VERSUS // thanksgiving dinner: cheers vs frasier

For this comparison I was lucky to find sitcoms that go together better than I could have dreamed. Considering one is a spin-off of the other it wasn't too hard, I am just glad that I was able to bring them together for this festive versus.

I am an avid Frasier fan, Cheers however hasn't entered my Netflix queue just yet. I've seen random episodes here and there but haven't watched the full series. I know enough about the show to feel I could do this justice, and what better compliment to Cheers than Frasier? I don't think there is one, unless Rhea Pearlman has a sitcom somewhere and then you can just point me in that direction next.

First we saw Mr. Crane and his bar gang enjoyed the festivities on the Cheers episode Thanksgiving Orphans (S05e09) and then Frasier celebrated again in A Lillith Thanksgiving (S04E07).



Plot

In Cheers, Diane arrives for work and declares that she is one of the lucky students chosen by her professor to reenact the first Thanksgiving at his house. Not wanting to see her co-workers and friends without companionship she plans them all a get-together at Carla's home. Carla is without the kids, Sam has a date, much to Diane's chagrin, but agrees to take part. Norm says he'll try and get his wife Vera to come despite her wanting to spend the holiday at the in-laws yet again. Frasier seems to have a really pessimistic attitude surrounding the holidays, I wonder where that comes from? They all arrive at Carla's and begin watching the game. With each new person that shows up the television gets moved. Norm arrives sans Vera, she still went to her mothers but he made sure to let her know that she was welcome. Sam shows up without his date, too. Enter Diane. Turns out her big dinner was just her and the other students service as the wait staff. She fled and even when her professor called and invited her back she stayed, despite everybody pleading for her to go. She didn't even bother to change out of her pilgrim attire. She gets annoyed with sports and wants to do things her way. Since the turkey is taking forever because Norm brought it in barely defrosted (the little pop thing won't pop), they all gather around the table to say what they're thankful for. No one is answering to Diane's liking so she takes it upon herself to list all of the French people that have influenced her in addition to her friends and family. Once they sit they start to dig in and the table erupts in a food fight mainly instigated by Carla. She gets cranberried and vows that she will return the revenge on Sam when he least expects it. Vera arrives for the end of the festivities and thinking she's going to nail Sam with the pie, he ducks just enough for Vera to get it in the face. What a nice welcome for her, now Norm won't be able to go anywhere again.

Frasier tries to be traditional but goes off course. Original plans consist of a rustic adventure in the Crane cabin but they are squashed when Lilith calls and announces that Frederick has the opportunity to get into the exclusive Marbury Academy and the only time that she and Frasier can meet with the headmaster is the morning of Thanksgiving. With that, Frasier, Niles and Martin all head out to Boston with Daphne going to San Fran to visit her cross-dressing uncle and Roz house-sitting. This is Nile's first Thanksgiving without Maris so he is feeling a little sensitive so when they arrive Lilith puts him on Turkey duty (not as a means of distraction per se, but I like to think of it that way). Niles has no idea what he's doing but makes due while Martin takes Freddy out to play some ball. Frasier and Lilith go to their meeting and it goes rather well until they get home and realize that maybe they didn't stress how important this school is to them. They decide to go back which is good because Martin hit Freddy in the eye with his baseball and then immediately after, Niles got him in the face with the refrigerator door. To make him feel better they let him lick the spoon of some concoction Niles is cooking up just for him to break out in hives. Frasier and Lilith make jerks out of themselves with the headmaster which causes him to give them his decision now, Freddy is a no. They can't take that for an answer and knowing that the headmaster is needing a turkey for his feast they race home, grab Niles' turkey from the oven and take it back to him, which terrifies Niles. Back at the headmaster's, they bring in the turkey which inevitably causes a fight between all of the patrons there (members and non-members of the Marbury Academy alike) and finally the headmaster agrees to let them in as long as they agree to never be present for any of Freddy's extracurricular activities. They agree and it's a Thanksgiving miracle!

Characters



Frasier Crane vs Frasier Crane - The Frasier. I think I do have to give Frasier from Frasier this one mainly because he is the primary character and oddly enough less annoying to me. He didn't seem as down on the holiday, probably because of Freddy, and seemed to be in better spirits. Good job Frasier (that'll get confusing, I'm sure at some point).



Carla Tortelli vs Lilith Sternin - The host. I think Carla was a better host. She had television and beer and couches. Lilith delegated all of her hosting duties to Niles and dragged Frasier out of the house. Granted it was for the benefit of their son, but if we're talking host here, Carla takes it.



Niles Crane vs Norm Peterson - The turkey man. Niles. Sorry, Norm, at least Niles got the turkey brown and I will assume that the little pop thing actually popped in this case.

Breakdown

Actual feast - Cheers gets it. They actually had a sit-down dinner even if it did erupt in a food fight. All the fixens were there even if the turkey took forever and may have been raw, it still was a legitimate dinner as we've all come to know. Niles tried, and where he did win the turkey man above, there was never a sit-down for us to see, unless you count the headmaster's, but I don't.

Overall festiveness - The actual Thanksgiving festive feel was really only present in Cheers. There was football, beer, pilgrims, fighting, none of this really present in Frasier except for fighting and Frasier fights with Lilith all the time.

Thanks given - I will give this to Frasier despite having a busy Thanksgiving with no food and lots of medicine for Freddy I think with the outcome of their meeting with the headmaster both Frasier and Lilith were giving many thanks that day. And I'm sure that Niles was thankful to know that his turkey went to good use.