Sam "Mayday" Malone

Sam Malone owns the Boston bar where everybody knows your name, a retired relief pitcher whose glory days are behind the plate and now behind the taps. He's a recovering alcoholic running a bar, a shameless flirt, and a charming, not-too-bright ladies' man who treats the place like his personal stage and dating pool.

Danson plays vanity as something almost sweet — Sam's ego is so transparent and good-natured that it never curdles into smugness. The show mines real tension from a barkeep who doesn't drink, and the will-they-won't-they with Diane works because Sam's cockiness keeps meeting someone smarter than him.