Cheerful Goodbyes is the 21st episode of Season 9 of Frasier.
Synopsis
FRASIER HEADS TO BOSTON TO REUNITE WITH 'CHEERS' GANG, INCLUDING GUEST STARS RHEA PERLMAN, JOHN RATZENBERGER AND GEORGE WENDT -- Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and his family cheerfully head to Boston for a business conference but get sidetracked into reuniting with many of his old "Cheers" gang -- including Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger and George Wendt -- on the occasion of Cliff's (Ratzenberger) retirement party, prompting everyone to recall many embarrassing memories. While Niles (David Hyde Pierce) remains bored and Martin (John Mahoney) hits it off with fellow beer-meister Norm (Wendt), Carla (Perlman) can't wait to bid adieu to Cliff -- but the postman has something to deliver confidentially to Frasier.
Starring
- Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane
- Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon
- David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane
- Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle
- and John Mahoney as Martin Crane
Special guest stars
- John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin
- Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli
- George Wendt as Norm Peterson
Supporting cast
- Paul Willson as Paul
- Philip Perlman as Phil
- Raye Birk as Walt Twitchell
Guest caller
- Rufus Wainwright as Jeremy
Trivia
- This episode was part of NBC's 75th Anniversary celebration, in which actors from previous NBC shows guest starred in current ones.
- Norm explains why Vera won't be attending the party, and Frasier tells Niles that Vera is Norm's "much-storied" wife. It is highly appropriate that Niles be told about Vera, as Maris, Niles's first wife, who was never seen throughout the series, was based on Vera, who was never seen throughout the run of Cheers.
- When Carla tells Niles about Frasier being taken on a snipe hunt, this is a callback to the season 3 episode of Cheers The Heart Is a Lonely Snipehunter.
- As of this episode, every main character from Cheers has appeared on Frasier with the exception of Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) and Ernie Pantusso "Coach" (Nicholas Colasanto) the latter of whom died in the show as a result of the actor's death in real life before the fourth season of Cheers aired.
- Rufus Wainwright is the celebrity caller in this episode. He plays Jeremy, a teenager who has (unknown) problems.
- This is one of the rare episodes in which there are no scenes at Frasier's Apartment. However, the post credits scene features Roz and her sorority sisters partying there, having chinese food and even painting Eddie's nails.
