Frasier

[Trekker4747]

Well, I've gone through Cheers on DVD so I bit the bullet and decided to dive into Frasier.

Bought Season 1 on DVD and started watching it tonight. It's OK, so far, and while I'm sure it picks up later in it I'm thusly not overtly impressed with it or see why it got such raves.

 

[thestrangequark]

Frasier is one of my all-time favorite shows. The acting is great, the humor is intelligent, and the characters are fantastically well developed. Take some time to get to know the characters, it's one of the funniest sitcoms out there.

 

[Mr Light]

I'm actually just watching the show on DVD myself. I watched the first half or so of the series when it first aired but wandered away. I've been watching the DVDs since Season Seven and I'm currently in Season Nine and it's a very funny show. However a year ago we got Season Three and only watched a couple episodes because a) I distinctly remembered everything and b) it wasn't that funny.

 

[nx1701g]

I'm a bit different because I thought that the later seasons - after Roz became pregnant - were better than the beginning.

 

[Roberto]

Frasier was a good series, I liked the way it ended.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I enjoyed later seasons more than the first two or three, though they aren't bad. You might rent season 4 and see how that grabs you.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

Just finished watching the first 3 seasons for the first time (about to start on the 4th), and while there have been some duds along the way, on the whole it's been pretty fantastic. I'd actually heard that the series declines as it goes on (before improving a bit toward the end), not that it got better. I guess I'll just have to find out for myself.

 

[TheGodBen]

Frasier is my favourite comedy show after Scrubs and Arrested Development, and I think it is easily the best sit-com which features a studio audience. I watched the whole thing through last year and I didn't enjoy the first season as much as 2-6 because I don't think they had the dynamic of the show figured out yet. A lot of the early episodes focus on Frasier at the radio station or Frasier's relationship with his father while Niles is just a side character who shows up for a scene or two. The show comes into its element when they start focusing more on Frasier and Niles' relationship which makes for some of the funniest scenes in the show. The second season is also when they really started doing more convoluted plots where the characters find themselves lying to one another or in a misunderstanding which gets out of control. Wait until you see season 2's The Matchmaker, and it reaches new heights in season 4's The Two Mrs Cranes where every major character (except Eddie) unwittingly finds themself in an deception to fool Daphne's ex-fiance.

I am one of those people who thinks that the quality declined in seasons 7 & 8, and it hit rock bottom in 9 & 10, but the final season was a return to form.

 

[Mr Light]

That's funny because I started with 7 and I'm in 9 and I'm still enjoying it. Actually if I have one complaint it's that the stories almost never involve his radio show. I think in one season they literally had like 2 call in people!

 

[Seven of Five]

Frasier is brilliant. I loved watching it when it first aired, but only watched the whole series through properly via DVDs and reruns. The earlier seasons are better in quality IMO, when the writing was still fresh, Niles still pined for Daphne and the radio show was still an important part of the show. I think seasons 8-10 showed some decline (not that it wasn't still funny, just less consistently). The final season was a return to form of sorts, and the finale was quite touching.

My fave episode is the one where there is a misunderstanding and stupid things happen.

 

[Mr Light]

^^ Isn't that every episode?

 

[Starbreaker]

A couple of years ago I watched 8-10 episodes a week of Frasier on Lifetime. I think I've seen about half the series now, would really like to get finish it up sometime.

 

[TheGodBen]

My fave episode is the one where there is a misunderstanding and stupid things happen.

That's a good one, but my favourite is the one where Frasier and Niles squabble over petty things.

 

[bigdaddy]

I started liking the show once he got a haircut.

The show get's better and better until a point somewhere around season 6-9ish and then improves again. For a show that went on as long as it did it is really good.

 

[BRG]

For me, Frasier is up there with Seinfeld as the greatest American sitcom. When it is good, very few things can come close to Frasier!
While each season has a few duds, they are outnumbered by some absolute gems. But to echo wat many have said, it does dip in quality towards the end, but really did bounce back with excellent last few season.

I've never bought the DVD's myself. This is another US import which is suffering from the "Friends Syndrome" in the UK, where it has been on a virtual constant loop of repeats on Channel 4 for over a decade.
However, maybe it's time a checked out Amazon to see it they are going cheap.
BRG

 

[Timby]

^^ Isn't that every episode?

Congratulations! You got the joke!

 

[tharpdevenport]

How can forget "Nightmare Inn...", or the cabin episode where "... an no one ... was chasing after ME?!", Niles' is bird, or "Doctor Craine, it appears your Glokenspeil has sprung to life!".

So many wonderful lines.

Marty: "How often do you get to hear your son on the radio?"
Fraiser: Looks pissed, "I'm on the radio EVERYDAY!!!"

Or the Valentine's Day episode (that the one?) that opens with this big elaborate scene involving Niles, ironing pants, cooking food, and blood.

Or when Niles and Fraiser got that resturant and everytime Frasier calls for the car fetcher, the guy replies in a New York cabby tone, "Who is this?" to which Frasier replies the last time he calls for him, "The voice of god!!!".

"Yes, it could be any number of things, but did you ever stop to consider it may be because I have a hooker chained to my wrist?!"

Or Niles and Frasier arguing over the position of a planet, it gets so heated that eventually Frasier picks the plant up, and tosses it threw window.

Or the line (hopefully I dont' have to explain the situation for fans):
Frasier: "I hope you don't expect me to jump up & down and yell 'Yippe'."
Lillith: "No, we've already seen that."

 

[Michael]

For me, Frasier is up there with Seinfeld as the greatest American sitcom.

Word! That's more or less what I was going to post when I came into this thread. In my opinion nothing comes close to the quality of Seinfeld and Frasier. Two of the best shows ever made.

 

[Sky]

How cna forgot "Nightmare Inn..."

Sound of ominous organ music indicating trouble ahead....

Or the Tennessee Williams play episode with Niles and Daphne at Niles' house.. or the tango one..

 

[nx1701g]

^ Best Frasier scene ever: Hot and Foamy