Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it must have been so humiliating and depressing for Shelley Long

244 replies

Suetully · 19/09/2021 12:47

I caught Cheers reruns flicking through tv last night. Having not seen or thought of it in well over 25 years, I forgot how good Shelley Long was in it as Diane and her brilliant chemistry with Ted Danson.

I did some research after and she'd after 5 years left for a movie career but her career tanked and within 3 years of leaving, she was another jobbing tv actress whilst the show went strong for another 6 years and that was the show she'd deserted as the main star.

Like I can't imagine her anguish and humiliation that Danson went on to become the biggest tv star of that time, the show went to number 1 and her co-stars who were support to her reign like Kelsey Grammar and Woody Harrison became much bigger stars than she did.
She even returned to be a guest star on Frasier and he became the highest tv star in the world whilst at a time he was only brought into Cheers as her love interest.

That and her replacement Kirstie Alley became even bigger than Long was both in her carer and in general fame. It seems her name now is synonymous with a bad career move if you google her. AIBU to think that would be a pretty hard pill to swallow?

OP posts:
EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 15:22

Said the man who is called @SueTully?…

gibletjane · 19/09/2021 15:22

was she in troop beverly hills? i love that film

EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 15:23

She’s secondary actor, a foil to his lead. Not diminishing her but she didn’t add that much

Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 15:23

Agreed. Yet another man enjoying tearing a sucessful woman down, and then complaining that MN hates men when women disagree with his takeconfused

oh here we go, I must name change now cos I let slip yesterday that I had a penis. Sad that I can't debate things on mn without getting blasted for the latter.

OP posts:
Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 15:25

She’s secondary actor, a foil to his lead. Not diminishing her but she didn’t add that much

She and Sam were the equal leads though, neither had the top position in the show. Just because he was a man doesn't mean he had more prominence than her.

OP posts:
gibletjane · 19/09/2021 15:25

it's a bit weird to wonder if a stranger regrets a decision she made 30 (?) yrs ago?

Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 15:27

it's a bit weird to wonder if a stranger regrets a decision she made 30 (?) yrs ago

to you maybe but celebrities are something people like to discuss, if you have no interest maybe go to a thread that is more of your interest?

OP posts:
EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 15:28

It’s about role & prominence. Cheers was Sam Malone,his bar,his mates,his womanising. Diane was the foil the uptight post grad to his wise cracking womaniser. The main deal was Sam not Diane

Starseeking · 19/09/2021 15:29

Actually @SturminsterNewton Susan "Sue" Tully is the real name of the actress who played Michelle Fowler in Eastenders. She had some memorable storylines in the eighties.

Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 15:30

It’s about role & prominence. Cheers was Sam Malone,his bar,his mates,his womanising. Diane was the foil the uptight post grad to his wise cracking womaniser. The main deal was Sam not Diane

then why did she win all the awards and get all the recognition in the first 5 years when he didn't?

OP posts:
gumball37 · 19/09/2021 15:31

But.... She was in The Money Pit. One of the best movies of all time! One of my favorites!

LukeEvansWife · 19/09/2021 15:31

@Starseeking

Actually *@SturminsterNewton* Susan "Sue" Tully is the real name of the actress who played Michelle Fowler in Eastenders. She had some memorable storylines in the eighties.
Actually the actress then became a producer and director so PP was right
LukeEvansWife · 19/09/2021 15:31

@Suetully

It’s about role & prominence. Cheers was Sam Malone,his bar,his mates,his womanising. Diane was the foil the uptight post grad to his wise cracking womaniser. The main deal was Sam not Diane

then why did she win all the awards and get all the recognition in the first 5 years when he didn't?

Do you normally feel this strongly about things?
KaptainKaveman · 19/09/2021 15:31

This is a weird, snidey thread. I couldn't give a monkey's what genitalia you have OP, but you are really revelling in what you insist is the 'humiliation' and 'anguish' of someone who used to be on the TV. Why don't you stop slagging her off?

And please refrain from using dumbass gendered terms like 'actress'. You sound like Joan Collins Hmm.

SturminsterNewton · 19/09/2021 15:35

@Starseeking

Actually *@SturminsterNewton* Susan "Sue" Tully is the real name of the actress who played Michelle Fowler in Eastenders. She had some memorable storylines in the eighties.
I know; I'm making the point that someone has had a successful career post East Enders, and that Sue Tully is also the 'name' of the OP.
EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 15:37

Tv awards are never a mark of quality. Ever

holly fuckin willoughby and ant and dec get multiple award and they’re all from the once a tree school of presenting

gibletjane · 19/09/2021 15:40

to you maybe but celebrities are something people like to discuss, if you have no interest maybe go to a thread that is more of your interest?

This thread is interesting though! Your "obsession" is curious 😁

BeQuietBrenda · 19/09/2021 15:40

OP, you're a tad overinvested and a little bit touchy about anyone commenting a different perspective or opinion. You're discussing a one-time successful American actor, lighten up.

EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 15:41

@BeQuietBrenda

OP, you're a tad overinvested and a little bit touchy about anyone commenting a different perspective or opinion. You're discussing a one-time successful American actor, lighten up.
Indeed Cheers is a dated but funny show.
Confusedandshaken · 19/09/2021 15:43

She's had a very good career. She never got another role with as high a profile as Diane but she has worked solidly in tv, film and production ever since. That's better than 99% of actors out there.

VladmirsPoutine · 19/09/2021 15:44

'Anguish' and 'humiliation' are terms really bordering on the extreme. She might have thought "Well damn" and just moved on.

Andylion · 19/09/2021 15:45

Diane wasn’t a pivotal or main character, she was easily replaced

Diane's arrival at the bar was the starting point of the series. She and Sam were the stars, as was obvious to anyone who watched the show.

BeQuietBrenda · 19/09/2021 15:45

I watched it the first time around and loved it. Have been watching the reruns on Channel 4 in the morning and Shelley Long's acting was very wooden. I much preferred Kirsty Alley's character. Woody was always my favourite though.

WotgunShedding · 19/09/2021 15:45

The insistence that she’s humiliated and filled with regret is weird

EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 15:46

Nope. She needed Sam to spark off, she was actually replaced anyway