completed, Summer School, and consult the director Carl Reiner, to judge Alley's comic skills. Reiner praised Alley and assured Glen and Les Charles that she was the right choice. According to Cheers co-creator and executive producer James Burrows, Diane Chambers, Rebecca Howe's predecessor, was conceived as an executive businesswoman. Eventually, Diane evolved into a pretentious, college-educated waitress. After Long's departure, the producers created Rebecca Howe as the businesswoman. Despite concerns about losing Long, ratings rose after Alley's debut. Rebecca began as a martinet and a "smart, tough businesswoman". However, the writers were not thrilled with the character and did not find her funny. Writer Ken Levine said, "In one episode though, she had to fall apart for some reason and was hysterical. We realized that the more neurotic, insecure, and sexually frustrated she was—the funnier she was. So the character evolved in that direction." Reception Popularity According to a telephone survey of 1,011 people by the Times Mirror Center for the People and the Press (now Pew Research Center) conducted on April 1–4, 1993, Sam Malone was a favorite of 26% and Rebecca was a favorite by 6%. Twenty-one percent said Sam should marry Diane Chambers, 19% said he should marry Rebecca, 48% wanted him to stay single, and 12% had "no opinion" on this matter. When asked which character should be spun off, 15% voted for Sam, 12% voted for Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), 10% voted for Norm Peterson (George Wendt), and 29% voted no spin-offs. 2% of those questioned said Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer)whose own spin-off Frasier debuted in September 1993should have his own show. According to a 1993 article from People magazine, newspaper columnist Mike Royko chose Diane to marry Sam, novelist Jackie Collins picked Rebecca, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor chose both as Sam's potential partners. Tennis player Martina Navratilova found Sam too good for either of them. Novelist and archaeologist Clive Cussler said Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) was "Sam's best bet." Critical reaction A syndicated television columnist from Chicago in 1989 said that in her second season on the show, Rebecca was "nothing more than an annoying presence on a program otherwise populated with lovable wackos". Bill Carter of The New York Times in April 1990 said Rebecca was "hard-on-the-outside-mush-on-the-inside". J.D. Reed of People magazine in October 1990 called her a "neurotic overachiever". Rick Marin of The Washington Times in November 1990 praised Kirstie Alley for