I gave up on FRASIER when all the episodes were Niles almost, but not quite, got together with Daphne - or - Frasier just about gets laid, but screws it up at the last minute. Too repetative.

I agree it got better at the end.

-Erik

I'll wait for WrongTale's verdict before hunting it down!

Frasier, along with Simpsons and Futurama, restored my faith in USA comedy. Some of the shows were close to genius.

As to repetetive? I guess if a character has an obssesion then it will feature heavily. Isn't Lister always trying to irritate Rimmer? Isn't Fawlty always aspiring too far and falling on his face?

But saying that, I do take your point, Erik.

Just got Series (yes, series) seven. I haven't got six yet as its price hasn't dropped to a sane level. I expected it to be poor after reading reviews but the opening four episodes that i've seen so far were solid. Although the irritating owner's daughter was just too ... irritating.

Quote: Dave @ July 25, 2007, 4:23 PM

You did. And they didn't mention it in the show (as far as I can remember).

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Now that I'm halfway through the Season 7 DVDs - yes, they did.
In the episode Out with Dad, where Frasier's dad pretends to be gay and gets introduced to an elderly gay character, the mentioned gay person says, pointing at Eddie: "A Jack Russel, eh? Got three of these at home myself"
(or something like this, can't vouch for my memory. It was very late.)

BTW - yes, season 7 shows a big drop in quality. Of course, a bad Frasier is better than most US sitcoms. Nonetheless, it just isn't the same.

Season 6 DVDs price dropped at a sane level once on amazon.co.uk - and I took the chance

I think it was criminal how [the writer] Joe Keanan re-wrote "The Matchmaker" with "Out with Dad". It just goes to show how bad it had become (although worse was to follow - much worse). I hate the bit when Daphne laughs manically (via VO) in the kitchen. I can't stand Daphne's laugh at the best of times (she must have one of the most annoying voices since Melanie Griffith) but it was just a virtual re-tread of when Martin did the same in The Matchmaker. Why didn't they just repeat that episode instead of scraping the barrel and writing another "gay" episode. The same writer did the same thing yet again in Season 11's "The Doctor Is Out" - the one when Patrick Stewart guest stars. Oh, how the mighty fall.

I agree with all the comments that the later (last three or so) series of frasier were inferior to rest.

Perhaps this is in part to the death of David Angell in 9/11 (he and his wife were on one the planes that hit the WTO).

Since he was one of the creators, producers and writer of some of the best episodes perhaps he was part of edge that it lost in later series.

Weren't there a bunch of them who were killed?

I just know about Angell

Quote: Aaron @ November 27, 2007, 7:11 PM

Weren't there a bunch of them who were killed?

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Now, Aaron, that's just wishful thinking.

EDIT: please note to the casual reader, this isn't a 9/11 joke but a bad writers' gag. Make of the phrase 'bad writers' gag' what you will. That I had to explain it... supplies the other possible meaning.

David Angell and his co-creators had taken a step back from the actual writing process after Season 3 - he died before Season 9 was aired. Kelsey Grammer wanted to devote an entire episode to the September 11st attacks, but David Hyde Pierce thought it best to limit it to a Frasier helping a caller dealing with the issue. In the end, no mention was made and the closing credits to Season 9 premier "Duan Juan in Hell" included a decidcatio to David and Lynne Angell.

That said I bet they didn't reliquish creative control when he stopped writing...which was my point when i stressed the triple role he played

not like aaron sorkin leaving the west wing to plummet into humourless self indulgence.

sorry to a pedant.. just trying to figure out like the rest of us how the machine works.

Lots of circle-jerking, mainly.

ah a perpetual motion machine..i suspected as much.

Quote: Dave @ November 27, 2007, 6:16 PM

I think it was criminal how [the writer] Joe Keanan re-wrote "The Matchmaker" with "Out with Dad". It just goes to show how bad it had become (although worse was to follow - much worse). I hate the bit when Daphne laughs manically (via VO) in the kitchen. I can't stand Daphne's laugh at the best of times (she must have one of the most annoying voices since Melanie Griffith) but it was just a virtual re-tread of when Martin did the same in The Matchmaker. Why didn't they just repeat that episode instead of scraping the barrel and writing another "gay" episode. The same writer did the same thing yet again in Season 11's "The Doctor Is Out" - the one when Patrick Stewart guest stars. Oh, how the mighty fall.

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I did think it was an enjoyable episode, though I take your point it is just reversing all the roles. Keenan was given pretty much all the farcical gay plots in the series, but to be honest I thought he did a brilliant job on them (not seen the Patrick Stewart one though).