78: Norm Peterson Is Gay for Pay

“Norm, Is That You?” (December 8, 1988)

If we told you this episode features George Wendt’s character pretending to be gay, you’d probably imagine that Wendt would go really big with that performance. Most sitcoms would if a straight actor were playing a straight character playing a gay character, but Cheers doesn’t, and in fact this is an episode about gayness where it goes oddly not remarked upon — and not spoken about outright. 

Listen to our previous Cheers episodes, Rebecca Howe Suffers From Gay Blindess and Diane Chambers Is an LGBT Ally.

Here’s the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article in which it was conjectured that Cheers might replace Kirstie Alley with Joan Severance, playing Rebecca Howe’s sister.

Watch the trailer for Norman… Is That You?, the 1973 Redd Foxx comedy that came out three years after his sitcom referenced the source material in “Lamont, Is That You?”

And yes, Spain remade Cheers. It has a Woody and a Coach existing at the same time. It’s weird.

This episode’s outro track is "Southpaw" by Pink Lady: Apple Music • Spotify