What is… Cliff Clavin?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“What is...Cliff Clavin?”

Cheers episode

Episode no.

Season 8
Episode 14

Written by

Dan O'Shannon
Tom Anderson

Directed by

Andy Ackerman

Guest stars

Alex Trebek (himself)
Johnny Gilbert (himself)

Production no.

184

Original airdate

January 18, 1990 (US)

Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Sammy and the Professor"	"Finally!"

"What is... Cliff Clavin?" is the name of an eighth season episode of the American television series Cheers. The episode has become notable for its focus on know-it-all character Cliff Clavin's appearance on the American game show Jeopardy! The episode's name is a reference to the Jeopardy! rule that all contestant responses must be stated in the form of a question.

This episode is somewhat unique in that a bulk of the plot takes place outside the bar. It was also directed by Andy Ackerman rather than James Burrows, who directed 243 of Cheers' 273 episodes.

1 Plot outline
2 Trivia
3 References
4 See also

[edit] Plot outline

Cliff Clavin qualifies to appear on a special episode of Jeopardy! taping in Boston, Massachusetts. As a large trivia fan, this has been Cliff's dream for years.

The categories on the first round board (CIVIL SERVANTS, STAMPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, MOTHERS AND SONS, BEER, BAR TRIVIA, and CELIBACY) were described by Woody as Cliff's "dream board." (The identical categories were used much later in a May 10, 2005 episode of the Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions.)^[1]

After a presumably successful first round (given the board) and Cliff's high score by the time Final Jeopardy comes around, Cliff gains some confidence and begins acting cocky. The Final Jeopardy category is "Movies" and the answer is "Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz and Lucille LeSueur" and Cliff bets all his money, $22,000, on his response "Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?"^[2] (The correct response to the Final Jeopardy! clue was "What were the real names of Cary Grant, Tony Curtis and Joan Crawford?")^[2] Cliff suggests that his response should be correct because those people have, in fact, never been in his kitchen.

Cliff loses all of his money and Norm meets Alex Trebek in Cheers after the show (Trebek goes on to say that Cliff "scares me").^[1]

While the Jeopardy! story is the main plot of the episode (characters in Boston even watch Cliff on television, a show-within-a-show), there is another plotline at the bar. Sam begins getting calls from women he used to date, angry with him for making dates and never showing up. He eventually discovers that someone has taken his little black book, and he enrolls the help of men around the bar to track down his book. Through their detective work he discovers the caller is working through the book alphabetically, and Rebecca Howe is the next on the list. The thief turns out to be a teenaged boy who wants to become a "babe hound" like Sam himself.

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

This episode is referenced in the PlayStation version of the Jeopardy! video game. If one player has an overwhelming lead going into Final Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek will say, "Well, this one should be a no brainer unless, of course, somebody pulls a 'Clavin'!"