Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs: An Oral History of Frasier

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https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood...y-oral-history

Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, Peri Gilpin, Jane Leeves, creators Peter Casey and David Lee, and more recount how a series centered around a snooty radio psychiatrist became one of the most beloved sitcoms in TV history.

From the first etching of the Seattle skyline to the final fade-out inside a Chicago-bound airplane, Frasier celebrated the intelligence of its audience with sharp, accessible humor. For 11 seasons, from 1993 to 2004, NBC’s hugely successful Cheers spin-off walked a fine line between extreme theatricality and heightened reality. It played with our emotions, shifting easily from major to minor keys and balancing goofy farce with tales of heartbreak and woe.

The show’s creators, David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee, followed a simple mantra: no stupid jokes, no stupid characters. Deliver smart, heartfelt content framed within awkward situations. And never take the easy way out.

In front of the camera, Frasier’s cast elevated even the best material; behind it they connected as family, becoming godparents to each other’s children and siblings at heart. The fact that Kelsey Grammer (Frasier Crane) and David Hyde Pierce (Niles Crane) still lovingly refer to the late John Mahoney (who played their father, Martin) as “dad” tells you everything you need to know.

Frasier is beloved enough that the mere mention of a potential reboot can spin social media into a frenzy. And while the radio psychiatrist’s future remains unwritten, the pioneering series—which won a record-breaking 37 Emmys from 108 nominations, the most for any comedy or drama until Game of Thrones took the title in 2017—serves as a testament to creative excellence and intelligent comedy. On the 25th anniversary of the show’s premiere in September 1993, it’s time to look back behind the scenes of one of television’s best series ever. We’re listening.

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