Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 04/10/2007

While Cheers is one of my favorite series and I would have bought this season anyway to have the whole series (when it is complete), I have started to notice the picture quality issues one prior reviewer noted. While I have not watched the whole season yet to know how often it happens, the picture quality changes are very noticeable and do take away from the enjoyment of the episodes impacted. I have no idea why this would happen but it looks like they did a poor quality splice to reinsert certain footage. Buyer beware

If you're a Cheers fan, you can't beat having the entire set on DVD. If you've never seen Cheers, it is set in a bar in Boston with a cast of quirky characters that you will soon grow to love. My husband and I pull out the Cheers dvd when we just want to relax and need a good laugh!

I won't comment on the contents of this season, or on the show in general. Cheers was one of the greatest shows ever and this season was one of the highlights of the series' run. What I will comment on is the horrendous picture quality evident in two of the episodes that I watched from the first two discs- 'One Happy Chappy in a Snappy Serape' and 'Bar Wars II: The Woodman Strikes Back'. There may be more examples of poor picture quality throughout the rest of this set, but I've only managed to watch a few episodes so far.

In several instances, when the camera angle cuts from one vantage point to another, it appears as if we move from a completely pristine image quality to one that was taken from a 20 year old VHS dubbed copy (of a copy, of a copy). During these scenes, the picture quality is nothing less than pathetic. I'm not knit picking over a slight decrease in quality here. It's so bad that you wonder what kind of engineer could watch this and permit it to be released as a final product. Absurdly darks hues, fuzziness, graininess, etc plague these particular scenes, after which the episode jumps back to another camera angle to show an absolute pristine image. This almost makes it worse than if they were to show the entire episode using the poor quality footage, because it's so inconsistent. You get the idea that you are watching a show from the early 1970s spliced together with something currently on TV. Through the entire sequence however, the audio remains unchanged.

The most angering part of this situation is that I've seen these episodes on TV in syndication countless times and this image quality issue was never present in those airings. So why is this now a problem? It just doesn't make sense that the DVD presentation should be so much worse than the syndicated version on television. After all, we are paying to see it on DVD. I'm surprised that the other reviewers did not make more of a stink about this. Again, I'm not knit picking over some minor picture flaws. The picture quality is nothing short of offensive. Absolutely unacceptable.

This is my favorite season of Cheers by far! Every episode in this season is hilarious and deserves to be watched over and over again. Running plotlines from season seven include: 1) Rebecca's climb up the coporate ladder after Evan Drake leaves for Japan, 2) the introduction of Kelly and her subsequent romance with Woody, and 3) the pregnancy of Lilith.

As I said, this season is filled with classic episodes. If pressed, I would say the three best remembered episodes are "The Gift of the Woodi," "How To Win Friends and Electrocute Yourself," and "Norm, Is That You?" "Gift of the Woodi" features Woody singing the infamous "Kelly Song" at Kelly's birthday as Kelly learns the hard lesson that ATMs are not endless supplies of money. "How To Win Friends" is perhaps the funniest episode of the series as Cliff tries to change his behaviour around his companions by having a doctor give him electrical shocks whenever he says something sarcastic or annoying. Hilarity, of course, ensues. "Norm, Is That You?" has Norm acting as a gay interior designer in order to win over some wealthy, potential clients that are friends of the Cranes.

Season seven is full of good episodes though. Two memorable episodes feature prominent guest stars. One has Marcia Cross of "Desperate Housewives" fame as Rebecca's sister, and boy was she a hottie back in the late 80's! The other features then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Crawley, and has the first kiss between Sam and Rebecca.

If you're looking for the "best of the best," then look no further than season seven of Cheers.

For many years, Cheers filled that Thursday night at 9 time slot that is so key to the biggest night on television. It anchored the NBC lineup for years and even spawned a great spinoff upon its last episode.

Sadly, these days, they don't make sitcoms as good as Cheers anymore.

Season Seven of Cheers finds the gang hitting their stride with new cast member Kirstie Alley, who joined the cast a year earlier as new bar manager Rebecca Howe. Season seven features some memorable moments, but above all, plenty of chances to laugh.

With the bar again changing hands and people moving up and down the corporate ladder, early in the year, Sam Malone (Ted Danson) Cheers' bartender and former owner, finds himself in charge again, while Rebecca finds herself out of a job. Throughout the year the relationship with Sam and Rebecca continues to sizzle, much like that of Sam and Diane in the earlier seasons. It is quite obvious that Sam is attracted to Rebecca, but the feeling certainly isn't mutual. However, the games are fun to watch as Sam tries everything in his book to get Rebecca out on a date.

Carla (Rhea Perlman) celebrates two years of marriage to her husband, former hockey player turned ice show performer Eddie LeBec (guest star Jay Thomas). She also gets to experience the finer side of life thanks to an elegant dinner with Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and his wife Lilith (guest star Bebe Neuwirth). Of course she wouldn't be Carla without her biting remarks, which are generally thrown in the direction of lonely mailman Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger).

Cliff and Norm Peterson (George Wendt) continue to occupy their seats at the end of the bar, coming up with weird schemes and ideas to get back at their competitor's bar, or to avoid work, or to do just about anything. Cliff also finds love with a fellow postal carrier, only to have it snuffed out when he has to lie to protect her job and she leaves for Canada. Norm finds his calling as an interior decorator, though can't quite learn how to be gay to impress his yuppie clients.

Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), Cheers' lovable but slow bartender, meets rich girl Kelly Gaines (guest star Jacky Swanson) at a party he is working at and the two fall in love. Though Woody has no money and Kelly is loaded, the two are almost a perfect match, as they seem to have the same simple minds, and they compliment each other very well. This relationship is one that continued for a number of years on the show.

Frasier and Lilith also are on the cusp of becoming parents, as Lilith is pregnant with their son as the season comes to a close. They go through their normal bickering, as viewers of the show came to expect over the years. The two of them are great comic foils for each other and bring a level of sophistication to the bar, a welcome addition for sure.

As has been the case with the last few seasons, there are no extras on this set, which is one of the reasons this doesn't get five stars. Additionally, there are a number of scenes that appear really, really dark, particularly on the first disc, though there is no reason for it.

Also, look for a pre-Melrose appearance by future Desperate Housewife Marcia Cross.

All in all, it is great to look back over these episodes and remember when television was capable of producing great sitcoms. It is a dying breed, but one that Cheers mastered so well for so many years.