Cheers decadent old-money WASPs," but, to meet producers' demands, they rewrote the lyrics to be about "likeable losers" in a Boston bar. The show's producers rejected this song, as well. After they read the script of the series pilot, they created another song "Another Day". When Portnoy and Hart Angelo heard that NBC had commissioned thirteen episodes, they created an official theme song "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" and rewrote the lyrics. On syndicated airings of "Cheers", the theme song was shortened to make room for commercials. "Cheers" was critically acclaimed in its first season, though it landed a disappointing 74th
Gary Portnoy also wrote (with Hart Angelo) and performed the theme song for NBC's Punky Brewster. In 2003, after a hiatus from the music business during the 1990s, Portnoy released the 12-track album "Keeper", which includes the full-length version of "Where Everybody Knows Your Name". In 2007, he followed with the release of the autobiographical 12-track album, "Destiny", which contains a full-length version of the theme song for "Mr. Belvedere" (whose original version was sung by Leon Redbone). In 2010, Portnoy released the 12-track album, "Songs Along The Way", which includes eleven newly penned compositions as well as the demo version of