Are you listening ? (Frasier)

Member Name: Andrew1911

Product:	Frasier
Date:	16/08/01 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Niles, Eddie, Repartee

Disadvantages: Lacking punch now

Remember when Friends was good and everyone was watching and talking about it? Well, before it became the tepid, shadow of its self that it is at the moment and at about the same time it started, another sit-com was being shown. A spin off of the series Cheers, it was set in Seattle and starred the ‘lovably pompous’ pyschiatrist Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer).

This series has (for me) become one of the funniest things on TV. Not as fluffy as Friends, it assumed a level of sophistication from the audience. Whilst it does feature it’s fair share of slap-stick or farcical moments, more often than not it relied on witty repartee or at best, just a perfectly timed facial expression to carry the joke with no explanation. Best of all, it didn’t feature an audience that whooped if one of the character blinked or hugged another character.

To briefly set the scene of Frasier - he’s divorced his wife, moved from Boston to Seattle to begin a career in radio-pyschiatry. Intending to live a cultured, refined life in his penthouse apartment in an exclusive tower block- visiting the best restaurants and theatres etc. – his plans are shattered when his invalid, ex-policeman, (and very blue collar) father had to move in with him - and even worse, accompanied by his little dog, Eddie and the live in physical therapist, Daphne Moon. To cap it all, because of said therapist, his ultra-refined, ultra-fussy younger brother Niles (infatuated with said therapist) becomes a regular visitor. Throw in his man-eating radio producer, Ros, and you’ve got a fantastic show.

The first 4 seasons were perfect. The running themes – Niles’ pursuit of Daphne (inept), Frasier’s love life (pathetic) and Frasier’s changing relationship with his estranged father (and his Chair).
A word about the cast. Kelsey Grammer is a fantastic actor to watch in action, especially when paired with David Hyde Pierc
e, who plays Niles. The two characters are similar in many ways, and this provides many fantastic comic pieces that are inspired, just for the way the actors portray these people. For example, when the brothers attempt to repair a toilet in an effort to prove to their father that they aren’t totally inept at physical labour, the only tool kit they possess is in the form of one of those multi-tool Swiss army knife life things you see advertised in Sunday supplements (“Oh, oh – a lemon zester ! “Yes, it has turquoise inlay”). There are enough difference between the two of them to provide some welcome arguments though – Frasier pompousness and Nile’s pathological fastidiousness result in some of the funniest scenes. Watching Niles tweezing currants out of a muffin or Frasier repeatedly sending back coffees because of the wrong type of foam may not sound funny, but on screen, it’s a pleasure to watch.

Overall, it’s the combination of thesophistication of the dialogue but coupled with the best farce scenes since Fawlty Towers that makes this series top-notch. Your average American may not have a sense of humour, but every now and again, they get it just right.

Summary: