Norm Peterson
Encyclopedia
Hillary Norman "Norm" Peterson is a character on the American
television
show Cheers
, portrayed by George Wendt
. Norm's real first name was revealed to be Hillary, named after his grandfather.
Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of Cheers between 1982-1993 (the only patron to do so), and was initially the only customer featured in the main cast (to be later joined by Cliff Clavin
, Frasier Crane
, and Lilith Sternin
).
Norm also made one guest appearance each in the three other sitcoms known to be set in the Cheers universe: the Frasier episode "Cheerful Goodbyes" and the Wings episode "The Story of Joe". He also appeared on the spinoff The Tortellis
.
, and moved to Boston
to become an accountant, although he is a lifelong Boston Celtics
fan who went to Boston Garden
as a child. Norm previously served in the United States Coast Guard
. He loses his accounting job by defending Diane
from his boss, and becomes a housepainter. Norm was revealed to be an accomplished interior decorator and beer taster, capable of spotting a bad vat in a factory by drinking a single bottle.
Ironically, even when unemployed, Norm is the bar's best customer. A running gag
throughout the series are the numerous jokes made about the enormous size of Norm's tab at Cheers (e.g., several large binders are shown as being just a portion of it - in the episode Home Malone (season 9, episode 25), when Woody's rich, naive girlfriend Kelly waitresses at Cheers to gain "real-life experience", Norm convinces her that the tab is a record of the beers for which he has already paid, and for each new beer a mark should be erased - and in the finale Sam has to have his total tab for the series calculated by NASA
). In the few instances when Norm drinks at another bar, he is immediately kicked out because the bartenders demand an immediate cash payment instead of a tab.
Norm's best friend is postman
and fellow barfly Cliff Clavin
, who calls him "Normy", which when pronounced in Cliff's Boston accent, sounds like "Nommy" (rhyming with "Mommy"). Norm has a tattoo on his rear of an American flag which reads "God Bless the U.S. Postal Service" which he got after a mix up at a tattoo parlor he and Cliff visited after a night drinking cocktails made by Carla at Cheers.
Norm has a wife named Vera who is often mentioned but her face is never seen. When she is finally shown, her face is covered in pie thrown by Diane (season 5, episode 9 Thanksgiving Orphans), and the actress is uncredited. The only other times she is seen, viewers can see only her legs and at one time her waving from a car which drives past cheers on her and Norm's 15th wedding anniversary. Vera is the brunt of many of Norm's jokes, but on many occasions, Norm has professed secretly an undying love for his wife, or defended her honor. Norm and Vera separated during the second season of Cheers but reconciled in the last episode of the season, ironically contrasting the romance between Sam and Diane, who enjoyed a romance then bitterly broke up in that last episode. When Vera got a job at Melville's however, he was deeply disturbed by her proximity to him during his bar time. Vera was played by George Wendt's real-life wife, Bernadette Birkett.
In the Cheers episode It's a Wonderful Wife (season 9, episode 20) Vera tells Rebecca off-camera that Norm's real first name is Hillary. He explains that he was named after his grandfather who "once killed a man for laughing at him". Cliff asks if his grandfather really killed a man for laughing at his first name, and Norm replies, "Not exactly - he was a surgeon and he sort of botched an operation."
When not sipping beer at Cheers, Norm satisfies his hunger at an eatery called The Hungry Heifer, whose emblem is a young cow smacking her chops. The customers there greet him just the same as the Cheers patrons do. He knows the waitresses by name, and usually orders a meal called a Feeding Frenzy, a monstrous supply of corn and beef. He denigrated the eatery when he first visited it in season 2, but when the place was being shut down in season 9, he insinuates it was an important place to him throughout his life and knew the owner since at latest his college years. Corrine (played by Doris Grau
), who worked at Cheers occasionally as a temp waitress, was a server at The Hungry Heifer, and said the waitstaff knew Norm as "the guy who comes back".
Norm is also greeted by everyone at Gary's Olde Towne Tavern (Cheers' rival bar) with the customary "Norm!" shout in Bar Wars VI (season 10, episode 23). When Sam asks why the people at Gary's know him by name, Norm replies that he goes there on Christmas when Cheers is closed.
"Norm" is actually the first word of Frederick Sternin Crane (son of Frasier
and Lilith
). (This occurs as Lilith expresses concern over the effect of bringing baby Frederick to the bar, which Frasier disputes. When Norm enters and greets the bar, everyone is surprised to hear a little voice call out, "Norm!". Lilith, previously distraught that Frederick was not yet talking, joyously believes he said "Mom!". A beaming Frasier knows the truth but chooses not to destroy his wife's happiness.)
guest starred as Norm Peterson on St. Elsewhere
, Cheers’ first spinoff The Tortellis
, Wings, and The Simpsons
episode "Fear of Flying
", which also guest starred Ted Danson
, Rhea Perlman, Woody Harrelson
, and John Ratzenberger
as their respective characters. Years after Cheers ended, Wendt played Norm in a 2002 episode of its spinoff Frasier
, where he got along famously with Martin Crane
. (Martin: "Wow, that's some mug callus you've got there." Norm: "Judging from your grip, I'd say you were a can man.") Also, in the first part of a two-part episode on Frasier entitled "Three Dates and a Breakup," Frasier calls Norm to brag that he has three dates for the weekend. Frasier specifically says "Norm Peterson," though Norm is not actually seen or heard. Norm was most recently seen in animated form, voiced by Wendt, on Family Guy
in the 2009 episode "Three Kings
".
on Cheers, typically beginning with a welcome by the bar crowd yelling his name (which later included the filming audience), followed by a joke from Norm. A typical entrance went:
episode "Flaming Moe's
" where Barney Gumble
walks into the newly successful and popular Moe's Tavern to be greeted with the friendly cry of "Barney!". When a bartender similar to Woody Boyd
asks him how he's doing, Barney burps in response. Also in the episode "22 Short Stories About Springfield," Moe refers to Barney's bar tab having been sent to, and now returned by, NASA (just as Sam had sent Norm's bar tab to NASA in Cheers final episode).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, portrayed by George Wendt
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
. Norm's real first name was revealed to be Hillary, named after his grandfather.
Norm appeared in all 275 episodes of Cheers between 1982-1993 (the only patron to do so), and was initially the only customer featured in the main cast (to be later joined by Cliff Clavin
Cliff Clavin
Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. is a character on the American television show Cheers, co-created and portrayed by John Ratzenberger.- Character history :...
, Frasier Crane
Frasier Crane
Frasier W. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal...
, and Lilith Sternin
Lilith Sternin
Lilith Sternin, M.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., A.P.A. is a character played by Bebe Neuwirth on the American sitcom Cheers, which spans the course of her marriage to Frasier Crane, and its spinoff series Frasier, during which she made regular appearances as Frasier's ex-wife and the mother of their son...
).
Norm also made one guest appearance each in the three other sitcoms known to be set in the Cheers universe: the Frasier episode "Cheerful Goodbyes" and the Wings episode "The Story of Joe". He also appeared on the spinoff The Tortellis
The Tortellis
The Tortellis is an American sitcom that aired from January to May 1987 on NBC. A spin-off of the hit series Cheers, The Tortellis stars Dan Hedaya and Jean Kasem....
.
Fictional biography
Prior to the show, Norm was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to become an accountant, although he is a lifelong Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
fan who went to Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
as a child. Norm previously served in the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. He loses his accounting job by defending Diane
Diane Chambers
Diane Chambers is a fictional character portrayed by Shelley Long on the American television show Cheers , and on several episodes of the subsequent Cheers spin-off Frasier...
from his boss, and becomes a housepainter. Norm was revealed to be an accomplished interior decorator and beer taster, capable of spotting a bad vat in a factory by drinking a single bottle.
Ironically, even when unemployed, Norm is the bar's best customer. A running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
throughout the series are the numerous jokes made about the enormous size of Norm's tab at Cheers (e.g., several large binders are shown as being just a portion of it - in the episode Home Malone (season 9, episode 25), when Woody's rich, naive girlfriend Kelly waitresses at Cheers to gain "real-life experience", Norm convinces her that the tab is a record of the beers for which he has already paid, and for each new beer a mark should be erased - and in the finale Sam has to have his total tab for the series calculated by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
). In the few instances when Norm drinks at another bar, he is immediately kicked out because the bartenders demand an immediate cash payment instead of a tab.
Norm's best friend is postman
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
and fellow barfly Cliff Clavin
Cliff Clavin
Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. is a character on the American television show Cheers, co-created and portrayed by John Ratzenberger.- Character history :...
, who calls him "Normy", which when pronounced in Cliff's Boston accent, sounds like "Nommy" (rhyming with "Mommy"). Norm has a tattoo on his rear of an American flag which reads "God Bless the U.S. Postal Service" which he got after a mix up at a tattoo parlor he and Cliff visited after a night drinking cocktails made by Carla at Cheers.
Norm has a wife named Vera who is often mentioned but her face is never seen. When she is finally shown, her face is covered in pie thrown by Diane (season 5, episode 9 Thanksgiving Orphans), and the actress is uncredited. The only other times she is seen, viewers can see only her legs and at one time her waving from a car which drives past cheers on her and Norm's 15th wedding anniversary. Vera is the brunt of many of Norm's jokes, but on many occasions, Norm has professed secretly an undying love for his wife, or defended her honor. Norm and Vera separated during the second season of Cheers but reconciled in the last episode of the season, ironically contrasting the romance between Sam and Diane, who enjoyed a romance then bitterly broke up in that last episode. When Vera got a job at Melville's however, he was deeply disturbed by her proximity to him during his bar time. Vera was played by George Wendt's real-life wife, Bernadette Birkett.
In the Cheers episode It's a Wonderful Wife (season 9, episode 20) Vera tells Rebecca off-camera that Norm's real first name is Hillary. He explains that he was named after his grandfather who "once killed a man for laughing at him". Cliff asks if his grandfather really killed a man for laughing at his first name, and Norm replies, "Not exactly - he was a surgeon and he sort of botched an operation."
When not sipping beer at Cheers, Norm satisfies his hunger at an eatery called The Hungry Heifer, whose emblem is a young cow smacking her chops. The customers there greet him just the same as the Cheers patrons do. He knows the waitresses by name, and usually orders a meal called a Feeding Frenzy, a monstrous supply of corn and beef. He denigrated the eatery when he first visited it in season 2, but when the place was being shut down in season 9, he insinuates it was an important place to him throughout his life and knew the owner since at latest his college years. Corrine (played by Doris Grau
Doris Grau
Doris Grau was an American script supervisor, actress, and voice artist from Brooklyn. Shortly after moving to Hollywood in 1940, she began her career with supervising film and television scripts...
), who worked at Cheers occasionally as a temp waitress, was a server at The Hungry Heifer, and said the waitstaff knew Norm as "the guy who comes back".
Norm is also greeted by everyone at Gary's Olde Towne Tavern (Cheers' rival bar) with the customary "Norm!" shout in Bar Wars VI (season 10, episode 23). When Sam asks why the people at Gary's know him by name, Norm replies that he goes there on Christmas when Cheers is closed.
"Norm" is actually the first word of Frederick Sternin Crane (son of Frasier
Frasier Crane
Frasier W. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal...
and Lilith
Lilith Sternin
Lilith Sternin, M.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., A.P.A. is a character played by Bebe Neuwirth on the American sitcom Cheers, which spans the course of her marriage to Frasier Crane, and its spinoff series Frasier, during which she made regular appearances as Frasier's ex-wife and the mother of their son...
). (This occurs as Lilith expresses concern over the effect of bringing baby Frederick to the bar, which Frasier disputes. When Norm enters and greets the bar, everyone is surprised to hear a little voice call out, "Norm!". Lilith, previously distraught that Frederick was not yet talking, joyously believes he said "Mom!". A beaming Frasier knows the truth but chooses not to destroy his wife's happiness.)
Norm in other series
George WendtGeorge Wendt
George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
guest starred as Norm Peterson on St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood...
, Cheers’ first spinoff The Tortellis
The Tortellis
The Tortellis is an American sitcom that aired from January to May 1987 on NBC. A spin-off of the hit series Cheers, The Tortellis stars Dan Hedaya and Jean Kasem....
, Wings, and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Fear of Flying
Fear of Flying (The Simpsons)
"Fear of Flying" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 18, 1994. In the episode, Homer is banned from Moe's Tavern and struggles to find a new bar. When he destroys a plane after being mistaken for a pilot at...
", which also guest starred Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
, Rhea Perlman, Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
, and John Ratzenberger
John Ratzenberger
John Deszo Ratzenberger is an American actor, voice actor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his role as Cliff Clavin in Cheers.-Early life:...
as their respective characters. Years after Cheers ended, Wendt played Norm in a 2002 episode of its spinoff Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, where he got along famously with Martin Crane
Martin Crane
Det. Martin "Marty" Crane is a fictional character on the American television show Frasier. He was played by actor John Mahoney. Martin is the father of Frasier and Niles Crane.- Biography :...
. (Martin: "Wow, that's some mug callus you've got there." Norm: "Judging from your grip, I'd say you were a can man.") Also, in the first part of a two-part episode on Frasier entitled "Three Dates and a Breakup," Frasier calls Norm to brag that he has three dates for the weekend. Frasier specifically says "Norm Peterson," though Norm is not actually seen or heard. Norm was most recently seen in animated form, voiced by Wendt, on Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
in the 2009 episode "Three Kings
Three Kings (Family Guy)
"Three Kings", alternatively spelled "3 Kings", is the fifteenth episode of the seventh season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 10, 2009...
".
Norm's entrances
Norm's entrance into the bar is a running gagRunning gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
on Cheers, typically beginning with a welcome by the bar crowd yelling his name (which later included the filming audience), followed by a joke from Norm. A typical entrance went:
- Norm enters
- Norm: Afternoon, everybody!
- Customers: NORM!
- Diane: Norman...
- Coach: How's life treating you, Norm?
- Norm: Like he caught me in bed with his wife.
- Coach: Can I draw you a beer, Norm?
- Norm: No, I know what they look like. Just pour me one.
- Coach: How about a beer, Norm?
- Norm: Hey I'm high on life, Coach. Of course, beer is my life.
- Sam: What do you know, Norm?
- Norm: Not enough!
- Sam: What's going down, Norm?
- Norm: My blood alcohol level.
- Sam: What's up, Norm?
- Norm: My nipples, it's freezing out there!
- Woody: Hey, Mr. Peterson, what do you say to a cold one?
- Norm: "See you later, Vera. I'll be at Cheers."
- Woody: What's going on, Mr. Peterson?
- Norm: "Let's talk about what's going in Mr. Peterson."
The Simpsons
Norm's typical entrance is referenced in The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Flaming Moe's
Flaming Moe's
"Flaming Moe's" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 21, 1991. In the episode, Homer tells Moe Szyslak of a secret alcoholic cocktail that includes cough medicine and fire that he calls "Flaming Homer"...
" where Barney Gumble
Barney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
walks into the newly successful and popular Moe's Tavern to be greeted with the friendly cry of "Barney!". When a bartender similar to Woody Boyd
Woody Boyd
Huckleberry Tiberius "Woody" Boyd is a lovable, albeit extremely naive and unsophisticated, character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Woody Harrelson. Woody came to Cheers at the beginning of the fourth season of Cheers in 1985....
asks him how he's doing, Barney burps in response. Also in the episode "22 Short Stories About Springfield," Moe refers to Barney's bar tab having been sent to, and now returned by, NASA (just as Sam had sent Norm's bar tab to NASA in Cheers final episode).