A "Wings" and "Frasier" Similarity

[pilotguy]

A while ago we discussed TV sitcoms and how sometimes you can "buy" the fact that certain characters are siblings and other times you can't....

While I never "bought" the idea of Helen Chappel and Casey Davenport being sisters, the chemistry between Joe and Brian Hackett really made their brother relationship believable.

I think that this believability is also true on "Frasier". I have NO problem believing that Frasier and Niles Crane are brothers. Sometimes they're close friends and other times they have a deep sibling rivalry, but the "brotherly" chemistry is always there.

I think that the big difference in the two series is that the Crane brothers are believable as siblings because they're so alike, while the Hackett brothers are believable as siblings even though they're VERY different types of people....so I would say that "Wings" had a difficult job on their hands by asking us to believe that two such VERY different men (who don't even look alike) could actually be brothers....but the show (as well as the excellent acting of Tim and Steven) made us believe it.

[Chocoholic]

My younger sister and I are a lot like Helen and Casey. I'm Helen and she's Casey.

[pilotguy]

Originally posted by Snoopy
My younger sister and I are a lot like Helen and Casey. I'm Helen and she's Casey.

My wife and her younger sister are a lot like Helen and Casey too (Of course, my wife is Helen....I couldn't STAND being married to a "Casey"!).

My problem with the whole "Helen and Casey Are Sisters" thing is not a difference in their personalities, but rather the on-screen sibling chemistry between the characters.

I think that Helen and Casey are very funny together and work well as a team (that bit after the first house fire where Helen is slopping ketchup all over Casey's good dress is a CLASSIC!)....but when I watch them together, I tend to think of them as just friends or co-workers....I keep having to REMIND myself that they're sisters. I don't have to keep reminding myself of the sibling relationship with the Hackett or Crane brothers.

[pilotguy]

Originally posted by pilotguy
My wife and her younger sister are a lot like Helen and Casey too (Of course, my wife is Helen....I couldn't STAND being married to a "Casey"!).

My problem with the whole "Helen and Casey Are Sisters" thing is not a difference in their personalities, but rather the on-screen sibling chemistry between the characters.

I think that Helen and Casey are very funny together and work well as a team (that bit after the first house fire where Helen is slopping ketchup all over Casey's good dress is a CLASSIC!)....but when I watch them together, I tend to think of them as just friends or co-workers....I keep having to REMIND myself that they're sisters. I don't have to keep reminding myself of the sibling relationship with the Hackett or Crane brothers.

In thinking this over, I think that I may have come up with a reason why I have trouble believing Helen and Casey as sisters....

They never really had a "history" together. The Hackett and Crane brothers are always saying things to each other like, "Remember when we were kids and you did THIS?" or "Remember that Christmas when you did THAT?"....but the Chappel sisters never seem to do that. It's like the two ladies never interacted while growing up and then were suddenly thrown together years later on Nantucket...."Hey, look at US, folks...We're SISTERS!"

I know that it's a trivial point, but it's just a part of the "Wings" series that I have trouble "buying".

[Janice]

I agree with you, pilotguy, that the reason we don't get a true sibling feel with Helen and Casey is their lack of a shared history.

She hit the scene too late. I think if Casey was there from the beginning or shortly after, it would have been a better fit.

[AngeFaitore]

In the whole Wings/Cheers/Frasier universe, I'd like to know more about Lowell's wacky family. They seem like a weird bunch.
We rarely ever saw Beevo, but we heard about him alot. The same for Lowell jr. and the other kids.
Plus, I really wonder if those kids that he was touring around the airport were REALLY from the orphanage.

[barwars]

I think that one of the WINGS characters should return sometime before the finale of Frasier this May.

[phoebe7165]

I can see why Helen & Casey are unbelievable as sisters, considering the fact that Helen talked about her sister, 'Lorraine', is earlier episodes!!

[Krista2882]

Originally posted by phoebe7165
I can see why Helen & Casey are unbelievable as sisters, considering the fact that Helen talked about her sister, 'Lorraine', is earlier episodes!!

yeah! and then in "Ladies Who Lunch" when Helen said something about her "sister who married that boob from Hawaii"... Stuart wasn't from Hawaii, was he?