Cliff Clavin's Jeopardy Loss Is Still Cheers' Best Gag 35 Years Later Cliff Clavin's appearance on Jeopardy! is one of Cheers' most memorable episodes, showcasing the character's confident ignorance and delivering a classic sitcom punchline that has endured for decades. Even over 35 years after its debut, Cheers remains one of the most beloved sitcoms in TV history because of characters like Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) and the tremendously memorable lines they delivered. While Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) were the main figures of the series for years until Long's departure, the ensemble cast of Cheers was always the heart of the series. Cliff and his best friend, Norm Peterson (George Wendt), were Cheers' regulars, and their time on the series, both together and separately, brought about some of the show's most quotable and memorable moments.While Cheers was consistently funny when the ensemble was working together, the series was also able to hone in on moments for its side characters to show who they were and anchor the show's comedy. No one did this more intensely than Cliff, who became one of the defining parts of the sitcom throughout its 11-season run.Cliff's know-it-all attitude made the postal worker a specifically funny style of character, one who gave unsolicited expertise and elaborate explanations of things that may not be entirely right. Cliff's confidence was usually higher than his general knowledge, which created a winning formula. Though Cliff spent the majority of his time on Cheers being one of the most consistently funny parts of the show, his standout storyline and his best line come from a singular episode.Cliff's infamous appearance on Jeopardy! is still easily one of the funniest sitcom moments of all time. Cliff Clavin's Jeopardy Appearance Is One Of Cheers' Most Memorable Episodes Although it didn't come until a later season of Cheers, Cliff's infamous appearance on Jeopardy! is one of the show's most memorable episodes. After years of presenting himself as the smartest person in the room, Cliff got the opportunity to put his money where his mouth was as a contestant on Jeopardy!, answering trivia questions in hopes of winning big. At first, it felt like the appearance would validate everything Cliff presented about himself when it came to his high-level of intelligence. With Cliff seemingly receiving the recognition he's always wanted when he has a commanding lead, things turned.The final Jeopardy clue is one that immediately visibly stumps Cliff, asking for the stage names of Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz and Lucille LeSueur, and while he likely knows that he doesn't know the answer, his decision to make a big wager doesn't stop him from answering in a hilarious manner. Cliff, who responds, "Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?" and proceeds to lose his $22,000 lead, is the perfect payoff to the character having been a know-it-all for the past 8 seasons of Cheers. Finally stumped, Cliff had to admit to his own failings.The Legacy Behind Cliff's Jeopardy Answer In Cheers Cliff's Jeopardy! storyline has been one of the most lasting of the show's legacy, and what elevates it is the final moment, which pulls together all the threads of the story while making it clear that the show's been building to something bigger than a final clue. Decades after its air, the moment is one of the first that comes up when discussing Cheers and Cliff specifically, and that longevity is difficult to achieve even for a series that has an abundance of deeply funny moments.Part of the reason the story endures comes from it representing Cliff's whole character. As a person, Cliff would position himself as an authority figure in conversations, assuming the position that he knew more than the person he was talking to.Seeing him do so with such disastrous results after going on a run through the entire game and taking a massive lead was a crushingly funny defeat, and allowed viewers to watch the character crumble without it feeling sour or difficult from a story perspective. The episode feels timeless, and the Jeopardy! centric Cheers joke continues to be a hilarious one nearly 40 years after its first time on the air