What About Dr. Frasier Crane?

I was groggy this morning and not wanting to work. So I took my coffee, sat down and  I watched an hour of Fraiser. Of course it is now well into reruns, and my view of Kelsey Grammar is very different than it was during the show. I had forgotten though how really wonderful the show was, with David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney and Jane Leeves. It was really a relationship, character driven show. Most of the really good shows are. I also love the theme song-Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs, sung by Kelsey Grammar. Check it out on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DeQDv7P3QY


As a lot of you may know the character of Fraiser Crane made his appearance on the 1980's hit, Cheers.  When Diane left Sam, she came back with Fraiser, he was so quirky, and fit so well, he never left. Then later after Diane was gone again, Fraiser found a perfect mate in Lillith(the beautiful Bebe Neuwirth).  Here they were, 2 anal retentive therapists passionately in love. As Cheers ended, Fraiser and his Lillith broke up and he got a job on a radio show in Seattle, Washington so he moved to his own show.

Fraiser Crane lives in a penthouse apartment over looking the Downtown of Seattle. He shares the apartment with his father,  Martin Crane (John Mahoney), a retired Seattle cop. I love the back drop of the manly man who has his broken down plaid recliner in the middle Fraiser's well decorated apartment.  Martin has 2 sons, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Fraiser, both intellectual metrosexual therapists. Martin is cared for by his  British therapist Daphne (Jane Leeves).  Niles most of the show is secretly in love with Daphne.  After his divorce he finally marries her and has a child.

 

The episodes I watched were wonderful,. The first was Ski Lodge (season 5, episode 14).  Roz (Peri Gilpin) who works with Fraiser, wins tickets for a ski lodge. She gives them to Fraiser, and he brings his whole family, Niles, Martin, Daphne and her friend Annie.  Fraiser tries to get next to Annie, who is trying to get next to Niles, who is trying to get next to Daphne, who is trying to get next the ski instructor, who is trying to get next to Niles. Amid the many closing and opening of doors, the comedy plays out like a good Ira Levin Broadway show. Fraiser, whose ego is suffering, realizes at the end, no one was lusting after him.

The second episode I watched was Room Service (season 5, episode 15). In this one Fraiser's ex Lillith comes to him for comfort when her present husband leaves her for a male interior designer. Her self esteem is low.  Fraiser trying to avoid temptation gets Niles to help him. Fast forward to the next day, and Lillith awakes in a hotel room next to the naked Niles. They order breakfast, and Fraiser shows up. Comically They try to hide Niles in the bathroom which leads to laughs and a frustrated room service attendant.

I miss this show. It was on for 11 seasons, and frankly Kelsey Grammar is not the Fraiser I remember.  I am totally glad it is in reruns regularly!! As a northwest girl, it makes me miss the rain, the Puget Sound, and the Pike Street Market of Seattle.