I recently finished watching Frasier S01 on DVD. This is my very first time seeing the show; never saw it when it was originally on, or in re-runs, etc. Hilarious series, and an excellent follow-up to Cheers. However, I definitely consider it far more than just a spin-off show; it stands on it's own - with an obvious connection to the previous series.

It has so many great elements:

-Extremely clever/witty, and funny script. I find myself laughing out loud numerous times when watching the show, which rarely happens with me - even when watching comedies.

-The casting is spot-on & excellent, especially DHP as Frasier's brother Niles. Though they don't look that much alike, I can 100% buy them as brothers re: similar temperaments, personalities, likes/dislikes, professions, etc. Very funny.

I also feel the late JM is great as Frasier & Niles' father Martin. Though he is the complete opposite of his sons' re: personality, interests, etc. - you can completely buy this too, given that they probably are more like their late mother. And, the difference/clash of personalities is where a lot of the humor on the show stems from.

-The Seattle, WA setting. It was a good move on the part of the show's writers/producers to move Frasier away from Boston (and his bad memories of Lilith & the divorce, etc.) so he could start fresh in his home-town. Plus, it gave the series a completely different vibe/tone/feel than what was seen in Cheers.

I love the Pacific Northwest, and Seattle in particular. I've been there a couple of times over the years, and actually wanted to move there at one point; though that didn't work out, it's probably my #1 favorite city in the country. Note that I realize the show probably wasn't filmed in Seattle, but it does have that obvious "vibe". I.e., the Cheers bar is pseudo-replaced by the coffee shop across the street (Cafe Nervosa - LOL) from the radio station as Frasier & co's "hang-out"; the "grunge" look sported by some of the younger people that you see around, the more laid-back atmosphere, etc.

-The running joke of Niles never quite placing Roz (the producer of Frasier's radio show), forgetting her name/always forgetting who she is - despite having seen her numerous times @ Frasier's job, in social settings, etc. - is extremely funny. And, it just emphasizes how completely self-absorbed Niles is - ha ha.

-Very funny that a lot of the people calling into the radio station are the voices of well-known celebrities, i.e. Linda Hamilton, Jeff Daniels, etc. The funniest so far is probably the late Bruno Kirby as the aggressive/belligerent Marco - ha ha.

-The one-liners & jokes are fantastic. Some of my favorites include:

Niles: I really must go. I'm hosting a seminar on multiple personality disorders and it takes me forever to fill out the name tags.

Daphne: Nice to meet you. [sees Eddie] Oh, and who might this be?
Frasier: [darkly] That is Eddie.
Martin: I call him "Eddie Spaghetti."
Daphne: Oh, he likes pasta?
Martin: No, he has worms.

HA! HA!

-The show's "theme song" is ironically at the end of the show, instead of the beginning - very subversive - ha ha. Also, whenever I hear the line "tossed salads & scrambled eggs" I get hungry - LOL.

-It's hilarious that Niles' wife Maris is never seen on the show, though she's always mentioned. Niles has to constantly be making excuses for her not joining him on social occasions, etc. Though I know she was supposed to exist in the context of the show, if I didn't know better I would think she was a figment of Niles' (and the other characters) imaginations - ha ha. And, this reminds me of situations IRL where people are always claiming to have spouses who are literally never around, to the point that you question their existence - LOL.

And, as with Cheers - I'm glad I waited years before I watched Frasier since I'm able to relate to the show a lot more now. When it first aired, I was in college & busy with classes, etc. - and the show didn't interest me - nor did I have time to watch much TV, anyway. However, years later I'm a little older than Frasier initially was on the show, and can definitely relate to aging parents, divorce, being established in your chosen career, etc.

Also very impressed that the show lasted 11 seasons - this is very impressive for any sitcom, but especially for a show that is essentially considered a spin-off.

Looking forward to watching the rest of the series, though I know it's going to take me a while.

More to come.....

The second part of my S01 Frasier review is devoted to the DVD's in the set. Though I really enjoyed the show itself, I am extremely underwhelmed with the DVD's themselves:

-The Picture Quality (PQ) is sub-par/poor. It's slightly better than what you saw re: an old show that was taped off of TV onto a VHS tape - but not by much. I understand this has a lot to do with the limitations of the source material - i.e., I believe the show was filmed but then transferred to tape?! before it was broadcast. However, it is disappointing that the show started 9 years after Cheers, and the PQ re: the Cheers DVD's are far superior than what we see on Frasier. I know there's a reason for this, but it is still disappointing.

-Lack of subtitles. My hearing is great, but it would be nice to have subtitles for anything I missed, etc. - and for other viewers who are hard of hearing, etc.

- This is nit-picking, but it would have been nice to see a "Play all" feature on the DVD sets (as with the Cheers sets). So, if you want to binge-watch - you could just go through all of the episodes one after the other - instead of having to go back to the main menu after watching an episode.

In any case, if the PQ on Frasier can be somehow substantially cleaned-up/remastered - I would be all for a Blu release of this entire series. Even though I've only seen S01, I would pseudo blind-buy a boxed set of this show in HD - just based on the strength of the first season.

I think that in his very first appearances on Cheers, Kelsey Grammer looked quite a bit like David Hyde-Pierce. I think less so after Grammer plumped up a bit.

Never thought of that before, but I see what you mean.

In fact, on Frasier when Niles & Frasier get into an argument/discussion I'm somewhat reminded of a modern day Laurel & Hardy - LOL. Which I guess is the whole point - ha ha.

- This is nit-picking, but it would have been nice to see a "Play all" feature on the DVD sets (as with the Cheers sets). So, if you want to binge-watch - you could just go through all of the episodes one after the other - instead of having to go back to the main menu after watching an episode.


Yes! This drives me crazy too! My Seinfeld DVD's had this feature (and a million others) and it was so nice instead of having to play them one by one.



In any case, if the PQ on Frasier can be somehow substantially cleaned-up/remastered - I would be all for a Blu release of this entire series. Even though I've only seen S01, I would pseudo blind-buy a boxed set of this show in HD - just based on the strength of the first season.
I might buy a Blu-Ray set of Frasier as well, but mine are fine as they are. My husband bought them all for me so they're kind of sentimental. :(

I think that in his very first appearances on Cheers, Kelsey Grammer looked quite a bit like David Hyde-Pierce. I think less so after Grammer plumped up a bit.

Back in the day, I never thought they looked alike. Now when I watch I can see a strong resemblance and their voices are so similar! They've got to be two of the best cast brothers in TV history.

It's fun to discover a show you missed originally and Frasier is one of the best sitcoms ever. It was a rare combination of witty repartee and slapstick goofiness that worked. Check out Kelsey and David's hilarious voice work on The Simpson as a bonus.

Some more comments re: Frasier S01:

I especially chuckled at the episode when Frasier was trying to get rid of his father's old, beat-up (but comfortable) chair. As someone who hates old, beat-up furniture and has actually gotten rid of some of this junk (and never replaced it) - I can relate - LOL.

Another extremely relatable episode for me was when Frasier had a mild flirtation with a 22-year old saleswoman in a high-end clothing store. She expressed genuine interest in him, and though he was initially bothered by the almost 20-year age difference...he eventually got to the point where he was going to ask her out anyway. However, she then admitted that she was re-thinking this & decided it wasn't a good idea, etc.

Looking forward to the rest of the series. Again, I'm glad I waited to watch this, since I'm appreciating this a lot more now at my age than if I had watched it back when the show was originally on (when I was in my early 20's).

That being said, one future plot element I'm skeptical about is the upcoming marriage between Niles & Daphne; I'm avoiding most Spoilers for the future seasons, but this one slipped through somehow - ha ha. The two have 0 chemistry together - and, though it's obvious Niles has lusted after her from Day 1 - I don't sense any kind of attraction on her part for him whatsoever. And, I actually find his interest in Daphne somewhat creepy & definitely stalker-ish. So, this marriage seems like it will be very contrived - but, the show is so well-done that I'm looking forward on seeing how this is handled.

It's fun to discover a show you missed originally and Frasier is one of the best sitcoms ever. It was a rare combination of witty repartee and slapstick goofiness that worked.

Yes! Shows like Frasier are very few & far between. I typically don't like sitcoms, so for me to be a fan of this type of show is proof that there is something definitely special & unique about the series.

Yes! This drives me crazy too! My Seinfeld DVD's had this feature (and a million others) and it was so nice instead of having to play them one by one.

I might buy a Blu-Ray set of Frasier as well, but mine are fine as they are.

Definitely - As a big fan of TV shows on DVD, the "Play all" feature is very important. It doesn't seem like a huge deal initially, but makes a big difference when playing the episodes back to back. I stream sometimes as well, but strongly prefer physical media (DVD's/Blu's) when it comes to watching TV shows/movies.

If Frasier never hits Blu-ray, the DVD sets - as flawed as they are - are still acceptable. That being said, if they could remaster this show & upgrade the PQ, I would be all over a potential Frasier Blu set in a New York Minute. However, the jury is still out as to whether the show could be remastered enough to justify an HD re-release. I.e., my understanding is that while Frasier was shot on film, it was edited on videotape - hence, the relatively poor PQ. Conversely, earlier shows like Taxi, Cheers, etc. have better PQ - because they were filmed differently...I think.

Continuing my review of Frasier, I recently finished watching S02. It's interesting that it took me almost a year to see the entire Cheers series on DVD (July 2018 - May 2019), but for some reason I'm really blowing through these Frasier DVD sets much faster. I guess it's a testament to how great this series is that I'm really looking forward to each new episode & season. It's an incredibly funny show - LOL. S02 was especially strong, and featured numerous hilarious episodes:

-Frasier starts a romance with an attractive intellectual (played by the lovely JoBeth Williams) and they plan a romantic weekend to an island getaway. Right before he ends up "sealing the deal" with her in their beach "condo", he's noticed by Lilith - who is unfortunately staying right next door to him. Seeing her upsets him, and seriously throws him "off his game" - so he ends up making a fool of himself in front of the JB character - which leads to them breaking up. The episode ends with Frasier & Niles going to that same vacation condo, without anyone else - LOL.

-Sam Malone (from Cheers) is in Seattle briefly, and decides to visit Frasier at the radio station - to tell him he's getting married. And, when Frasier meets Sam's fiance (the gorgeous Tea Leoni), he realizes he had a one-night stand with her on a recent visit to Boston - LOL. Eventually, Frasier confronts her (without Sam being there) & she admits to having slept with some others from Cheers, notably Paul & Cliff - hilarious!! Finally, Sam finds out about the others @ breaks it off. At the end of the episode Frasier is driving Sam to the airport & Sam admits that his fiance sleeping with Cliff was the deal-breaker - and the main reason for his breaking up with her - LOL. And, he didn't even find out what had happened between the fiance & Frasier - ha ha.

Other funny notes about this episode: When Frasier first sees Sam, he asks him how the gang at the bar is doing. Sam mentions that Rebecca got dumped by her plumber boyfriend, so she keeps coming back to Cheers - even though she doesn't work there anymore - LOL. Also, Sam mentioned that Cliff stopped coming to Cheers for a while because he was worried about some kind of virus; and, fortunately for the bar - more people starting coming back as a result...presumably because they were happy Cliff was gone - LOL.

-Frasier tracks down his old piano teacher (who seduced him in his late teens, when she was middle-aged) to apologize to her for running off about 25 years before (to go to college). He finally finds her at her home - and she is now a very attractive 60-ish woman - and harbors no ill feeling towards him at all. He then tries to see if she wants to "rekindle" the romance, and tells her that the age difference is no issue at all. Right at that point, a 20-something guy knocks on her door in order to pick her up for their date. The piano teacher admits to Frasier that she wasn't into 40-something guys when she was that age, and still isn't (or something to that effect) - LOL!!!! So, Frasier in his early 40's is now too old for her, even though he's much younger than she is - ha ha. Very funny, ironic, and also very much rooted in reality - LOL.

Part 2 of my S02 review:

-Frasier ends up trying to help his father solve a 20-year old murder case involving the death of a "lady of the night". Frasier's theory is that a monkey in the circus accidentally killed her, and when he presents this theory to his father & the father's retired LE friends - they end up laughing & humiliating him - very, very funny.

-Frasier ends up going into Daphne's room (even though it's off limits) to return a book to her. He ends up inadvertently snooping around, and unintentionally takes some pills - which he then has to return, without her knowing about it.

Quite possibly the funniest scene in the series (so far) is when Daphne is in the bathroom & sees Freddie drinking from the toilet water, calls him a filthy animals & demands that he leave right away - and Frasier (who is hidden behind the door) thinks she's talking to him - reveals himself, and then is mortified (because it looks like he's spying on her) and runs out of the room. Hilarious!

-Frasier & co. remember a once-popular restaurant from back in the day, that has unfortunately fallen on hard times & is obviously failing. When they go to the restaurant, they notice an elderly waiter named Oliver - who used to be able to remember very complicated orders without writing anything down. However, Oliver has himself fallen on hard times (he's senile) and brings their table a check - before they've even ordered anything - LOL.

The gang then wants to try to restore this restaurant to it's former glory, even though none of them have any experience running a restaurant (or even working in one). So, they stupidly buy the restaurant - and, not surprisingly, their "opening night" ends up having disastrous results, not least of which is the staff quitting before finishing the preparation of the food, and Frasier & co. having to take over - and obviously screwing everything up. The guests ends up storming out before most of them are even served. The funniest scene here is that Oliver, as the car valet, ends up driving a car through the side of the restaurant! When asked by a horrified customer what happened, Frasier says "That's our new drive through!" - HA! HA!

As someone who used to work at a somewhat high-end restaurant in my late teens, I can relate to a lot of what was seen here, i.e. the snooty customers, the overpriced food, etc.

-Some of my favorite interactions on the show are between Niles & Roz. In S01, Niles barely acknowledged Roz (and seemed to always forget who she was). However, in S02 he does acknowledge her, but treats her with thinly veiled contempt - probably because he thinks he's better than her & also possibly due to her sleeping around, etc. She also hates his guts, too - ha ha. Some of the funniest scenes involve conversations between the two of them:

Niles: So... that's a nice jacket.
Roz: Thank you.
Niles: It's offbeat.
Roz: And what is that supposed to mean, 'offbeat'?
Niles: Well...
Roz: No, wait, I think I know exactly what it means. Offbeat as in cheap. Well, excuse me for not being rich enough to shop at the International House of Tight@$$ like you and Maris the heiress! That is what you meant, right?
Niles: Yes, but I had no idea you'd pick up on it!

HA! HA! As with much of this show, I'm sure many can relate to having friends/acquaintances who don't get along with each other, but only interact/see each other because they have a mutual friend/relative (Frasier in this case).

General comment about the show:

-It's funny that the closing credits actually feature a final scene, instead of just being shown over still pictures (as with Cheers & most other sitcoms). Very nice, and you feel as if you're getting more story here as a result.

The Matchmaker and The Innkeepers are my favorite episodes from this era. Both remind me of a really good episode of Three's Company.

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

-The first part of the season features the talented, beautiful, and underrated Mercedes Ruehl playing Kate "Dirty Girl" Costas, Frasier's new manager @ the radio station. They end up clashing early on, but soon after end up having a passionate affair - LOL. 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 (that 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 patron with the educational toys in his bag. The patron 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 seems to realize that Frederick won't want them anyway. What an idiot! ha ha

-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.

Technical review of the S03 DVD set:

I noticed a significant 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.

Part 2 of my S03 review:

-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 unintentionally?! 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. 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. The guy comes to the station with a bouquet of flowers for her, and Roz 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 - 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.

What this incident illustrates is that while Roz does sleep around, she still has standards - and is not OK sleeping with a married guy...or at least not a guy who freely admits to being married - LOL.

Watched 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 p#%#%-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.

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. 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 & to 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!

I'm ramping up my viewing of Frasier because - while I don't want it to end - the series is so good that it lends itself to binge-watching :)

Some of my favorite episodes/storylines from Seasons 6-7:

-Frasier & Niles want to get tickets to a well-known play, but don't want anyone to know they don't actually have tickets and have to wait in line for possible cancellations (like being on "stand-by"). So, when they're outside the building & standing in line, they have to "pretend" that they're not really in line because they're so concerned with what their snobbish "friends" think - and thereby miss getting tickets. They then try to get into the building anyway, and are refused - LOL.

Later, they stupidly go to an exclusive restaurant "after-party" with the play-goers, and end up discussing the play - with the playwright ...where they have to pretend to have seen the play (when they haven't). Hilarious!

-Frasier's love life is going great, and he ends up dating two women at once; the voluptuous & gorgeous Cassandra (Virginia Madsen), and the beautiful Faye (Amy Brenneman). However, despite the fact that he initially never acted like the relationship(s) were anything other than casual dating - at one point he decides he needs to just devote his time/energy to one of them, so reluctantly breaks up with Cassandra (who seems to takes the break-up well) & starts dating Faye exclusively. However, as it turns out, while he was dating both of them he kept "accidentally" calling Faye "Cassandra", and he actually keeps this up even after he dates Faye exclusively (probably because he preferred Cassandra, but didn't want to admit this to himself - ha ha). Faye puts up with this for a while, though Frasier has to make sure that the two don't meet each other - LOL. However, it's not long before Faye actually meets the real "Cassandra" & finds out her name - then promptly breaks up with Frasier - LOL.

Frasier is such a dumb@$$, but that's obviously where a lot of the humor on show show stems from ;) He is his own worst enemy, and keeps unintentionally?! sabatoging his life - partially because he over-analyzes everything - ha ha.

Part 2 of my Seasons 6-7 review:

-"The show where Woody shows up" - great episode, showcasing Woody Boyd visiting Seattle & hanging out with Frasier & co. while he's there. However, it doesn't take long for Frasier to realize that while he's moved on, Woody has stayed the same (still working at Cheers in Boston, etc.) - and they don't really have anything in common anymore - not that they ever really did - LOL. Ironically, he later finds out that while he was feeling bad for Woody - Woody was actually feeling bad for him still being single - LOL.

This was a very realistic episode that I found extremely relatable - i.e., I have been in similar situations where I've tried to re-connect with old friends from the past, but have realized that so much time has passed & our lives have ended up being so different...that we don't have anything in common anymore. Nor do we have much to talk about - other than shared memories of past events.

-The last several episodes of S07: Niles suddenly (and without warning) gets married to a doctor that he's only been seeing for a very short time. Also in the episodes leading up to the finale, Daphne is on the verge of getting married to a lawyer she's been seeing for a while. However, towards the end of S07 Daphne realizes that she has feelings for Niles (and has for a while, apparently) And, as we all know, Niles has had the hots for Daphne from Day 1 - LOL.

So, this culminates in the finale of S07, with Daphne leaving her husband-to-be at the altar, and running off with Niles in a Winnebago - while still in her wedding dress - LOL. This scene is an obvious homage to the final scene in the iconic The Graduate (1967), when Katharine Ross unexpectedly leaves her wedding, and runs off with Dustin Hoffman ;)

I love these reviews LG. Keep 'em comming.

I recently finished Frasier S08. Hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud throughout the season. Prior to watching this, I thought the season may not be as good as previous ones due to the Daphne/Niles relationship being resolved & their definitely becoming a couple (which sometimes makes TV shows boring). However, in this case that storyline provided a lot of the clever humor in this season - very funny! Going along with this - great writing on this show!

Some of my favorite episodes are the early ones in the season, where you see the fall-out from the S07 finale:

-Daphne's ex Donnie sues her for emotional distress due to her leaving him at the altar. Frasier, instead of leaving well enough alone & keeping his big mouth shut (as he should have done) - true to form, goes to Donnie (a cut-throat lawyer) and stupidly admits that he was the one that encouraged Daphne & Niles to get together - despite the fact that he should have known this would make him a target as well! And, a result of this ill-advised "confession", Frasier is also sued by Donnie. This is probably the single stupidest thing Frasier has done on the series (so far). What a nimrod - LOL. As it turns out, Donnie unexpectedly drops the lawsuits because he quickly meets another woman & ends up marrying her - so, presumably he's less inclined to be angry at everyone connected to the Daphne almost-wedding.

-Niles' ex Mel insists that they be seen in public (but only in public) for a while after the break-up, due to not wanting to look like she got dumped so quickly after the wedding. She asks Niles to say/do inappropriate things in front of her friends, so she can justifiably get upset with him & "end" the relationship - thereby saving face. So, one night when they're all out at dinner with her friends, Niles criticizes one of them for drinking too much & calls him an alcoholic. However, the man - instead of being angry/shocked at the accusation - admits that he has a problem, and thanks Niles profusely for pointing this out to him; he then says this will lead him to get help, etc. The man's wife & friends also praise Niles for this - LOL. This is the exact opposite of what you would have expected to happen, which is what makes it so funny - ha ha.

It's also funny how Mel contemptuously calls Daphne nick-names like "English Muffin", etc. - due to obviously resenting Daphne "stealing" Niles away from her - LOL.

-Frasier ends up dating the extremely attractive lawyer who was representing Niles/Daphne. He is writing her steamy e-mails on a semi-regular basis. However, at one point he is surprised by her expensive bill (over $4,000!) and ends up writing her a somewhat confrontational e-mail questioning why she's charging him so much. After he writes this, he has second thoughts and goes to her office with the idea of surreptitiously deleting the e-mail. As it turns out, she's having computer problems and hasn't read the e-mail yet. So, he pretends to read it to her (and acts as if it's steamy - LOL), but then "accidentally on purpose" deletes this. However, he also stupidly prints this out - by accident. After the lawyer reads this, she becomes angry & kicks him out - what a dummy! LOL.

Part 2 of my S08 review:

- Roz starts dating a guy (Gary Cole, a very underrated actor) who has allegedly had a lot of adventures at sea - he lives on a boat & has sailed around the world; has been hijacked by pirates, etc. Cole ends up befriending Frasier as well, and Frasier encourages him to write a non-fiction book about his adventures. Not long after, Roz breaks up with him for cheating on her, but Frasier wants to keep on being friends with him (mainly due to not having a lot of friendships himself). Classic comedy, especially the final scene where Frasier & Roz are hiding in the ship's closet space - LOL.

It's worth noting that Cole also starred in the underrated drama Midnight Caller (1988-1991), where he played a late-night radio talk show host...though that show was a lot less comedic than Frasier - LOL.

-Roz enlists the aid of Martin to help her pick out a puppy (a dalmation). And, they end up fighting over the best way to raise/treat the dog - ha ha. This brings to mind two parents (who have split up) arguing over the best way to raise their child - LOL. Extremely funny.

-Frasier goes with Roz to a sci-fi/comic book convention to pick up some X-men comics for his son Frederick. While there, he notices a man signing autographs for sci-fi fans - and recognizes him as his old high school drama teacher. As it turns out, both Frasier & Niles remembered him as a great Shakespearean actor. However, in the subsequent years - the man had acted on a well-known (but apparently campy) sci-fi TV show - which is why he was at the convention. Frasier & Niles feel that the former teacher's talents are wasted on a lowbrow sci-fi show, so they want to bring him back to his former glory - by having him star in a one-man show where he will read segments from Shakespeare's plays - ha ha.

However, as it turns out, the former teacher is just a loud blow-hard who has no talent...Niles & Frasier were just remembering him with the naivete of youth - LOL. But, they find this out too late to cancel the show - ha ha.

For some reason, the fictitious sci-fi show the teacher starred in reminds me of the film Galaxy Quest (1999) - a very funny "behind the scenes" look at a fictitious, cheesy sci-fi TV show. This film only came out a couple of years prior to this Frasier episode, so I wonder if the show's writers were "inspired" by the movie re: this episode - LOL.

Seasons 9 & 10 of Frasier were, as always, superb. I can honestly say that these later seasons as just as good as the earlier ones (which doesn't always happen with long-running sitcoms). Well-done!!! Some of the best & most memorable episodes/sequences:

- Frasier drives up to his family cabin alone for a period of self-reflection, and along the way his subconscious mentally "picks up" Diane Chambers, Lilith, and his first ex-wife (a hippy he met in college) - LOL. So, all four of them start arguing in the car about why Frasier's relationship don't last & never work out. He has presumably brought along this "mental baggage" in order to try to figure out what his commitment issues are, etc. It gets even funnier when they get to the cabin and the "ghost" of his late mother (the great Rita Wilson) shows up, and throws in her .02 re: Frasier's problems - extremely funny! Ha ha.

-Frasier & Niles go to a jewelry store so that Niles can pick out a ring for Daphne. While there, the store employee(s) think that Niles & Frasier are a couple, and at one point Frasier has to go down on one knee to find something - and everyone thinks he is proposing to Niles! HAW! HAW! Hilarious! In general, I get the impression this is probably what others (who don't know the two of them) may think when they see Niles/Frasier out together, but this is one of the only episodes where this misinterpretation is extremely evident - ha ha.

-The episode where Roz & Frasier finally hook up. I wasn't at all surprised that it happened, but what did surprise me was how long it took to happen - LOL. It was hilarious that the "morning after", Roz rushed around Frasier's room awkwardly gathering up her clothes, etc. while Frasier acted calm.

-The episode where Niles & Daphne initially get married in Reno without family/friends. But, later, when they realize that their respective familie(s) will be upset that they weren't able to attend a wedding - end up trying to get married in a courthouse to appease everyone - twice! Finally, they admit to everyone that they got married in Reno - LOL.

This episode illustrates exactly why some couples just want to have very small weddings without a lot of people.

It was especially funny to see the gang run into Daphne's ex-fiance Donnie in the courthouse, who was getting married (to a second woman) - so soon after his first marriage. And, even funnier was his overjoyed reaction when it looked like Daphne & Niles weren't going to get married - much to the chagrin of his second wife - ha ha.

-The three-part S10 episode(s) where Niles had to go to the hospital for heart-related surgery. Very tense & serious episodes, and a real departure for this otherwise very comedic show. The flash-backs where we see Niles/Frasier in the hospital as kids & where we see Martin finding out about his wife's cancer are very poignant.

Part 2 of my Frasier S09/S10 review:

-Frasier, Niles, Daphne, and Martin go to Boston & at the airport, Frasier sees/hears Cliff Clavin pontificating to someone about sea animals (or something equally inane). When Cliff spots Frasier, he thinks Frasier & co. are there for Cliff's retirement party from the post office....even though Frasier was completely unaware about this - and wouldn't have cared even if he had known - ha ha.

So, Cliff ropes Frasier & co. into going to his retirement party. Also attending the party are Carla, Norm, and some of the other barflies from Cheers (Paul, etc.). At one point, Carla insults/roasts Cliff, who thinks she's kidding (though she isn't). Much to everyone's chagrin/irritation, Cliff ends up deciding not to retire to Florida (as originally planned) because he mistakenly thinks that the Cheers gang are going to miss him...when they were actually secretly (and not so secretly) extremely happy at the news that he was leaving the area - LOL!!! Very funny episode.

Especially amusing is when Cliff mentions that his mother (who is flying in from Florida) took forever to get to Boston because she initially thought she was flying to "Bosnia" (despite having lived in Boston most of her life) - ha ha.

-The S10 dinner party episode, where Niles wants to have a dinner party without Frasier, for once. So, he & Daphne end up trying to cook everything themselves, with disastrous results. So, Daphne - in desperation - calls Frasier for help, but tells him that he can't tell Niles. Frasier, already prepared with the food (as if he was anticipating this exact situation - ha ha) goes to Daphne's, but has to hide from Niles - while cooking in the kitchen...hilarious!

The episode culiminates in disaster, with Niles getting sprayed with some of Frasier's fruit sauce & the guests thinking it's blood - ha ha. While Niles tries to explain to the guests what happened & tries desperately to keep them from leaving, the ceiling starts rumbling...and a bed falls through. It turns out it was Daphne's mother & a famous artist who were "getting busy" on the bed, causing it to collapse through the floor - ha ha. This is unquestionably one of the funniest episodes in the series ;)

-Frasier starts dating a middle school gym teacher that he meets while playing squash; the teacher is played by the beautiful & underrated actress Jeanne Tripplehorn (Basic Instinct, Waterworld). Everything is going well, until he goes to see her in class & realizes she is a cruel taskmaster when dealing with non-athletic kids - ha ha. This brings back bad memories of his own school days in gym class, when he had a rough coach (played to perfection by the late Bob Hoskins) who made his life a living hell - ha ha. He then can't see her without also seeing this old coach, and things go downhill from there. As always, Frasier has a good thing going with this woman - but ends up over-analyzing her, which ruins everything - again, what a dumb@$$ ;)

Part 3 of my S09/S10 review:

-Niles & Daphne "jokingly" hint to Roz that they want to get into a threesome, after Roz misinterprets something Niles says about a gourmet dessert - LOL. Even though Roz is 100% not interested & makes it clear to them that she's upset about their teasing (causing them to eventually stop) you kind of wonder what would have happened if she had called their bluff - ha ha. After all, it seems that Roz has almost certainly hooked up with a couple at some point in her life - if not, it's probably the only thing she hasn't done ;)

This "flirtation" kind of goes along with another episode (in a previous season) when Roz unexpectedly kissed Niles, and he, shocked, said something like, "Everyone kisses better than Maris!" - LOL

-Frasier accidentally sets Martin's old crummy chair on fire, and then feels so bad he goes out of his way to replace the chair with another one that looks exactly like the original. And, after he spends a lot of time & money replacing the chair (which has since been discontinued), he makes a comment that the replacement (which still looks like a piece of crap) cost him more money than any of his other, much more expensive & better looking pieces of furniture - ha ha.

-In S10, a recurring guest star is the financial analyst hired to do a segment on the radio station, Julia (played by the talented Felicity Huffman). She is attractive but seemingly cold/unfeeling, and she and Roz clash from the beginning. Eventually, after several false starts, she and Frasier start dating - which seriously angers/upsets Roz. Roz eventually leaves the radio station for a better job (at another station), but tells Frasier that she is willing to stay on as his producer if he stops dating Julia. He refuses, and Roz leaves, then starts on her new job...which is the way the season ends.

The impression you get here is that Roz may have had feelings for Frasier - though she won't admit them to herself or to him.....which is why she hated the idea of him & Julia being together.

With FH being in the news recently, I can't watch these episodes where she advises people about their finances without thinking about the current headlines - very ironic - ha ha.

Looking forward to the final S11. I know that Roz is still on the show, so it will be interesting to see how things play out here.

Well, I finally finished watching Frasier. Wow - what a clever, well-written, and truly hilarious sitcom. It didn't take me that long to finish the entire series; once I started watching an episode I wanted to move right onto the next one. I found it very binge-watchable - much more than other shows I've seen.

S11 was especially strong & extremely funny. I wouldn't necessarily say this was the best season, but I can honestly say that I laughed my @$$ off much more at this season than at previous ones. In any case, I don't understand why anyone would say this was a weak season (which is what some have said online).

Some notable episodes/plot-lines:

-Frasier decides to open up a private practice, with disastrous results. All of his potential clients end up leaving and/or getting turned off. Soon after, two things happen: His stomach is making funny noises (probably because he's hungry/nervous), and Martin recommends that he unbutton his pants to improve the situation. Also, Maris' new boyfriend punches Frasier (in the eye) in anger at a party - mistaking him for Niles. So, Frasier's eye is bothering him & he keeps winking/blinking.

Shortly after, he gets a very attractive, tall blonde as a potential new client. She lays on his couch, and tells him that she's upset that guys are only interested in her for one thing. While she is saying this, Frasier keeps "suggestively" winking at her (which she misinterprets as a come-on), but it's only because his eye is bothering him. She is unsettled, but tries to ignore this. Then, Frasier's stomach continues making weird noises (which he can't help) - which she also misinterprets as a lurid come-on. Finally, Frasier unbuttons his pants because of his stomach issues, and then his pants fall down around his ankles....and he accidentally "falls" on her in the process - ha ha. Mistakenly thinking he's trying to assault her, she leaves the office in disgust/fear- never to return.

I literally doubled over in laughter when watching this particular episode - frickin' hysterical ;)

-Maris (Niles' ex) gets involved with a Argentine Polo Player (ha ha) who is trying to bilk her/scan her out of her money. He's also abusive, with a bad temper. So, Maris ends up killing him (in self defense?!), and then tries to flee the country - LOL. She eventually ends up getting captured, and has to stand trial. One of the funniest scenes related to this story-line is when Niles & others go to the house & see a lot of things being packed up. They don't see Maris anywhere, so they leave soon after. Then, the following scene shows the maid talking to someone in a wooden box, and putting a drink straw through a hole so that the person can drink. It's Maris (in hiding) - ha ha.

Continuing my review of S11:

-Frasier goes with Roz & Alice (Roz's young daughter) to stand in line to see "Nanny Gee" a famous children's book author, who has her own kid's TV show. As it turns out, Nanny Gee was Frasier's first ex-wife. NG gives them tickets to a sold-out showing, and she also shows Frasier that she's still into him with a passionate kiss. Later, she meets him at his apartment - with her husband (who is also the show's producer) in tow. Frasier tells her he can't see her given that she's married....but she is so amorous that he gives in to temptation, and agrees to meet her after one of her shows.

He then gets to the show early, and they end up on a bed that rises onto a platform - in full view of the audience (kids & their parents). Nanny Gee tells Frasier to hide in the bedsheets, and then gives him a baby hat & diaper & tells him to cry like a little baby - given that he can't stay on the bed (since it will be thrown off the stage soon after) - ha ha. The sight of shirtless "baby" Frasier crying in a hat & diaper & dancing with anthropomorphic rabbits & other animals was more than I could take - I laughed until tears came to my eyes ;) Brilliant writing here - ha ha.

-I really enjoyed the final two-part?! episode, "Goodbye Seattle" - both funny & poignant. Frasier - being single - had been feeling left out for much of the season due to Niles & Daphne expecting (and then having) their first child, and Martin & Ronnie (his new gf) making plans to get married. So, without anything/anyone to tie him down in Seattle, he accepts a new job offer in San Francisco. I always think this kind of change is good for anyone, and it was nice to see that Frasier was leaving his "comfort zone" (again) and taking a chance on a new career in another city - especially at his age.

I myself moved across the country for a new job many years ago & it was the single best decision I made in my life. So, I can relate to how important this type of thing is for your career, personal self-growth, etc.

I also really like the intentional ambiguity in the final sequence; Frasier had been talking to his seat-mate (Jennifer Beals; star of Flashdance) on an airplane that you thought was going to SF the whole episode, but then at the very end it landed in Chicago - where he was presumably going to try to rekindle the romance with his last gf (the beautiful Laura Linney). It wasn't clear whether he was also trying to get a job in Chicago, but it didn't matter - it made for a great final scene.

Also, some general comments about the show:

-I can definitively say that Frasier is THE funniest sitcom I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few. I also found the series slightly superior to Cheers, the source for this show. Though Cheers was great, there were a # of weak episodes & some seasons were, overall, just OK. Conversely, Frasier started off strong & stayed extremely strong throughout the run of the series. Some seasons were funnier than others, but they were all great - and, I don't remember a single weak episode!

-It was hilarious that throughout most of the series, Martin had "more game" when it came to dating/being successful with women than Frasier did - LOL.

-I'm happy that Roz & Frasier never got married/became an item on the show. I see the one?! time they slept together as a momentary fling & that's it. And, I think it was great that they could remain good friends afterwards without doing the "expected" thing & getting into a long-term relationship, etc.

-I watched the series exclusively on the DVD sets, and while it was a nice & convenient way to see this - the Picture Quality (PQ) in the first two seasons was not that great; while the PQ in the later seasons (3-on) was better, it could still stand a lot of improvement. So, I would pay good money for a remastered/HD Blu set of this entire series. If this is ever done, I would also like to see subtitles for the series; my hearing is great, but there was still some dialogue that I missed over the course of the show.

Trivia:

-I never knew that the late actor John Mahoney (Martin) was born in the UK, and lived there until he was 18 - when he emigrated to the U.S. He didn't have a trace of a UK accent in all the films/TV shows I've seen him in - including Frasier. So, he either "lost" the accent at some point, or did a damn good job of hiding this when he was onscreen. Note I've seen numerous films/TV shows where UK/Australian actors speak with American accents - but, sometimes the UK accent "slips" through. However, in this case I literally had no idea. Well-done.