Cheers is filmed before a live studio audience.
What are you doing there, Norm?
Vera signed me up to give a speech at her women's auxiliary club.
- I hate public speaking. - Yeah, you're not alone there, pal.
Yeah, it's awful, you know? You--
You're standing there in front of a group of total strangers...
Palms sweating, your throat dry.
Your mouth feels like it's full of cotton.
Your knees practically buckling.
It could be a miserable experience.
- So... what's the topic? - "Poise, the key to success."
Thanks, Mom. Yeah, don't worry about it.
I'll find somebody to sit for the kids.
Bye.
- She can't do it? - She's scared to.
Maybe I'll watch the kids for you, Carla.
It's not fair. This always happens to me when I have a date on a weeknight.
- Who's the lucky guy? - My butcher.
Oh, yeah? What happened to Eddie?
Eddie's in Vancouver. My butcher's three blocks down.
Life is short.
I wouldn't mind looking after your kids for you, Carla.
What am I gonna do now, huh?
Well, I'd do it, but I'm working on Wednesday.
Yeah.
Yeah, Vera and I would love to, but we have this thing Wednesday night.
Yeah, Diane and I have a thing, too.
- Yeah. - Maybe it's the same thing.
- I don't think so. - Oh, no.
I'm... I'm not busy Wednesday.
Well, guess I'm gonna have to cancel my date.
Well, is this a day to press in your memory books, or what?
Well, you guys sound pretty chipper.
Shall I tell them, Lilith?
Out with it, or I'm liable to burst with anticipation.
Drs. Sternin and Crane are proud to announce
that they are now officially POTOSSLQ's.
It means "persons of the opposite sex sharing living quarters."
Yes.
You see, it's a little lovers in-joke we picked up
from a Census Bureau acronym.
I love those.
Well, man, that's great.
- Congratulations. - Yes. Yes.
This is quite a surprise.
You've only known each other a few months,
and you're moving in together.
That's pretty impetuous.
Well, a week ago we decided to take a chance on cohabitation,
but we waited a week before announcing the news
so as to avoid putting any undo pressure
on the success or failure of the endeavor.
And now we are pleased to announce the effort a limited success.
Yes. Pretty darn impetuous.
Well, we thought that the two of you were responsible
for Lilith and I finding each other in this cockeyed world,
so we... we thought we'd like to have you over for dinner
on Wednesday night as our very first guests.
- Why, we'd be honored. - Yeah, I'll be there.
Great, we'll get away from the Hurly-burly of this place
and concentrate completely on the lost art of conversation.
I'll be there anyway.
All right, Wednesday night it is, then.
Shall we say... what? 8:00-ish?
Wonderful.
You don't know how happy this makes me.
So, you and Diane have this thing Wednesday night, huh?
Why don't you just come out and say it?!
You don't want to spend an evening alone with my kids.
We don't want to spend an evening alone with your kids.
Neither do I.
Well, what choice do I have?
Carla, I think Cliff might be interested in watching them.
What are you doing Wednesday night?
Pumping iron.
Okay, Cliff, you're up.
Be at my house Wednesday at 6:00,
but remember, you asked for it.
Obviously she doesn't think that I can handle the kids.
Yeah, but my guess is that they'll settle down
once they're confronted with a strong male authority figure.
You're bringing your mom?
I'm home, sweet potato!
Just a moment, cinnamon bear.
How was your day?
I want to take you now by the dip.
You impulsive man, we have guests coming.
Yes, I know. It'll be our little joke on them.
Every time they say the word "dip," we'll become giddy with remembrance.
The word itself will become a syllable filled with our overwhelming passion.
Dear, you're using sex to express your aggression
toward the confines of polite society.
- Dip. - I love it!
What is that heavenly aroma coming from the kitchen?
- Dinner. - Oh, yes, of course. Dinner.
Well, I'm sorry I'm late, by the way.
- I got-- - No explanation is necessary.
I know you far too well to have expected you to be on time tonight.
Oh, right. Why is that?
Because I've learned that a certain self-centered insensitivity
is a fundamental part of your psychological makeup,
and it only endears you to me.
I'm so glad you shared that with me.
Of course, you can't know everything about me.
I mean, who would have thought that I'd enjoy living with you,
but here we are.
You didn't expect to enjoy living with me?
Well, you do have an uncompromising quality,
but a very attractive one it is, though.
Well, if you were hesitant, why do it?
Well, it's the way you arranged it, isn't it?
It was your idea.
Yes, well, you see, you're forgetting the passive-aggressive trick you have
of leading someone else into doing something that you want to do,
thereby absolving yourself of responsibility.
And very adorable it is, too, my little parsnip.
Why do you insist on displaying your magazines
in that insipid accordion design?
I'm sorry if this one little touch of theatrical flair
is too much for your retentive nature.
We'll go into my retentive nature later.
For now, we have guests coming.
You know, I see what you're trying to do here.
You want me to begin the argument that you wish you could start yourself.
Well, I will not do it.
If you want to have an altercation, you will have to--
How could you be late on a night like this?!
Didn't you know I'd be nervous making my first dinner in your house
while your stupid friends are looking at me
and judging my every move?!
I'll never forgive you for this!
Never! Never! Never! Never!
Just a minute!
Darling, I think that was a real breakthrough.
So come out of the bathroom, and after dinner we'll build on it.
But our-- our guests are here now.
Dear heart? Darling?
Coming! Coming!
Hi! Come in. Come in.
I hope we're not early.
Oh, no, no, no. Your timing is just perfect.
Boy, am I hungry.
- Sam! - Well... you know.
So, where's your lovely POTOSSLQ?
She's around somewhere.
Peace blossom?
Don't make yourself too beautiful. I can hardly stand to look at you now!
Lilith, please come out, darling. Please.
What was that?
Got something stuck in her-- contact lens.
Oh, I hate that.
Well, listen, here. Come. Sit down. Relax.
Pour yourself some wine, whatever. Just make yourselves comfortable.
Diane, could you hand me that cheese knife, please?
Thank you, Diane.
Enjoy. I'll be right back.
What do you think you're doing?!
Might I have a little privacy?
We can resolve all this later,
but for now, these people may be my friends,
but they are not the greatest conversationalists in the world,
and I could use your help!
Good chips.
Lilith.
Welcome to our home.
I am so happy for the both of you.
Yeah, absolutely. Congratulations. Yeah, that's great.
I love what you've done with this place.
Oh, yes. I love the masculine touches.
Thank you.
Say, that uh, that dip looks good.
- Dip? - Dip?
Yeah, the... the dip. Could you... pass it, please?
Yes, of course. Be my guest. Here you are.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, that is great dip.
Yeah, yeah. Try it.
Delicious, Lilith.
Frasier, have you tried some of Lilith's dip?
Yes, I have. Yes.
Well, then, I don't have to tell you how good it is.
It's quite good.
Well, I don't mean to hog it here.
You guys look hungry. Help yourself.
So, Frasier...
Was it good for you, too?
What the hell's in this dip?
Well, may I...
...propose a toast?
To your house.
- Our house? - Hear, hear.
Yes.
Our house
Oh, I love that.
Is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now, everything is easy 'cause of you
And our house
Is a very, very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Et cetera, et cetera.
You know what I love about your relationship?
No.
You never seem to have an unexpressed thought.
Yeah, I've noticed that.
How do you maintain that level of honesty?
Well, it's simple.
Frasier and I keep no secrets from each other.
Come on.
You don't mean to tell me you tell each other everything?
- Certainly. - Exactly.
We've bared our souls to each other.
Now, no guy's gonna tell his brand-new girlfriend
about all the women he...
You know.
But there must be no secrets in that area.
That's where honesty counts most.
Gee, you know, I'm afraid I don't think that's such a good idea.
You mean, the two of you, planning marriage,
haven't already had this discussion?
Of course we have.
Well, Diane's told us about both of hers,
and we're just about up to the Johnson Administration on mine.
Seriously, though. I-- I think that we're...
all entitled to our little secrets.
Why?
They only lead to embarrassment when they're inevitably revealed.
Exactly.
I know I feel better knowing that Frasier's told you
he and I were once engaged,
so I don't have to worry about you discovering it
at some inopportune moment.
Like now, for instance.
Dear. Dear, I thought I told you that Diane and I used to date.
Date, yes. That you had decided to marry
and spend the rest of your life with her, no.
Semantics.
Then why were you afraid to tell me that one detail?
Because she still means something to you, doesn't she?
She means absolutely nothing to me.
I mean, if I notice her at all, it's merely as an annoyance,
like a bug flying around in a room.
Diane, Diane, be a dear.
Would you grab me the cheese knife, please?
Frasier, I'm sorry this happened,
but I think it would be best for everyone
if you told her the truth.
Diane's right.
All right, all right.
Darling, I am going to tell you the whole truth.
Out with it.
All right...
Diane and I were engaged to be married, and...
...she left me at the altar.
The whole experience was so...
humiliating, I've just been trying to forget it ever since.
Your feelings for her were genuine?
Yes.
And it's only on account of her action
that you're not married to her at this very moment?
Well, I-- I never really looked at it that way.
And if Sam were out of the picture, you'd throw me over
- and run back to her, wouldn't you? - I don't love her anymore.
You switch your passions on and off very quickly, Dr. Crane.
- I do not! - Then you do still love her.
- Well, I never did. - You were going to marry her.
Maybe I just thought I loved her.
How do I know you don't just think you love me?!
Well, I don't. I mean, I-- I did. I-- I never--
I will not be grilled like a common criminal!
Cheese knife?
All right. Thank you very much. Bye.
Ordering another round for the corner table, honey.
All right, Corinne. Now, listen...
thanks a lot for subbing at such short notice.
Hey, this is my life.
Well, it shouldn't... it shouldn't be so bad, you know.
It's not really very crowded tonight.
That's what you said the last time.
When I got home, my can was dragging this far off the ground.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Corinne.
Well, that was Carla's daughter.
She said that the kids are gonna drop off Mr. Clavin.
All right. All right.
I don't think her kids are old enough to drive.
What was that?
- Cliff, buddy! - Are you all right?
Wait, there's a note.
"Don't open until Christmas."
Shoot.
Now, look here, Lilith, you needn't worry
about Frasier carrying a torch for me.
I assure you, he feels nothing but resentment toward me.
He knows I was using him to forget the real love I felt,
and feel, for Sam here.
Is there any more Chex mix?
You see, Sam is my real love.
I'm ashamed to say that Frasier was a convenient dalliance on my part
at a time when I needed someone.
Anyone.
I'm sorry it was him.
So, essentially, Frasier was a toy
you played with briefly and then threw away.
Well, it wasn't that bad.
A fellow human being whose emotions you twisted
for your own satisfaction with no consideration for his feelings.
Frasier had some fun.
We would speak nothing but French on Sundays.
I heard it all.
How could I have been so blind?
Don't blame yourself.
That's right. You can't blame anyone in these situations.
He can blame you.
Now, look here...
Our relationship was a 2-way street.
Yes, and I was run over in both directions.
Oh, Frasier, you had fun.
Diane, I never had a whit of fun, especially on Sundays!
And the only thing more egregious than your French pronunciation
is your syntax!
- Dinner, everyone. - Wait, wait, wait.
Come on, this whole thing has gone on too far here.
Listen up.
See, this is what happens when you open old wounds.
I mean, I don't know what happened between Frasier and Diane,
but it seems to me they had a little fun.
But they just weren't right for each other.
But now that they've found somebody that is right for them,
I think you both should be happy for each other.
And leave it at that.
Je regretter, mes ami.
I'm sorry, too, Diane. I don't know what came over me.
Diane, can you forgive me?
I'm the one who's sorry.
And happy for both of you.
Thank you.
- And thank you, Sam. - Yes.
Well, I just thought it went on long enough.
Besides, I-- I have to use the bathroom here.
Would anyone like some more lasagne?
No, thank you. I think we've had our fill.
Fine, then I'll just get the coffee.
Lasagna?
I wasn't even thinking Italian.
Well, I was closest. I said something with meat.
That will be all, then, Jill.
You can come by and clean up in the morning.
Thank you, Dr. Sternin.
You mean you had someone back there helping you with this?
With the side dishes, yes, but at the risk of sounding immodest,
I have to take credit for the lasagne myself.
- Oh, well-- - Well, bravo!
Well, shall we adjourn to the living room for some coffee?
Nice.
May I propose another toast?
Why stop at seven?
Well, we have all learned a valuable lesson this evening.
We shouldn't be frightened of the past or of any affairs our lovers have had.
Indeed, we should be grateful for those past experiences
because they've made him or her the person we love today.
- Hear, hear. - Well said.
Let me, uh, fill some of these wine glasses here.
Sam Malone! You beautiful man.
Where have you been keeping yourself?
Hey, Jill. How the hell you been?
Great. Just great.
Well, you still doing massage?
Just the way you like 'em.
Who's this, Sam?
You know, it's getting kind of late. Maybe you ought to take off.
Bye-bye.
Why is it...
...that we cannot go to one single, solitary place
in the entire city of Boston
without running into some woman that you've had a fling with?
Come on, you're exaggerating here.
At the market, at the movies,
when we got our blood test, for heaven's sake.
Well, what are we supposed to do, move? I mean, come on.
Excuse me.
Now, don't-- no, don't-- don't go--
What are you so upset about?
I wasn't even dating you when I went out with Jill.
That's when you were living with Frasier.
She lived with you?
Well, only briefly...
You said you'd never lived with anyone but me!
Yeah, perfect. That's good.
What are you doing?
I should have thought of this earlier.
Yeah.
What was that?
Frasier, what are you doing?
Frasier, the door seems to be jammed.
Frasier?
Sam, open the door.
Macanudo?
- Don't mind if I do. - Open this door!
You know, I don't think I can stand this caterwauling in here.
Why don't we go upstairs?
Frasier, open up!
I've got all 13 episodes of I, Claudius on tape.
Great, man. I love gladiator flicks.
Frasier, we are not amused!