Bull & Finch Pub
Encyclopedia
Cheers Beacon Hill, formerly the Bull & Finch Pub, is a bar/restaurant located on Beacon Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, across from the Boston Public Garden. Founded in 1969 as the Bull & Finch Pub, the bar is known internationally as the exterior of the bar seen in the NBC
television
sitcom Cheers
which ran from 1982 to 1993. The show used the Bull & Finch exterior for the series' establishing shot
s of the namesake bar Cheers. No interior shots were used, and the interior does not resemble that of the Cheers bar. Recent technology makes it possible to participate in a virtual visit to this location. Using EveryScape
, the user can click on "Cheers Boston," arrive at that location on Beacon Street and then move from the street across the sidewalk, go down the stairs, enter the pub, tour the interior and then exit.
On May 20, 1993, the night of Cheers series finale, there was a large party held outside of the bar to commemorate the event. Many people gathered outside the bar, and watched the finale on two large TV screens specially set up for the event. The cast of Cheers watched the finale inside the bar. On the episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that aired after the finale took place live at the party outside the bar, with many celebrities including sportscaster Bob Costas
in the bar, Jay Leno
walked into the bar and interviewed them. Later, Leno played many games with the Cheers cast inside the bar, and at the end of the show, the Cheers theme was played outside the bar.
In 2002, the Bull & Finch Pub was officially renamed "Cheers Beacon Hill".
Since August 2001, there has been a branch location, Cheers Faneuil Hall, in Faneuil Hall
. To capitalize on the popularity of the TV show, this location was built with a replica of the TV bar.
Cheers Beacon Hill is owned by Thomas A. Kershaw, who also owns the Hampshire House restaurant upstairs and the nearby restaurant, 75 Chestnut.
On March 10, 2009, the Boston Globe reported that longtime Cheers bartender Eddie Doyle, with a 35-year tenure that predated the sitcom Cheers, had been laid off. Owner Tom Kershaw cited the recession
as the reason for the decision. The block on which Cheers resides has been renamed Eddie Doyle square in his honor.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
sitcom Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
which ran from 1982 to 1993. The show used the Bull & Finch exterior for the series' establishing shot
Establishing shot
An establishing shot in filmmaking and television production sets up, or establishes the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects...
s of the namesake bar Cheers. No interior shots were used, and the interior does not resemble that of the Cheers bar. Recent technology makes it possible to participate in a virtual visit to this location. Using EveryScape
EveryScape
EveryScape is an online mapping service that allows its users to view panoramic images from various locations. The site currently has images of 47 cities and towns:...
, the user can click on "Cheers Boston," arrive at that location on Beacon Street and then move from the street across the sidewalk, go down the stairs, enter the pub, tour the interior and then exit.
On May 20, 1993, the night of Cheers series finale, there was a large party held outside of the bar to commemorate the event. Many people gathered outside the bar, and watched the finale on two large TV screens specially set up for the event. The cast of Cheers watched the finale inside the bar. On the episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that aired after the finale took place live at the party outside the bar, with many celebrities including sportscaster Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
in the bar, Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
walked into the bar and interviewed them. Later, Leno played many games with the Cheers cast inside the bar, and at the end of the show, the Cheers theme was played outside the bar.
In 2002, the Bull & Finch Pub was officially renamed "Cheers Beacon Hill".
Since August 2001, there has been a branch location, Cheers Faneuil Hall, in Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall , located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of...
. To capitalize on the popularity of the TV show, this location was built with a replica of the TV bar.
Cheers Beacon Hill is owned by Thomas A. Kershaw, who also owns the Hampshire House restaurant upstairs and the nearby restaurant, 75 Chestnut.
On March 10, 2009, the Boston Globe reported that longtime Cheers bartender Eddie Doyle, with a 35-year tenure that predated the sitcom Cheers, had been laid off. Owner Tom Kershaw cited the recession
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
as the reason for the decision. The block on which Cheers resides has been renamed Eddie Doyle square in his honor.