Norm Peterson Norm Peterson Hilary Norman Peterson is a character on the American television show "Cheers", portrayed by George Wendt. He is named Hilary after his grandfather. Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of "Cheers" between 1982–1993 and was initially the only customer featured in the main cast, later joined by Cliff Clavin, Frasier Crane, and Lilith Sternin. Along with Sam Malone and Carla Tortelli, Norm is one of only three characters to appear in every episode of "Cheers". He also made one guest appearance each in the three other sitcoms set in the "Cheers" universe: the "Frasier" episode "Cheerful Goodbyes," the
Home Is the Sailor (Cheers) promises nothing of the sort will occur again and is provisionally re-hired on the understanding that this is his last chance as Rebecca uses a seductive baseball metaphor-pun about having two outs, two strikes and "no balls". The producers intended "Cheers" to be a comedy about a comedy itself set in the Boston bar, but, as Burrows claimed, the "Sam and Diane" story arc predominated the show for five years and, as he hypothesized, would have made the bar more of a minor role and more irrelevant if Shelley Long had not left the show as Diane Chambers in 1987.