Pride goeth before a fall, as Frasier's pomposity always ends in embarrassment, in this hilarious, sophisticated comedy serial, iconic of the 1990s.
Frasier is a highly produced 1990s American comedy serial, starring Kelsey Grammer in the title role, as a somewhat pompous radio psychologist whose social and intellectual pretensions frequently end with `scrambled egg all over [his] face'. Grammer's deep, modulated voice is ideal for dispensing shallow reassurance to his radio callers, for expressing would-be elitist cultural appreciation for the finer things in life, and for delivering snobbishly sarcastic put-downs. However, Frasier is made likeable by the fragility of his ego, his ability to admit to his faults, and his decency in helping family and friends.
Most of the action takes place in Frasier's luxurious bachelor apartment in the centre of Seattle, where he lives with his widower ex-cop father, Martin, and Martin's young, single English physiotherapist, Daphne. They are frequently visited by Frasier's psychologist brother, Niles, who is even more precious than Frasier, though his intellectualism and social connections are more authentic. Throughout most of the serial the unhappily, but wealthily married Niles struggles to conceal a strong physical attraction to Daphne. One of the running jokes of the show is that the viewers never meet Niles's delicate, hypochondriac, heiress wife, Maris. Martin & Daphne are both down-to-earth people, far less egoistical than Frasier & Niles. They serve as a foil to the two brothers, often pricking their pretensions, and frequently showing greater inate psychological insight, due to their lack of self-obsession.
Many episodes pick up on a theme raised by one of Frasier's radio phone-in callers (often voiced by A-list celebrities), which Frasier then discusses with young, single producer Roz, with whom he has a brother-sister-type relationship. Roz is very competent, and always keeps Frasier's show on the road, despite his sometimes odd and unprofessional behaviour in the radio booth. She puts up with a lot of demanding, diva-like antics from Frasier, as well as his put-downs about her active social life. However, she holds her own by teasing Frasier, and sometimes leaving him to cope on his own. In later seasons, Roz becomes a more central character in Frasier's family life, where her mutual dislike of Niles often provides fruitful entertainment. Meanwhile, back at the radio station, an expanding cast of characters enlarge the range of scenarios possible there. Like Grammer, Gilpin has a wonderful low voice and, as with the rest of the core cast, proves herself a strong actor.
The writing is more varied and sophisticated than for most US comedies. In a superficial way, this is forced on the writers by Frasier's cultural elitism. More deeply, however, a number of episodes are pastiches of well known novels or films, and Moliere's classic C17th farce of the medical profession, Le Malade Imaginaire, is a constant influence. In Season One, alone, there are 4 memorable episodes:
i) The funniest is when Frasier's severe, deathly-pale ex-wife, Lilith, visits him seeking a reunion. The rest of the family loath Lilith, whom they regard as the wicked witch of the east. Daphne takes this a stage further by having psychic head-aches, due to Lilith's malign influence.
ii) The cast assemble in evening dress for the annual Seatte radio awards ceremony, where Frasier & Roz lobby shamelessly for their own nomination.
iii) On a dark, wind-swept night, Frasier & Martin race cross country to Niles's gothic manor house, in an attempt to keep him from intimacy with Daphne, with whom he has been inadvertently stranded.
iv) In the Season One finale, Seattle's famous coffee-house culture and moist weather play host to a claustrophobla-inducing single-scene episode, in which various long-term character issues are raised and partially resolved.
Overall, this comedy is probably more directed at a college-educated audience, familiar with the cultural references and the elitist snobbery. However, the strong English & European influences, make Frasier more congenial viewing for those this side of the Atlantic than most US comedies. One of the iconic show of the 1990s.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
