[Woody Harrelson]

But where did that. Was that uk?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[George Wendt]

Huh? Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

English. Yeah. He worked street theater and everything, I think, right.

[George Wendt]

Like 10 years.

[Ted Danson]

And pretty much every war movie ever made out of. Yeah, he was the Yank.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, just for somebody to be able to turn around and have the wherewithal after, you know, you've sunk the odd. You're back.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

It's no good.

[George Wendt]

Chutzpah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And then that's chutzpah. And you gotta have that 10 years of serious, you know, street theater under your belt because you had. You had Second City, right?

[George Wendt]

I did.

[Woody Harrelson]

And how long did you do Second City?

[George Wendt]

Six.

[Woody Harrelson]

Six years.

[Ted Danson]

Chicago.

[George Wendt]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And I didn't know the thing. That was another thing I learned on these notes here that you came in, first day, they hand you a broom there you go, kid.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah, Stripes kind of moment.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, no, it's like, I think you're ready. This is the workshop teacher, Josephine Forsberg. I think you might be ready for the children's theater. I was like, oh my God, this is amazing. Because they worked right on the, you know, the main stage at Second City. So I thought that'd be just where all these people were. Joe Flaherty and Brian Murray and Harold Ramis and. And so yeah, come Sunday, come in at 11 o'clock. I go, oh, I thought the show was at 2:30. Yeah, just come in at 11. And I ring the doorbell. Nobody, Nobody, nobody. Finally I get let in and she hands me the broom and the dustpan. What happens is she wanted me to sweep up the room. And the night porter didn't come in till like a couple hours before the show. So it was a, you know, cocktail glasses everywhere, cigarette butts on the floors and in drinks and in Astras, you know, like I had to clean up the room, the house.

[Ted Danson]

Look at you now. So wait, how did you go from being kicked out of or asked to leave or whatever it was with your 000 grade point average from Notre Dame, how did that.

[Woody Harrelson]

That bear is mentioning, like how you even get a 0.00. That seems almost impossible.

[George Wendt]

Well, I was rocking a solid 2.0 my first two years and, and then junior year I thought it'd be cool to move off campus because, you know, I was a big boy, but I didn't have a car and I just didn't think it through. I lived a couple of miles off campus and you know, South Bend in the winter, you know, like, I just, I didn't. I wasn't going to hitchhike, you know, I wasn't going to freeze my ass off and, or take the bus or. I don't know, I just didn't. I had no idea how to get there. I mean, I knew the way, but I wasn't going to get up and walk out at 8:00 in the morning. So I just didn't go to any classes or exams and not shocked that I got a Telegram. They no U.S. mail. I got a telegram. Do not come back after first semester junior year.

[Ted Danson]

So then what happened?

[George Wendt]

Oh, I. Then I stayed at home for a while and my parents were like, what are you going to do with your life? Life. Life. And so I gotta get out of here. So I went to this other college, Ruckhurst College and University.

[Woody Harrelson]

Now Rutgers in New Jersey.

[George Wendt]

No, Rockhurst.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, Rock.

[George Wendt]

Sorry. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Harvard no.

[George Wendt]

And after that, you know, once again, my parents. What are you gonna do? Do, do, do with your life, Life, life, life, life get me out of here. And this friend of mine said, oh, you don't know what you're gonna do. I got no idea. And he goes, well, then I know what, What? You go to Europe. I go, yeah, you can just do that. Yeah. Just, you know, get some job and, you know, get, you know, it's one 65 bucks round trip to Luxembourg City from New York. And really. And so that's what I did. So I honked around Europe for about two years, give or take.

[Ted Danson]

Really. So, wait, is that you working or.

[George Wendt]

Well, I came home. I came. I came home in between, like. And worked at my dad's office for a while, and I was living at home, so it was really easy to save up a few hundred bucks and to go back. Go back? Yeah. I think it's getting cold. I think I winter in Spain.

[Ted Danson]

Wow.

[George Wendt]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

And how did you. Because you really had.

[George Wendt]

Sleeping on the side of the road, living on lemons and hashish, you know.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, I can attest to the sustaining powers of lemons.

[Ted Danson]

So how'd you get to Second City?

[George Wendt]

Well, I said, I can't keep doing this. And so I did the process of elimination. I thought, lemon.

[Woody Harrelson]

Sorry. Elimination?

[George Wendt]

Process of elimination, like what I wanted. I was determined to do a job that I wouldn't hate.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[George Wendt]

So I went through look at Teacher, and I'd hate that. Sales. I'd hate that. Doctor, out of the question. Policeman, fireman, cop, cowboy, you know, like what? Like I said, no, I hate everything except for Second City. I had seen that in college, and I thought, wow, if I could do that, I bet I wouldn't hate that. So, you know, I didn't even think about a career in entertainment, you know, let alone being on a, you know, a classic hit sitcom. I just wanted to be in Second City. And so it's something to say for short term goals. And it wasn't until I was there for a couple years, they're going, well, I guess I'm an actor.

[Ted Danson]

I think that's the way to go, I think. Sorry, you.

[Woody Harrelson]

No, I apologize.

[Ted Danson]

No, you, please.

[Woody Harrelson]

No, you go ahead. Okay. No, I'll ask you, Georgie.

[Ted Danson]

God, did we get that on camera?

[Woody Harrelson]

But did you. How did you go from you had the broom to. Cause suddenly you're on the stage. Cause that's not an easy transition.

[George Wendt]

Well, I just kept working in the workshops, and this is the first time I ever applied myself at anything and so it was really fun and I dug it. You know who my buddy was in the workshop? Brandon Tartikoff. What? Isn't that weird?

[Ted Danson]

Amazing. Brandon, who basically is responsible for thing on the air that first year.

[George Wendt]

Yeah. You know, and so. Cause we were just pals in workshop. And then, you know, I remember we had this showcase for the workshop students, like a little, you know, Saturday night here and there in this local church nearby. And Brandon and I were both too green to be involved, but we wanted to be involved, but we couldn't be on stage yet. So I volunteered to do the chairs. Set up the chairs and break down the chairs. And Brandon was running this coffee concession. Coffee and whatever. Cupcakes. After this magnificent show, people were blown away and Brandon and I were just stars in our eyes. And we were just on the sideline. And so I'm breaking down the chairs after the show and Brandon's breaking down the coffee table and stuff. And he says to me, george, one of these days it's going to be you and me up there. Wow.

[Ted Danson]

It was. We have a photo of that somewhere. There's a great photo of you topless. You topless. And Brandon Tartikoff, who was. What was his official.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, I saw that.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Who released that picture after 30 years or whatever.

[George Wendt]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I don't know.

[George Wendt]

Kevin Gottlieb maybe. Who knows?

[Ted Danson]

But that's the way you should start. What ends up being the passion of your life, not caring where it leads, just knowing you have to be part of it.

[George Wendt]

I just was determined not to do something I hated.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, but so it took like a year or many months or how long before you finally got to get on stage?

[George Wendt]

It was only a year in the workshops, actually.

[Woody Harrelson]

And so the first time you're up there and you're improvising for the first time in front of a crowd, what was that like?

[George Wendt]

I sucked. Improv, really. For as long as I did it. I was never really very good at it. I would get in my head a lot and be self conscious. Maybe it's the weed.

[Ted Danson]

Did you write. Did you have to write like Saturday Night Live? Do the people write their material or eventually do.

[George Wendt]

I mean, you improvise bits. And then the director, the late Del Close.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, wow.

[George Wendt]

Yeah. He would, you know, essentially be like a head writer. You know, he'd watch the, you know, the improv set and, you know, let, you know, you know, there's a chunk of this scene that we could maybe develop into something else. You know, a scene that otherwise didn't really Work on its own. But, you know, so. And then you sort of fine tune, you know, you keep improvising it, and then it gets to a point where, like, this just works kind of every time we try it. And then you pretty much lock it in. So it's scripted at the end. And I was much stronger with the scripted material than I was with the.

[Ted Danson]

And is it word for word scripted or you have leeway within it?

[George Wendt]

Well, you don't want to blow, you know, the beats. You don't want to blow, you know, the beats, and you don't want to blow anybody's setup or punch or something, you know, so it was pretty tightly scripted.

[Woody Harrelson]

And Del Close was pretty hardcore, though, wasn't he? Like, he could range some terror down on people.

[George Wendt]

Yeah. And he was, you know, I'll never forget, you know, he was a notorious substance abuser. Notorious. I mean, and one time he came back, we were in previews for a new show, and he came backstage at intermission, and he goes, I've figured out the closer. We're gonna do the entire second act as walruses. And we all just kind of looked at each other like. And I saw Danny Breen, my friend, great friend, walking behind to the payphone backstage, and I see him ding, ding, you know, with a couple of whatever, dimes or quarters. And he dials Bernie Sollins, the producer who lived nearby. Bernie. Yes. Del wants us to do the second act as walruses. He says, I'll be right over.

[Ted Danson]

So how did you get from there to Los Angeles?

[George Wendt]

Bernadette got a pilot.

[Ted Danson]

So wait, how does Bernadette, your wife, right, fit into this story at Second City? Was she there as well?

[George Wendt]

She was. She was in the touring company. And I got fired after about a year in the resident company. I had sort of a steady progression. I spent like a year in the workshops, including the children's show, then a year in the touring company on the road, you know, doing sort of best of material. Then got invited to join the resident company. And I was in there for about a year and sucking at improv, like I said. And so I basically got fired. But they said, don't go away. Just go back in the touring company because we have a bunch of work and we want you to continue to whatever. And so that's where I met Bernadette was in the touring company, and we got married in, like, two years later. Oh. And then I got back in the resident company, and Bernadette gets this pilot in la. And so she came back after about three Weeks in la said, you know, I think we ought to consider moving. And so I did.

[Woody Harrelson]

She said we should move.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, yeah. She was getting a lot of attention, you know, managers and agents and, oh, you gotta move out here, that kind of thing. You can't work out of Chicago.

[Ted Danson]

For all you Cheers watchers. Bernadette played Norm Peterson's off screen. Right. Correct wife, who we never saw, but heard of.

[George Wendt]

And also Cliff Clavin's one time love interest, Tinkerbell. I forgot that he was Ponce de Leon. And he was like a, you know, he got into character as this great conquistadoro and he was full of, you know, full of stuff. And then once they took the masks off, neither of them could talk.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, that's right. Oh, that's right. I remember that. Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

So jumping forward.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Into when you started doing Cheers and then you had a kind of a radical change of lifestyle, would you say, from going from anonymity to fame.

[George Wendt]

Oh, that was. Yeah, that was peculiar, wasn't it?

[Woody Harrelson]

What was it like for you then?

[George Wendt]

Oh, I don't know. Mindfuck, I guess.

[Ted Danson]

It took a year or so for that to kind of happen in my case, I mean.

[George Wendt]

Yeah, yeah, no, it took a year.

[Woody Harrelson]

I'm gonna try because Sears was dead last in the ratings at first and. Hey, hey, just. I'm just saying it's a great story because turned out what's his name, you know, decided to keep it on. What's his name? I just, we were just talking about him.

[Ted Danson]

Brandon.

[Woody Harrelson]

Brandon. Yeah, Brandon Kharkov said, no, we're gonna stick with it.

[Ted Danson]

He got credited for saving Cheers, but he said later in some interview, oh, I would have replaced them. We just didn't have anything good enough to replace. Yeah.

[George Wendt]

And Grant Tinker, of course, was the actual boss.

[Woody Harrelson]

But so, like, in the first year, people are starting to recognize you.

[George Wendt]

And not really, more like, you know, when America caught on. Second, third year, sort of pretty much when you started.

[Ted Danson]

One of the highlight shows that we all was when Kevin McHale, remember when Kevin Celtics was on the show, and he would go around and saying, you know, Woody, you have a shot. Just like. And he'd name some famous basketball player. And the rest of us were incredibly jealous.

[George Wendt]

Well, this, this sports writer friend of mine and friend of many, Alan Malamud, the late Alan Malamud called me one day and said, yeah, Ron Shelton's doing this movie and, yeah, he can't find anybody plays basketball. You said, you play with Woody? Woody, can he play? And I go, yeah, yeah, he's good, you know, he goes, not really, because they can't find anybody. And I said, well, how would you describe. I said, well, if you put Woody, like in a game of like a Division 2 or 3 college basketball team, you know, he would not look out of place. You wouldn't go, who's that guy? What's that all about? You know, he didn't fit right in. He goes, hmm, I'll tell Ron. Wow. Okay.

[Ted Danson]

Say thank you.

[Woody Harrelson]

I didn't know that. So you're responsible. Yeah, basically for my career. And I'm just finding out. Thank you. I mean, that doesn't seem like enough of a word, but thank you.

[Ted Danson]

We don't have to talk about Jimmy Burroughs, our director, in, you know, detail right now. But that was one of the things that made him so amazing, was he let everybody. He let you be insane until.

[Woody Harrelson]

Unless it interfered with.

[Ted Danson]

No, until you were in front of the camera. He was. He'd say, you're comedy commandos. I don't care how you do what you do during rehearsal or da, da, da, da, da, as long as you show up on Tuesday.

[George Wendt]

And he would see it once at the read through or any of the table reads or once in rehearsal, and he'd know, okay, he's got that. And if you start rehearsing stuff too much, a lot of us, this sounds really pretentious, but, you know, it's like, we're jazz men, you know, we kind of get bored with our choices after a few times and you want to move on, but, you know, there's really one that really just was right. And Jimmy knew that we'd come back to that one on the night.

[Ted Danson]

I think that there was times, because you. How do you stay fresh when you've done a show? 8, 9, 10, 11 years. And part of the thing was we would not learn it to the point where we were a little scared when we came in, like, oh, I went too far. I went too far this time.

[Woody Harrelson]

Kelsey was really practicing that for a little bit.

[Ted Danson]

But Kelsey was insane. Kelsey would be on book, and not just as an affectation. He would have his script and he'd be reading it right up until 20 minutes before we shot it. And then he'd come in and be word perfect.

[George Wendt]

Right.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was unreal.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, it was.

[George Wendt]

After a while, John and I would be sitting there next to each other, you know, like, I'm talking about like year eight or nine or something, and they go, okay, eh, scene, stand by. And I'd look at John and say, any idea? He'd go, nope. But then once. So you prayed that the first line wasn't your bit. Yeah. So somebody started to go, oh, this bit, you know, as long as once it started, we'd know where we were.

[Woody Harrelson]

George, you remember that time, this is the first time this ever happened to me was when we were doing. This is probably at least, you know, several years into it for me. Probably six, seven years into it, where the we. We went up and you and I were smoking a joint and thought we were done, remember? And then they're like, woody, come down for your monologue in cnc. And I'm like. And I go down. And what would have taken one time?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

One, two, three attempts. And then Jimmy's like, woody, you okay? Yeah, I'm fine. Fine. Everything's fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no problem. Let's do it again. It took like 10 times to finally get it. And that was the first time I tried acting while stoned, which I realized that don't.

[Ted Danson]

Not a good thing.

[Woody Harrelson]

Mixed mind you. I tried it a couple other times. Yeah. But each time I learned the same lesson. Yeah.

[George Wendt]

It's not because then you go to paranoia.

[Ted Danson]

You would.

[George Wendt]

After the audience slept, self conscious kind of. What?

[Ted Danson]

After the audience slept, you went from that horrible near beer, whatever it was you had to drink. We would drink real beer after the audience left.

[George Wendt]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Even sometimes while the audience was there slipping a beer once in a while.

[George Wendt]

You know, pretty rare.

[Woody Harrelson]

Usually after they left. Professional all the way.

[George Wendt]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You, Woody and George and Kirsty were involved with the prank on me, I think about six months before I had pantsed you, you were wearing sweatpants. And all day long George and I and John were going, woody, put on some fucking underwear. My God. You know, because of your sweatpants were slightly revealing. And then we brought in an audience would start watching us. When we were in our eighth or ninth year, they'd bring in an audience to watch dress rehearsal or whatever it was. And there was a moment where you jumped on this table. I'm sitting next to the table, and your character jumps up on the table and makes a huge announcement. And I swear to God, I hadn't planned it, but I was looking at your offending member. And so I grabbed your sweatpants and jerked them down to your ankles. And you were rightfully horribly embarrassed. Yeah, I thought it was great. And four months pass. Wow. No retribution. I'm clear. This is good. I go in to take a shower right before show George knocks on the door and says, do you mind if I come in and shade while you're in the shower. I went, no, that's fine. So the door is primed by you to be open. And I can't quite remember. I think you dove in, grabbed the shower door and swung it open. And Kirsty took a Polaroid.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Of me and all my glory Confirming.

[Woody Harrelson]

Your leading man status. Thank you.

[Ted Danson]

Thank you. And then it showed up during the rap party.

[Woody Harrelson]

Put it on a rap video.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Andy Ackerman put it on there.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, that was great.

[Ted Danson]

It was embarrassing, but, well, I mean, even Steven.

[George Wendt]

So what about the boat ride? What?

[Ted Danson]

Okay. It was our hooky day, remember?

[George Wendt]

Yeah, it was, as I recall, it was a very female heavy show. Diane had a old something pal from college, I want to say, and. And Maria was a real big part of it. And. And, baby. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was a girl, you know. And so we felt like we could maybe. John had just bought a boat.

[Ted Danson]

Boston Whaler. Yeah.

[George Wendt]

And he was anxious to show it off, so we cooked up this little getaway.

[Ted Danson]

I remember we all met at his boat. Woody and I, by then were already stoned. And we got on the phone at a payphone and called in to Jimmy or called into the show, saying to Brian, yeah, Brian, you're right, I'm not feeling too good. I can't come in and then hand the phone to the next person I'm not feeling. So it was clear that we were playing hooky.

[George Wendt]

Somebody said, yeah, I'm seasick. And, yeah, I got peer pressure.

[Ted Danson]

So we get on the boat. Kelsey immediately had been up all night playing cards, went down to the lower bunk and fell asleep the whole way. The whole way, he was sound asleep. Woody turns to me and goes, have you ever had mushrooms? No. No, I haven't. And he said, well, this will be a good time. We have nothing to do. We'll be on a boat. And da, da, da. And we hadn't had breakfast, so I was fairly hungry and ate, I think, an extraordinary amount of mushrooms. And then I'm thinking, oh, this is all right. Then off we go. And we're halfway to Catalina, and this is true. There was the leftover waves from a hurricane in Mexico. There was still a huge swell, so people not on mushrooms would be seasick, pretty much. But I sat there getting more and more and more or freaked out, and whatever it is, you get stoned or whatever it is on mushrooms. And I look at you, Woody, and you stretched out on a bunk, and I think, oh, he's so used to this that he's just Cooling it and relaxing. I am panicking. I'm having trouble breathing. I'll go up top. And I came and sat down next to you, and you looked at me and you went, you're high on something, aren't you? And I kind of nodded sheepishly. And John was like, oh, for crying out loud. But you spent the next 45 minutes poking me about every minute or two and said, breathe. Because I would literally forget to breathe and feel like I was dying. And then you'd poke me. And then, Woody, you finally came up because you were afraid. Well, I should let you speak for yourself. But you said you were afraid you might jump off the back of the boat, so you better come up. And that was my one kind of visual, you know, I, I, I looked at you and you looked skeletal. You looked like Woody, the skeleton in my eyes. That was my only kind of visual buzz. From mushrooms.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, that's. I remember you looked like that, too. And also, G was having a bad trip.

[Ted Danson]

No, I don't think you were.

[Woody Harrelson]

I think he did.

[George Wendt]

No. On the way back, I was C6.

[Woody Harrelson]

But didn't you do mushrooms, too?

[George Wendt]

I did not, no.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, I thought you did.

[Ted Danson]

No, he was our lifesaver. No.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I just thought how noble it was that you were trying to calm him down when you were tripping, but you weren't.

[George Wendt]

No, I wasn't.

[Woody Harrelson]

But you did look like a hologram of yourself. You just weren't breathing at all.

[Ted Danson]

I think I'm ready to do mushrooms again. Because it is a good thing, right? Mushrooms?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I guess it depends on the setting, but definitely in the middle of hurricane Pacific Ocean.

[George Wendt]

No, that was. I mean, the boat was really going like the mast thing was going. Yeah, it was nasty.

[Ted Danson]

It was the worst four hours of my life, truly.

[George Wendt]

And we were in such trouble. I thought that. I didn't think anyone would give a shit.

[Ted Danson]

They called us in one at a time to give a shit the next day.

[Woody Harrelson]

It was fair. We shouldn't have done that.

[Ted Danson]

No, but we'd been perfect for, like, six, seven years.

[George Wendt]

I thought the hip move. Well, it would have been extravagant, but I thought Burroughs should have rented a helicopter with the girls and brought them and meet us on the pier. And when we got off the boat and go, okay, acing is up. Oh, Jesus.

[Ted Danson]

Their complaint was, you should have told us. We would have let you. And it was like, but that's not hooky, Jimmy.

[Woody Harrelson]

That's not hooky. Just calling in the morning was, I thought, pretty noble.

[George Wendt]

Yeah. Gauss. We had aroused him he didn't wake up.

[Ted Danson]

He came alive when we got to Alban, wherever we were on Catalina.

[George Wendt]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Kelsey had two amazing like, like super moves that were his. And one was. Remember how he would eat just the tiniest bit of something and chew it like forever? You know, when we'd go eat together, he'd be three times longer consuming his food than anybody.

[Ted Danson]

I forgot.

[Woody Harrelson]

He would eat butter and he'd eat butter. Remember that? He'd just take the knife and he'd take a little piece of the butter wedge and then another little piece. Yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

He's got the constitution of a horse, so whatever he was doing worked.

[Woody Harrelson]

But his other superpower was his ability to just sleep and just go deep into the sleep and restore. Come back ready to run.

[Ted Danson]

I'll give you one.

[George Wendt]

Wear shoes on stage. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, he didn't wear shoes, but he would play basketball with us on a.

[George Wendt]

No shoes.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, no shoes. Barefoot.

[Woody Harrelson]

Flat footed. He was flat footed. Yeah, still is.

[Ted Danson]

I suppose we should give a maritime to defend himself.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, I think we crushed it, guys.

[Ted Danson]

I think we did a whole year's worth of reminiscing. Not so.

[George Wendt]

Oh, there's more.

[Woody Harrelson]

But there's so much more that I know. We're not thinking of favorite bits.

[Ted Danson]

Favorite bits that you remember while shooting.

[George Wendt]

I got both of my favorite bits are Woody's. And people always ask, what's my favorite show? And I say, jumping jerks. When the boys went skydiving and we all chickened out. And then we go, oh man, I'm not jumping. Neither am I. Neither am I. And it's like. But we can't tell them back at the bar. We can't say we chickened out. Right. We gotta come up with a story. Right, right, right. But we gotta be able to stick to it, right? Yeah, yeah. So it's gotta be simple and believable. Simple and believable. Simple and believable. I got it says Sam. We jumped, the parachutes opened and we landed. It's simple, it's believable. Right? We jumped. The parachute's open, we landed. Okay, we got it. We go back in the bar. Oh, man, I never felt so alive.

[Ted Danson]

Woo.

[George Wendt]

That was amazing. What happened? What? Are you kidding? It was great. It was amazing. Wood and Rhea. Carlos smells a rat and she goes up to Woody. Woody, what happened? What? What? We jumped the parachutes open and we landed. It was all very simple and believable. And my other favorite joke or bit was also Woody. It was one of the bar wars episodes. And Gary, you know we're pranking Gary's Old Town Tavern. And where's Woody? I don't know. And then, oh, my God, Woody's missing. You don't suppose. And then in the background, you see Woody, like, done up like Houdini hanging by his heels, upside down, and a rope. Gaffer's tape all over his body, and he's swinging back and forth, you know, on the. This backstairs, Right? So we go, there he is. There's wood. We all run and we open the door, and Woody's going. And we're like, oh, my God. He's trying to tell us something. What's he saying? I don't know. He's got that tape. And we take it. We ripped the gaffer's tape off his mouth. He goes, don't rip the tape.

[Ted Danson]

You're the only one that did something. You had a bit that stopped the show. We literally stopped shooting because the audience wouldn't stop laughing. And I can't remember the setup. Maybe you do, but they had rigged you. You guys were supposed to be hot and sweating or something.

[George Wendt]

I can't remember the setup.

[Ted Danson]

They had rigged a tube up your shirt, and so you were just pouring.

[George Wendt]

From your armpits, and water wasn't even playing.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, so it was glycerin.

[George Wendt]

It was oil. Yeah. I think they had to use, like, three in one oil or something to make. I took off my sport coat, and it's like, am I pitted or what? You know, like. Yeah, yeah. I forget the setup, though. But, yeah. Jimmy claims it's the only time he ever had to cut the camera on a laugh.

[Woody Harrelson]

Remember that one time Rats did a thing where he did a long pause, but the laugh was.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, oh, that's.

[Woody Harrelson]

Remember that?

[Ted Danson]

He paused, and it was almost a challenge during rehearsal.

[Woody Harrelson]

It kept going longer and longer, and he just. As long as he paused, he got funnier and funnier. Remember that?

[Ted Danson]

I do.

[Woody Harrelson]

I forget what the bit was, but it was sustained, hysterical.

[Ted Danson]

Man, you must have been with us by then. Maybe it had to be your first year. Nick Colesando, who played the coach, had passed away with about four or five shows left the third season. And, Nikki, we didn't real. I don't. I didn't. I don't know if you did. Didn't realize that he had a heart condition, heart disease. And he knew that when he came to the show, but he was getting more and more forgetful to our eye. He was just getting more and more forgetful, but he wasn't getting the oxygen he needed. Because of his heart. So he would write down on every surface in the bar his lines. And he had one line where he had an entrance, where the show was about that he had just lost his friend, a lifelong friend his age, and had died.

[George Wendt]

T Bone Scarpigione. Wow.

[Ted Danson]

And he had written his line on the back of where we all enter, you know, the stairs. And it was on the flat side, not the audience side. He had written his line so he wouldn't forget it when he entered the bar. And the line was something like, it's almost as if he's still here with us. Yeah, right.

[George Wendt]

It's almost as if T Bone is still here with us. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And then the first time we came back and you had to be there because that was your first show, Woody, we noticed it and it was so. I think we all basically burst into tears because it was how we were all feeling. And then we would make a ritual for the next four or five years. We, as we came down to greet the audience, everyone would touch the. It's almost like he's here with us, kind of.

[George Wendt]

That was your ritual. I got the tongue from Kirsty.

[Ted Danson]

But one day the painters had decided on the off season to paint the flats and paint it over. That, and we all damn near quit. We were so, so angry when we came back.

[Woody Harrelson]

That's just bad. Who does that? You're going to cover that stuff up.

[Ted Danson]

We also went to his dressing room after he died and he had an old sepia photograph of Geronimo. It's very famous photograph. And we insisted that they hang it in the bar. Remember that?

[George Wendt]

Yeah. It's the one you fuss with at the end of the last episode.

[Ted Danson]

Okay. We reminisced.

[George Wendt]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Georgie, thank you.

[George Wendt]

Sure. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Thanks, G Man.

[George Wendt]

Oh, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Appreciate it.

[Ted Danson]

The great George Wendt, everybody. That was so much fun. We haven't been together for quite a while and reminisce and laugh and giggle like silly people was a great joy. And who knows, you might even hear some more Cheers guests in the future. Actually, you will for sure. That's our show for this week. Thank you so much for listening. Even though we are a young podcast, I am so happy to hear that listeners like you are actually tuning in and wanting to hear us chit chat for an hour or more. But really, it's a privilege for me and for Woody to share our friends with you. And thank you for all of those who've left great ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts. It truly means a lot. If you like this episode, be sure and tell a friend and subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes whenever they land. Thanks again, everybody. See you right back here next week. Where everybody knows your name.

[Nick Leal]

You've been listening to Where EVERYBODY knows your name with Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson sometimes. The show is produced by me, Nick Leal. Executive producers are Adam Sachs, Colin Anderson, Jeff Ross and myself. Sarah Fedorovich is our supervising producer. Our senior producer is Matt Apodaca. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel with support from Eduardo Perez research by Alyssa Grohl talent booking by Paula Davis and Gina Batista. Our theme music is by Woody Harrelson, Anthony Genn, Mary Steenbergen and John Osborne. Special thanks to Woody Navarre. We'll have more from you next time. Where everybody knows your name.