Sam was originally to be played by Fred Dryer, Diane by Julia Duffy. Both were later guest-stars. The series was originally to have been set in Barstow, California, and Sam Malone was to originally to have been a retired football player. When Ted Danson was hired for the role, his character was rewritten to be a retired baseball player for the Boston Red Sox to match Danson's body type. John Ratzenberger (Cliff Clavin) was originally hired for seven episodes during the 1982-1983 season. K ...[Read Story ]