Cheers is a popular sitcom about the employees and patrons of a Boston bar called Cheers. The show ran for eleven seasons and was also the foundation for the popular series Frasier. Cheers is without a doubt, a solid comedy. The show has some very wonderful characters and plenty of funny stories to tell. For more details about this series, please refer to DVD Talk's reviews of season one, season two, season three, season four, season five, season six, and season seven.

Season eight of Cheers features a variety of changes and events for the cast, from birth to death, from breakups to new relationships, and more. A new life is introduced in this season. Frasier and Lilith have a baby boy named Frederick. Carla's husband Eddie passes away and a big secret about him is revealed. Cliff and his girlfriend Margaret rekindle their long distance relationship in person. Cliff also makes his television debut as a contestant on Jeopardy. A new face joins the cast as a reoccurring character. Robin Colcord, a rich millionaire, joins the cast as Rebecca's new love interest.

The season begins with the two-part episode "The Improbable Dream". In this episode Rebecca suffers from reoccurring erotic dreams. She dreams about having relations with Sam and it scares the living daylights out of her. However, after talking her situation over with Frasier and Lilith, they come to the conclusion that perhaps the type of guy Rebecca usually is attracted to is completely wrong for her. Instead of the rich and powerful types, maybe a playboy like Sam is the kind of guy she should be chasing after. In a moment of desperation, Rebecca decides to try it out with Sam. Unfortunately for Sam, a new face, Robin Colcord (Roger Rees), appears as they are about to engage in relations and Rebecca rides off into the sunset with him. This single episode produces a new character who isn't funny on his own right, but his competitive nature and Sam's ego clash for some fun episodes later on the season.

The following episode "A Bar Is Born" Sam finds himself on the wrong end of the stick when he takes financial advice from Robin. Sam finds a rundown bar he wants to open as the new Cheers, but Robin suggests he hold out for something better so he can buy the property for himself. Rebecca also plans for her "first time" with Robin. In "How To Marry A Mailman", Cliff's love interest Margaret returns from Canada for a serious commitment with Cliff. Unfortunately, the thought of commitment leaves Cliff with a force of anxiety that bars his eyesight. "The Two Faces Of Norm" features Rebecca giving Norm sound business advice. Norm's painting business is thriving and he has more work than he can handle alone. Rebecca encourages him to take on employees and delegate the work. Unfortunately, when Norm does so, his employees walk all over him. Trying to remedy the solution, Norm makes up a split personality to deal with confrontation.

"The Stork Brings A Crane" is the episode where Frasier and Lilith's baby Frederick is born. The birth happens to occur on the same day as Cheer's one hundredth anniversary. In "Death Takes A Holiday On Ice", Carla's husband Eddie passes while on the set of the ice show. While this is a tragic loss for Carla, she handles the situation well, all things considered. At the funeral, Carla and everyone learn there are two Mrs. LeBec's. It is a shocking truth that is fun to watch Carla and the gang workout. In "Feeble Attraction", Norm fires Doris, the secretary from his painting business, and she reacts incorrectly. After some misplaced compliments, Norm is the target of her obsession. It is a silly episode.

In "Sam Ahoy", Robin commissions Sam to pilot his new sailboat The Rebecca in race. Sam employs Carla and Norm to join him in the race. Unfortunately, someone has been trying to kill Robin and there is a bomb on the boat. How the cast handles the situation is hilarious. "What Is... Cliff Clavin?" is a dream come true for Cliff. Jeopardy goes on location to Boston and Cliff is selected to be a contestant. The situation from Cliff's appearance on the game show makes this episode a riot. The categories include topics relating to the post office, beer, and other related items that are a perfect match for Cliff. "Finally!" is a two-part episode where Rebecca and Robin finally engage in relations. The problem is that Robin has a couple other girls lined up.

"Indoor Fun With Sammy and Robby" is a silly episode with Sam and Robin going head to head. On the first day off Robin has had in years, he spends the entire day competing with Sam in a variety of games. Meanwhile Rebecca sulks at the ruination of the perfect day she had planned. "Bar Wars III: The Return of Tecumseh" is a crazy episode with the cast making complete asses of themselves. In past seasons, the patrons of Cheers and Gary's Bar have been known for conducting practical jokes on each other. During Rebecca's tenure as Cheer's manager, she signed a treaty with Gary. Unfortunately, Sam and the others didn't get the message. The two-part season finale "Cry Hard" and "Cry Harder" features some big changes for the cast. Robin moves ahead his relationship with Rebecca and asks her to move in. While moving in, she finds evidence that he has been using her to get confidential information from the corporation that owns the bar. It ends with Robin being indicted for insider trading. It is a fun adventure to watch.

Cheers season eight is another fine addition to the series. There are some big events for our favorite bar patrons, which turn out be full of lots of laughs. Fans of the series should definitely look into to picking up this season set.

Episode Guide
1. The Improbable Dream Part 1
2. The Improbable Dream Part 2
3. A Bar Is Born
4. How To Marry A Mailman
5. The Two Faces Of Norm
6. The Stork Brings A Crane
7. Death Takes A Holiday On Ice
8. For Real Men Only
9. Two Girls For Every Boyd
10. The Art Of The Steal
11. Feeble Attraction
12. Sam Ahoy
13. Sammy And The Professor
14. What Is... Cliff Clavin?
15. Finally! Part 1
16. Finally! Part 2
17. Woody Or Won't He
18. Severe Crane Damage
19. Indoor Fun With Sammy And Robby
20. 50-50 Carla
21. Bar Wars III: The Return Of Tecumseh
22. Loverboyd
23. The Ghost And Mrs. Lebec
24. Mr. Otis Regrets
25. Cry Hard
26. Cry Harder

The DVD

Video:
This DVD release is presented in its original television aspect ratio 1.33:1 full frame color. The quality isn't top notch. The picture looks a little dirty, with a trace of grain. This isn't a problem associated with video compression, but more or less, it is due to the transfer's source medium. Overall, the quality isn't great, but it still shouldn't ruin your viewing experience. Considering its age, it does look quite good.

Audio:
This DVD release is provided with a very standard audio track, English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. The quality is fairly good, providing the show with a relatively clear and crisp audio track. The audio is very flat, but that is mainly due to content, as the majority of the show is spoken dialogue. Overall, it is more than adequate for this presentation. This release also supports closed-captioning.

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release.

Final Thoughts:
The eighth season of Cheers offers twenty-six episode of hilarity. The episodes are well-written with eccentric characters, hilarious dialogue, and decently crafted storylines. In the end, you will be exposed to a group of great characters as they go through the ins and outs of the daily life at Cheers.