Home Is the Sailor is the premiere of season 6 of the NBC series Cheers
Synopsis[]
After six months pass, Cheers has a new manager, Rebecca Howe, (Kirstie Alley) a corporate businesswoman. Sam has sold the bar and used the money to buy a boat, only for the boat to sink. Sam returns and wants to bring Cheers back to its former glory. Carla and Woody are still employed at Cheers, which now has a uniform for its employees. Diane's book deal didn't pan out, but she's found work out in California writing for TV shows. Frasier is the last of the regulars still clinging to Cheers as his usual hang out, but Norm and Cliff moved on.
Cast[]
- Ted Danson as Sam Malone
- Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe
- Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli
- John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin
- George Wendt as Norm Peterson
- Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd
- Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane
Recurring / Guest stars:
- Jay Thomas as Eddie LeBec
- Jonathan Stark as Wayne
- Al Rosen as Al
- Michael Tulin as Customer
- Tim Cunningham as Tim
- Steve Giannelli as Steve
- Alan Koss as Alan
Trivia[]
- This is Kirstie Alley's first appearance on the show.
- This episode marks the first time, the 1987 Paramount Television closing logo was used, and it has a Gulf+Western byline. On early episodes of this season, a 75th anniversary logo was used.
- The title of this episode is from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1890 poem "Requiem," part of which was also inscribed on his tombstone: "Home is the sailor, home from sea, / And the hunter home from the hill."
- Throughout this episode, Frasier wonders where the quote the quote "O Death in Life, the days that are no more" originated from. The answer is from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, "Tears, Idle Tears".
- The Screaming Viking cocktail was inspired by this episode. While a number of variations of the drink exist, all include a cucumber.
- Director James Burrows recalled Season 6 as containing the first scene between Sam and Rebecca at which the audience failed to laugh. Until Rebecca unintentionally fumbled and struggled so hard trying to work the door handle to get into her office that it produced outrageous laughter. That unplanned snafu helped Kirstie Alley's character emerge and flourish throughout the life of the series.
