This season premiered on October 27, 1988, after a long period of reruns, indirectly led by the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike. At the time of the premiere, Night Court moved to Wednesdays, prompting the new series Dear John to fill in that spot. Besides Cheers and Dear John, other series in the Thursday night lineup for the 1988–89 season were The Cosby Show, A Different World, and L.A. Law.
Cast and characters
Ted Danson as Sam Malone, a bartender and ex-baseball player. He still womanizes with every beautiful woman but fails to impress some, including classier women.
Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe, a corporate bar owner and manager. After her former puppy love Evan Drake departed to Japan in the previous season, Rebecca fantasizes that her newest rich suitor will take over the Lillian Corporation. At other times, she often makes unsuccessful non-romantic attempts to impress her superiors in order to be promoted. Moreover, she completes duties for her superiors, like organizing parties and pet sitting.
Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, a waitress and mother of eight children, including five from her first marriage. Carla is currently married to Eddie LeBec, who begins touring in ice shows outside Massachusetts, putting a strain on their marriage.
Jay Thomas as Eddie LeBec, a retired hockey player and husband of Carla. He currently works as an ice show performer, which puts a strain on their marriage. Thomas reprises the role of Eddie in two episodes this season.
This season landed in fourth place with an average 22.5 rating and 35 share as of April 20, 1989. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described the character of Rebecca Howe as "annoying", and expressed pleasure at rumors that Joan Severance could replace Kirstie Alley, contending that Shelley Long's departure in the fifth season was still affecting the series. Another syndicate columnist Joe Stein found the sixth and seventh seasons "good somewhat watered down", and found Rebecca not as "compelling" as her predecessor Diane. Conversely, Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle praised this season, including the cast ensemble and their performances, but still missed departed characters Coach and Diane. Todd Fuller of Sitcoms Online called this season "strong". David Johnson of DVD Verdict rated the story 90 percent and the acting 95 percent, praising its episodic approach and departure from story arcs, like Sam and Diane's relationship or Rebecca's failed attempts to win Evan Drake last season. He praised Alley as "a solid comic force" for her "over-the-top portrayal of neurosis". Jeffrey Robinson of DVD Talk gave this season three and a half stars out of five and gave a replay value of four, calling it "good" and its episodes "fun and amusing". Film critic Peter Cavanese in his website Groucho Reviews rated the DVD release of the season three and a half stars out of four, equaling to either an "A" or "A-". Current Film called this season a "strong roll" with "fine performances".
Unless otherwise, the main source of Nielsen ratings is the newspaper Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. According to that main source, ratings of 1988-89 were based on 90.4 million households that have at least one television.
