About
"I'm happy when somebody comes up to me and says that something I did made them laugh. To make people laugh is rare. I feel the same way about people that make me laugh. I'm very honored when they say that."
In the half-hour solo portion of his interview, Glen Charles talks about his early years growing up near Las Vegas. He discusses the radio and television programs he enjoyed in his youth, his work in advertising, and how he started writing for television with his brother, Les Charles.
In the three-hour joint portion of their interview, Glen and Les Charles talk about their television writing career. They discuss selling their first script (to M*A*S*H) and breaking into staff writing at MTM Productions, where they worked as writer-producers on Phyllis and the final season of The Bob Newhart Show. They recall other writing assignments on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Betty White Show, and detail working with the cast and crew of the hit series, Taxi. The pair talk about both writing and producing the ABC run of Taxi (the show would run a final season on NBC) and chronicle the creation of the series Cheers (with James Burrows). They outline their roles as producers and later executive producers of the show, discuss cast changes, and recall memorable episodes from the show's eleven-year run. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interviews on December 8, 2003 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
Glen Charles on beginning to write with his brother, Les
Glen and Les Charles on the cancellation of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on casting Kelsey Grammer as "Dr. Frasier Crane" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on filming the series finale of Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on Cheers' early Emmy wins
Glen and Les Charles on their proudest career achievements
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his childhood and early influences; on his Mormon upbringing; on growing up in Las Vegas
On his literary influences; on radio and television programs he enjoyed; on his high school and college years
On his first job after college and attending graduate school in Northern California; on working in advertising and recalling JFK's assassination
On beginning to write with his brother, Les; on getting an agent
Chapter 2
[START OF JOINT INTERVIEW WITH LES CHARLES] On writing spec scripts for The Mary Tyler Moore Show and M*A*S*H; on observing the filming of the M*A*S*H episode they wrote
On writing for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
On getting hired as story editors for the MTM show Doc; on writing for Phyllis; on working with MTM's Stan Daniels and Ed. Weinberger and what they learned from the pair
On working for MTM in the company's early days
Chapter 3
On an embarrassing anecdote about the show Phyllis; on Grant Tinker; on producing and writing for the last season of The Bob Newhart Show
On the series finale of The Bob Newhart Show; on working with James Burrows
On leaving MTM to produce Taxi; on production, writing, and the title sequence of Taxi
Chapter 4
On the writing process and writers on Taxi; on casting the show and working with the actors
On Andy Kaufman joining the cast of Taxi; on specific episodes of Taxi
Chapter 5
On dealing with the network and Standards and Practices on Taxi; on the show's cancellation
On creating their own production company and the early idea for Cheers; on creating the regulars on Cheers
On the casting process for Cheers; on their deal with NBC
On James Burrows' contributions to Cheers; on being their own bosses on Cheers and their initial plan for the series
On the physical comedy between "Sam" and "Diane"; on the writers' room on Cheers; on a typical workweek on Cheers
Chapter 6
On the Cheers theme song and title design; on the show's initially poor ratings and critical success
On casting Kelsey Grammer as "Dr. Frasier Crane"; on Shelley Long's decision to leave Cheers and how her departure affected the show; on Kirstie Alley becoming the female lead
On which characters on Cheers changed the most throughout the run of the show; on favorite episodes and filming in front of a live studio audience
On their favorite guest stars on Cheers; on the three-part finale and the surrounding press; on the legacy of Cheers
Chapter 7
On their involvement with the shows All is Forgiven and The Tortellis; on giving their blessing to Frasier; on their writing style
On then-current projects; on their proudest career achievements; on their mentors and how they'd like to be remembered
Shows
All is Forgiven
Glen and Les Charles on their involvement with the shows All is Forgiven and The Tortellis
Betty White Show, The (1977-78)
Glen and Les Charles on writing several episodes of The Betty White Show
Bob Newhart Show, The (1972-78)
Glen and Les Charles on producing and writing for the last season of The Bob Newhart Show
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of The Bob Newhart Show
Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the creation of Cheers, setting the show in Boston, and research for the bar setting
Glen and Les Charles on creating the regulars on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on casting Cheers; on their deal with NBC
Glen and Les Charles on James Burrows' contributions to Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on being their own bosses on Cheers and their initial plan for the series
Glen and Les Charles on how "Sam" and "Diane" (Ted Danson and Shelley Long) worked together on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the writers' room on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on a typical work-week on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the theme song of Cheers "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" (and how "People Like Us" was almost the theme)
Glen and Les Charles on Cheers' initial low ratings and how then-House speaker Tip O'Neil did a cameo
Glen and Les Charles on casting Kelsey Grammer as "Dr. Frasier Crane" on Cheers and the inspiration for that character -- a "Ralph Bellamy" type
Glen and Les Charles on Shelley Long's decision to leave Cheers and how her departure affected the show
Glen and Les Charles on which characters on Cheers changed the most throughout the run of the show
Glen and Les Charles on their favorite episodes of Cheers and multiple-part episodes; on filming in front of a live studio audience
Glen and Les Charles on their favorite guest stars on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on letting other people take the reigns on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the three-part finale of Cheers - and writing a cameo for Bill Clinton
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on filming the series finale of Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on why Cheers went off the air
Glen and Les Charles on the legacy of Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on why Cheers was considered to have sophisticated writing
Doc
Glen and Les Charles on getting hired as story editors for the MTM show Doc
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
Glen and Les Charles on Cheers' early Emmy wins
Fawlty Towers
Glen and Les Charles on how the British series Fawlty Towers served as an initial inspiration for the setting of Cheers
Frasier
Glen and Les Charles on giving their blessing to Frasier, a spin-off of Cheers starring Kelsey Grammer
M*A*S*H
Glen and Les Charles on writing a spec script for M*A*S*H, which was the first script they sold
Mary Tyler Moore Show, The
Glen and Les Charles on how they finally got hired to write for The Mary Tyler Moore Show a whole year after submitting a spec script
Glen and Les Charles on the first spec script they ever wrote: for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Glen and Les Charles on getting hired to write for The Mary Tyler Moore Show a whole year after submitting a spec script
Glen and Les Charles on writing for The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Phyllis
Glen and Les Charles on writing for the MTM show Phyllis and working with MTM's Stan Daniels and Ed. Weinberger
Glen and Les Charles on changes made to the MTM show Phyllis
Glen and Les Charles on an embarrassing anecdote about the show Phyllis
Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on producing Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on producing and head-writing for Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the premise and production of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the title sequence of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on a typical workweek on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the atmosphere in the writing room of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the actors and the casting process on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on Andy Kaufman's peculiar deal (with Tony Clifton) on Taxi and the character "Latka Gravas"
Glen and Les Charles on the "Sugar Mama" episode of Taxi with Ruth Gordon
Glen and Les Charles on the "Going Home" episode of Taxi, for which they won an Emmy
Glen and Les Charles on the "Honor Thy Father" episode of Taxi, featuring Jack Gilford
Glen and Les Charles on their favorite Taxi episodes and why the show was cancelled
Glen and Les Charles on dealings with the network and Standards & Practices on Taxi
Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of Cheers
Tortellis, The
Glen and Les Charles on their involvement with the shows All is Forgiven and The Tortellis
Topics
Censorship / Standards & Practices
Glen and Les Charles on dealings with the network and Standards & Practices on Taxi
Characters & Catchphrases
Glen and Les Charles on the title character "Phyllis" on Phyllis
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Louie De Palma" on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Alex Reiger" (played by Judd Hirsch) on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Norm Peterson" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Sam Malone" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Coach" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Cliff Clavin" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Carla Tortelli" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on which characters on Cheers changed the most throughout the run of the show
Classic TV Series Episodes
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of The Bob Newhart Show
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Glen Charles on being inspired by the book and movie version of From Here to Eternity; on his literary influences
Glen and Les Charles on their mentors
Criticism of TV
Glen and Les Charles on Cheers' initial low ratings, good critical response, and then-House speaker Tip O'Neil's cameo
Emmy Awards
Glen and Les Charles on Cheers' early Emmy wins
Historic Events and Social Change
Glen Charles on JFK's assassination
JFK Assassination and Funeral
Glen Charles on JFK's assassination
John F. Kennedy
Glen Charles on JFK's assassination
Memorable Moments on Television
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of The Bob Newhart Show
Glen and Les Charles on the title sequence of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of Cheers
Pivotal Career Moments
Glen Charles on being inspired by the book and movie version of From Here to Eternity; on his literary influences
Glen and Les Charles on their mentors
Pop Culture
Glen and Les Charles on the title character "Phyllis" on Phyllis
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of The Bob Newhart Show
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Louie De Palma" on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Alex Reiger" (played by Judd Hirsch) on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Norm Peterson" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Sam Malone" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Coach" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Cliff Clavin" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Carla Tortelli" on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on the theme song of Cheers "Everyone Knows Your Name" (and how "People Like Us" was almost the theme)
Glen and Les Charles on which characters on Cheers changed the most throughout the run of the show
Television and the Presidency
Glen Charles on JFK's assassination
Television Industry
Glen and Les Charles on dealings with the network and Standards & Practices on Taxi
TV Theme Songs
Glen and Les Charles on the theme song of Cheers "Everyone Knows Your Name" (and how "People Like Us" was almost the theme)
We Cried
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of Cheers
We Laughed
Glen and Les Charles on the series finale of The Bob Newhart Show
Professions
Producers
Glen and Les Charles on producing Phyllis and the last season of The Bob Newhart Show
Glen and Les Charles on being executive producers on Cheers
Show Creators
Glen and Les Charles on being their own bosses on Cheers and their initial plan for the series
Writers
Glen Charles on beginning to write with his brother, Les
Glen and Les Charles on the atmosphere in the writing room of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the writers' room on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on their writing style
Glen and Les Charles on why Cheers was considered to have sophisticated writing
Genres
Comedy Series
Glen and Les Charles on writing for the MTM show Phyllis and working with MTM's Stan Daniels and Ed. Weinberger
Glen and Les Charles on producing and writing for the last season of The Bob Newhart Show
Glen and Les Charles on producing and head-writing for Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the writing process and writers on Taxi; on casting the show and working with the actors
Glen and Les Charles on Andy Kaufman joining the cast of Taxi; on specific episodes of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the creation of Cheers, setting the show in Boston, and creating the main characters
Glen and Les Charles on James Burrows' contributions to Cheers; on being their own bosses on Cheers and their initial plan for the series
Glen and Les Charles on the physical comedy between "Sam" and "Diane"; on the writers' room on Cheers; on a typical workweek on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on casting Kelsey Grammer as "Dr. Frasier Crane"; on Shelley Long's decision to leave Cheers and how her departure affected the show; on Kirstie Alley becoming the female lead
Glen and Les Charles on the Cheers theme song and title design; on the show's initially poor ratings and critical success
Glen and Les Charles on which characters on Cheers changed the most throughout the run of the show; on favorite episodes and filming in front of a live studio audience
Glen and Les Charles on their favorite guest stars on Cheers; on the three-part finale and the surrounding press; on the legacy of Cheers
People
Christopher Lloyd (actor)
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Reverend Jim" (played by Christopher Lloyd) on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the Taxi episode that re-introduced "Reverend Jim"
Kirstie Alley
Glen and Les Charles on Kirstie Alley becoming the female lead ("Rebecca Howe") on Cheers after Shelley Long's departure
David Angell
Glen and Les Charles on David Angell joining the writers' room on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on giving their blessing to Frasier, a spin-off of Cheers starring Kelsey Grammer
Edgar Bergen
Glen Charles on seeing Edgar Bergen in Las Vegas
James L. Brooks
Glen and Les Charles on working with James L. Brooks on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the energy James L. Brooks brought to the writing room of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the co-creators of Taxi
James Burrows
Glen and Les Charles on meeting and working with James Burrows
Glen and Les Charles on the Taxi episode that re-introduced "Reverend Jim"
Glen and Les Charles on James Burrows contributions to Cheers
Peter Casey
Glen and Les Charles on Peter Casey and David Lee joining the writers' room on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on giving their blessing to Frasier, a spin-off of Cheers starring Kelsey Grammer
John Cleese
Glen and Les Charles on their favorite guest stars on Cheers - John Cleese
Bill Clinton
Glen and Les Charles on the three-part finale of Cheers - and writing a cameo for Bill Clinton
Barbara Colby
Glen and Les Charles on the death of Barbara Colby on Phyllis
Jeff Conaway
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Bobby Wheeler" (played by Jeff Conaway) on Taxi
Bill Cosby
Glen and Les Charles on considering Bill Cosby for the role of "Sam Malone" on Cheers, but wanting to go with an unknown actor
Stan Daniels
Glen and Les Charles on getting hired to write for The Mary Tyler Moore Show a whole year after submitting a spec script
Glen and Les Charles on working with MTM's Stan Daniels and Ed. Weinberger
Glen and Les Charles on the co-creators of Taxi
Ted Danson
Glen and Les Charles on casting Ted Danson and Shelley Long as the leads on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on how "Sam" and "Diane" (Ted Danson and Shelley Long) worked together on Cheers
Tony Danza
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Tony Banta" (played by Tony Danza) on Taxi
Dave Davis
Glen and Les Charles on co-creator Dave Davis leaving Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the title sequence of Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the co-creators of Taxi
Danny DeVito
Glen and Les Charles on the actors and the casting process for Taxi
Larry Gelbart
Glen and Les Charles on writing a spec script for M*A*S*H, which was the first script they sold
Jack Gilford
Glen and Les Charles on the "Honor Thy Father" episode of Taxi, featuring Jack Gilford
Ruth Gordon
Glen and Les Charles on the "Sugar Mama" episode of Taxi with Ruth Gordon
Kelsey Grammer
Glen and Les Charles on casting Kelsey Grammer as "Dr. Frasier Crane" on Cheers and the inspiration for that character -- a "Ralph Bellamy" type
Glen and Les Charles on giving their blessing to Frasier, a spin-off of Cheers starring Kelsey Grammer
Woody Harrelson
Glen and Les Charles on Woody Harrelson coming in as the new bartender on Cheers
Marilu Henner
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Elaine O'Connor-Nardo" (played by Marilu Henner) on Taxi
Judd Hirsch
Glen and Les Charles on the actors and the casting process for Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on the character "Alex Reiger" (played by Judd Hirsch) on Taxi
Carol Kane
Glen and Les Charles on Andy Kaufman teaching Carol Kane to speak "Latka's" native language on Taxi
Andy Kaufman
Glen and Les Charles on Andy Kaufman's peculiar deal (with Tony Clifton) on Taxi
Glen and Les Charles on Andy Kaufman's character "Latka Gravas" on Taxi
John F. Kennedy
Glen Charles on JFK's assassination
Cloris Leachman
Glen and Les Charles on writing for the MTM show Phyllis
Glen and Les Charles on changes made to the MTM show Phyllis
David Lee
Glen and Les Charles on Peter Casey and David Lee joining the writers' room on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on giving their blessing to Frasier, a spin-off of Cheers starring Kelsey Grammer
Shelley Long
Glen and Les Charles on casting Ted Danson and Shelley Long as the leads on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on how "Sam" and "Diane" (Ted Danson and Shelley Long) worked together on Cheers
Glen and Les Charles on Shelley Long's decision to leave Cheers and how her departure affected the show
Bob Newhart
Glen and Les Charles on working with Bob Newhart on The Bob Newhart Show
Rhea Perlman
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Carla Tortelli" on Cheers
John Ratzenberger
Glen and Les Charles on the basis of the character "Cliff Clavin" on Cheers
Gene Reynolds
Glen and Les Charles on writing a spec script for M*A*S*H, which was the first script they sold
Brandon Tartikoff
Glen and Les Charles on getting a deal at NBC with Brandon Tartikoff to do their own series, Cheers
Grant Tinker
Glen and Les Charles on Grant Tinker creating a wonderful atmosphere at MTM
Glen and Les Charles on Grant Tinker and how he supported his writers at MTM
Ed. Weinberger
Glen and Les Charles on getting hired to write for The Mary Tyler Moore Show a whole year after submitting a spec script
Glen and Les Charles on working with MTM's Stan Daniels and Ed. Weinberger
Glen and Les Charles on the co-creators of Taxi
Robin Williams
Glen and Les Charles on the actors and the casting process for Taxi