For a while it seemed as though Paramount had forgotten about Cheers, and there were no DVD releases in sight. Thankfully that all changed this past May when the ninth season was finally released after a two year hiatus. The packaging proved to be different (five discs in a standard size DVD case), and some of the original music was omitted, but all around it was nice to be back where everybody knew your name. Just a few short months later we're looking at the tenth season of the show and it strongly resembles the ninth in terms of good and bad qualities.

In the last season of Cheers a few things happened that shook up the dynamic of the show. Rebecca and Robin split, Kelly returned from France, John Hill moved in upstairs, and Sam pined over wanting a baby. The season turned out to be a mixed blessing with some all-time classics standing side by side with some not-so-classic episodes. All in all it wasn't the show's most successful seasons, but it wasn't a complete slouch either. When the tenth aired from 1991 to 1992 it was clear that it offered much of the same as the ninth, and was on par with the ninth in terms of popularity.

By this point in time Cheers had been running out of steam and the laughs just weren't as solid, or as frequent, as they were in previous seasons. This DVD collection showcases that with a mixed bag of twenty-five episodes spread across four discs featuring some of the best and worst of the show. To be fair though, even the flops in this batch of episodes still contain classic lines and hilarious scenes.

The season starts out with more of the baby nonsense as Sam and Rebecca attempt to outdo the Cranes by having a kid of their own. This was one of the weaker plotlines from the previous season and unfortunately it's carried over here. For quite a number of episodes this storyline continues as Sam and Rebecca attempt to force a relationship and try to convince themselves that they are ready to bring a child into the world. There are some amusing bits in between as the pair goes to a fertility doctor and explore parenthood through other people's kids, such as Carla, who pops out kids like a Pez dispenser. Unfortunately it just drags on for way too long and feels very out of character for the pair. Sam just isn't Sam if he's trying to procreate instead of chasing skirts.

Another season long storyline involves Woody's relationship with Kelly. With the girl of his dreams being back in Boston, Woody works towards commitment and goes through the steps of starting a life with her. This season sees the two dealing with more Henri stuff and eventually at the end there is a closing episode which features the couple's wedding. In my opinion this was one of the greatest highlights from this season as it featured the writers and actors at the top of their game. What else can you say about a wedding where Lilith performs show tunes? Sam is also threatened by a German military officer, Rebecca ticks off the caterers, and the crew deals with hiding the body of a dead priest; something Carla seems eerily adept at. Unfortunately Lilith's singing in one instance has been omitted, presumable due to rights for the song. If you remember the original episodes you'll also note that this happens a few other times in the season, including the Halloween episode which replaces the Monster Mash with some more obscure song.

Musical changes and a mixed bag of season long storylines aside, this collection of Cheers includes a smattering of decent episodes wedged in between. "Where Have All the Floorboards Gone?" stars Celtic's legend Kevin McHale as the Cheers gang gets him hooked on bar trivia. "Heeeeere's...Cliffy" has Johnny Carson and Doc Severinsen dealing with one of Cliff's jokes. "Take Me Out of the Ball Game" features Sam mounting a baseball comeback while Frasier loses Lilith's lab rat. And, of course, a discussion about this season simply isn't complete without bringing up the John Hill episodes such as "Bar Wars V", "Bar Wars VI", "Head Over Hill", and "License to Hill".

At the end of the day the tenth season of Cheers presents another fine collection of episodes, but there's no denying that they simply aren't as good as earlier seasons. The baby and wedding plotlines have plenty of ups and downs and it's really unfortunate that they take up most of the season. I suppose it's a good thing that the writers tried to do something to break the show of its episodic formula, but that's really where the sitcom was at its best. This season is still about as classic as they come, though don't expect it to be the best of the best.

As you'd expect, Cheers' tenth season is presented on DVD with the show's original 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. Given the age of the source material there are a few things that can be expected with this transfer such as a soft image, grain, and dirt. With that being said the video quality here is actually quite good with vibrant colors, a cleaner than anticipated image, and little to no compression. Series of this vintage are often hit or miss in terms of how they appear on DVD but thankfully Cheers looks very good. The look of this season mirrors what was presented by the previous one.

Cheers hits DVD with the English 2.0 stereo presentation which mirrors the previous seasons. The sound quality is good for a TV show of this age though you can expect the channels to be relatively flat by today's standards. The audio is clean and not muted in the least which is a definite plus and the volume is balanced well enough. Overall the audio quality is good, but not particularly impressive or noteworthy. Once again it's worth mentioning that some of the tunes scattered throughout the season have been changed or omitted. This is most likely due to licensing issues, but rather than acquire the rights it appears as though Paramount has decided to just get Cheers out there and be done with it.

Like the ninth season there are no bonus features available here.

With only one more release on the horizon, Cheers fans are nearing a complete collection. The tenth season offers twenty-five more episodes with Sam and the gang going through the motions of everyone's favorite Boston bar's life. It's hard to deny that the quality in this season had slipped by comparison to earlier ones, but there were still plenty of great episodes throughout. If you're sick of simply catching the show on reruns, or you already have a collection started, then this season comes recommended. Take some of it with a grain of salt and you'll find that it's still an entertaining television icon with endearing characters and witty dialogue. Recommended

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