Rebecca Howe (formerly Howe-Santry) is a fictional character portrayed by Kirstie Alley on the American television show Cheers. She debuts in the season six episode "Home Is the Sailor" after Shelley Long—who played overeducated barmaid Diane Chambers—left the show to pursue a movie career. Much of the show's humor in previous seasons had been based around the interaction and sexual tension between the womanizing, working-class main character, bartender Sam Malone, and the high-class, snobbish Diane. Rebecca was intended to fill the gap as Sam's new female foil.