The Real Reason Shelley Long Left Cheers 

Cheers was never the same once Shelley Long left. The cast was great, and I enjoyed all 11 seasons of the show. Having said that, the Diane Chambers years were the best.

When you keep calling Cheers a movie when it was a TV show you lose a lot of credibility in your research.

Over manipulated: An attempt to force an unnatural plot or conclusion. It's a step or two before "Jumping the shark". Once you leave the natural developments of plot an characters it pretty much steers you to Jumping the shark. Cheers avoided that with some very hard work and the ingenious development of Kirstie's character. Rebecca hit a home run by making her sophisticated on the outside but a total train wreck emotionally. The writers essentially had twice the amount of character to work with and Kirstie played right into the part. That said, I enjoyed Diane's character more because Shelley delivered her lines perfectly. She was a comedic timing princess.

In my opinion Shelley Long leaving “Cheers” was exactly what the show needed. The Sam and Diane storyline was played out. Her leaving allowed the show to go in fresh directions. There was more focus on storylines for the other characters. Kirstie Alley’s role as Rebecca Howe developed into very funny and interesting character. I believe that if Shelley Long had stayed with the show it wouldn’t have lasted much longer let alone another six years.

They were good together

The #1 worst career decision in Hollywood history. Close runner up- David Caruso NYPD Blue. She wanted to be a movie star so bad -

She left for a 6 movie disney deal but when the money pit failed and bevlery Hills troops also flopped disney cut her contract. Remember cheers flopped in season 1 it was bottom of the TV charts it wasn't till midway through season 2 it became popular

Diane was a funny character but Sam, Carla, Norm and Cliff were excellent as well.

Cheers was a TELEVISION SHOW... NOT A "MOVIE"!!

Music is a misfit for subject, it’s annoying and distracting

Apparently, Long was looking to transition to become a movie star, and she thought that her widespread popularity in the TV landscape was enough to propel her onto the big screen. It's worth noting that at that point, this wasn't an exactly new practice: both Michael Douglas and Tom Hanks left their budding career in television to try their hand with films: a massive gamble which obviously paid off. Immediately, it seemed to be a great career move for the actress. Fresh from her exit in "Cheers", Long already had a hit in 1987 in "Outrageous Fortune", but it wasn't exactly a smooth ride from there, as her movie career never really took off the way Douglas's and Hanks's did. Aside from her aspirations to be a movie star, Long's decision to leave Cheers was bolstered by having constant conflicts behind-the-scenes with her co-stars, particularly Danson and Kelsey Grammer, who played Frasier Crane. It's an open secret in Hollywood that, just like her character, Diane, the actress didn't really fit with Cheers' ensemble cast, which famously got along quite well. After abruptly being offered the opportunity to finish her novels in the season 5 finale titled "I Do, Adieu," she chose to pursue her dreams of becoming a published author and only postponing her supposed wedding to Sam. While she promised that she'd be back, both Sam and the viewers knew that she wouldn't. As for the show itself, her departure didn't affect its popularity at all, with some arguing that its best years were after Diane left.

Oh and Kirstie Alley was NOT a consolation prize- she was a better actress and had a more successful career. None of those movies you mentioned were major hits in the US

EXCELLENT actress

She probably left because she was verbally abused by Carla every day...

I think Sam and Diane should have been together.

Glad she left Kirstie Ally was way funnier

irreconciled differences was 1984, it didn't sell well

The dialogue during the Shelley Long years was clever and sharp. She was the anchor of the show. After that Sam turned into a sexpot. I grew disinterested in the show

Whoever made this didnt do their homework- sam didn't work there, he owned cheers, lol And it's not A MOVIE

The show would have 2 change. No one wants will they, won't they for too long. It was a good episode but it seemed like Sam forced her to leave.

She was very annoying. 😕

Kristy was much better 2:52