How Ted Danson Has Thrived in a Five-Decade Career by Finding ‘the Laugh in the Sadness’

variety.com:

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large No one else can claim the kind of television career that Ted Danson has had. Sure, there are several actors who have appeared on multiple hit shows.

But Danson has been a primetime staple over five decades now, with continual hit shows since the moment he hit superstardom as Sam Malone on “Cheers” in 1982. “Cheers” was an NBC megahit that lasted for a whopping 275 episodes over 11 seasons.

He followed that up with another hit, “Becker,” that ran for six seasons and 129 episodes on CBS. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, he turned to drama with main roles in FX’s “Damages” and CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” before discovering NBC’s “The Good Place” — and starting a fruitful relationship with creator Mike Schur, who is now also behind Danson’s latest hit star turn in Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside.” “It was such a fun, comforting, happy thing to be back on set writing words for Ted,” Schur says.

And for Danson, the feeling was mutual: “It was that sense of sweet, kind, funny, meaningful conversations about things that I’m at the right age to be talking about.” Now, in recognition of his successful long body of work, the Golden Globes is recognizing Danson with its Carol Burnett Award — the ceremony’s highest television honor. “I would be happy with a cookie named after Carol Burnett.