Frasier (1 Viewer)

[LeoA]

I don't know what episode is was or what exactly the circumstances were, but there's a great moment I love when the father is disappointed in how Frasier and Niles are acting and says something like how Hoss and Little Joe wouldn't of treated Ben Cartwright that way.

I'm paraphrasing all this since I don't know it exactly, but a few seconds later, Frasier and Niles look at each other and comment with something like "great, there he goes talking about those Cartwrights again; Someday we really should ask him just who they are".

 

[The Drifter]

That continues through the entire series. It's surprising who contributes. I seem to recall people like Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Some people show up repeatedly and some of them are hilarious. There's a southern actress whose name escapes me who is on it several times.

Yes, these are extremely funny - what's amusing is trying to figure out who the voices are ahead of time, since though they sound familiar - without being able to see their faces, it's not easy to always put your finger on who they are. IIRC, these names are first revealed in the credits at the end. Lily Tomlin as the put-upon mother from S02 was especially great.

Yes the closing credits are worth watching for all the shows- there’s an amusing joke that references a plot in that specific episode. One of the many good things about the show is no wasted time- the opening music that lasts not even 10 seconds, then right to the show.

Agreed. Even the "chapter breaks" in the episodes (i.e., the black screen with the lettering, that you see 2-3 times per episode) move the story along in a comedic way, and these only last for a few seconds. Plus, there are usually some relevant sound effects/dialogue that you hear before the picture is seen.

The scenes I still remember from that episode are Daphne grabbing an eel out of the tank and whipping it against the countertop after the chef quit and everyone else was squeamish about handling the eels (which was the featured trademark dish of that chef and many in the dining room want to order the dish).

And Roz's blown up face and hair after she light the cherries jubilee that both Niles and Frasier had been repeatedly dosing with brandy all evening. "I've never seen a cherry embedded in an acoustic tile!"

Yes, this was hilarious. Though I've only watched through S02 of this series (so far), I suspect this restaurant episode will end up being one of the funniest episodes of the series.

Anyone who's ever worked at a restaurant (especially a high-end one) can really relate to this episode

Any episode that centers around a night at a restaurant or the brothers throwing a dinner party is pure gold. One of my favorite restaurant episodes is when Martin convinces Frasier and Niles to go with him to his favorite steak house, and they're so elitist and snooty about the food, staff, and ambiance, that Martin has to tell them off, which leads to some temporary shame and self-reflection.

I remember that - IIRC, it was in S01. Another great episode. It was funny how Niles & Frasier thought they were "above" going to eat at a place like that, when it was more than acceptable for their father - LOL. By the same token, it's funny how they make fun of the fact that their father drinks beer - when they wouldn't be caught dead drinking anything but wine or some other high-end (or perceived high-end) alcoholic drink, i.e cognac, etc. - ha ha.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Yes this episode is where Frasier and Niles gets their ties cut off with scissors by the waitresses. Funny stuff. The episode is also the first time Niles meets Daphne- instant infatuation.

 

[The Drifter]

My review of Frasier S03, Part 1. Hilarious - as always. My favorite S03 episodes/storylines have included:

-The first part of the season features the talented and underrated Mercedes Ruehl playing Kate Costas, Frasier's new manager @ the radio station. They end up clashing early on, but soon after end up having an affair. However, it doesn't last long - since they realize they're not at all compatible (Frasier is allergic to the cats she likes/owns, they have no common interests, etc.). My favorite scene involving them is when they're both stuck in an elevator together - LOL. Soon after, Costas moves to Chicago - thereby getting written off the show.

Ruehl is one of my favorite actresses, and it's too bad she wasn't in more films/TV shows. One of my favorite films (she was featured in) was Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King (1991).

-Something I would have seen coming (even if I were watching the show on it's initial release) was the divorce of Niles & Maris. This was completely expected. It's funny how Roz sarcastically "pretends" to feel bad about this when it's first mentioned to her by Niles (she had obviously heard about it earlier from Frasier). Roz correctly feels that Niles is a pretentious jerk, and she's probably happy he's so miserable - LOL. Going along with this, it's funny how the divorce leads Miles to:

Briefly chase after Roz @ the radio station (who runs away from him) due to desperation. He had never given a second glance to her beforehand; despite her attractive-ness, you got the strong impression he felt she was "beneath" him - LOL.

Buy a thin, unusually shaped female dog - even though he's not a dog person. It's hilarious how he coddles the dog; i.e., picking it up, letting it sit on the couch, etc. It's obvious to Frasier, Daphne & Martin that Niles got the dog because she reminded him of Maris - but Niles himself doesn't realize this (at least not consciously) - LOL.

-The Christmas episode - ha ha. It was great how Martin put out all the garish Christmas decorations in the apartment, much to Frasier's chagrin - LOL. My favorite scene(s) were on Christmas Eve, when Frasier & Niles go to a toy store & Frasier can't find the educational toys he wants for his son Frederick (who is coming to visit for Christmas). But, shortly after notices a fellow toy store shopper with the educational toys in his bag. The fellow shopper tells him that store has closed for the night, but that he would sell the items to Frasier....for $1,000....when they're probably all only worth $50-$60 (at most). Like a fool - Frasier, desperate for the toys, reluctantly pays this amount for them.....despite the fact that he should fully realize that Frederick won't want them anyway. What an idiot! ha ha

Technical review of the S03 DVD set:

I noticed an improvement in the Picture Quality (PQ) in this season, especially starting with the Christmas episode-on. Not sure if that meant the show itself had better PQ from S03-on when it was first broadcast, or if the DVD sets themselves just got a better remastering from S03-on. In either case, the PQ looks decent in this season - for the most part. Conversely, the PQ in Seasons 1-2 was fairly sub-par, and didn't look much better than a VHS rip - disappointing.

 

[The Drifter]

Part 2 of my S03 review:

-The episode when Diane Chambers returns - extremely funny! Diane is in town to try to get a play she wrote off the ground, and wants Frasier's financial backing - LOL. Like the sucker he is (especially when it comes to old flames), Frasier ends up giving her money. As it turns out, her 'play' is a re-creation of "Cheers", with actors portraying Sam Malone, Cliff Claven, Carla, etc. These guys are spot-on as "Bizzarro" versions of the Cheers crowd - LOL.

-Frasier decides to "join forces" with Niles & gets an adjoining office right near him, so they can practice psychiatry together - LOL. However, not surprisingly, this doesn't last long: Frasier & Niles are overseeing a group therapy session re: people going through divorces, etc. And, though Niles tries to control the room, Frasier takes over & starts pontificating, etc. This leads to Niles getting frustrated, and things go downhill from there - ha ha.

-Frasier gets into an altercation with a fellow patron at Cafe Nervosa (because the guy stole Frasier & Niles' seat), and proceeds to physically throw him out the door - ha ha. This leads to the other patrons cheering Frasier, and also results in a newspaper story written about the incident. Frasier then becomes something of a local celebrity - which leads to Niles becoming jealous that he never successfully defended himself against anyone.

However, Frasier (who typically seems to always screw things up for himself) later feels guilty - even though he shouldn't. So, he publicly apologizes to the guy at the Cafe. And, since Frasier was stupid enough to admit guilt - the guy then says he is going to sue Frasier for assault....ha ha. Then, Niles picks a fight with the guy, who barely touches him - causing Niles to fall back into an adjoining table, collapsing it - hilarious. This then allows Niles & Frasier to say they are going to counter-sue. So - presumably, the guy will drop his suit to avoid being sued himself - very clever!

-Roz meets a guy she likes on a local bus/rail-car, but is separated from him before she can give him her phone #, etc. So, Frasier - hearing the story - decides to try to help Roz out. He mentions this meeting on the air, in the hopes that the guy will contact the station & then meet Roz. As planned, the guy hears the show & comes to the station with a bouquet of flowers for Roz. She is initially enthusiastic about him - until he admits to being married (and worried that his wife may have heard the show - LOL) but also says he still wants to go out with her. Roz, not impressed, proceeds to hit the guy over the head with the bouquet - repeatedly. The very next scene is especially funny - Frasier is talking on the radio in the foreground, while - in the background (seen through the office window behind Frasier) - Roz is angrily chasing the guy (and keeps hitting him with the now-destroyed bouquet) and eventually runs into the stairwell after him - ha ha.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Yes the show where Diane returns is well-done. The show where Frasier becomes obsessed with beating his father at chess is another highlight from season 3. The skinny Greyhound that Niles buys for companionship leads to funny comments from Martin about how it resembles Maris (that dog makes another appearance in season 4, I think). A show towards the end of season 3- Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fired is a good one- Frasier’s agent Bebe has to quit smoking- a mandate from her rich fiancé.

 

[The Drifter]

A show towards the end of season 3- Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fired is a good one- Frasier’s agent Bebe has to quit smoking- a mandate from her rich fiancé.

This was especially hilarious!!! The very superficial Bebe hooks up with a much older wealthy guy who is on his last legs, and it's very evident she's only doing it because he's got big bucks - ha ha.

Spoiler: SPOILER

So, when he finally passes right as they're walking down the aisle she's very upset, but not because he's dead - only because he died before she was in a position to inherit all his money

 

[David Norman]

Any episode with Bebe I'd say is Top 20 Frasier -- I can't remember a single episode which she was in that wasn't stellar.
The Lilith episodes are pretty much the same though most of them would come a bit behind Bebe

 

[The Drifter]

Caught up to Frasier S04 on the DVD set. As always, great season!

Technical review: The PQ of this DVD set is better than S01-S02; from S03-on the PQ on these sets has really improved. Also, this is the first Frasier DVD set that has a "play all" feature; so, instead of having to go episode by episode, you can play these back to back - which is a nice convenience.

General comment about the series:

-I'm always interested in background characters in TV shows, especially sitcoms. And, in Cheers there was a middle-aged woman who was a regular barfly (don't know who the actress is, and I'm not sure if the character is ever named), and was typically seen in the background in many episodes - in the later seasons especially. She never had any speaking parts, but did interact with others at the bar; on at least one occasion the gang tried to draw her into their shenanigans. However, for the most part she was not part of the main "action, and was just seen talking to her friends & drinking, etc.

And, this same woman is seen in the background on many occasions @ the station in Frasier. So, since both shows take place in the same "universe", after Frasier left Boston for Seattle - this barfly followed him & coincidentally got a job at the same radio station where he worked - LOL!

Some of my favorite episodes this season:

-Frasier & Niles meet two attractive 30-ish brunettes in Cafe Nervosa, and start dating them. Soon after, they end up going to the family cabin with the women for the weekend. As the evening progresses & Niles/Frasier look like they're both going to get lucky, Niles feels guilty/nervous, and starts calling Maris (whom he's separated from), to make sure he has "permission" to "date" other women. He gets so upset/flustered that he interrupts Frasier & his date as well, thereby ultimately screwing the whole thing up for both of them; the women ask to be taken home, and that's the end of it. Niles is at his most $#%#%-whipped & pathetic in this episode, at least up to this point - LOL.

-Niles throws a dinner party, and invites Frasier & numerous snobbish neighbors at his upscale apartment building (where he moved after the separation/divorce). However, before the party actually starts - Niles' parrot ends up attaching itself to his head & won't get off, so Niles is stuck in the kitchen for the duration of the party. And, Frasier has to entertain the guests & make excuses for why Niles can't come out & greet/talk to everyone. When Frasier & Niles are in the kitchen, Niles makes numerous insulting comments about the guests to Frasier - that the parrot unsuspectingly picks up on. At the end of the episode, the parrot comes out of the kitchen & repeats a lot of what Niles has said - thereby offending all the guests (and thereby ruining yet another potential hook-up for Frasier), causing everyone to leave. Hilarious!

- A two-part?!/extended episode (towards the end of the season) showcases Frasier having three different dates over the course of several nights. However, in typical Frasier fashion he puts his foot in his mouth and/or misrepresents himself; and/or his father's "main squeeze" says something (about Frasier) - all of which turn off the first 2 dates. However, the episode ends well for Frasier (which is unusual - LOL); Frasier's father says some nice things about him to the 3rd date, who warms up to Frasier even more because of this.

 

[Malcolm R]

Any episode with Bebe I'd say is Top 20 Frasier -- I can't remember a single episode which she was in that wasn't stellar.

Yes, any Bebe appearance was always hilarious. Harriet Sansom Harris really created a character that usually stole the show from the leads.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Caught up to Frasier S04 on the DVD set. As always, great season!

Technical review: The PQ of this DVD set is better than S01-S02; from S03-on the PQ on these sets has really improved. Also, this is the first Frasier DVD set that has a "play all" feature; so, instead of having to go episode by episode, you can play these back to back - which is a nice convenience.

General comment about the series:

-I'm always interested in background characters in TV shows, especially sitcoms. And, in Cheers there was a middle-aged woman who was a regular barfly (don't know who the actress is, and I'm not sure if the character is ever named), and was typically seen in the background in many episodes - in the later seasons especially. She never had any speaking parts, but did interact with others at the bar; on at least one occasion the gang tried to draw her into their shenanigans. However, for the most part she was not part of the main "action, and was just seen talking to her friends & drinking, etc.

And, this same woman is seen in the background on many occasions @ the station in Frasier. So, since both shows take place in the same "universe", after Frasier left Boston for Seattle - this barfly followed him & coincidentally got a job at the same radio station where he worked - LOL!

Some of my favorite episodes this season:

-Frasier & Niles meet two attractive 30-ish brunettes in Cafe Nervosa, and start dating them. Soon after, they end up going to the family cabin with the women for the weekend. As the evening progresses & Niles/Frasier look like they're both going to get lucky, Niles feels guilty/nervous, and starts calling Maris (whom he's separated from), to make sure he has "permission" to "date" other women. He gets so upset/flustered that he interrupts Frasier & his date as well, thereby ultimately screwing the whole thing up for both of them; the women ask to be taken home, and that's the end of it. Niles is at his most $#%#%-whipped & pathetic in this episode, at least up to this point - LOL.

-Niles throws a dinner party, and invites Frasier & numerous snobbish neighbors at his upscale apartment building (where he moved after the separation/divorce). However, before the party actually starts - Niles' parrot ends up attaching itself to his head & won't get off, so Niles is stuck in the kitchen for the duration of the party. And, Frasier has to entertain the guests & make excuses for why Niles can't come out & greet/talk to everyone. When Frasier & Niles are in the kitchen, Niles makes numerous insulting comments about the guests to Frasier - that the parrot unsuspectingly picks up on. At the end of the episode, the parrot comes out of the kitchen & repeats a lot of what Niles has said - thereby offending all the guests (and thereby ruining yet another potential hook-up for Frasier), causing everyone to leave. Hilarious!

- A two-part?!/extended episode (towards the end of the season) showcases Frasier having three different dates over the course of several nights. However, in typical Frasier fashion he puts his foot in his mouth and/or misrepresents himself; and/or his father's "main squeeze" says something (about Frasier) - all of which turn off the first 2 dates. However, the episode ends well for Frasier (which is unusual - LOL); Frasier's father says some nice things about him to the 3rd date, who warms up to Frasier even more because of this.

Yes season 4 has some good episodes (improves from season 3, in my opinion).
The Two Mrs. Cranes- Daphne’s former fiancé pays her a visit after a 5 year gal, and a bunch of lies ensue.
Mixed Doubles- Daphne starts dating a guy who has a resemblance to Niles.
My Father Who’s Art Ain’t Heaven- Martin buys a
painting for Frasier that isn’t to his taste (the scene where they both cry their eyes out is a funny one).
Ask Me No Questions- Niles asks Frasier if he and Maris are meant for each other.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Love Bites Dog is another good episode- Bulldog
Briscoe takes a woman who Frasier is interested in, then falls for her. After Bulldog is dumped, it’s up to Frasier and Niles to pull him out of his funk.
Bulldog (Dan Butler) is a funny supporting character.

 

[Bill Waits]

For a show that is so revered, cherished, and honored, I can't believe that they haven't released the entire series in HD, even via streaming. They've done that with Cheers, so why not Frasier?

 

[Malcolm R]

Not to jump ahead, but I caught one of my favorite episodes from S7 last night, where Kenny (station manager) asks Frasier to come up with a simple, catchy "jingle" to promote his show.

I'd love a blu-ray set of Frasier. There aren't many sitcoms I'd bother with on blu, but Frasier is one of a small handful.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Not to jump ahead, but I caught one of my favorite episodes from S7 last night, where Kenny (station manager) asks Frasier to come up with a simple, catchy "jingle" to promote his show.

I'd love a blu-ray set of Frasier. There aren't many sitcoms I'd bother with on blu, but Frasier is one of a small handful.

Seasons 6 and 7 are the 2 best seasons in the series.

 

[The Drifter]

Some of my favorite episodes from Frasier S05:

-The season starts out with Frasier hooking up with a gorgeous, apparently well-known model - while on vacation. She is also an accomplished marine biologist (or something similar). While they continue discreetly seeing each other when they both get back to Seattle, she tells him not to mention the "affair" to others, because she had just recently broken up with a well-known athlete, and she didn't want the press to find out about her relationship with Frasier - given that it would be all over the tabloids.

However, Frasier, being the loud-mouth that he is, has to spill his guts to his family & friends - and they don't believe him - LOL. Finally, in frustration, one morning (after she's spent the night at his place), he decides to take a picture of both him & her while she's asleep, so he could show everyone & prove that she exists. Suddenly, she wakes up just as he's taking the picture & misinterprets his action(s) - and thinks he's wanting to sell the pictures to the tabloids - LOL.

Spoiler: SPOILER

So, she insults him & storms off, and right after she leaves Frasier's father, Niles, and Daphne come to the apartment from being out. Frasier tells them they just missed the woman, and they think he's pathetic & making it all up (as usual). However, as luck would have it, the model unexpectedly comes back (to remove the film from the camera) and insults Frasier some more in front of his family - and then storms off again, for good. And, Frasier, instead of being upset at the woman leaving him & also being berated/insulted, is happy because he's proven to everyone that his hooking up with her isn't just something he made up - LOL!

-Roz gets pregnant, and the father is a 20-year old college student. Soon after she tells him the news, he has an opportunity to go to Paris on a work study program. Roz, not wanting to tie him down - tells him to go & live his life, and she will take care of the baby by herself. As it turns out, the student's parents are very nice & want to help with the raising of the baby. So, since Roz is nervous about meeting them, Frasier decides to have a dinner party at his place so she can meet them & have his support, etc. As it turns out, the couple both have abnormally large noses (obviously proshetics). So, Roz, Frasier, Martin, etc. all have an awkward evening where they have to pretend not to stare at/make comments about the noses - very funny!

I also felt this plot-line was realistic; i.e., in too many TV shows, characters sleep around without consequence. So, it was realistic to see Roz get pregnant & have the father be someone who wasn't financially or emotionally ready to have children. This happens all the time IRL, so it's nice to see this "slice of life" reflected on the show.

- Martin decides to dye his hair brown so he will presumably look younger, but it ends up looking terrible & is an extremely obvious dye job. This coincides with Niles having a dinner party at his upscale apartment, and inviting Martin, Frasier, a very pregnant Roz, and a host of others. While at the party, the following hilarity ensues:

Martin is sitting down in one of Niles' expensive chairs, and is making small talk with an attractive woman. However, he soon after realizes that his dyed hair is leaving a mark on the back of the cloth chair, and so he can't get up from his chair because she (and others) will see the mark & this will confirm the hair is dyed. However, the woman misinterprets his actions as rudeness, and leaves - LOL.

Frasier & Niles are after the same attractive, tall-ish woman, and Frasier is upset because he feels that Niles is trying to steal her away from him - and vice-versa. However, she isn't interested in either of them & later leaves with the bartender - typical outcome for Niles/Frasier - ha ha.

The episode ends with Niles, Frasier, and Daphne sitting in the waiting room at the hospital because Roz is having the baby. And, at that point, Martin's hair dye is actually leaking onto his face - hilarious!

The final scene (as the credits are rolling) is one of the funniest finales in the series; Niles is going around his apartment with the maid(s), and notices dark spots on a lot of his furniture & even a lamp-shade; apparently, Martin put his head against a lot of things while at the party, causing possibly permanent?! marks - ha ha!

 

[Jeffrey D]

Voyage Of The Damned is a pretty good episode- Frasier gets booked to do work on a cruise, and Niles and Maris are on the boat
(Niles gets a few drinks thrown in his face by waiters- orders from Maris).

The Maris Counselor and Room Service are good episodes too.

 

[bmasters9]

Technical review: The PQ of this DVD set is better than S01-S02; from S03-on the PQ on these sets has really improved. Also, this is the first Frasier DVD set that has a "play all" feature; so, instead of having to go episode by episode, you can play these back to back - which is a nice convenience.

Why would the first three gos of Frasier not allow for "play all"?

 

[The Drifter]

Why would the first three gos of Frasier not allow for "play all"?

The first three seasons of Frasier on the DVD sets (the series hasn't been released to Blu-ray) only allowed you to play each episode individually - there was no "Play all" feature. Fortunately, the 4th season-on of the series (again, on the DVD's) does have this Play All feature.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I don't know what episode is was or what exactly the circumstances were, but there's a great moment I love when the father is disappointed in how Frasier and Niles are acting and says something like how Hoss and Little Joe wouldn't of treated Ben Cartwright that way.

I'm paraphrasing all this since I don't know it exactly, but a few seconds later, Frasier and Niles look at each other and comment with something like "great, there he goes talking about those Cartwrights again; Someday we really should ask him just who they are".

That was from the season 4 episode A Crane’s Critique- Martin makes friends with a reclusive writer who the brothers really admire. The writer leaves a manuscript of a book in the apartment, and the brothers take it upon themselves to read it.