 Norm convinces Sam to install a satellite dish at Cheers. Carla finds a cheap, used dish, however it does not come installed. Despite not knowing how to do it, Sam and Woody tackle the installation task. During their work, Sam and Woody have a philosophical chat as, while they think of satellites, ponder the meaning of the universe. Meanwhile, Cliff has submitted a joke to the Tonight Show hopefully for Johnny Carson to use in his opening monologue. The joke:  Today is Doc Severinsen s birthday. You know, Doc is so old, when he was a kid, he never blew out candles on his birthday cake. They didn t have fire yet.  It is obviously rejected. However Norm doctors the rejection letter to make it look like a acceptance letter, since Cliff is feeling so down today. When Cliff reads the letter, he s elated, so much so, he buys three round trip tickets to Los Angeles, planning to watch the Tonight Show live when his joke should be used. The three lucky souls are Cliff, Ma and Norm. Cliff expects not only that his joke will be used but that Johnny will invite him on air. Although nervous about ultimately revealing the truth to Cliff, Norm has a great time in Hollywood, as does Cliff and Ma. At the show, Norm still can t tell Cliff the truth, and instead bribes the cue card guy into putting the joke into the monologue. Johnny ends up telling the joke, but it bombs and Johnny can t believe the writers put that joke in. From the audience, Cliff pipes up that he was the writer of that superlative joke, the only reason why it bombed being Johnny s delivery. Cliff is promptly hauled off by security. Ma stands up for her son and convinces Johnny to tell the joke again, with specific details on how to tell it. It s third time lucky as the audience laughs uproariously on Johnny s third telling. Johnny is so enamored with Ma that he invites her down on stage. She in turn brings Norm on stage. Back at the bar, the gang, watching live, are all agog as is Cliff, who is watching from the security room. Despite being under guard, Cliff feels vindicated.