TV show showdown: 'The Brady Bunch' versus 'Cheers'

Were you a fan of the Brady family, or a regular at Cheers?

They're two of the most popular programs of all time, but they couldn't be any more different. Alas, both The Brady Bunch and Cheers are up against each other in the first round of Me Madness, where we ask you to choose the most memorable classic television program. Before you go to vote for your favorite, let's take another look at how these shows stack up against each other. You might be surprised by some of their strengths and weaknesses.

Number of Seasons:

The Brady Bunch: 5

Cheers: 11 

Winner: CheersDuring its 11 year run, the program accumulated a massive following, becoming the highest rated show of 1991. But don't put this loss past The Brady Bunch, the show also accumulated a huge following thanks to syndication since the 1970s.

Ratings During Season One: 

The Brady Bunch: Outside the Top 30

Cheers: 74th out of 77 shows

Winner: Although both shows didn't dominate in the ratings during their first season, we'll give the slightest edge to The Brady Bunch.

Number of Emmy Awards: 

The Brady Bunch: Zero

Cheers: 28

Winner: There's no competition here: Cheers blows The Brady Bunch out of the water. The program holds the record for most nominations for a Comedy Series.

Facebook Likes:

The Brady Bunch: 291,244 likes

Cheers: 398,370 likes

Winner: Despite the broad appeal of The Brady Bunch, Cheers wins this round yet again. More than 100,000 likes separate this one.

Number of Spinoffs and Reunions:

The Brady Bunch: 5

Cheers: 2, the long-running Frasier and the short-lived The Tortellis. 

Winner: Although Cheers produced the massively successful Frasier, we're giving this one to The Brady Bunch because the sheer number of spinoffs over the course of 20 years proves audiences were hungry for more of the Bradys.

Final Score:

Cheers earns the slight 3-2 victory, perhaps predicting an advance to Round 2. But with the enduring popularity of The Brady Bunch, anything is possible.

So, which show do you think is going to win Round 1 of Me Madness? It's up to you to decide! Vote here to make sure all your favorites go through.

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2 Comments

bradyguy 3 months ago
I was, and still am, a HUGE fan of both, which I think shows my evolution as a TV viewer/fan/expert.

I was four years old when the BB premiered - a) I wasn't allowed to watch much else... and b) it was about kids...like me. (Bobby was just a few years older...and the older boys were just cool enough to capture my attention...) As for the girls, Cindy was my sweet first TV crush...with Marcia as the unattainable older-girl crush. Sorry, Jan...left out as always... And don't even get me started on guest star Pamelyn Ferdin as Lucy Winter...with the sweetest TV voice in the history of the world!!

By the time Cheers premiered in 1982, I was a savvy TV veteran, a wily and sophisticated 17 year old who had now cut his sitcom teeth on Mash, All in the Family (R.I.P. Norman Lear today as I write this...) Mary Tyler Moore, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, WKRP, Three's Company, Barney Miller, and Taxi. I was more-than-ready for more adult comedy fare, but admittedly I preferred my comedy without TOO many of Lear's preachy lessons on Maude and Good Times...

Cheers burst out of the gates with a near-perfect pilot. (I'll put if up against any sitcom... c'mon..debate me!! 😮) It was funny, clever, sophisticated and silly. And while it struggled early to catch on in the ratings, it became one of the most successful and beloved sitcoms of all time. Cheers was that welcome respite (where everybody knew your name - 😁) all throughout college and into my young adult life...

I will always love them both!!
Pacificsun 16 months ago
Been awhile, but seeing Cheers during the Very Merry MeTV Season 2022, Cheers should come back full time. It's still hilarious! Thanks for showing it during this season at least. Well worth the wait!!
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