Eminent Boston Psychiatrist Frasier Crane last seen gracing the bars of Cheers has left his life there to start afresh in Seattle. He now has a spot as a popular radio Psychiatrist giving him the chance to spread words of wit and wisdom to the masses. He shares his apartment with his retired cop father Martin and his fathers physical care assistant Daphne Moon. Add in brother Niles Eddie the dog some bizarre situations and plenty of humour and youve got all the ingredients for an excellent show and worthy successor to Cheers.
Review
It may have started life as a hopeful spinoff from Cheers but right from the very first episodes Frasier proved that it had enough style and substance of its own to become a TV legend. Granted it went on for a couple of seasons too many and toward the end was clearly starting to suffer from a lack of fresh ideas but for the most part this was a hilarious insightful and often very moving programme that my Friday nights throughout the late 90s just wouldnt have been complete without. After so many years of viewing Frasier Niles Martin Daphne Roz and Eddie feel like more than just TV characters theyre like your very own neighbours or even great friends.
Indeed Frasier worked so well throughout most of its run not just because of the sharp intelligent scripting but also due to the sheer depth of its central characters and the ongoing focus on their relationships with each other. The characterisation here was always so rich and meaningful taking us right from Dr Frasier Crane himself the highbrow slightly arrogant but goodnatured radio shrink to his more laidback everyman father Martin (a retired police officer now living with his son) and prissy younger brother Niles a fellow psychiatrist who fits two slots as both Frasiers best friend and his mortal enemy! A lot of the episodes revolved around their family troubles and clashes of interest but were handled in a very meticulous way and the morals always felt smooth and genuine. Though rarely quite able to see eyetoeye with each other you got a good sense over the course of the series that the Crane men were gradually learning to bond and grow closer together in spite of their differences. And thats one of the aspects of Frasier that roped me in head and shoulders above its other contemporary sitcoms it was never afraid to mix heart and poignancy with its laughoutloud hilarity. Episodes like Martin does it his way Our Father whose Art Aint in Heaven and Rozs Krantz and Gouldenstein are Dead are classic examples.
Daphne Moon Martins amiable English physiotherapist and Roz Doyle Frasiers sassy producer were also great characters who added their own unique streaks of humour and personality to the format. Even Maris a personage who was never seen but talked about at many an ingenious moment managed to make her mark its to the credit of those wily scriptwriters that they could always have you feeling her presence solely on the wordofmouth of other characters. On the side any episode featuring Bebe Frasiers positively demonic agent can almost guarantee a laughriot she was utterly hilarious and there was never another semiregular character quite like her.
In terms of acting quality the central cast was always strong particularly Kelsey Grammar at his utmost prime not just in fulfilling the role of our protagonist but also in singing Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs over the endcredits of every episode (who knew what those words were supposed to mean but it was a great theme song! I still catch myself humming it from time to time).
Ill also come clean with my unswerving admiration for Moose the canine performer who rounded off the Crane household in the role of Eddie Martins Jack Russell for most of the series (before retiring and being replaced by his offspring Enzo for the final fifth). Seriously hes got to be the most talented animal actor since that cat who played Tao in The Incredible Journey. Those various antics of his amounted to a lot more than just a few dumb pet tricks to secure easy "aww" reactions from the audience Eddie had easily as much personality as any of the human ensemble a subtle and canny little dog whos good at getting what he wants and working his way round the nononsense Frasier.
As youve probably guessed by now I loved this show and its cast of characters dearly and was sorry to see it go in 2004 but at the same time I was pretty much aware that it had run its course. They were starting to rehash older concepts like Frasier losing Martins chair which is always a bad sign. Also too many OTT British accents from nonBritish guest actors had a few of us clenching our teeth this side of the Atlantic (Anthony LaPaglia Im looking mainly in your direction here!). But I digress because the general history of this sitcom was just fantastic. Even if the latterday episodes were a little weaker than the previous instalments its the truly great material that in the end really stays with you. And throughout the years there was so so much of it.
Mark my words this show is all set in time to go down as the classic US sitcom of the 90s. Friends may have gotten the greater media coverage when it left its own building in the same year but Frasier will always be the superior show.
Grade A