While there have certainly been plenty of TV shows over the decades that were quite popular during their original run, it’s rarer to find shows that continue to endure in popularity long after they’ve finished. There’s no question, though, that Cheers falls into that select group, with the sitcom that originally ran from 1982 to 1993 still being enjoyed by many three decades later. Case in point, earlier this year in the Ted Lasso Season 3 finale, an A+ Cheers reference was snuck into the episode’s final minutes, and director Declan Lowney explained to CinemaBlend how it got in there.
Our own Riley Utley recently had the chance to speak with Lowney, who’s helmed seven of Ted Lasso’s 34 episodes accessible to Apple TV+ subscribers. There were a lot of Easter eggs to keep track of in the finale, but unless you’re a diehard Cheers fan, you may not have noticed the nod to the sitcom in the pub run by Annette Badland’s Mae Green: a picture of Apache leader and medicine man Geronimo. Here’s what Lowney had to say about this reference:
So as Declan Lowney explained, Ted Lasso didn’t just put up the Geronimo picture in the Season 3 finale solely to reference the Cheers series finale. Just like how it was always on display in the bar run by Ted Danson’s Sam Malone for all of that show’s 11 seasons, the picture’s been in The Crown and Anchor the entire time, it was simply moved to a more visible location for “So Long, Farewell.” And like Sam did with his Geronimo picture in Cheers’ “One for the Road,” Mae took some time to straighten her copy, although that action is quickly overshadowed by her slapping Bay’s hand away when he tried to pick up one of her newly-acquired shares for AFC Richmond.
Giving the Geronimo picture a more noticeable spot in Mae’s pub came straight from Lowney, and he had another idea of how Ted Lasso could tie back to Cheers. However, in that instance, lead actor Jason Sudeikis, who co-developed the show with Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly, shot down the suggestion, with the director recalling:
Unlike Cheers, which threw out its Geronimo moment in what was unquestionably the show’s final episode, it’s unclear if Ted Lasso did the same in a series finale or a just a season finale. Although “So Long, Farewell” wrapped up a lot of plot threads and certainly felt like a clear-cut ending, as of this writing, it hasn’t been officially clarified if the Apple TV+ show will return for another season or spawn a spinoff, or if this is definitely the end for Ted and the gang. Either way, with Cheers still being beloved all this time later, it was cool of Lowney, Sudeikis and the rest of the Ted Lasso team to reference, yet keep it subtle enough that it detract from what was happening in the episode’s final minutes.
Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more Ted Lasso coverage, including when we finally get clarification on the show’s status. You’re also welcome to check out the other best Apple TV+ shows or see what’s coming to the small screen soon with our 2023 TV schedule.