Remembering Alex Trebek's TV Roles: "Cheers"

[JamesG]

Alex Trebek’s excellent comedic timing was on full display in this 1990 "Cheers" episode, which found know-it-all mailman Cliff achieving his life’s dream of being a "Jeopardy!" contestant.

Cliff racked up a huge lead, only to blow it all on Final Jeopardy with the immortal response: “Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?”

https://tvline.com/lists/alex-trebek...k-dead-cheers/

[RetroGuy2000]

Yeah, I remember that episode. Poor Cliff! A victim of his own ego.

[chipsaugratin]

And that episode spawned a new phrase - going into final Jeopardy with an insurmountable lead, betting it all and losing - forever known thereafter as pulling a Clavin.

[RetroGuy2000]

Ah, yes! Pulling a Clavin!

...Almost as bad as Pulling a Monica.

[TMC]

https://decider.com/2020/11/09/alex-...ameo-jeopardy/

In Season 8, Episode 14 (“What Is… Cliff Clavin?”), Cheers ventures away from the show’s iconic bar and heads to the Jeopardy set, where mailman Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) was set to participate in a remote taping in Boston. Cliff is initially intimidated by his impressive competition, but he gets a major break when the categories are revealed: Civil Servants, Stamps From Around the World, Mothers and Sons, Beer, Bar Trivia, and Celibacy.

Playing himself, Trebek offers Cliff a chance to pick the first category. “Cliff, can I get you to pick a category and an amount?” says the game show host. “Why don’t you pick any one you want,” replies the Cheers regular. “I am feeling lucky today. Woo-hoo!”

Cliff’s knowledge of the categories serves him well, and he heads into Final Jeopardy with a commanding lead. However, when faced with the final clue — “Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz, and Lucille LeSueur” in the “Movies” category — he finally falters. He ultimately guesses “Who are three people who’ve never been in my kitchen,” an answer that leaves Trebek scratching his head.

“No, I’m sorry. That is wrong,” says Trebek. When Cliff pushes back, insisting that Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, and Joan Crawford have never been in his kitchen, the Jeopardy legend really gets going. “Well, I’m sure they haven’t, but obviously that’s not what we were going for when we wrote up that clue,” he tells the combative contestant.

Of course, that isn’t Cliff’s only Jeopardy misstep. As Trebek explains, the mailman simply had to wager $21,600 or less to win the game, but of course, he bet “$22,000 big ones!”

“You bet it all! Cliff, why would you do something like that?” asks the concerned host. “Because I know that those people have never been in my kitchen!” replies Cliff, earning big laughs from the audience. “You can ask ’em — come on, Tony Curtis is still alive! Get him on the phone!” Classic Cheers.

[Mario500]

"MeTV remembers Alex Trebek with special episodes of Mama's Family and Cheers"