Jumping Jerks (22 Dec. 1988)

Woody, Norm and Cliff come bounding into the bar after a drunken evening of watching The Magnificent Seven, and are feeling all macho. They talk about the lack of danger in everyday life, ... See full summary »

Director:

James Burrows

Writers:

Glen Charles (creator), Les Charles (creator),

Stars:

Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, Rhea Perlman

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Ted Danson	...	Sam Malone
Kirstie Alley	...	Rebecca Howe
Rhea Perlman	...	Carla LeBec
John Ratzenberger	...	Cliff Clavin
Woody Harrelson	...	Woody Boyd
Kelsey Grammer	...	Dr. Frasier Crane
George Wendt	...	Norm Peterson
J. Kenneth Campbell	...	Bob Speakes
Thomas Sanders	...	Otto
Hugh Maguire	...	Hugh
Peter Schreiner	...	Pete

Storyline

Woody, Norm and Cliff come bounding into the bar after a drunken evening of watching The Magnificent Seven, and are feeling all macho. They talk about the lack of danger in everyday life, and crave for such. Another patron in the bar, Bob Speakes, is a skydiving instructor and suggests that they give skydiving a try. The three are all talk and no action, but finally agree to do it after Carla goads them into it. The next day, the three are up in a plane ready for the jump. They all chicken out, the first men ever in Bob's history of teaching that have ever done so. However, the three make a pact that they will say to the gang at the bar that they did it, keeping the story nice and simple: they jumped, the chutes opened, they landed. The two problems are Cliff, who needs to embellish the story to pump up his own so-called extraordinary achievements, and Woody, who has never told a lie in his life. Carla doesn't believe that they did it, until Woody, who is nervous in the lie, says that...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1988 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The exterior shot of the plane over Boston is clearly a model, as in all the jumps you can see the same miniature person dressed in white at the doorway to the plane, meant to represent the person not from Cheers who made the first jump. But he wasn't supposed to be present on the final two jumps.

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Quotes

Rebecca Howe: Don't you guys ever watch anything but The Magnificent Seven?
Cliff Clavin: Ah, as a matter of fact, we rented The Magnificent Ambersons, but watched it for a couple of minutes, realized it wasn't a sequel, so we went back to watching The Magnificent Seven.

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Connections

References The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

User Reviews

I'd Rather Die Like A Fool Than Live Like A Coward!

This episode features Norm, Cliff & Woody deciding to skydive... and then chickening out at the last minute. A hilarious stand-alone episode. They jumped, their chutes opened, and it was all very simple and believable.

On a side note, if Carla ever spoke to me the way she does to Norm, Cliff, Woody, and Sam- insulting their manhood, questioning their value as human beings- she and I would have an impromptu "conference" in the alley behind the bar, after which she would choose her words very carefully if she was able to speak at all.

There's not really anything else to say, this is a beauty... go see it!

GRADE: A