How George Wendt's 'Norm' Became One Of The Greatest Sitcom Characters Ever

One of the things that got me through the entire pandemic was watching Cheers for the first time. Over the course of eleven seasons and 275 episodes, there was one character I could count on to always be hilarious, poignant, and to keep me riveted to the screen. And that was Hillary Norman Peterson, or Norm to everyone in the bar. Norm was portrayed by the late great George Wendt, who just passed away this week. Wendt said of the character, "I have a hard time talking about Norm. It's like he's too close to me, but I don't think he's changed over the years. They moved him from being an accountant to painter and decorator, but that was basically for some storylines. He's still the same Norm. I think he's the toughest to write for because he's not really anything. He's just funny."So, what made Norm one of the greatest sitcom characters of all time? Let's take a look. Norm Is One Of The Greatest Sitcom Characters EverCreating a long-running sitcom has nothing to do with the location or the idea. The only way a TV show can survive that long is through its characters. And while I think Cheers has the greatest sitcom pilot of all time, the reason it lasted eleven years was that it had some of the best characters TV has ever known. People like Coach, Woody, Carla, Cliff Clavin, and Frasier rounded out the supporting cast. And the leads? I mean, for a long time, we classified a "will they, won't they" as a Sam and Diane. But the show's heart lies with Norm, the regular who had a stool reserved at the bar and who made every episode sing. Appearing in every episode of the TV show (yes, all 275), Norm was like a Swiss Army knife for the writers. He could say anything, be anything, do anything, as long as it was funny.At his core, Norm was the quintessential regular, the guy everyone knows at their local haunt. His nightly entrance, met with a resounding "NORM!" from the bar's patrons, became one of the show's most recognizable and anticipated running gags. This simple, consistent ritual immediately established a sense of familiarity and warmth, making viewers feel like regulars themselves.We watched to yell "NORM!" at our screens. It made the show feel like we were a part of it, and it made Norm feel like one of our friends. When everyone knows to yell your name when you enter a scene, that's a pretty big testament to how important you are to a TV show.Norm had many jobs over the years, but always had one wife, Vera, who we never see and who has a few off-screen lines. Norm had so many funny jokes about Vera, they always made me laugh. He had another runner where, when Sam would ask him about what was going good in his life, Norm would say things like, "Life's a dog and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear."His power was in his consistency. Norm never arched, he was always Norm, but we learned so much about who he is as a person. He's a character who developed over time and who continued to get better. George Wendt Made Norm. Of course, it's not just people on the paper. George Wendt's performance was instrumental in bringing Norm to life. His ability to convey both Norm's weariness and his underlying warmth made the character incredibly endearing. Wendt's background in improvisational theater with The Second City contributed to his effortless delivery and comedic timing. He inhabited Norm so completely that the line between actor and character often blurred for viewers. This authenticity was key to Norm's believability and likability. For his work, Wendt received six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Somehow, it never felt like enough. So the writers did another great thing for Norm. They gave him one of the most poignant and heartfelt speeches in all of TV writing history. With over 80 million people watching the finale of Cheers, George Wendt told us about bar stools in heaven, and closed down what should be considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time. We needed to hear that speech because we needed to know the love we put into Cheers was love returned to us. It's what made it such a great show, and what made Norm such an important character. Summing It All Up In essence, George Wendt's Norm became an all-time great sitcom character through a perfect storm of sharp writing, a relatable persona, an iconic running gag, and, most importantly, Wendt's performance. You wanted to share a beer with him, and you did, for eleven seasons. Let me know what you think in the comments.

May 21, 2025 - 19:25

How George Wendt's 'Norm' Became One Of The Greatest Sitcom Characters Ever

One of the things that got me through the entire pandemic was watching Cheers for the first time.

Over the course of eleven seasons and 275 episodes, there was one character I could count on to always be hilarious, poignant, and to keep me riveted to the screen. And that was Hillary Norman Peterson, or Norm to everyone in the bar.

Norm was portrayed by the late great George Wendt, who just passed away this week.

Wendt said of the character, "I have a hard time talking about Norm. It's like he's too close to me, but I don't think he's changed over the years. They moved him from being an accountant to painter and decorator, but that was basically for some storylines. He's still the same Norm. I think he's the toughest to write for because he's not really anything. He's just funny."

So, what made Norm one of the greatest sitcom characters of all time?

Let's take a look.

Norm Is One Of The Greatest Sitcom Characters Ever

Creating a long-running sitcom has nothing to do with the location or the idea. The only way a TV show can survive that long is through its characters.

And while I think Cheers has the greatest sitcom pilot of all time, the reason it lasted eleven years was that it had some of the best characters TV has ever known.

People like Coach, Woody, Carla, Cliff Clavin, and Frasier rounded out the supporting cast. And the leads? I mean, for a long time, we classified a "will they, won't they" as a Sam and Diane.

But the show's heart lies with Norm, the regular who had a stool reserved at the bar and who made every episode sing.

Appearing in every episode of the TV show (yes, all 275), Norm was like a Swiss Army knife for the writers. He could say anything, be anything, do anything, as long as it was funny.

At his core, Norm was the quintessential regular, the guy everyone knows at their local haunt. His nightly entrance, met with a resounding "NORM!" from the bar's patrons, became one of the show's most recognizable and anticipated running gags.

This simple, consistent ritual immediately established a sense of familiarity and warmth, making viewers feel like regulars themselves.

We watched to yell "NORM!" at our screens. It made the show feel like we were a part of it, and it made Norm feel like one of our friends.

When everyone knows to yell your name when you enter a scene, that's a pretty big testament to how important you are to a TV show.

Norm had many jobs over the years, but always had one wife, Vera, who we never see and who has a few off-screen lines. Norm had so many funny jokes about Vera, they always made me laugh.

He had another runner where, when Sam would ask him about what was going good in his life, Norm would say things like, "Life's a dog and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear."

His power was in his consistency. Norm never arched, he was always Norm, but we learned so much about who he is as a person. He's a character who developed over time and who continued to get better.

George Wendt Made Norm.

Of course, it's not just people on the paper. George Wendt's performance was instrumental in bringing Norm to life.

His ability to convey both Norm's weariness and his underlying warmth made the character incredibly endearing. Wendt's background in improvisational theater with The Second City contributed to his effortless delivery and comedic timing.

He inhabited Norm so completely that the line between actor and character often blurred for viewers. This authenticity was key to Norm's believability and likability. For his work, Wendt received six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Somehow, it never felt like enough.

So the writers did another great thing for Norm. They gave him one of the most poignant and heartfelt speeches in all of TV writing history.

With over 80 million people watching the finale of Cheers, George Wendt told us about bar stools in heaven, and closed down what should be considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

We needed to hear that speech because we needed to know the love we put into Cheers was love returned to us. It's what made it such a great show, and what made Norm such an important character.

Summing It All Up

In essence, George Wendt's Norm became an all-time great sitcom character through a perfect storm of sharp writing, a relatable persona, an iconic running gag, and, most importantly, Wendt's performance.

You wanted to share a beer with him, and you did, for eleven seasons.

Let me know what you think in the comments.