Cheers: The sitcom’s haunted house episode
Turns out that Carla’s new house was built on top of a prison graveyard. What can go wrong?
“Why, I could no more close my eyes in that cauldron of blood than sever my own arm. Oh, yes, well. Angels on your pillow.”
In the history of television, one of the most significant shows was the situation comedy Cheers. Set in a Boston bar, the 1982-1993 show was groundbreaking for its time. Created by Glen Charles, Les Charles, and James Burrows, the show revolved around the employees of the bar, as well as folks who came to the bar as customers or for business.
Cheers began shortly before the rise of alternatives to broadcast television—which would eventually include VCRs, home video, syndicated TV and, eventually, streaming TV. But during those early years, with the limits of broadcast television, TV shows generally stuck with doing the same kind of thing every episode for as long as possible.
But in that era, Cheers was one of the first—or, possibly, the first—sitcom where they actually made major changes every year. The characters and their relationships changed from one season to the next.
Of course, we’re not really here to talk about the history of television or the history of Cheers. I just wanted to give you some context on why Cheers is one of my favorite TV shows ever.
Another trait for this show was that Cheers was not a scary show. Unlike TV series like, say, Kolchak: The Night Stalker or X-Files or even cartoon series like The Real Ghostbusters or Men in Black: The Series, Cheers was about (technically) normal people dealing with (technically) normal things.
And then there was the episode “House of Horrors with Formal Dining and Used Brick” (5.5), which aired Oct 30, 1986.
Cheers waitress Carla Tortteli has just bought a house—which she could afford because it was inexpensive—only to discover that the house was built over a 17th century prison graveyard.
In previous episodes of the show, we’ve heard again and again how superstitious Carla is. And now, upon discovering why she could afford the house, she’s too scared to move in.
One of the bar’s customers, Cliff Clavin, is the one who had recommended the house. And is a regular at the bar that Carla often insults. But now Cliff is the one who ends up hanging out with Carla at the house when she’s trying to see whether it’s, you know, haunted.
“House of Horrors with Formal Dining and Used Brick”
(Episode transcript HERE.)
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Turns out that Carla’s new house was built on top of a prison graveyard. What can go wrong? “Why, I could no more close my eyes in that cauldron of blood than sever my own arm. Oh, yes, well. Angels on your pillow.”