The Zoo Story

A 1968 horror film directed by Roman Polanski about a woman who suspects her unborn child may be the spawn of Satan.

“And Rosemary's Bebe.”— Frasier

A 1983 Academy Award-winning film directed by James L. Brooks, starring Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger.

“A Pregnant Pause: Roz Doyle's Term of Endearment.”— Bebe

American actor known for starring in tough-guy action films, particularly the Death Wish vigilante franchise.

“I popped in the tape, and there was Charles Bronson blowing away street trash, but I actually got into it.”— Niles

A 1981 film directed by Louis Malle, consisting almost entirely of a conversation between Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn over dinner.

“that's the way Duke and I felt about "My Dinner With Andre." Talk about suspense! Will they order dessert? Will they leave a good tip?”— Martin

A 1922 German Expressionist silent horror film directed by F.W. Murnau, an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula featuring the vampire Count Orlok.

“You've never seen such cold, dead eyes! It was like bargaining with Nosferatu.”— Gil

A traditional Eastern European beet soup, widely associated with Russian and Ukrainian cuisine.

“cook some more borsht for Mrs. Pavlov”— Ben

Roman Emperor (37-41 AD) notorious for his cruelty, extravagance, and depravity.

“a woman whose ethics would've raised eyebrows in the court of Caligula!”— Frasier

An 1896 science fiction novel by H.G. Wells about a scientist who creates human-animal hybrids on a remote island.

“the Mercer Island Zoo seemed more like the Island of Doctor Moreau”— Toffee

Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) was a legendary American lyricist and librettist, known for musicals such as Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, and South Pacific.

“No, Niles, because he loves the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein!”— Frasier

A stringed musical instrument, flat and typically placed on a table or lap to be played, associated with European folk music.

“She pulled me down upon the bed and began playing my spine like a zither.”— Niles

The Number of the Beast, associated with Satan in the Book of Revelation in Christian scripture.

“Still 666, is it?!”— Frasier

A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Christian denomination founded by Joseph Smith in 1830.

“Well, when there's a dirty job to be done, you can't go wrong with a Mormon.”— Bebe

A charitable program that delivers meals to homebound individuals, typically elderly or disabled people.

“I was making my last Meals on Wheels delivery and I swerved to avoid a pigeon.”— Ben

A reference likely evoking Ivan Pavlov, the famous Russian physiologist known for his work on classical conditioning.

“cook some more borsht for Mrs. Pavlov”— Ben

A tropical flower (Strelitzia) known for its striking, colorful appearance resembling an exotic bird.

“Birds of Paradise, I suppose that's her idea of floral irony.”— Niles

A popular American children's television show (1947-1960) featuring a freckle-faced marionette character known for his wholesome, naive demeanor.

“Well, it's your own fault for hiring Howdy Doody as your agent!”— Martin

A member of the Mickey Mouse Club, a Disney TV show featuring young, wholesome performers; used here to suggest someone naive and amateurish.

“Are you sure you want to send in that Mouseketeer?”— Martin

Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, known for his theories on the unconscious mind, dream interpretation, and therapeutic techniques.

“holding a pad wearing dark, Sigmund Freud-ish glasses, sitting on the coffee table beside Eddie”— Daphne

American playwright, screenwriter, and director known for his sharp, profanity-laden dialogue in works such as Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo.

“I walked out on that Mamet play, I can walk out on you.”— Ben

A one-act play by Edward Albee, first produced in 1959, about a chance encounter between two men on a park bench in Central Park.

“The Zoo Story”— Frasier

A complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways in the U.S. state of Washington.

“you'll be doing fog reports from a lighthouse in Puget Sound!”— Bebe

The capital of Utah, known as the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).

“Turns out Mr. Twembly and I both sang tenor for the same choir back home in Salt Lake City.”— Ben