Frasier (1993-2004)

Drop your favorite jokes, characters, on air callers, or episodes.

One of the best

The night at the ski lodge: Frazier, Niles, Daphne, one of Daphne’s British friends, and a French Ski instructor. Or was he the cook?

The penultimate scene involved Niles fending off the Frenchman’s advances with a clear “Im not gay, Guy!”

Then the final pathetic cry, always saved for Frasier, about all the lust, and sex coursing through “this cabin tonight… and no one was chasing ME?!”

R3 Yes. Guy the French ski instructor. James Patrick Stewart was so handsome.

It suffered when they brought in Daphne’s unfunny family, then Daphne’s fiancé and ruined it when Daphne and Niles got married but at least no one adopted a precocious child.

I could have written the first paragraph in the OP word-for-word. I've watched every episode at least three times.

Exquisite acting and comedic timing - not a word of dialogue - Niles and the pants on fire. Pierce is a comedy genius.

S6.E14 - Three Valentines

[quote]This scene is a testament to how "Frasier" — and, especially, Pierce — excels at such comedy. Pierce's talent is at the forefront here, as the scene — which has very little dialogue — is both utterly compelling and stomach-achingly funny.

Perfect

My favorite:

Similarly great episode involving physical comedy from DHP when he suspects Maris is having an affair with her fencing instructor. An Affair to forget. Niles duels and swings from a chandelier. And in the middle of all this there's a botched German to Spanish to English translation between the instructor, the Guatemalan maid and Niles facilitated by Frasier. Frasier was startled that the maid was fluent in German and she intimated working for escaped Nazis in her home country. Such a perfect blend of physical and intellectual comedy.

Kelsey Grammer didn't think he needs David Hyde Piece for the upcoming revival of Frasier. Is he that clueless?

I love the contrast between Frasier and Niles:

Frasier went to Harvard and Oxford, drives a BMW, loves Verdi, and Renata Tebaldi. He was a Freudian.

Niles went to Yale and Cambridge, drives a Mercedes, loves Puccini, and Maria Callas. He was a Jungian.

One of my favourite shows of all time. I’m rewatching it now. Superb cast, sharp writing and just an amazing comfort watch. The high point is probably s2-7. The moment Niles and Daphne got together marked a decline in quality. I think a lot of the original writers left. S9 and S10, which is where I’m currently at, are a little hit and miss. Fortunately, the brought back some of the original writers for the final season and, if I recall, s11 was a return to form (and who can forget some of its classic episodes such as Martin getting high at Christmas — “fridge pants…DOG ARMY?!”).

I fall asleep to an episode sound file every night. There are only a few that aren't good for sleeping. The wheelchair one, the fire alarm one and ironically the two dream episodes

The highest rated episode of the entire series.

They had great guest stars, a few of my favorites:

Patrick Stewart as Alistair Burke

Victor Garber as Ferguson

Christine Baranski as Dr. Nora

Kim Coles as "Doctor" Mary

Bob Hoskins and Jeanne Tripplehorn as Coach

Brian Stokes Mitchell as Cam Winston!

Michael Keaton as Blaine Sternin.

But the very best is Derek Jacobi as Sir Jackson Hedley.

I enjoyed its run, but have never sought it out in reruns. The show never recovered from the copout of simply dropping Roz’s confession of her unrequited love for Frasier, a coupling the show runners surely knew the fan base was demanding.

R16, your cruel indifference has forced me to pursue the only path left for my unrequited love. I shall now DIVE off this balcony so ALL of Seattle can witness your loss!

[QUOTE]Roz’s confession of her unrequited love for Frasier,

Funny, I don't recall this episode.

More great guest stars - two of the absolute best in my opinion:

Jean Smart as Lana Gardner/Lorna Lynley

and

Harriet Sansom Harris as Bebe Glazer

[QUOTE]Christine Baranski as Dr. Nora

Don't forget who played her mother who duped Frasier. Piper Laurie!

So groovy...

As revenge, Noel Shemsky writes a traditional Hebrew blessing for Frasier to recite at Freddie's bar mitzvah -- in Klingon.

R18 and R20 I left Bebe out because she was a recurring character.

I love Harriet Sansom Harris in Frasier and Desperate Housewives. She's hilarious

And I’m keeping the jewelry.

So odd you started this thread. I just started watching again.

R22 - That was a great one. Loved how the two plots met up at the end.

ham radio

Whatever happened to the Frasier reboot? I thought they filmed it last year but I haven’t heard anything about it in a long time

One of my favorite lines (from A Midwinter's Night Dream when Frasier and Martin realize Niles and Daphne are alone at Crane Manor):

"My God. This is a recipe for disaster! A vulnerable woman and an unstable man in a gothic mansion on a stormy night! All that is missing is someone shouting 'Heathcliff!' from across the moors!!!!!!"

"Your Glockenspiel's sprung to life."

That episode is one of my favorites R30.

“My Nudzac is dripping!”

— from “Goodnight Seattle”, the final episode. I wish I could remember the full quote or find a clip.

R29 I think the Frasier reboot airs around October? I’ve seen comments from multiple people who went to the filming and astonishingly the comments were unanimously positive. Don’t expect it to be anything like the original but apparently it’s funny in its own right and Nicholas Lyndhurst’s character is the standout.

No love for DL-fave, la Patti, as the Greek relative with a restaurant?

** sheesh **

Thanks, r33.

R34 That was a terrible episode. One of the worst. She was much better as the caller who is dodging her in-laws.

The 90s really were peak sitcom.

Frasier was the classiest and best written. Roseanne the most real. Seinfeld was so perfectly synced with the 90s mindset of nothing really mattering at all. Will and Grace the gayest with the best side character of all time.

Did it really last 11 years? I think people watched it because they missed Cheers.

I was never able to watch it for more than a few moments. Everyone was ugly, boring and unfunny.

I want to be raped by Kelsey Grammar.

The Duel

[quote] I was never able to watch it for more than a few moments. Everyone was ugly, boring and unfunny.

Tastes differ, I know, but you, my friend, have no taste.

R40, see r10.

R38 you have no taste and no sense of humor.

R38 must not like Ballantine, porkrines, and Angie Dickinson.

There were so many inspired episodes: Frasier and Niles opening a restaurant…. Bebe sleeping over at Frasier's to quit smoking, at the behest of her elderly, millionaire lover… Frsier and Niles encountering the school bully who tormented them… the Antiques Roadshow episode where Martin’s family heirloom he Bear Clock turns out to be a Russian national treasure stolen during the Revolution…

The episodes with Shelley Long were wonderful. She and Kelsey Grammer have real comedic chemistry, which is ironic since she didn’t like the Frasier character on Cheers.

I don’t think much of a sequel without Niles, but Nicholas Lyndhurst might be the best thing in it. He is a great comic actor.

Any episode with Bebe wins for me.

[quote]There were so many inspired episodes: Frasier and Niles opening a restaurant….

I always remember one scene where Martin and his wife to be Ronnie accept Frasier and Niles' offer to organize their wedding and Ronnie says, "Well we should have known the Duke and Duchess would solve our problems." And then Niles and Frasier get into an argument over who Is the Duke and who is the Duchess. It cracks me up every time I see it.

R48 They are both the Duchess.

Season 2 guest-callers were just as good as season 1:

James Spader, Lily Tomlin, Amy Madigan, Alfre Woodard, Sandra Dee, Sydney Pollack, Art Garfunkel, Kevin Bacon, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Macaulay Culkin, Rosie Perez, Carly Simon, Mary Steenburgen, Gary Sinise, John Lithgow, Glenne Headley, and Shelley Duvall.

Who was your favorite main character?

R51 tie between Niles and Martin.

I think Frasier is the best sitcom of all time.

My favorite episode is still the finale of Season 1, “My Coffee With Niles”.

R53 That is such a good one.

One of my favourites is when Niles and Lilith, after exchanging caustic barbs for years, end up sleeping together. The scene after they wake up and Frasier turns up at the hotel room has some of the best lines of a show chock full of superb writing.

They also ruined it when Maris was sad to have become fat.

R56 she did?

Frasier is up there for comedies. It low key is better written than Seinfeld. Seinfeld has the luxury of taking place in New York so all the colorful peripheral characters make some of the episodes hilarious.

How did Maris getting fat ruin anything? That's a very real character arc for people who have blown out their metabolism with an eating disorder.

When did Maris get fat? I don't remember

After Niles got together with Mel. Maris sued her for nicking her thyroid or something during a procedure

R9 I watched that episode last night. I die when Daphne says to Tom and Frasier on the balcony "I never remember laughing so hard," and you hear Martin laughing outrageously loud in the kitchen with Niles.

It is very much like a British show

I love the mid-Atlantic accents:

Kelsey Grammer

David Hyde Pierce

Harriett Samson Harris

They are doing Standard American not mid-Atlantic. But I agree, hearing conservatory trained actors with good speech is so rare that it really stands out.

R65 Most of the cast are stage actors, too. And you can tell.

You are right:

Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, and John Mahoney are/were very competent stage actors.

As are Bebe Neuwirth, Harriett Sansom Harris, Dan Butler, Jane Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Marsha Mason, and Brian Stokes Mitchell

Peri Gilpin had the smoky Texas twang.

Edward Hibbert got his start on the BBC Great Performances.

Hibbert appeared only in a towel in one episode and I sat up in my chair. Surprisingly good body.

Never missed it but when Niles and Daphne finally got together the show lost its edge.

Now I’m going to see where it streaming and watch it again

Hulu R69.

I loved Laura Linney in the final series.

R71 I don't remember her exact performance, but I am rewatching.

Laura Linney annoyed the hell out of me. I think Claire was his best match

Definitely not Claire. Kate, the KACL station manager was the only one Frasier could have accepted as an equal.

R74, Frasier was never looking for an equal. He always fell hardest for the women he got to rescue, and who drove him crazy.

[quote] the women he got to rescue, and who drove him crazy.

Who he then dumped. Kate dumped ℎi𝑚

[quote] Who he then dumped. Kate dumped ℎi𝑚

He didn’t dump Ms Diane Chambers, who drove him crazy.

[quote] I don't remember her exact performance, but I am rewatching.

You are in for a treat. I think she was the best thing in the final series, when all the other character had sadly run out of steam.

Too many great Niles moments, going Yiddish, dressing up a dead seal in a peignoir, the dog version of Maris. Even with Mel (hated her) he tried being a jerk, calling an acquaintance at some formal event a drunk, and the whole table lauded his bravery in his honest candor. He was perfect as Frasiers brother.

I liked Aaron Eckhart as Claire's hunky, mensch marine biologist boyfriend.

Well, I wish you had lent her your Tennessee Williams biography. She wouldn't have kept forgetting his name and calling him Indiana Jones.

I loved the wine episode where they vied to be in charge of their wine club. They were both so snooty.

I often wondered who did the research for the show. They discussed opera, psychiatry, wines, and sherries. Kudos to them for speaking so authoritatively on those subjects. Yes, I know they were acting and reciting lines.

Any references to Maris would have me laughing.

Martin:

[about Maris] She hasn't taken up horse back riding, has she?

Niles:

No, no, she wanted to but unfortunately her little quadraceps are so tight she's incapable of straddling anything larger than a border collie.

"This calls for, Armagnac"

"Ooh! That's why you're the older brother"

Oh geez....

And the Tony goes to...

The episode where Daphne dates Nile's doppelganger! Niles is so upset he accidentally breaks the Catherine of Aragon cup from Frasier's new Wives of Henry VIII coffee set.

Niles: I gave Maris her birthday saddle. She was so thrilled she treated me to a little Lady Godiva impression.

Frasier: Oh, my.

Niles: Apparently, the oils in the saddle reacted badly with her cellulite cream and created a powerful epoxy.

Frasier: Oh, dear.

Niles: Yes, it took an hour and a full bottle of nail polish remover to get her free. Today, her poor little thighs were so sore the only way she could find comfort was to straddle a frozen butterball turkey.

Do you think Maris and Niles really loved each other?

I think he thought he loved her but I suspect it was her money and social position more than anything. Years ago we hade a discussion on what each person thought Maris looked like.

Oh my gosh "The House of blue Leaves" - with Swoozie Kurtz before John Mahoney in the credits!

I know Niles's unrequited love for Daphne was funnier than watching them as a couple, but I understand why the writers got them together. Niles had been pining after Daphne for seven years; it was time to move the storyline along. Plus, it would have been a cop-out if we'd never seen how they worked as a couple.

Fell down a rabbit hole with this thread today, found this gem!

Roz and the Schnoz is my go-to episode just for some quick goofy laughs.

R94 Mine is Out with Dad

[quote] Apparently, the oils in the saddle reacted badly with her cellulite cream and created a powerful epoxy.

But then who hasn't had that happen to them

Kinky

I was working for an NBC affiliate in California and, since my birthday was coming up, I phoned the affiliate relations department in LA to snag a couple of tickets to a Frasier taping. It turned out to be the Dr. Nora episode with Christine Baranski and Piper Laurie.

Having seen so many episodes before my visit, I was interested in how the show handled the sets and set changes. From the audience viewpoint, the Cafe Nervosa coffee shop set was to the far right, the living room was dead center and the radio station booth was to the left.

After one scene in the coffee shop, the action moved back to the living room and, all the while, the stagehands VERY quietly struck the Nervosa set since it wouldn't be needed for the rest of the taping.

The hallway off the broadcast booth was out of audience view, but we could see the performances on several TV screens hanging over the living room.

Attending a show taping isn't for the faint of heart. Once you are seated, there's no leaving the studio. They tape an episode once through and then take a break for dinner. Audience members can't leave during that time. Then everyone reassembles for a second taping. The director and editors cull the best takes from both episodes to create the finished product.

It was fun to see the actors sometimes screw up their lines and yell "fuck." But they were pros and picked right up where they left off. It was quite evident that the actors enjoyed each other's company.

R98 that is cool. Did any of the cast come up and talk like Alex Trebek or Carol Burnett did?

Here is a thread dedicated to Harriett Sansom Harris, who played Bebe

I just saw the Bebe stops smoking episode last night. It's hilarious.

"Hello, puddin'

Bebe, listing the humiliations she went through for her billionaire: Have you ever worn a saddle? Roz [to Frasier]: Do I have to answer that?

🤣 that episode is a classic R102.

Niles in "The Flour Child." Any scene with him and his "son," but especially the scene in Frasier's apartment (starting about 2:40).

I always figured Maris looked like Valerie Mahaffey, who played David Hyde Pierce's wife in short-lived underrated "Powers That Be."

I always pictured Maris as a thinner, paler, wispier John John Jr's WASP wife. Can't remember her name now.

R105 Caroline Bessette

Yes, her R106.

The Ski Lodge episode is really one of the best of ANY show.

Anyone who read Joe Keenan's novels knows he was flawless at constructing and writing farce.

Maris was born in 1952, in Seattle. Her father was referred to as "The Commodore". She also has at least two sisters, one named Bree, who was born with only one nostril; she is mentioned as Frasier's date in one episode. As a child, Maris was overweight, but started losing weight and soon became very thin. She is described as small, very pale and pathologically emaciated; Roz originally mistook her for a hat rack, and Niles noted that she once sat on a whoopee cushion without setting it off.

The pass-code to Maris's seaside home is described as her "ideal weight", and "what she weighed at her débutante ball" during her pageant years. The series of numbers that Niles punched in would mean that Maris, at that time, was 45 pounds and 12 ounces. Aside from her low weight, Maris is subject to various medical problems: she has abnormally tight quadriceps, a rigid spine, a large number of very specific allergies, she cannot produce saliva, and has a slight webbing of her hands that made her self-conscious enough to shy away from their physical touch.

Maris has been described as being extremely thin, frail, and pale, as Martin describes Maris to a police dispatcher as being "very, very Caucasian", and Frasier once said she had no pigmentation and would "sear like an ahi tuna" if she remained in the sun for more than three minutes. Diane Chambers described Maris as being the "queerest little creature" she had ever seen, indicating that she may also be somewhat short.

"The Barracuda") was the only dance that she was capable of doing, as the hustle was much too strenuous for her, though her fetching underbite was apropos for the dance.

A rare photo of Marris

There was one episode in which Frasier needed to resolve some dispute between Niles and Maris. He sat in Café Nervosa waiting for someone to talk with. The audience was made to believe that he wanted to talk to Maris and this woman came in. Turned out he wanted to talk to Maris' maid who entered the coffee shop right after this woman.

It was a quite clever play with viewers expectations. I took this woman - even if not Maris - as one the writers had in mind when they thought about her. Caroline Bessette may indeed have been the source for this image.

Again, the episode where Frasier has to make Bebe stop smoking is HILARIOUS!

I love the scene when smells smoke and gets up like a vampire.

"So handy for putting out those pesky purse fires."

Veneer!

Literate television comedy like this is extinct. That last attempt was Better Off Ted.

I saw the ski lodge episode last night. Still hilarious but the weakest link is the big, burly lingerie "model" with a terrible accent who is supposed to inspire lust in Frasier. She looks as if she'd be more at home in a naked mud wrestling pit in some dive bar.

This thread made me watch the pilot last night before bed which I hadn’t seen in years. 30 years ago and out of the gate that funny shows how well it was written. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Ted Lasso had an episode inspired by Dante, R114.

R115, she is exactly the kind of woman that turns Frasier on. He like big graceless women, like her and Mercedes Ruhl, Lise Edelstein, etc for sex. But for relationship he wants someone more refined.

Damn you, R93! Now I'M down the rabbit hole with Fraser clips on YT!

Thank you!

[quote] the big, burly lingerie "model" with a terrible accent who is supposed to inspire lust in Frasier.

I liked Annie. It's just a shame she doesn't do threesomes, anymore.

Currently making my way through the end of s10. Man, the writing quality really dropped off. I miss references to Maris and Felicity Huffman is truly horrible as Julia. I know the character was meant to be a complete bitch but you can play that and be funny with it. Huffman just sucked the joy out of every single scene she was in and looked utterly bored by it all.

Lisa Edelstein was tiny though.

Agreed, r121.

Fuck this show.

Jean Smart's story was overdone like so many other stories in the later years. But her entrance episode was spectacular.

I'm a Frasier sleeper and it's kind of amazing how they overdid all of the wrong characters (Daphne's mom and brothers, Donnie, Julia) and then left you wanting more of Cam Winston and his mom, Bebe, Daphne's dad, Carlos and the Chicken and Dr Nora.

I loved the food critic with the radio show. What was his name?

Gil Chesterton, the man in Frasier's dreams.

The writers made a huge mistake when they showed Gil Chesterton sneaking into the gay bar in an episode fadeout. It was much funnier having him as a misunderstood straight man the victim of everybody's assumptions and prejudices.

[quote]I'm a Frasier sleeper

????

[quote]I'm a Frasier sleeper

You're a Frasier what?

I fall asleep listening to Frasier. A lot of people do.

^^^What!?

I'm a Serta sleeper.

Someone who literally sleeps through every episode is commenting extensively throughout the thread and just dropping that teeny little detail like it's nothing. "Lots of people do it." Okay, hun.

Only on DL, folks...

I'm a Frashier shleeper.

[QUOTE]He like big graceless women, like her and Mercedes Ruhl, Lise Edelstein, etc for sex.

Don't forget Cassandra, the va-va-voom ad and sales director for the radio station, vs. Faye, the intellectual Jewish pastry chef. This story arc includes Merry Christmas Mrs. Moskowitz where Frasier poses as Jewish and Niles poses as Jesus Christ suffering from a hay fever attack.

R135, you never heard that people fall asleep watching TV? That's not really a brand new thing. Lots of people watch TV to doze off. That's why TVs have timers.

How have we not talked about Julia Sweeney as the terrible Anne Hodges.

Literally the worst woman alive

I sleep rewatch things, for awhile it was AHSs Roanoke season, now it's Class Action Park. For awhile before AHS it was a specific episode of the Borgias (The Siege at Forli).

R140 again- I've asked SO many people if they'd ever gone to Action Park, no takers yet, anyone here ever go?

Veneer!

Isn't Harriet Samson Harris in AHS?

Let's not forget about the hilarious scene when Daphne dates Niels doppelganger.

(R99) No, no cast members came up to talk to the audience. But they really had a lot to handle with two tapings and the necessary pickups in each. I didn't mind, though. After several hours in the studio, I was ready for some fresh air and dinner.

R144, please look up to r87! Forevermore!

R145 - I. Hate to ask. Were there accommodations off to the bathroom and such?🙃

Of course they had bathrooms. Everybody in Seattle had bathrooms until 2018

I always liked Marsha Mason as Sherry.

^ I liked her two. She was such a good foe to Frasier and Niles. She should have stayed a bit longer.

Sherry: To me humor is the best medicine.

Niles: I guess we are in the placebo group.

She’s great

Sherry was the best. Ronnie was just a less age appropriate, smugger version of her

I like the episode where Frasier and Niles go off on a weekend getaway with Lisa Darr and Megan Mullally.

Two of my favourites are Ham Radio (“I can’t believe one of my guests is a MULTIPUL MUHDURER!”) and Ski Lodge (“Gi is Gay?!!”)

r154 - He's gut a nug!

I have been listening to the Will and Jace Podcast. Occasionally, they will have Katy Garretson, who was the assistant director. In one episode she talked about the gust stars. Her words:

"James Earl Jones was absolutely delightful to work with. He is such a professional, super easy, and super funny. No issues at all. He is exactly as you would think he is. Just a great, great man and a great actor.

You have also wondered if it was difficult to get big named guest stars like James Earl Jones. Oh my God, NOT AT ALL! We were "Frasier," We had credibility, we were respected, we were "smart," we were considered a "high brow" show, and we used a lot of theater directors and actors. We were known for being a quality show. Let me give you a list of some of the guest stars Frasier got over the years:

We had astronaut and Senator John Glenn;

Microsoft founder Bill Gates;

Patrick Stewart, Captain Piccard himself;

In the episodes I directed: Jean Smart, Emmy winner for one of my episodes. She thanked me. Which was super sweet and special.

Three time Oscar nominee Piper Laurie, who got an Emmy nomination. She was in The Hustler with Paul Newman and she was in the evil mom in Carrie. Also in that episode was Christine Baranski, who was also nominated for an Emmy in that episode.

We had Oscar nominee Laura Linney. In fact I directed her debut episode.

Also in my episodes were Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson; and

Oscar nominee Felicity Huffman.

In other episodes we had Aaron Eckhart;

Michael Keaton, yes Batman himself!;

Dr. Phil;

Amy Brenneman (She most known episode is Merry Christmas Mrs. Moskowitz, which is a fan favorite and one of the most adored episodes).

We also had Oscar nominee for Sideways Virginia Madsen;

Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Laurie Metcalf of Roseanne;

Shannon Tweed of Skinemax fame, married to Gene Simmons of KISS;

Teri Hatcher;

Recent Oscar nominee Richard Grant form Can You Ever Forgive Me;

Stephen Root, who is currently on Barry;

The gorgeous and super sweet Sela Ward;

Eva Marie Saint from On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, she was treat to have her on the show;

Brian Cox, who is now in Succession;

Sir Derek Jacobi, the great British stage and screen star; and

Mike Judge, the creator of Beavis and Butthead.

We could pretty much get anybody on Frasier. It was that kind of a show. It is one of the reasons Frasier is one of the best shows of all time on Television."

When was James Earl Jones on?

Season 4 Roz' Krantz and Gildenstern

This article in the Atlantic from 2019 whines how the jokes at Maris's expense -- a fictional, never-seen character -- is, from a perspective of 30 years later, actually an attack on women. 🙄

I was never able to figure out that the callers were celebrities and who they were.

[quote] I was never able to figure out that the callers were

Only a few like John Lithgow and Gary Senise were so distinctive as to be recognizable to the casual viewer.

R160 I could also pick out Mary Tyler Moore and Mary Steenburgen!

Guy not Gi!

And you couldn’t wag your tail on the set without it swiping a gay.

Lana's son, Kirby, was a nod to Sideshow Bob.

I do like how Martin's love of Angie Dickson is a current joke throughout the entire 11 years.

Martin had a heavy hairspray fetish.

I don't judge.

I went down the rabbit hole on YT, watching clips from the various episodes. I had completely forgotten that Brian Cox (Logan Roy) played Daphne's father!!

John Mahoney also played a gay man who performed drag on an episode of ER. His lover was dying and the lover's family refused to allow John's character to make any decisions regarding healthcare. It was a heartbreaking episode to watch.

R167 John Mahoney is a great tragic actor, too.

He can play very serious parts- Primal Fear, The Manhattan Project, The Russia House, Suspect, Eight Men Out, the Iron Giant, and Moonstruck.

R168... all true about Mahoney, but all of it should be written in the past tense. He died in 2018. A loss, that's for sure, he was very talented. And add to that list of films, The Broken Hearts Club,

Caller Reba was quite obvious.

R169. Sorry about that! He was such a talented actor. I love him and David Hyde Pierce.

With all of his success, I still think John was very much underrated. He made any play, movie or tv show better. Here is winning a Tony!

r172 see r86

Another example of a lead role being billed below the title.

𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙚𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Season 3 guest callers:

Matthew Broderick, Carrie Fisher, Tom Hulce, Teri Garr, Blair Brown, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Ed Harris, Billy Crystal, Brooke Adams, Laura Dern, Cyd Charisse, Paul Mazursky, Ray Liotta, Armistead Maupin, Jodie Foster, Faith Prince, Randy Travis, Joan Allen, Katarina Witt, Jerry Orbach, Billy Barty, Eric Idle, Jane Pauley, Debbi Fields, David Duchovny, and Sherry Lansing.

R585. I was surprised to hear Mahoney doing an American accent in his Tony speech. I looked up some video interviews and he did an American accent in all of them.

Did he ever appear publicly using his native Mancunian?

I remember reading that he could not say the word Wednesday like an American, so I figured he went back to being English in his off-hours.

He refused to use the metric system so he passed all our tests.

R176 how stupid can a person—you—be? He was 11 when he first visited the U.S. and he lived here for the last 57 years of his life.

R178, you are pretty outraged about a fellow poster who just weighs in on a silly TV show. Anything we can do to lift your spirit? Do you want granma to kiss the booboo?

?

He was 18 when he moved, r178. Back to your drinky-poos.

To answer r176 perfectly innocuous and understandable question:

[QUOTE]Mahoney made a concerted effort to lose his English accent after joining the U.S. Army, later stating that he felt that he did not want to "stand out" in his new adopted country. He spoke with an American accent for the rest of his life.[12

It's unusual for someone who arrives as an adult to lose an accent. He worked hard at it. John Barrowman who moved in the 5th grade found it easier.

I have never seen him in a movie with an English accent.

R181, I know a handful of people who came to the US from England in their teens or early 20s. None of them entirely lost their British accent., even decades later.

Plus Mahoney was nearly 40 when he started acting, so he had no reason to lose his accent.

Yet he did lose his accent, well before then.

Despite all its sophistication, the accents on Frasier were all over the place. When IMDb still had boards, British posters who uniformly loved the show were aghast with the accents. Daphne from Manchester spoke with an Essex (?) accent, her Man Utd loving brother (played by Australian Anthony LaPaglia) spoke in east London cockney, Daphne's lay-out ex-boyfriend turned success had one worse than Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. I'm sure there are more examples.

^Layabout not lay-out boyfriend.

𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 is the correct manner of speech anyway so it all worked out well for John

R186 A lot of the accents are mid-Atlantic

Daphne was Mid-Atlantic? Flummoxed.

The only mid Atlantic accent I’m aware of is Bebe’s and it’s glOHriUs

If Mahoney tried to lose his accent when he joined the army, my guess is that it was attracting gay slurs. Lots of American guys seem to think an English accent sounds effeminate. He was probably trying pretty hard in the army to avoid his sexuality being detected.

R191 Dharrrrling! I'm a StaaaAAAAAhhhh maker!

Outtakes Part one

Sorry part 2

Peri Gilpin gained a lot of weight over the series run. But she wore it well.

R196 she did have twins...

R197- The twins were born to a surrogate mother.

Out with Dad is another great episode. Probably my favorite!

I never got into this series. It always seemed like it was trying to much to be witty . Plus the main romance between Daphne and Niles was unbelievable, no real chemistry, I am sorry but I never bought it, my gaydar kept going off. The one character I liked was Ross.

R200 how do you have so many opinions if you never got into it?

I watched enough episodes to make up my opinion on it, my mom loved it back in the day and sometimes my tv is on the Hallmark channel in the background and they play it constantly. But I never bothered watching the entire show.

R202 you sound spoiled

[quote] The one character I liked was Ross.

Are you sure you weren’t watching Friends, r200? Although even fans of the show didn’t like Ross

Ross was weak, Roz was strong

R204 yeah yeah yeah, it was Ross.

[quote] my mom loved it back in the day

Tell me you’re 20 without telling me you’re 20…

Don't forget Felicity Huffman as the bitchy stock broker Julia

Not to mention Rachel York as Officer Nasty

Not to mention Lindsay Crouse as the security guard

Lesbian

Frasier and The Nanny are good shows for watching in bed before going to sleep. Nothing heavy and just a few laughs.

…one of those shows is great and that other one is schlock.

So, are the accents Mid-Atlantic?

First shots of the... sequel I guess? Are out. It certainly looks like a show being released on Peacock in the middle of October.

Actually Paramount+ my bad

"Put your brother on. PUT YOUR BROTHER ON!"

R217 she was a great character.

Frasier will come out as gay

It’ll never be the same without that apartment.

Good show or bad not many will be able to watch with it segregated into the streaming ghetto.

R231 It is on Hulu

If on Hulu I'll check it out but I was going by the tweet above saying it was intended for Paramount +

Premieres October 12 on Paramount+

The reboot is on Paramount +

I'd not realised they were setting it in Boston. Its a weird choice given I doubt any of the Cheers cast are going to be turning up either.

[quote] I'd not realised they were setting it in Boston

Frasier's final scene shows his plane landing in Chicago. I'd like the reboot to see he had become not only mayor of the city but the best mayor they ever had.

Why Boston? Didn't he go to Chicago in the series finale?

Maybe if finally wanted to spend time with Frederick

The finale is almost 20 years ago

I remember the idea floated around for this years ago was that Frasier moves in with Frederick (who's what mid to late 30s at this point?) with he reverse Frasier Martin dynamic of the dad being a prisspot and the son being blue collar how the hell a prep school educated kid raised by Lilith turned out blue collar better be answered in the first episode. They also seem to have added Niles and Daphne's presumably Harvard attending kid David whose Moon DNA is apparently coming out into the mix. The odds really are against this being good.

Well, obviously Charlotte is no longer in the picture.

Well obviously Frasier isn't dating someone played by a 59 year old.

[QUOTE]Why Boston?

They probably want to attract boomer Cheers fans and will throw them a couple of bones here and there. Or they can do something like Freddy being a regular at bar that's eerily reminiscent of Cheers with modern characters paralleling the ol crowd. I'm sure they'll work it.

R225 The Cheers bar will be a huge elephant in the room if Frasier’s back in Boston but never visits. I truly hope they don’t handwave the issue by having it closed down. I think that’d turn a lot of people off.

By 2023 the Cheers bar probably is under new management that now run a weed dispensary

The best solution I saw was on Reddit. Cheers is now the most unbearable college bar imaginable with LED lights and hipsters everywhere. Everything is completely different but then in walks Norm and all the young kids still shout his name when he enters and he sits in a barstool saved for him.

One of my favorite bits of dialogue:

Frasier keeps having erotic dreams about his prissy sissy colleague Gil Chesterton, and he convinces himself its because of mother-related issues, and that just recognizing that will stop him from having the dream again. When he of course has the dream again, he dreams he is in bed, and someone is in the bathroom taking a shower.

FRASIER: (pathetically) " ... Mommy?"

(Gil Chesterton suddenly appears in the doorway to the bathroom, wearing a towel draped around his waist.)

GIL: (lewdly) "Patience, Daddy!"

Once again, Bebe is the best character on the show

R236 That’s…not bad!

Everyone I knew who liked this show was a pretentious arse.

Did they use the word, "arse"? Were they that fucking pretentious?

R236, that would be pretty sad that Norm is still frequenting the bar where he was a regular 30 years ago.

242 replies and no mention of the hot, openly gay Dan Butler? He may not have been the most witty character but he was a dream man for me.

He was an alcoholic so it's pretty realistic. If he's still alive.

Who, r244?

R245 Norm...

It was awhile before I learned Dan Butler was gay. Now every time I see him on a rerun I always get a little “excited” thinking of the face he makes as some lucky man dives in and tongues his muscles, furry ass.

Arlene Sorkin played the lady with the monkey who helps deliver baby David in the vet office

[quote]how the hell a prep school educated kid raised by Lilith turned out blue collar

Lilith AND her gay next husband!

(She really had a type, didn't she?)

I watched the episode where Maris's gardener dies last night.

Niles: He had a heart attack when he was out trimming Maris's elaborate hedge maze. The paramedics never had a chance.

New Frasier trailer

It's not shaping up as "must see TV"

CAM WINSTON!!!!!!!!!!

I love so many of the episodes. I just saw the one where Frasier gets Cam's invite to an upscale spa and because of their pretentiousness they end up getting locked outside surrounded by bees and garbage and Niles is wrapped up like a mummy with an orange honey mask on his face. The image of Niles waddling as fast as he can from the bees still makes me double over.

I love that episode, R254. It’s so funny.

BLACKBALLED!

DHP is a brilliant physical comedian.

He is one of the funniest men alive

I loved when he would talk about Maris.

"My poor Maris has such tight little quadriceps she can't straddle anything larger than a border collie."

Or when he's discussing her straddling a frozen turkey.

I only ever watched the episode with Billy Campbell. He played a ridiculously handsome, all-around talented man who did everything perfectly, including getting on Frasier's nerves. Then, Campbell opened his mouth to sing in front of everyone at a party... and it was revealed there was one thing he couldn't do.

[quote] the one where Frasier gets Cam's invite to an upscale spa and because of their pretentiousness they end up getting locked outside

Some of the best dialogue for the brothers in the series, and a joke hidden from most Americans.

The name of the upscale day spa that Frasier and Niles visit is aptly named La Porte D'argent, which is French for "The Silver Door." Furthermore, "argent" also means "money" in French.

A perfect show

Is anyone still rewatching the reboot? Is it improving?

OH DEAR GOD!!!!!!!