# "Cheers" was an Autistic child's dream. (Possible spoilers of old 80s shows).
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 28, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832 "2014-11-28T17:22:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/1 "2014-11-28T17:22:09Z")
So was “Frasier”.
Exhibit A: A clip from “St. Elsewhere” where the doctors visited a Boston bar name “Cheers” where Carla insults the doctors, Cliff tries to get free medical advice, and Norm is Dr. Auschlander’s former accountant who got him in trouble with the IRS. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhCyXui0e\_Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhCyXui0e_Q)
Exhibit B: The finale of St. Elsewhere: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAOVxqg49DQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAOVxqg49DQ)
This link: [The Show that Ruined Television | The Saturday Evening Post](http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2009/11/28/in-the-magazine/trends-and-opinions/st-elsewhere-universe.html)
claims that hundreds of shows are affected by this.
> [@](#):
>
> The show did numerous crossover episodes where characters from one series appeared on St. Elsewhere or vice-versa. Crossing Jordan, Cheers, Boston Public, Chicago Hope, The Bob Newhart Show, M_A_S\*H, and Homicide: Life on the Street are among the shows where this happened.
It has a link to a site that supposedly documents the links between the shows but unfortunately it’s a dead link.
So how were these various other shows affected by this and what other shows were affected?
If “The Bob Newhart Show” really is connected, that adds a whole new layer involving “Newhart”.
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### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/2 "2014-11-28T17:25:09Z")
What does this have to do with an autistic child’s dream?
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/3 "2014-11-28T17:30:14Z")
Did you look at the links?
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### Author:  [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/4 "2014-11-28T17:32:19Z")
That is truly the unintended consequence of St Elsewhere’s ending. However, one could argue Cheers and their staff and customers were real and maybe somewhere the family went, that he integrated into his fantasy.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/5 "2014-11-28T17:33:06Z")
The autistic kid could have visited the Cheers bar and incorporated that in his snowglobe fantasy.
ETA: Or what IvoryTD said a minute before me.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/6 "2014-11-28T17:33:13Z")
> [@Procrustus](#):
>
> What does this have to do with an autistic child’s dream?
[It’s Tommy Westphall’s World, and we’re just living in it.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Westphall) Actually, if you do a search on Tommy Westphall and/or St. Elsewhere you will find we’ve covered this topic many times before.
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/7 "2014-11-28T17:37:22Z")
Wow. My links really got messed up. The first one was supposed to be this:
It’s too late for me to edit it. Maybe a mod can fix it.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/8 "2014-11-28T17:40:07Z")
And it’s no longer Tommy Westphall’s World-It is now [Tommy Westphall’s Universe,](http://tommywestphall.wikia.com/wiki/Category:All_shows)it seems. 😃
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/9 "2014-11-28T17:43:37Z")
> [@davidm](#):
>
> This link: [The Show that Ruined Television | The Saturday Evening Post](http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2009/11/28/in-the-magazine/trends-and-opinions/st-elsewhere-universe.html)
> claims that hundreds of shows are affected by this.
[375 at current count.](http://thetommywestphall.wordpress.com/the-master-list/)
> [@davidm](#):
>
> So how were these various other shows affected by this and what other shows were affected?
[Here’s a starting point](http://tommywestphall.wikia.com/wiki/St_Elsewhere), no idea how accurate it is.
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/10 "2014-11-28T17:44:49Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#):
>
> That is truly the unintended consequence of St Elsewhere’s ending. However, one could argue Cheers and their staff and customers were real and maybe somewhere the family went, that he integrated into his fantasy.
> [@Biggirl](#):
>
> The autistic kid could have visited the Cheers bar and incorporated that in his snowglobe fantasy.
> ETA: Or what IvoryTD said a minute before me.
Sure, or his family could watch a lot of TV and he could have incorporated things he saw on TV into his fantasy. But that’s no fun. 😛
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/11 "2014-11-28T17:49:17Z")
> [@davidm](#):
>
> Sure, or his family could watch a lot of TV and he could have incorporated things he saw on TV into his fantasy. But that’s no fun. 😛
Whoa. St. Elsewhere is a TV show in another fictional world, as seen/interpreted by an autistic child.
My head hurts…
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/12 "2014-11-28T17:55:18Z")
No. St. Elsewhere could have been purely his imagination but the crossover with Cheers, for example, may be something he got from watching TV.
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### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/13 "2014-11-28T18:07:23Z")
I’m sorry I acknowledge this is a little lazy of me but can someone explain to me real quick: What is a quick way to find out _how_ a particular show is connected to all this? For example, apparently somehow **Breaking Bad** ends up mixed up in the network of shows, but I don’t see an explanation as to how this is so.
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/14 "2014-11-28T18:29:49Z")
> [@Frylock](#):
>
> I’m sorry I acknowledge this is a little lazy of me but can someone explain to me real quick: What is a quick way to find out _how_ a particular show is connected to all this? For example, apparently somehow **Breaking Bad** ends up mixed up in the network of shows, but I don’t see an explanation as to how this is so.
The only thing I can think of that even remotely has a crossover with _Breaking Bad_ is _The Walking Dead_ and that’s a stretch.
[http://www.nerdist.com/2014/03/breaking-dead-is-breaking-bad-a-walking-dead-prequel/](http://www.nerdist.com/2014/03/breaking-dead-is-breaking-bad-a-walking-dead-prequel/)
> [@](#):
>
> The season four episode of The Walking Dead, “Still,” sees Daryl recounting an anecdote about his brother Merle’s dealer. And his description sounds like a certain short, bald meth dealer out of New Mexico.
>
> Speaking of Merle’s stash, season two sees Daryl’s big brother’s bag of drugs making an appearance as the group attempts to deal with T-Dog’s fever. And at the bottom of the bag? Does that look like a bunch of blue crystals?
>
> Weird.
>
> But it all starts with Walt’s shiny pair of wheels in season four, a Dodge Charger which Skyler made him return so that his new ride wouldn’t draw attention to the family business. Well, guess what is the name of the general manager of the dealership? That’s right, everyone’s favorite fleet-footed survivor, Glenn, who is seen driving the same car in the first season of The Walking Dead.
I have no idea how _The Walking Dead_ would connect to St. Elsewhere.
(_Better Call Saul_ obviously relates to BB but that can’t be the connection since it hasn’t premiered yet.)
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### Author:  [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/15 "2014-11-28T18:53:38Z")
> [@Frylock](#):
>
> I’m sorry I acknowledge this is a little lazy of me but can someone explain to me real quick: What is a quick way to find out _how_ a particular show is connected to all this? For example, apparently somehow **Breaking Bad** ends up mixed up in the network of shows, but I don’t see an explanation as to how this is so.
I asked this in one of the other threads:
> [@Movies/TV that could, be in the same universe as each other](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-that-could-be-in-the-same-universe-as-each-other/684788/13):
>
> What’s the Munch connection with _Breaking Bad_? Sorry, I’ve read the Westphall’s mind Wiki link before, but not recently.
> [@Movies/TV that could, be in the same universe as each other](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-that-could-be-in-the-same-universe-as-each-other/684788/15):
>
> St. Elsewhere → Homicide: LOS via Victor Ehrlich; Homicide: LOS → X-Files via Munch; X-Files → BB via Cradock Marine Bank; and BB → WD through Blue Sky, as was just pointed out in a thread here yesterday.
From Googling, [Fox Mulder had an account at Cradock Marine](http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/Cradock_Marine), and in _BB_ "[Cradock Marine Bank is a bank, a branch of which is used by Dan Wachsberger to deposit hazard pay for the families of Mike’s “nine guys” and Kaylee Ehrmantraut."](http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/Cradock_Marine_Bank)
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/16 "2014-11-28T20:29:21Z")
> [@davidm](#):
>
> Wow. My links really got messed up. The first one was supposed to be this:
>
>
> It’s too late for me to edit it. Maybe a mod can fix it.
Done.
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### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/17 "2014-11-28T20:43:08Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> And it’s no longer Tommy Westphall’s World-It is now [Tommy Westphall’s Universe,](http://tommywestphall.wikia.com/wiki/Category:All_shows)it seems. 😃
They forgot one, the most compelling one of all which proves that reality itself exists only in Tommy’s fevered imagination…
**Cops**
Remember, the X-Files had a cross-over episode with Cops, which means that Cops is a figment of Tommy’s imagination. But if Cops… a reality TV show that is based on real-world arrests… is in the Tommyverse, we _all_ are.
… Whoa…
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/18 "2014-11-28T20:56:27Z")
> [@JohnT](#):
>
> They forgot one, the most compelling one of all which proves that reality itself exists only in Tommy’s fevered imagination…
>
> **Cops**
>
> Remember, the X-Files had a cross-over episode with Cops, which means that Cops is a figment of Tommy’s imagination. But if Cops… a reality TV show that is based on real-world arrests… is in the Tommyverse, we _all_ are.
>
> … Whoa…
So then… he imagined a universe that contains a TV show about him imagining a universe that…
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/19 "2014-11-28T21:12:23Z")
> [@davidm](#):
>
> So then… he imagined a universe that contains a TV show about him imagining a universe that…
Tommy Westphall imagined himself into existence.
Tommy Westphall is, for all intents and purposes, God.
Mods, can we have this thread moved to Great Debates, please? 😃
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheers-was-an-autistic-childs-dream-possible-spoilers-of-old-80s-shows/705832/20 "2014-11-28T22:32:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> Tommy Westphall imagined himself into existence.
> Tommy Westphall is, for all intents and purposes, God.
> Mods, can we have this thread moved to Great Debates, please? 😃
Could Tommy Westphall be… Bob?
> **[Twin Peaks](https://tommywestphall.fandom.com/wiki/Twin_Peaks)**
>
> Twin Peaks is an American horror and crime drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost for ABC. It ran from April 8, 1990 to June 10, 1991 for three seasons. It spun off a feature film, Fire Walk With Me and a revival. When high school sweetheart...
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