Long played Diane on the show's first five seasonsCheers ran for eleven seasons — including six after star Shelley Long left — but the show’s success was anything but certain. Glen and Les Charles, brothers who co-created Cheers,

There were some critics that said when Shelley walks out the door, that’s the end of ‘Cheers.’ And we had to live with that,” said “Cheers” co-creator Glen Charles.

Glen and Les Charles recently guested on an episode of the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast hosted by former Cheers actors Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson, where the four discussed cast member Shelley Long’s abrupt exit from the show after the fifth season.

Brothers Glen and Les recall feeling "sheer panic" when Long announced her decision to leave the sitcom after five seasons.