Recap / Cheers S 6 E 12

Episode: Season 6, Episode 12
Title: Christmas Cheers
Directed by: James Burrows and Thomas Lofaro
Written by: Cheri Eichen and Bill Steinkellner
Air Date: December 17, 1987
Previous: My Fair Clavin
Next: Woody for Hire Meets Norman of the Apes
Guest Starring: Bebe Neuwirth, Jayne Modean, Harry Frazier, Al Rosen

"Christmas Cheers" is the 12th episode of the sixth season of Cheers.

Guess what? It's the Christmas Episode! Namely, it's Christmas Eve at the bar. Sam and Carla are annoyed that Rebecca is making them work on Christmas Eve, but when Sam finds out that Rebecca got presents for her employees, he goes on a frantic quest to find a store that's still open. Meanwhile, Cliff is determined to win the Post Office's canned food drive so he can get the prize (a free trip to Disneyworld), underemployed Norm has been working as Santa at a department store, and for some reason Frasier is in full "bah, humbug" mode, pouring scorn on the Christmas holiday.

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Tropes:

• Book Ends: The gang is watching It's a Wonderful Life on the bar TV in both the cold open and the last scene.
• Christmas Episode: The Cheers gang, enjoying Christmas Eve at the bar.
• Continuity Nod: A mention of Walt Twitchell, Cliff's archenemy at the Post Office. Walt wins the trip to Disneyworld, by one can.
• Decided by One Vote: Cliff loses the trip to Disneyworld by one can, because Woody forgot to put two cans in Cliff's box.
• Feet-First Introduction: Sam is slumped in despair in front of a closed store window, when a pair of boots appear and a woman's voice asks if he needs help. For a second Sam thinks it's an angel, but no, the boots belong to a very good-looking stewardess (Jayne Modean).
• The Grinch: Frasier is in a sour mood and makes sarcastic comments about the cheese and commercialism of the Christmas holiday. Then with his Santa's Existence Clause moment, his holiday spirit is restored.
• Santa Claus: Perpetually unemployed Norm gets some seasonal work as a Santa.
  Carla: [Finding out about Norm's work] So that's why my kid said Santa smelled like the place Mommy works!
• Santa's Existence Clause: Frasier is in an all-time cynical mood about Christmas—Lilith can't even say "Merry Christmas" without earning a snark from him. Norm comes into a bar with a group of other mall Santas, which Frasier can't help but mock. However, one convincing Santa with a real beard leaves the group a little early, saying he has a big night ahead of him. Norm and the other Santas don't recall him ever working a mall. Frasier says he hears sleigh bells, and starts to wonder if it really was the real Santa Claus. However, said Santa comes back in, complaining his car needs a jump. However, Frasier remains overjoyed with the Christmas spirit. When asked why by Lilith, Frasier explains that for the first time, he believed there really was a Santa Claus, however briefly. That was enough to put him in the holiday mood, and he leads a round of "Deck the Halls.
• Series Continuity Error: In later seasons Lilith is shown to be an observant Jew (a whole episode focuses on Frederick's bris), but in this episode she's celebrating Christmas.
• Sexy Stewardess: Sam is rescued from his predicament by a super-hot stewardess, but after Rebecca invites him over he foolishly declines the stewardess's invitation.
• Shout-Out:
  • The gang watches It's a Wonderful Life.
  • After the ending Smash to Black Woody says "God bless us, every one."
• Tear Jerker: In-Universe. Everyone at the bar snarks about how corny It's a Wonderful Life is, how it's ridiculous that they're showing it every night for a week. And they're all crying at the end when the town comes to save George Bailey.