Frasier

[Ailianna 6,298]

I think there were still a lot of good episodes after that point.  I don't really like Daphne's family, and there are more of them in the last years, but there are a lot of good episodes in that time.

[rubaco 2,187]

48 minutes ago, PennyPlain said:

I pretty much stopped watching Frasier around the time Niles and Daphne got married.  Now I'm wondering if I'm missing out!  Would those who followed the whole series recommend those later seasons?

@PennyPlain: When they got married, or when they got together? I'll assume you mean you stopped at the beginning of Season 10 (their wedding). I think there are many great episodes in the last 2 seasons, and a couple of them are considered true classics ("Fathers and Sons" in season 10, "The Doctor Is Out" in season 11). 

Lots of fans (including me) thought the character played by Felicity Huffman was not a welcome addition (she's in maybe a half-dozen episodes). And there's a season 11 arc that features Laura Linney as a love interest; I liked her character well enough, but apparently I'm in the minority. 

Long story short, I think you should try a few episodes that you missed. The show was not brilliant anymore by its final 2 seasons, but I still loved it.

[kariyaki 21,853]

I really liked the last two seasons. More than some of the middle seasons. It’s weird to hear Daphne calling the Drs. Crane by their first names, though.

[PennyPlain 1,780]

I checked IMDB and it looks like I pretty much stopped watching by the end of season 9. As I recall a big reason I stopped was I loathed Daphne's family.

[Irlandesa 41,748]

3 hours ago, PennyPlain said:

I pretty much stopped watching Frasier around the time Niles and Daphne got married.  Now I'm wondering if I'm missing out!  Would those who followed the whole series recommend those later seasons?

I rewatched the whole series recently and I was kind of dreading the later seasons because I remember thinking the quality had dipped but I found myself laughing a lot more than I anticipated.

And I genuinely thought Season 11 was almost a full return to form.

There were things I didn't like but things go faster in binge format.

[Camera One 23,298]

6 hours ago, PennyPlain said:

I pretty much stopped watching Frasier around the time Niles and Daphne got married.  Now I'm wondering if I'm missing out!  Would those who followed the whole series recommend those later seasons?

I enjoyed it to the very end.  Yes, there were some dud subplots and episodes, but I think that's the case with any show.  With this series, I still liked everyone by the end of the series.

I disliked Daphne's family too, but there were stretches of episodes where they were all absent.  You could always fast-forward their bits when they make guest appearances.

Edited February 2, 2020 by Camera One

[ketose 4,700]

Of Daphne's family, I found her mother the most tedious because she was in so many episodes.

[tessaray 10,226]

11 hours ago, PennyPlain said:

I pretty much stopped watching Frasier around the time Niles and Daphne got married.  Now I'm wondering if I'm missing out!  Would those who followed the whole series recommend those later seasons?

The Niles health arc was pretty good.  And if you like Wendy Malick, she and Martin made a cute couple.  Those were my favorites.

[chessiegal 17,368]

Was Daphne going into labor at Marty's wedding in the series finale, or the penultimate episode? That was funny..

[Annber03 40,985]

The series finale :). And yeah, they wound up delivering her baby at a vet's office, of all places :p. 

[chessiegal 17,368]

2 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

The series finale :). And yeah, they wound up delivering her baby at a vet's office, of all places :p. 

It always cracks me up when they see Niles feeding a monkey at the vets. Marty turns to Frasier and says something to the effect - you were no prize either. 😂

[LindaT 284]

On 2/2/2020 at 7:59 AM, PennyPlain said:

I pretty much stopped watching Frasier around the time Niles and Daphne got married.  Now I'm wondering if I'm missing out!  Would those who followed the whole series recommend those later seasons?

Penny, I am so jealous!  I would love to be able to binge watch the last seasons of Fraiser as if I had never seen them! My favorite episodes are the ones surrounding Daphne's and Donnie's wedding! Enjoy! 

[raven 25,499]

I know I've commented on "Travels with Martin" before but it is so damned funny, I'm watching it now.  Our heroes are heading back to the border having inadvertently crossed into Canada and Daphne can't be in Canada because of her immigration status.  They're going to try to pass her off as American (the only thing she can say is "sure") and she's nervous and says she's going to make a cup of tea.

Frasier: "Tea! Why don't you just wave a crumpet in the air and start singing God Save the Queen"  LOLOL

Then there's Niles panicking "oh my god there's the border I CAN SEE THE LINE OF CARS"

It's all in the delivery.

[Nordly Beaumont 8,295]

Happy Leap Day! Let's all go to a taco show!

[Beany Malone 597]

1 hour ago, Nordly Beaumont said:

Happy Leap Day! Let's all go to a taco show!

This episode was just on the other day.  Seen it I don't know how many times now but still laughed out loud all the way through it!

[raven 25,499]

OK here's another one.  In "The Candidate", Fraser is having a party for a congressional candidate.  The guy confides to Fraser that he's was abducted by aliens who were very concerned about our planet. 

Fraser wants to tell Niles but can't because he told the candidate that he'd be bound by doctor-patient confidentiality.

Niles "Our values are sacrosanct.  Fortunately, I know a way around that.  I'll be your psychiatrist then you can spill your guts". 

Hee hee

[Ms Blue Jay 68,382]

On 2/2/2020 at 10:59 AM, PennyPlain said:

I pretty much stopped watching Frasier around the time Niles and Daphne got married.  Now I'm wondering if I'm missing out!  Would those who followed the whole series recommend those later seasons?

I'm of the opinion that Season 1-7 are great, 8-10 are pretty bad, but then Season 11 is really good again.

[Lois Sandborne 1,156]

Vulture has an article with a ton of showrunners and writers describing their COVID-19 episodes, including a scene from Christopher Lloyd about how the Crane boys would be faring in these trying times.

[Annber03 40,985]

I love the idea of Niles participating in a virtual wine club :D. 

And Frasier's talk about spores in regards to Martin has me thinking about that episode where he's getting on Martin's case about that sponge :p. 

That was cute, thanks for sharing the link!

[tessaray 10,226]

Did everyone see this link from last week?   

 

[Annber03 40,985]

I'd heard about it, but have yet to watch it. I'll definitely be doing that at some point soon here ,though-so cool to see them getting together like this :)!

[voiceover 9,008]

Rewatched "Ham Radio", which is in my Top 10, and certainly has my favorite line of the series:

"Would the McAllister sisters stand back-to-back, I'm short on bullets."

[Annber03 40,985]

I was watching that one earlier, too :D. 

I also love when Niles is trying to figure out how to do Pepo's voice and he bends his knees a little. And "the ice cream truck!" So many great moments and lines in that episode. 

ETA: Now watching "Three Dates and a Breakup" and I really love the talk between Frasier and Martin towards the end. Such a great scene. It's especially sweet considering Frasier's own feelings about Sherry, that he's willing to talk all this out with his dad. 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Annber03

[raven 25,499]

Watching "The Seal Who Came to Dinner"

The harbor patrol won't come and get the dead seal, only live ones.

Niles:  "Wait, it's not dead, it's sitting up and looks very disoriented!  Come quickly!"

Fraiser grabs the phone and mentions his show - Niles: "Oh yes, that should send the seal mobile racing over here"

LOLOL

Can't wait till we get to the part with the clapping and the lights.  I kind of forgot how hilarious this episode is.

[Annber03 40,985]

The bit about how Maris could never clap hard enough to turn on that light...

That's one of the earliest episodes I can remember seeing when I first got into this show, so I've always had a soft spot for it because of that alone. 

[raven 25,499]

Oh now it's the one where Frasier pretends to be Jewish for Faye's mother.  Heehee

Frasier to Niles - "Faye's mother thinks that we're Jewish.  Just play along"

Niles:  "okay"

It's the way DHP says it that's so funny; so casual!

And of course this is the one where Niles will be dressed as Jesus later on.

[chessiegal 17,368]

Frasier has a wonderful ensemble cast, but I think it would be sorely lacking without DHP. His comedic timing and ability to do slapstick are so good!

[Annber03 40,985]

"The man who was supposed to play Jesus couldn't go on, he slipped in the shower. Man who can walk on water, but no..." 

And then...

Frasier: "I am very sorry about this, but you have got to get the hell out of here!"

Niles: "I don't think that kind of language is appropriate." 

LOL. 

12 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Frasier has a wonderful ensemble cast, but I think it would be sorely lacking without DHP. His comedic timing and ability to do slapstick are so good!

He was perfect for this show. And to think, his character was basically created on a whim, thanks to someone happening to point out that he resembled a young Kelsey Grammer. 

[aquarian1 18,347]

55 minutes ago, raven said:

Oh now it's the one where Frasier pretends to be Jewish for Faye's mother.  Heehee

One of my all time faves!

[Irlandesa 41,748]

4 hours ago, raven said:

Watching "The Seal Who Came to Dinner" 

I kind of forgot how hilarious this episode is.

That happens so much for me with Frasier.  There are the known classics that I immediately think of when ranking the best episodes (Ham Radio, The Matchmaker, The Ski Lodge, The Two Mrs. Cranes, An Affair to Forget) but then there are those stealthly brilliant episodes like "The Seal Who Came to Dinner." 

There are so many brilliant moments in that. The peignoir.  The nosy neighbor reporting the murder.

[andromeda331 30,384]

Those were both so funny! I don't even know how they came up with the seal one.

[chessiegal 17,368]

My favorite is "Three Valentines". I keep it on the VCR in case I need a good laugh. Well, really just the first with Niles. Has me in tears laughing every time.

[andromeda331 30,384]

2 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

My favorite is "Three Valentines". I keep it on the VCR in case I need a good laugh. Well, really just the first with Niles. Has me in tears laughing every time.

That's another hilarious one.

[jird 714]

12 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

One of my all time faves!

Mine too! That moment where they open the bathroom door, and he's standing there dressed as Jesus, in front of the tree, with the inhaler up his nose -- it slays me every single time.

[aquarian1 18,347]

Yes!  That's the money shot!

[the-grey-lady 9,430]

On 4/8/2020 at 11:01 PM, voiceover said:

Rewatched "Ham Radio", which is in my Top 10, and certainly has my favorite line of the series:

"Would the McAllister sisters stand back-to-back, I'm short on bullets."

I give my husband the boyhood in Surrey speech at least a couple times a month.

[ljenkins782 6,658]

On 4/7/2020 at 5:45 PM, tessaray said:

Did everyone see this link from last week?   

 

It's a shame they had so many technical difficulties, it made it less fun than it should have been, but still worth a watch for a scene of DHP doing a bit on Suddenly Susan in the early 90s as an accountant who wants to be on Broadway (around the 16 minute mark, if you want to see it). A perfect encapsulation of DHP's talents.

DHP seems like such a lovely man. I sometimes wonder how things were behind the scenes given that Kelsey Grammar has had known substance abuse issues and his crazy personal life (4 or more wives, I think). I feel like some of that had to have bled into the working environment, but none of them have ever really alluded to it, as far as I know.

Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin both look incredible, I just looked it up and they're both 59 but they look far younger.

Quote

 

I know I've commented on "Travels with Martin" before but it is so damned funny, I'm watching it now.  Our heroes are heading back to the border having inadvertently crossed into Canada and Daphne can't be in Canada because of her immigration status.  They're going to try to pass her off as American (the only thing she can say is "sure") and she's nervous and says she's going to make a cup of tea.

Frasier: "Tea! Why don't you just wave a crumpet in the air and start singing God Save the Queen"  LOLOL

Then there's Niles panicking "oh my god there's the border I CAN SEE THE LINE OF CARS"

It's all in the delivery.

 

That is one of my all-time favorites. It's amazing from start to finish. "what was the purpose of your visit to Canada?" Niles: "[long pause]...fun" with the grumpiest expression of all time. Hilarious.

[pigs-in-space 1,605]

I've been binge-watching the show the past couple of weeks, as when it first aired I was a bit young for it (I liked it...just didn't get all the jokes as a very, very sheltered teenager). David Hyde Pierce was always my favorite and that has absolutely held true this time around.

I think the scene where I laughed the hardest was this one where Niles is showing off his kick-boxing skills. The other episode that cracked me up is the one where Marty says he's gay to let a woman down gently, then has to pretend he's gay for the rest of the night, and even ropes poor Niles into having to pretend to be his boyfriend.

Oh, and I can't forget...the episodes where Niles has his dog. Those "sit...sit...okay!" get me every time. I'm pretty sure the dog is a whippet, but my family has Italian Greyhounds, which are similar, and they definitely can be a picky breed! Perfect Maris substitutes.

ETA: Forgot to mention - I liked Bulldog too, even though he was super-sexist. I liked him best of all of Roz's love interests.

Edited August 8, 2020 by pigs-in-space

[chessiegal 17,368]

So COZI just decided to end the final season with episode 16? I thought maybe my DVR screwed up when after episode 16 was followed by the pilot. Dang! I was looking forward to last episodes.

[Gramto6 17,163]

Le sigh, COZI is not available in my area. I only get Frasier on Hallmark late at night. Can stay up for at least 4 shows....

[MisterGlass 4,576]

I had seen episodes of Frasier occasionally in syndication, and recently decided to watch the whole series.  It did have its low spots but it's impressive how high the overall quality stayed.

It's amazing that there are still so many laugh out loud moments after twenty years.  The writers had an incredible knack for setting up something early in an episode and then paying it off later.  The lamp in the seal episode killed me every time someone clapped.

[Annber03 40,985]

Ah, lucky you, getting to experience the show in full for the first time :D! So glad you liked it! I agree about its overall consistency-it's not often a show can stay that strong for so long, but yeah, I think that speaks to the high caliber of the cast and crew involved that they were able to achieve that. 

5 minutes ago, MisterGlass said:

It's amazing that there are still so many laugh out loud moments after twenty years.  The writers had an incredible knack for setting up something early in an episode and then paying it off later. 

Indeed. Even if it was a minor thing that initially seemed like it wasn't connected to the main storyline, they still found a way to tie it in (I'm thinking specifically of the episode with the politician who claimed he was abducted by aliens. Roz made an offhand comment at one point about Chopper Dave flying by in his helicopter and the lights and noise disrupting the guy she was with. And they managed to connect that little aside to the main story so perfectly in the end). 

But yeah, this is definitely one of those shows where I can watch an episode countless times and I'm still cracking up at it as though I were watching for the first time. That's the hallmark of a good comedy. 

[jird 714]

10 hours ago, MisterGlass said:

It's amazing that there are still so many laugh out loud moments after twenty years.  The writers had an incredible knack for setting up something early in an episode and then paying it off later.  The lamp in the seal episode killed me every time someone clapped.

The Hot-n-Foamy exploding in the bathroom kills me every time.

[Browncoat 32,747]

"I'm fine.  Just a little hot.  And foamy."

[stonehaven 4,895]

I'm a glorified dishwasher in a local hospital and quote, "I'm just a little hot...and foamy" a lot to my co-workers....nobody gets it....sigh...but it makes ME laugh.

[Irlandesa 41,748]

1 hour ago, stonehaven said:

I'm a glorified dishwasher in a local hospital and quote, "I'm just a little hot...and foamy" a lot to my co-workers....nobody gets it....sigh...but it makes ME laugh.

They must not be detectives.

[Ms Blue Jay 68,382]

I'm rewatching the series and the show is still so good.  I've seen these episodes many many times but some episodes still make me cry.

[Annber03 40,985]

3 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I'm rewatching the series and the show is still so good.  I've seen these episodes many many times but some episodes still make me cry.

I can't get through the series finale without crying. By the time they're all saying their goodbyes at the apartment, I'm a goner. 

For as funny as this show was, it could do poignant and emotional really well, too. 

[Ms Blue Jay 68,382]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

For as funny as this show was, it could do poignant and emotional really well, too. 

I rewatched the episode where Martin lied and said that HE had the affair when F&N were children, instead of his wife.  The end where Martin explains why he did it made me cry.  (Season 1 I think.)

Another one was the whole sequence where everyone discovers that Donny is going to propose.  (End of Season 7).  Niles and Daphne try to stop it, but then everyone lets it happen, and Niles dealing with his heartbreak is sooooooo tough!  And then of course, Niles and Daphne run away 😉

I think that this whole sequence of episodes is so well done, but Daphne and Niles' first kiss was so.......... odd.  LOL.  Daphne was so physically forceful and I just wish that it wasn't so awkward.  But maybe I have to try and see it from another perspective.

Frasier is one of my favourite shows to watch around the holidays.

Halloween:

"Halloween" (1997) - Season 5, Episode 3
"Room Full of Heroes" (2001) - Season 9, Episode 6
"Tales from the Crypt" (2002) - Season 10, Episode 5

Thanksgiving (forgive me if I'm missing any?)

407. A Lilith Thanksgiving
709 The Apparent Trap

Here's the "Frasier" Christmas episodes

S1-E12 Miracle on Third or Fourth Street
S3-E9 Frasier Grinch
S5-E9 Perspectives on Christmas
S6-E10 Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz
S7-E11 The Fight before Christmas
S8-E8 Mary Christmas
S10-E10 We Two Kings
S11-E11 High Holidays

Edited to add the holiday episodes and move things around because Canadian Thanksgiving is so much earlier than America's 🙂. 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Ms Blue Jay

[Annber03 40,985]

1 minute ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I rewatched the episode where Martin lied and said that HE had the affair when F&N were children, instead of his wife.  The end where Martin explains why he did it made me cry.  (Season 1 I think.)

Another one was the whole sequence where everyone discovers that Donny is going to propose.  (End of Season 7).  Niles and Daphne try to stop it, but then everyone lets it happen, and Niles dealing with his heartbreak is sooooooo tough!  And then of course, Niles and Daphne run away 😉

I think that this whole sequence of episodes is so well done, but Daphne and Niles' first kiss was so.......... odd.  LOL.  Daphne was so physically forceful and I just wish that it wasn't so awkward.  But maybe I have to try and see it from another perspective.

Aw, yeah, that's a good episode. I'm always struck by the moment where Martin's telling Frasier not to hate Hester for what she'd done, and starts talking about how he loved her. Frasier then responds with, "So did I" and he's on the verge of tears-that's such a powerful moment from Kelsey Grammer. I don't think he was acting there, those tears looked genuine. And if he was acting, then he was pretty damn convincing. 

The episode regarding Hester that always gets to me is when Frasier's dating the woman who looks so much like her. It's heartbreaking and bittersweet to see Martin trying to deal with the memories throughout-his reaction when he first meets her, being so struck by the resemblance, and then the ending, when they're all watching the home movies and Martin just bows his head and blinks away tears....I just really want to give Martin a big hug every time I see that episode. 

And AGH, yes, the episode where Daphne accepts Donny's proposal. Niles' face there gets me every single time. If you wanted a picture of what actual heartbreak looked like, that would be it. 

I can see what you mean about their first kiss being a bit odd. The awkwardness is expected to some degree, with Niles being startled by her hauling off and kissing him like that and the fact that even though she's going for it, they're still at risk of getting caught by any of the people inside. But even so, I still get where you feel that way-it would've been nice to have that moment be a little gentler and smoother or something, too.