Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub Street Productions) in association with Grammnet (2004) and Paramount Network Television.

A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin. It is one of the most successful spin-off series in television history, as well as one of the most critically acclaimed comedy series of all time.

Situation[link]

Psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Grammer) returns to his hometown of Seattle, Washington, following the end of his marriage and his life in Boston (as seen in Cheers). His plans for a new life as a bachelor are complicated when he is obliged to take in his father, a retired detective from the Seattle Police Department, Martin (Mahoney), who is unable to live by himself after being shot in the line of duty during a robbery. Frasier and Martin are joined by Daphne Moon (Leeves), Martin's English, live-in physical therapist and caretaker, and Martin's dog Eddie (Moose). Frasier's younger brother Niles (Pierce), a fellow psychiatrist, frequently visits their apartment. Niles' infatuation with, and eventual love for Daphne—feelings he does not confess to her openly until the final episode of the seventh season—form a complex story arc that spans the entire series.

Frasier hosts the popular The Dr. Frasier Crane Show on the talk radio station KACL (named for the initials of the show's creators, Casey, Angell, and Lee).^{[citation needed]} While his head producer Roz Doyle (Gilpin) is very different from Frasier in taste and temperament, over time they become close friends. Frasier and the others often visit the local coffee shop Café Nervosa, the scene of many of their comic adventures.

The sons, who possess fine tastes, intellectual interests, and high opinions of themselves, frequently clash with their blue-collar, down-to-earth father. Frasier and Niles' relationship is often also turbulent; while very close, their intense sibling rivalry frequently results in chaos. Other recurring themes include the breakdown of Niles' marriage to the never-seen Maris, Frasier's search for love in his own life, and the various attempts of the two brothers to gain acceptance into Seattle's cultural elite.

Broadcast History[link]

NOTE: The most frequent time slot for the series is in bold text.

• Thursday at 9:30-10:00 PM on NBC: September 16, 1993—May 19, 1994
• Tuesday at 9:00-9:30^{[dubious – discuss]} PM on NBC: September 20, 1994—May 19, 1998; October 24, 2000—May 4, 2004
• Thursday at 9:00-9:30 PM on NBC: September 24, 1998—May 18, 2000
• Thursday at 8:00-10:00 PM on NBC: May 13, 2004

Cast[link]

Much like its predecessor Cheers, Frasier used an ensemble cast with storylines involving the same group of characters.^[1]

The lead actors were with the show for all of its 11 years.^[2] Grammer was briefly the highest paid television actor in the United States for his portrayal of Frasier, while Jane Leeves was the highest paid British actress.^[3][4] Following his many appearances in Cheers, Grammer tied the record for the longest running character in prime time, equalling James Arness' twenty years as Marshal Dillon on Gunsmoke,^[3] but this was beaten by the principal cast of The Simpsons, although Grammer and Arness still hold the record in live action.

The main characters in Frasier selling US Treasury Bonds

In addition to the ensemble, a number of additional characters were introduced to advance the storyline. These included characters from Frasier's former incarnation on Cheers, such as his ex-wife Lilith Sternin, played by Bebe Neuwirth. Some other characters, such as Bob 'Bulldog' Briscoe, played by Dan Butler, the host of a radio sports show that aired following Frasier's show, made regular appearances. He was billed with the main cast for three seasons (seasons 4-6) before that he was a recurring character. After season 6 he was placed back on recurring guest status.

Three of the main cast members reunited in an episode of The Simpsons. Grammer reprised his role for the tenth time as Sideshow Bob, Pierce reprised his role for the second time as Sideshow Bob's brother, Cecil Terwilliger, and Mahoney appeared as Cecil and Bob's father, Dr. Robert Terwilliger, in the episode "Funeral for a Fiend".

Cast member reunions have also occurred on four episodes of Hot in Cleveland, which currently features Leeves and Wendie Malick (who played Martin's girlfriend, then wife) among the show's principal cast. In the Season 2 episode "Unseparated at Birth" and Season 3 episode "Funeral Crashers", Mahoney guest stars as a waiter smitten with Betty White's character, Gilpin appears in the episode "I Love Lucci (Part 1)", and Tom McGowan (who played one of the radio station managers) appears in "Love Thy Neighbor" as a casting director. Hot in Cleveland is also produced by Suzanne Martin, who wrote multiple episodes of Frasier.

Production[link]

Creation[link]

As Cheers approached its last season in 1993, Grammer approached Angell, Casey, and Lee. The actor had enjoyed his appearance on an episode of the three men's Wings, and hoped that they could create a new show for him. Grammer did not want to continue playing Frasier Crane, and Angell, Casey, and Lee did not want the new show to be compared to Cheers, which they had worked on before Wings. The three proposed that the actor play a wealthy, Malcolm Forbes-like paraplegic publisher with a "street smart" Hispanic live-in nurse. While Grammer liked the concept, Paramount Television disliked it because it was unrelated to the enormously popular Cheers. Although Grammer agreed to star in a Cheers spin-off, the producers set the new show as far from Boston as possible to prevent NBC from demanding that other characters from the old show make guest appearances on the new show during its first season. After first choosing Denver, Angell, Casey, and Lee ultimately chose Seattle as the setting.^[5]

The creators did not want Frasier in private practice so the show would not resemble The Bob Newhart Show, and conceived the idea of the psychiatrist working in a radio station surrounded by "wacky, yet loveable" characters. After finding that such a setting resembled WKRP in Cincinnati, Lee's experiences with caring for an aging parent very different from the son caused the creators to emphasize Frasier's home life and family history, which Cheers had rarely explored,^[5] and "the relationship between an aging father and the grown-up son he never understood."^[6]

Casting[link]

Originally there was to be no brother because Frasier told his bar friends at Cheers he was an only child.^[6] After a casting director noticed Pierce's resemblance to Grammer, the creators were "blown away"^[5] by his acting ability and created a role for him.^[7] Martin Crane is based on creator Casey's father, who spent 34 years with the San Francisco Police Department; Grammer, who lost his father as a child, and the childless Mahoney immediately built a close father-son relationship.^[6] NBC suggested Martin's nurse be English instead of Hispanic as it favored Leeves for the role. Grammer was initially reluctant as he thought the casting made the show resemble Nanny and the Professor, but approved Leeves after a read-through with her. The only main role that required auditions was Roz Doyle,^[5] named in memory of a producer of Wings.^[8] She was originally to be played by Lisa Kudrow, but during rehearsals, it became apparent that she did not fit the role. The creators quickly hired Gilpin, their second choice.^[9][10]

Filming[link]

As Pierce's role as Niles became a breakout character, focus shifted to the brothers' relationship. The cast had an unusual amount of freedom to suggest changes to the script. Grammer used an acting method he called "requisite disrespect" and did not rehearse with the others, instead learning and rehearsing his lines once just before filming each scene in front of a live studio audience. Although effective, the system often caused panic among guest stars. In 1996 Grammer's recurrent alcoholism led to a car accident; the cast and crew performed an intervention that persuaded him to enter the Betty Ford Clinic, delaying production for a month.^[6]

Only one episode, "The 1000th Show", was filmed in Seattle.^[11] As with Cheers, the remainder was filmed on Stage 25 (34°5′8.38″N 118°19′18.14″W / 34.0856611°N 118.3217056°W / 34.0856611; -118.3217056 (Stage 25 of Paramount Studios)), Paramount Studios,^[6] and at various locations in and around Los Angeles.

The radio station callers' lines were spoken by anonymous voice-over actors while filming the show in front of a live audience. This gave the cast something to which they could react. During post-production, the lines were replaced by celebrities, who literally phoned in their parts without having to come into the studio. The end credits of season finales showed headshots of all the celebrities who had "called in" that season.

The closing credits for each episode features the song "Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs", sung by Grammer. Composer Bruce Miller, who had also composed for Wings, was asked to avoid explicitly mentioning any subjects related to the show such as radio or psychiatry. After Miller finished the music, lyricist Darryl Phinnesse suggested the title as they were things that were, like Frasier Crane's patients, "mixed up". The lyrics indirectly refer to Crane's radio show; "I hear the blues a-callin", for example, refers to troubled listeners who call the show.^[12] A short, silent skit appears with the credits and song. Season finales were the exception, usually showing black-and-white photos of guest callers.

Skyline[link]

No building or apartment in Seattle really has the view from Frasier's residence. It was created so the Space Needle would appear more prominently. According to the Season 1 DVD bonus features, the photograph used on the set was taken from atop a cliff, possibly the ledge at Kerry Park, a frequent photography location. Despite this, Frasier has been said to have contributed to the emergence of an upscale urban lifestyle in 1990s Seattle, with buyers seeking properties in locations resembling that depicted in the show, in search of "that cosmopolitan feel of Frasier".^[2]

The title card of each episode shows the Seattle skyline being drawn in white over the show's title against a black backdrop, frequently with an added element such as a helicopter lifting off or a cloud moving in to rain on the buildings. The color of the title changed at the beginning of each season. For the openings, composer Miller created about 25 brief pieces of music in the style of the closing song.^[12]

[edit] Relationship to Cheers

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Many regular cast members seen on Cheers made appearances on Frasier, with the exceptions of Nicholas Colasanto (Ernie "Coach" Pantuso, 1982–1985), who died in 1985 prior to the advent of Frasier, and Kirstie Alley (Rebecca Howe, 1987–1993). Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith Sternin, 1986–1993) was the lone character of Cheers, other than Grammer, to become a recurring character on Frasier. Kelsey Grammer has said that Frasier allowed him the opportunity to settle an old disagreement with Shelley Long, who had played Diane Chambers on the first five seasons of Cheers. Long did not like the Frasier character in Cheers and lobbied to get Grammer removed from the show. The producers disagreed, noting his popularity with the audience. Grammer has said "The Show Where Diane Comes Back" is one of his favorite episodes^{[citation needed]}; it had the effect of allowing the two actors to make peace. Long also played Diane Chambers in two other Frasier episodes, the first a brief surprise cameo in a 1994 episode and once again in the 2001 season premiere.

Some cast members of Frasier had appeared previously in minor roles on Cheers. In the episode "Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman" (1992), John Mahoney played Sy Flembeck,^[13] an over-the-hill advertising executive hired by Rebecca to write a jingle for the bar. In it, Grammer and Mahoney exchanged a few lines. Peri Gilpin appeared in a Cheers episode titled "Woody Gets an Election"^[14] playing a reporter who interviews Woody when he runs for office.

In some cases Cheers directly contradicts Frasier or vice versa. Frasier's mother is remembered in Frasier as a sensitive, kind woman and a wonderful mother, yet she appears in a Cheers episode (played by Nancy Marchand) as a haughty, overbearing woman who threatens Diane Chambers at gunpoint to end her relationship with Frasier. Mrs. Crane was portrayed in a 2001 episode of Frasier (on Martin's old cine movies) by Rita Wilson, who reprised the role during Frasier's imaginary experiences with the important women in his life. In this case she was once again portrayed as threatening toward Diane (and Lilith), citing as her reasons her concern for Frasier's happiness.

In the eighth-season Cheers episode "Two Girls for Every Boyd", Frasier tells Sam Malone (played by Ted Danson) that his father, a research scientist, had died. In the Frasier Season 2 episode "The Show Where Sam Shows Up", when Sam meets Martin, Martin brings up the discrepancies. Frasier explains it away by saying that at the time, he was angry after a recent argument with his father on the phone. In "The Show Where Woody Shows Up", Woody Boyd upon meeting Martin says he remembers hearing about him – probably from Sam talking about his experiences in Seattle when he returned to Boston.

In the ninth-season episode, "Cheerful Goodbyes" in 2002, Frasier returns to Boston to give a speech and Niles, Daphne and Martin come along to see the city. Frasier runs into Cliff Clavin (played by John Ratzenberger) at the airport and learns that Cliff is retiring and moving to Florida. Frasier and company attend Cliff's retirement party where Frasier reunites with the rest of the gang from Cheers (sans Sam, Woody and Rebecca), including bar regular Norm Peterson (played by George Wendt); waitress Carla Tortelli (played by Rhea Perlman); barflies Paul Krapence (played by Paul Willson) and Phil (played by Philip Perlman); and Cliff's old post office nemesis Walt Twitchell (played by Raye Birk).

In the eleventh-season episode of Frasier, "Caught in the Act", Frasier's married ex-wife, children's entertainer Nanny G, comes to town and invites him backstage for a rendezvous. Nanny G appeared on the Cheers episode "One Hugs, The Other Doesn't" (1992) and was portrayed by Emma Thompson. In this episode of Frasier she is portrayed by Laurie Metcalf. She also appeared in the second episode of Season 9 of Frasier, "Don Juan in Hell: Part 2" and was played by Dina Waters.

The set of Frasier itself was built over the set of Cheers on the same stage after it had finished filming. The producers for Frasier made certain there were no stools in the coffee shop in order to distance it visually from the Cheers bar.^[15]

Reception[link]

Critical reaction[link]

Critics and commentators broadly held Frasier in high regard, with acclaim fading in the later seasons.^[16] Caroline Frost said that the series overall showed a high level of wit, but noted that many critics felt that the marriage of Daphne and Niles in season ten had removed much of the show's comic tension.^[17] Ken Tucker felt that their marriage made the series seem desperate for storylines, while Robert Bianco felt that it was symptomatic of a show that had begun to dip in quality after so much time on the air.^[18][19] Kelsey Grammer acknowledged the creative lull, saying that over the course of two later seasons the show "took itself too seriously".^[20] Commentators do, however, acknowledge that there was an improvement following the return of the writers Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan, although not necessarily to its earlier high standards.^[18][20][21]

Writing about the first season, John O'Connor described Frasier as being a relatively unoriginal concept, but said that it was generally a "splendid act", while Tucker thought that the second season benefited greatly from a mix of "high and low humor".^[22][23] Tucker's comment is referring to what Grammer described as a rule of the series that the show should not play down to its audience.^[24] Kevin Cherry believes that Frasier was able to stay fresh by not making any contemporary commentary, therefore allowing the show to be politically and socially neutral.^[21] Other commentators, such as Haydn Bush disagree, believing the success of Frasier can be attributed to the comedic timing and the chemistry between the characters.^[25]

In spite of the criticisms of the later seasons, these critics were unanimous in praising at least the early seasons, with varied commentary on the series' demise ranging from believing, like Bianco, that the show had run its course to those like Dana Stevens who bemoaned the end of Frasier as the "end of situation comedy for adults".^[26]

Awards[link]

Frasier is one of the most successful spin-off series in television history and one of the most critically acclaimed comedy series of all time.^[27] The series won 37 Primetime Emmy Awards during its 11-year run, breaking the record long held by The Mary Tyler Moore Show (29). Grammer and Pierce each won four, including one each for the fifth and eleventh season. The series holds the record for the most consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, winning five from 1994 to 1998.

Grammer has been Emmy-nominated for playing Frasier Crane on Cheers and Frasier, as well as a 1992 crossover appearance on Wings, making him the only performer to be nominated for playing the same role on three different series. The first year Grammer did not receive an Emmy nomination for Frasier was in 2003. Pierce was nominated every year of the show's run, breaking the record for nominations in his category with his eighth nomination in 2001; he was nominated a further three times after this.

In 1997, the episode "The Matchmaker" was ranked #43 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.^[28]

In 2002, Frasier was ranked No. 34 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.^[29]

A poll taken by the British Channel 4 of the sitcom industry voted Frasier the best sitcom of all time.^[30]

Nielsen ratings[link]

All times listed are North American Eastern Standard Time.

Merchandising[link]

Home media[link]

Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS DVD have released all 11 seasons of Frasier on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4. A 44-disc package containing the entire 11 seasons has also been released.

The first four seasons were also released on VHS along with a series of 'Best Of' tapes. These tapes consisted of four episodes taken from seasons 1-4. No more video releases have been announced.

One Frasier CD has been released featuring a number of songs taken from the show.

Books[link]

Several books about Frasier have been released, including the following:

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

• Frasier at the Internet Movie Database
• Frasier at TV.com

This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (April 2012)

Frasier W. Crane, M.D., PhD, A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers.^[2] He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke. Grammer received Emmy Award nominations for portraying Crane on three different NBC shows, including a 1992 guest appearance on Wings. He made 203 appearances on Cheers and all 264 episode appearances on his spin-off show Frasier.^[3]

Creation and development[link]

Glen and Les Charles created Frasier Crane as a temporary love interest for Diane Chambers on their television show Cheers. Cheers and Frasier writer Ken Levine later wrote, "Who would Diane Chambers be attracted to and why? Those were the only considerations."^[4] Frasier is introduced in the third season of Cheers (1984–1985) as a rival of Sam Malone. In 1985, Diane leaves Frasier at the wedding altar in Europe,^[5][6] and Frasier begins to regularly attend Sam's bar for drinks.^[7] He becomes a friend of Sam and the other bar patrons, and a regular Cheers character.^[5] In Cheers, Frasier is said to be an orphan;^[8] his mother appears in "Diane Meets Mom" (1984). When Cheers ended in 1993, he moves to Seattle to live with his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and father Martin (John Mahoney) on his own spin-off, Frasier.^[8] In "The Show Where Sam Shows Up" (1995), Sam Malone arrives to Seattle to see Frasier, meets his family, and mentions Frasier's inconsistent statements about his family.

Biography[link]

Many of the details of his early life are introduced and elaborated on Cheers, and its spin-off, Frasier.

It is established in Frasier that Frasier W. Crane was born in Seattle, to Hester Rose Crane (née Palmer) (Nancy Marchand in Cheers, Rita Wilson in Frasier), a psychiatrist, and Martin Crane (John Mahoney), a police detective. The Crane family background is Russian, British, German, and French.

The details of Frasier's birth are erratic and changing.

• In the Cheers episode, "It's a Wonderful Wife", the bar celebrates Frasier's birthday in late February.
• In one episode, it is established he was born in March 1952.
• In Frasier, season 5, episode 8, entitled "Desperately Seeking Closure", Martin Crane mistakes Frasier's birthday with Eddie's birthday. In response, Frasier states that his birthday is in March.
• In the episode "Back Talk" it is revealed that Frasier's birthday is the day after one of Queen Elizabeth's children. As Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (born March 10, 1964) is the only one of Queen Elizabeth's children born in March, Frasier's birthday would be March 11, 1952. However, the episode "The Fight Before Christmas" takes place a few days after "Back Talk" (according to the storyline) which contradicts a March birthday. Also, this date is established by Daphne reading a newspaper from the day Frasier was born and assuming it was a current newspaper. This would suggest Frasier was born in 1964, but he is clearly older than this (mentioning being in his 40s consistently before this). Other children of Queen Elizabeth include Anne, Princess Royal (born August 15, 1950) and Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born February 19, 1960). Charles, Prince of Wales was born November 14, 1948, but this was before Elizabeth ascended the throne. If Frasier was born prior to 1952, then the "Queen Elizabeth" referred to in the paper could be Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, wife of King George VI and the queen-mother of Elizabeth II (although her last child was born in 1930). Alternatively, a third "Queen Elizabeth" might have been intended, or the joke from "Back Talk" was simply historically inaccurate.
• In the episode "The Late Dr. Crane" a local Seattle news station incorrectly reports that Frasier died of a heart attack. Frasier's picture is shown on the screen with the dates 1952–1999.
• In the episode "Are You Being Served?" it is revealed that he was named after one of his mother's lab rats. In the same episode, a second birthday contradiction appears: His mother's journal indicates that as of April, she was pregnant with Frasier, making a March birthday impossible. Frasier has one younger brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), who, like Frasier, was also named after one of his deceased mother's lab rats.
• The episode "Party, Party" suggests a May birthday.
• In a trailer made for the British television network Channel Four, Frasier says that he was born on the 4th day of the 4th month.

In the episode "The Proposal", it is established that Frasier Crane was conceived out of wedlock.

As a child, Frasier was unusually intelligent and sensitive, and as such was a frequent target for bullies, often by the Kriezel siblings. His closest companion when growing up was his even more sensitive brother, with whom he was intensely close yet fiercely competitive. Frasier's interest in human behavior began at the age of eight, when his mother helped him understand why an older boy had bullied him.^[9]

He attended a private school, where he earned the unfortunate nickname "The Bryce Academy Crier", and later said that "the only people who knew me debated, recited, or [were] on a six-month visit from Abu Dhabi."^[10] Frasier was also an actor throughout his school years, playing such roles as Conrad Birdie in Bye, Bye Birdie, Dr. Armstrong in Ten Little Indians,^[11] Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, also directing a school production of Richard III where, on opening night, the boy playing Richard was so fed up with Frasier's constant critiquing that he chased him around the changing room, beating him with his hump. Frasier and Niles also pulled the fire alarm and blamed it on the school bully, John Rajeski, resulting in his expulsion and the start of a life of crime. Frasier graduated as the Salutatorian and was named "Most Likely To Be" by the Existential Club.^[12]

While the rest of the family stayed in Seattle, Frasier settled in Boston, Massachusetts, because of his attendance at Harvard. His first wife, whom he married while a first-year medical student, was Nanette Guzman (Emma Thompson on Cheers; Laurie Metcalf and Dina Spybey on Frasier), a popular children's entertainer.^[13][14] The marriage lasted nine months. (This marriage may contradict Frasier's statement in a fourth-season episode that Diane was his "first love".)

Soon after Frasier debuts on Cheers, he dates Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). They get engaged, but the relationship ends when Diane abandons him at the altar. Frasier nevertheless visits the bar often and eventually marries Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth), a fellow psychiatrist. Together, they have a son, Frederick, but Lilith cheats on Frasier with a colleague. The couple reconciles briefly, but between the end of Cheers and the start of Frasier, they separate permanently and divorce. During his separation with Lilith, Frasier publicly threatens suicide,^[15] to gain Lilith's attention and win her back, but the thought of his son stops him from doing so. Lilith gains custody of Frederick.

Frasier's divorce from Lilith and the negative effect his public suicide attempt had upon his practice^[16] led him to seek a new life in his hometown of Seattle. The strained relationship with his father and brother continues on his return. In the episode "You Can Go Home Again", which depicts Frasier's recent arrival in Seattle, his father bitterly comments that his son's visits became remarkably infrequent following his mother's death, and neither Martin nor Niles seem particularly welcoming to him. Frasier gets a job at KACL as a radio psychiatrist; The Dr. Frasier Crane Show debuts on May 21, 1993 (the day after the Cheers finale aired). The show, with its tagline "Wishing you good mental health", becomes popular enough for the mayor to proclaim a "Frasier Crane Day" and award him the key to the city to honor its 1,000th broadcast in 1997, and people often ask Frasier for autographs or tell him that they enjoy the show.

Soon after his return to Seattle, Frasier invites his father, who has become unable to live alone, to live with him in apartment 1901^[17] of the Elliott Bay Towers condominiums, on the Counterbalance.^[18] To help out, he hires his father a physical therapist, Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves). Although they frequently argue and remain drastically different personalities, the two men grow very close over the next 11 years. Frasier also develops a much closer relationship with his brother, as well as with Daphne and with the producer of his radio show, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin).

During this period, although Frasier's radio career, intellectual pursuits and reputation are quite strong, his romantic life is frequently disastrous. The final episode ends with Frasier flying to Chicago to pursue a relationship with Charlotte, forgoing a new career in San Francisco.

Frasier, when driving or in scenes with his vehicle, has had three BMWs – a BMW 540i E34, a later version of the 540i E39 which was black with grey leather interior, and then later in the series a BMW 745i E65 which was dark blue.

Frasier's second ex-wife Lilith maintains contact with him in the second series, with at least one guest appearance per season. Their relationship is tense and uneasy at first, but as the series progresses they grow warmer and more loving. Lilith frequently seeks out Frasier for help and moral support in times of difficulty (divorce from her second husband, her desire for another child), and Frasier reciprocates by seeking advice from her with his chronic relationship troubles. Her drunken one-night stand with Niles leads to fraternal turmoil, which soon passes. In their final appearance together ("Guns N' Neuroses"), the two characters part with silent regret at their marital incompatibility.

Frasier's relationship with his pre-teenage son Frederick, who infrequently visits Seattle, is not well developed in the second series (a conscious decision of the show's creative staff to focus on adult characters). However, Frasier and his Seattle family's relationship with Frederick is portrayed as loving and close, with involvement in Frederick's schooling, youthful romances, and attempts at rebellion. They also participate in his bar mitzvah, and support his "gift" at spelling bee competition.

Personality[link]

Frasier is well-to-do, with upper class and intellectual tastes and a "lovably pompous",^[19][20] fairly uptight demeanor. He is something of an epicure, and enjoys the finer things in life, such as wine, good food, and expensive tailoring. He is very well versed in the realm of literature, frequently alluding to literary legends such as Shakespeare, Edmund Burke, Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, O Henry, and Lord Tennyson, among others. He is also an aficionado of the arts, including opera, classical music, theatre, and antiquities, and possesses some esoteric and obscure interests, such as Mongolian throat singing and African artifacts. His favourite colour is "arctic silver", an option for a new model of BMW, which is well-established throughout the series as being his automobile brand of choice, while his brother Niles preferred Mercedes Benz. His large ego, coupled with his Harvard and Oxford education, make him extremely confident in the advice he gives on his radio show (where he comes across as much calmer and more thoughtful than in his personal life). He is also somewhat self-absorbed and narcissistic, a consequence of his lonely childhood. When in a negative mood he is prone to being sarcastic. He is also gullible and very trusting of others, as demonstrated in the Season 7 episode "Radio Wars", when he is the subject of prank phone calls from his KACL colleagues. Despite having endured a similar battle in the Season 3 episode "Leapin' Lizards", it does not occur to him that he is being tricked in the same manner. He is extremely pompous and verbose, prone to making grand, melodramatic declarations regarding his intentions and making the most of every opportunity to make a speech. Frequently, his pomposity and snobbery is undercut and belittled by the other characters he encounters, and is often the cause of many of the misfortunes and crises that occur in his life. Although he shares many traits with Niles, he does not have as many allergies, is more realistic and easy going, and appears somewhat more athletic. Despite his own snobbery, Frasier is often required to play straight man to Niles' own quirks, particularly his obsessive hygiene.

Frasier is passionate about psychiatry. A staunch Freudian, he had a poster of his hero on his bedroom wall as a child,^[21] dresses as Freud for Halloween^[22] and states, "the classic Oedipus complex...Well, well, old friend, we meet again."^[23] As a Freudian, Frasier strongly believes that "there are no accidents"^[24] and that every action (and dream) carries with it a meaningful and unconscious subtext. This frequently leads him to obsessively overanalyze and fret about minor details regarding his life and relationships, which frequently creates problems in his life. When obsessing so, he is frequently prone to ignore the advice given to him by his family and friends and pursue his own course of action, which more often than not leads to disaster. His habit to overanalyze is so severe, that he once spent an entire episode fretting about a dream with homo-erotic implications, only later realizing that the dream did not possess any significant implications regarding his life; it was merely a consequence of his subconscious attempting to give himself a challenging patient (himself) following a dearth of them on his show.

Whilst rarely heeding the advice given to him by others, Frasier himself is full of advice to impart, and offers the benefit of his counsel to the extent that he frequently meddles in the affairs and relationships of others, much to the chagrin of his family and friends. Although this approach can be beneficial (such as his influence in bringing together his brother Niles and Daphne Moon) and forms the basis of his successful career, his advice and plans can frequently backfire on him, and can frequently lead to complicated, tangled, embarrassing scenarios. For example, in the above situation of bringing Niles and Daphne together, he is targeted by Daphne's fiancé for a lawsuit because of his actions. Frasier's meddling – and the adverse consequences it frequently leads to – is not intended maliciously, however; he is extremely well-meaning and eager to please, and desires nothing more than to be liked and popular. On the whole, he genuinely does desire to help people and is a fundamentally good and kindhearted person. Frasier becomes much more grounded and down to earth as the series progresses and he seems to desire little more than happiness for himself and his friends and family.

Religious views[link]

Throughout all of his appearances, Frasier's religion generally does not play a large role. However, in Cheers, he states that he was raised as an Episcopalian, but this contradicts a previous statement in the series, immediately after his son Frederick's birth, where he shows enthusiasm for Lilith to raise Frederick in her religion, Judaism, because he "was not raised with any particular religious tradition". This continues in Frasier, where none of the Cranes embrace any theology. They generally do not pray before eating.^[25], though there are exceptions.^[26] Frasier makes a promise with God, however, not to argue with Niles if his brother is spared through his surgery.^[27] He has also, in one case, referred to "the omnipotence and omnipresence of the Lord". He appears to be familiar with the Bible as well, telling Roz, "Oh, He's God, Roz, have you read the Old Testament? He can be ruthless!". On several occasions, he does mention his love for the writings of Søren Kierkegaard, an early 1800s Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. Although his political views are not a main focus of the show, Frasier appears to lean more on the liberal side. In the episode "The Candidate", Frasier expresses his distaste for a conservative Congressional candidate named Holden Thorpe, for whom Martin appears in a TV ad. He refers to Thorpe as "Himmler without the whimsy." In response, Frasier supports Thorpe's opponent, Phil Patterson, who is described by Martin as a "bleeding heart".

Political views[link]

In Cheers, Frasier appears more neutral, expressing cynicism about the political process. The eleventh season episode "Woody Gets an Election" sees Frasier insisting that politics in general is a superficial popularity contest, full of insincere candidates who only care about re-election, rather than the promises they make to attain their positions. He makes a bet with Sam Malone (Ted Danson) that even bartender Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), a man completely oblivious of the workings of politics, could receive 10% of the vote in the upcoming Boston City Council election by saying the right slogans. In an unlikely twist, a scandal mars Woody's opponent and Woody's speech to withdraw from the election (which Frasier convinces him to do) backfires and boosts the vote for Woody when his wife Kelly tells Woody she is pregnant on television and leads to a shock victory for the dark horse candidate, which causes Frasier some anxiety about the consequences of his experiment (as he visualizes Woody giving the go-ahead for full scale nuclear war). The reporter in Woody's interview is played by Peri Gilpin, who eventually played Roz.

In the Cheers episode "Get Your Kicks on Route 666", Frasier receives a cell phone call from the Democratic Party while stranded in the wilderness and replies "I understand the Democratic Party is in trouble, and I'd love to contribute, but I'm in a little trouble myself, right now!" over the phone.

Education and career[link]

During his school years, Frasier developed interests in – and frequently excelled at – the fine arts, cooking, and other intellectual pursuits. He was keen on and drawn to the theatre, appearing in several amateur school productions, and seems to have considered acting as a future vocation, but inspired by his mother, he developed a fascination for psychiatry. This may also have been partially inspired by his father being a police detective. Frasier stated he became a student of human behavior when at age 8 he was tormented by bullies. His mother explained to him why the children were acting that way, thus leading to his distancing himself from the pain of rejection by analyzing others rather than reacting to them on an emotional level.

Frasier boasts an M.D. and PhD^[28][12] as well completing his medical residency in psychiatry. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychosocial Behaviorism from Harvard College^[29] in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was on the men's rowing team.^[30] and also graduated from Oxford University in Oxford, England where he was a Rhodes scholar.^[16][28] He speaks French,^[31] German,^[32] Italian, and Spanish,^[33] though he apparently learned German after the first two seasons; for example, in one early episode, Frasier could not speak German, and had to use Niles' maid Marta to translate. (At the least, his German pronunciation is suspect; he pronounces Das Boot as if Boot were an English word.) An oversight occurs in a later episode when both Frasier and Niles, despite being wine lovers and able to speak French, fail to pronounce the name of Chateau Petrus, often considered the world's best wine, using the common American English pronunciation. However, in an episode of Cheers, in which Eddie LeBec's French Canadian mother visited, he was able to clearly understand her Québécois French, which was full of colloquialisms. In another episode of Cheers, Frasier understands Woody when he uses the Mandarin Chinese word for "doorknob" (though in a later Frasier episode, he struggles with the language, calling a girl "as pretty as a chicken beak"). Frasier uses German as well in Cheers, defending Sam from an angry German whose wife was hitting on Sam. Frasier's hobbies and talents include playing the piano, composing music, singing, gourmet cooking, chess, collecting fine art, antiquing, home decorating, reading, writing short stories and plays, enjoying fine dining, his wine club, and squash.

In Cheers he is sometimes described as a psychologist, but this may have just been a mistake on the part of the characters.

Frasier's overconfidence in his abilities is often exploited for comedic effect. Examples of this include the episode "They're Playing Our Song", where the theme song Frasier composes for his radio show is mocked by his friends and family, and "Good Grief", where Frasier's cooking is criticized by Niles and Gil, and is spat out by his station manager, Kenny Daly. However, his cooking is most often complimented throughout the series, even with extremely complicated recipes, and this can more likely be attributed to Kenny's simpler tastes. Either way, none of these incidences appear to have tempered Frasier's view of himself, as he remains consistently egomaniacal throughout the series. This self-image is not entirely without justification, however, as he does have legitimate talent in many of the endeavours he pursues, but rarely to the level that he claims.

Romance[link]

In both series, Frasier experiences constant difficulties in his relationships with women. In Cheers, he is left at the altar by Diane Chambers. His seven-year marriage to Lilith Sternin-Crane is loving, but tumultuous and characterised by terse battles of wit; Lilith eventually cheats on him with a colleague and leaves him. In Frasier, he endures eleven years of heartbreak on the Seattle dating scene. Frasier's lack of success with romance in the second series was a core plot device, and the closing scene of the final episode left his character hopefully seeking happiness with a new romantic interest.

In the second to last season of Cheers, it is discovered that Frasier was first married to Nanny G—a children's entertainer—and their marriage was short-lived. In the season 11 episode of Frasier, "Caught in the Act", Frasier and Nanny G attempt to resume connubial relations but it ends up with Frasier in a diaper on stage. Frasier mentions this marriage in the season 5 episode of Frasier, "The Maris Counselor", during his toast that he is “divorced twice, left at the altar once”.

The first girl Frasier kissed reportedly punched him, as he later told Freddy the kiss was worth it as he was, "smiling all the way to the nurse's office." During high school Frasier had a crush on Lana Gardner, a cheerleader. He reunites with her as adults and they date briefly. Frasier lost his virginity to his piano teacher, Clarisse Warner, whom he left for college. A drinking companion from Cheers writes about the experience, titling his best-selling book Slow Tango in South Seattle. Frasier briefly dates a woman who is identical to his mother,^[34] and in another series of episodes Frasier dates a career woman. In that relationship Frasier takes the less than dominant role, as he is lavished with gifts and pouts when he is not given enough attention. In an extended fantasy sequence Frasier is confronted by all the women with whom he has had relationships, including both his ex-wives, his mother, and Diane. Although the dream-Lilith is convinced that his problems are at least partly caused by his idolatry of his mother, Frasier realizes that he is pushing away women, and decides to commit to a lasting relationship.^[14]

His last girlfriend is a woman named Charlotte, with whom he spent three weeks before her return to Chicago. With the help of his manager Bebe Glazer, Frasier accepts a new job in San Francisco, and tells his family and friends that information. The final scene sees Frasier on a plane, but the pilot welcomes passengers not to San Francisco but to Chicago.^[35]

Crossovers[link]

Outward crossover[link]

In the third season of the TV show Wings, Frasier and Lilith visit Nantucket so Frasier can host a seminar. This appearance earned Kelsey Grammer a nomination for an Emmy as best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Frasier also had a small cameo on The John Larroquette Show that lasted only a few seconds.

In The Simpsons episode "Fear of Flying", Homer enters a bar similar to Cheers with most of the main characters present. While Cheers co-stars Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, Woody Harrelson, George Wendt and John Ratzenberger voice their respective characters, Frasier is depicted silently.^[36] This was due to schedule conflicts making Kelsey Grammer (who voices recurring character Sideshow Bob on the series) unavailable.^[37] A later episode, "Brother from Another Series", features Sideshow Bob's brother, Cecil (voiced by David Hyde Pierce), and a number of references to Frasier. Cecil returns in "Funeral for a Fiend", which introduces the brothers' father (voiced by John Mahoney).

In October 2008, Dr. Frasier Crane appeared in a television commercial for soft drink Dr. Pepper, in a campaign featuring a group of fictitious "doctors". Grammer once again returned to the role and is depicted as still hosting his radio show on KACL-AM.^[38][39][40]

Inward crossover[link]

Dr. Phil appears as himself, losing at poker to Frasier's agent.

Reception[link]

According to the April 1–4, 1993, telephone survey of 1,011 people by the Times Mirror Center for the People and the Press (now Pew Research Center),^{[N 1]} Sam Malone (Ted Danson) was voted a favorite of 26%, and Frasier Crane was a favorite of 1%.^[41][42] For a question of having a spin-off of a character, 15% voted Sam, 12% voted Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), 10% voted Norm Peterson (George Wendt), and 29% voted no spin-offs.^[42] Frasier Crane, whose own spin-off Frasier debuted in September 1993, was voted 2% to have his own show.^[43]

In the book Writing and Responsibility, Frasier's family background in Cheers and Frasier is considered inconsistent with either "a bout of amnesia", "poor scripwriting", or a desperation for more laughter.^[8] In 2004, Frasier Crane was ranked by Bravo No. 26 of Bravo's The 100 Greatest TV Characters of all-time.^[44][45] In 2009, the National Lampoon website ranked him No. 20 of "Top 20 Sitcom Characters You'd Kill in Real Life" and called him "hilarious" in the fictional world and "unbearable" in the real world.^[46]

References[link]

Notes

General

Specific

External links[link]

• Frasier Crane at the Internet Movie Database
• Dr. Pepper commercial starring Frasier Crane
• Detailed Listing of Frasier Crane Locations in Seattle