David Lee

In his three-and-a-half hour Archive interview, David Lee recalls his time in Los Angeles as a sandwich delivery boy and his first big break writing for The Jeffersons. He speaks of his tenure on the show and of writing scripts on the side in secret for Cheers. He outlines his years as a staff writer and eventual producer on Cheers, helping to create the character of "Frasier Crane" and dealing with both the death of Nicholas Colasanto and the departure of Shelley Long from the show. He recounts leaving Cheers to create the long-running series Wings, along with his writing partners Peter Casey and David Angell, and talks of directing episodes toward the end of the series' run. He discusses the short-lived Nathan Lane series Encore! Encore! and details creating the Cheers spin-off Frasier along with Casey and Angell. Lee describes the twelve-year history of the show, the dynamics of the characters, directing episodes, and the death of co-creator David Angell during the tragic events of 9/11. He wraps up by discussing the then-current state of television and shares his career highlights and regrets. Jim McKairnes conducted the interview on July 9, 2010 in North Hollywood, California.