WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.299 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Um, I want you 00:00:03.299 --> 00:00:05.580 to close your eyes for just a second. Okay, I'm 00:00:05.580 --> 00:00:08.439 playing along. Imagine it is September 1993. 00:00:09.539 --> 00:00:12.480 You are turning on the radio and Nirvana's In 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:15.839 Utero is playing. Oh, classic. Right. You walk 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:18.460 past a movie theater and the line for Jurassic 00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:20.640 Park is, well, it's still wrapping around the 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:24.050 block. And then you go home. You settle in on 00:00:24.050 --> 00:00:27.670 a Thursday night, tune your TV to NBC, and prepare 00:00:27.670 --> 00:00:30.670 to watch a gamble that, honestly, on paper, really 00:00:30.670 --> 00:00:32.810 shouldn't have worked. It really was a massive 00:00:32.810 --> 00:00:35.130 gamble. Taking a character who had been, you 00:00:35.130 --> 00:00:38.149 know, a fixture on a barstool in Boston for nearly 00:00:38.149 --> 00:00:40.469 a decade. A supporting character, we should add. 00:00:40.590 --> 00:00:43.350 Exactly, a supporting character. And transplanting 00:00:43.350 --> 00:00:45.329 him all the way to the Pacific Northwest to carry 00:00:45.329 --> 00:00:48.049 his entirely owned show. I mean, that is a recipe 00:00:48.049 --> 00:00:50.710 for absolute disaster in the television business. 00:00:51.030 --> 00:00:53.409 And yet, here we are. Today, we are setting our 00:00:53.409 --> 00:00:56.189 sights on the debut season of Frasier. And we 00:00:56.189 --> 00:00:58.250 aren't just doing a simple recap for you today. 00:00:58.490 --> 00:01:01.229 We are looking at the actual mechanics of a perfect 00:01:01.229 --> 00:01:03.429 season of television. Because it really is perfect. 00:01:03.670 --> 00:01:05.989 It is. We have the production logs, we have the 00:01:05.989 --> 00:01:08.030 Nielsen ratings, which are frankly staggering, 00:01:08.430 --> 00:01:11.659 and the award show records. Our mission today 00:01:11.659 --> 00:01:14.819 is to dissect how Frasier Season 1, airing from 00:01:14.819 --> 00:01:20.280 September 16, 1993 to May 19, 1994, managed to 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:22.739 establish a unique identity so quickly. Right. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:24.980 It didn't just survive the shadow of cheers. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:27.239 No, it completely eclipsed it in critical acclaim 00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:29.819 almost immediately. It is a fascinating case 00:01:29.819 --> 00:01:32.620 study in execution. Yeah. And before we even 00:01:32.620 --> 00:01:35.180 get to the jokes or the character dynamics, there 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:38.159 is this visual detail that I think sets the tone 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:40.180 for this entire discussion. Oh, yeah. where you're 00:01:40.180 --> 00:01:43.359 going with this if you are a purist or if you're 00:01:43.359 --> 00:01:45.939 watching the blu -rays at home You might notice 00:01:45.939 --> 00:01:48.260 something specific about the opening title card 00:01:48.260 --> 00:01:50.519 of season one. The blue period. Exactly, the 00:01:50.519 --> 00:01:53.420 blue period. For this season, and literally this 00:01:53.420 --> 00:01:56.560 season only, the text on the opening title card 00:01:56.560 --> 00:01:58.500 where the Seattle skyline is sort of sketched 00:01:58.500 --> 00:02:01.239 out, the text is blue. In every subsequent season, 00:02:01.459 --> 00:02:03.599 it changes colors. It usually goes to gold or 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:06.340 yellow or something else. But that blue text, 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:09.419 it marks the genesis. It is a really subtle signal 00:02:09.419 --> 00:02:11.919 to the audience that we are watching a show find 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:15.680 its legs. I love that detail. It is like a little 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:19.020 stamp of authenticity for the origin story. So 00:02:19.020 --> 00:02:21.020 let's get into the architecture of this transition. 00:02:21.139 --> 00:02:25.060 The pilot episode is titled The Good Son. And 00:02:25.060 --> 00:02:27.840 right off the bat, the writers, David Angel, 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:31.039 Peter Casey, and David Lee. They make a very 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:33.900 specific, deliberate choice. They don't start 00:02:33.900 --> 00:02:35.780 Frazier on top of the world. No, they don't. 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:37.460 They strip him down entirely. They completely 00:02:37.460 --> 00:02:40.759 deconstruct him. Dr. Frazier Crane has left Boston. 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:43.240 He is divorced. He has returned to his birthplace, 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:45.860 which is Seattle. And his goal is very, very 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:48.120 clear. He wants a fresh start. He calls the Horatio 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:50.900 soul, doesn't he? Yes, his soul. It's his incredibly 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:53.340 pretentious shorthand for solitude. Solitude, 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:56.599 right. He envisions this sophisticated bachelor 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:58.979 existence. You know, he wants to read his books, 00:02:59.020 --> 00:03:01.280 drink his sherry, plays piano, and just enjoy 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:03.900 the silence. He views himself as this independent 00:03:03.900 --> 00:03:08.039 intellectual who has finally, mercifully, shed 00:03:08.039 --> 00:03:10.159 the baggage of his past. But the engine of the 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:12.159 pilot, and really, if you think about it, the 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.599 engine of the entire series, is that this independence 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:18.539 is immediately compromised. The universe just 00:03:18.539 --> 00:03:21.340 conspires against his solitude. Enter Martin 00:03:21.340 --> 00:03:24.460 Crane. Yes. Frazier's father. A retired police 00:03:24.460 --> 00:03:27.219 detective. The whole premise hinges on a very 00:03:27.219 --> 00:03:30.860 practical, very real human problem. Martin just 00:03:30.860 --> 00:03:32.860 cannot live alone anymore. Right. Because of 00:03:32.860 --> 00:03:35.360 the hip injury. The logs remind us he was shot 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:37.240 in the line of duty. He walks with a cane and 00:03:37.240 --> 00:03:40.080 he physically can't manage on his own. So Frazier, 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:42.099 trying to live up to the title of a good son, 00:03:42.300 --> 00:03:45.300 has to take him in. And just like that. The highbrow 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:47.580 existence Frazier planned is totally invaded. 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:51.159 And it is not just Martin moving in. It is everything 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:53.000 Martin represents. It's the classic culture. 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:55.159 Exactly. It's the battered recliner. It's the 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:57.800 cheap beer. It's the sports constantly blaring 00:03:57.800 --> 00:04:01.159 on the TV. And of course, it is the dog. We are 00:04:01.159 --> 00:04:02.659 definitely going to get to the dog in a minute 00:04:02.659 --> 00:04:04.400 because he absolutely deserves his own chapter. 00:04:04.659 --> 00:04:06.759 But first, I really want to look at the reception 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:10.300 for you all listening. Because usually... A spinoff 00:04:10.300 --> 00:04:12.740 takes time to find its audience, right? It almost 00:04:12.740 --> 00:04:14.919 always takes a season or two. Yeah. But I am 00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:17.300 looking at the Nielsen data for the premiere 00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:21.259 on September 16th. Do you see this number? It 00:04:21.259 --> 00:04:26.060 is remarkable. 28 .1 million viewers. 28 .1 million. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:29.180 I mean, in today's fragmented media landscape 00:04:29.180 --> 00:04:31.519 where a hit show is thrilled with three or four 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:34.870 million, that is Super Bowl territory. It really 00:04:34.870 --> 00:04:36.649 is. And I think it speaks to two distinct things. 00:04:36.709 --> 00:04:39.129 First, obviously, the immense goodwill carried 00:04:39.129 --> 00:04:42.149 over from Cheers. People genuinely loved the 00:04:42.149 --> 00:04:44.250 character of Frasier. Right. They tuned in to 00:04:44.250 --> 00:04:46.870 see their old friend. But retention is very different 00:04:46.870 --> 00:04:49.370 from that initial tune in. The reason people 00:04:49.370 --> 00:04:51.509 stayed and the reason why the ratings held so 00:04:51.509 --> 00:04:54.509 steady across the season was the immediate sharpness 00:04:54.509 --> 00:04:58.009 of the writing and the direction. We really have 00:04:58.009 --> 00:05:00.589 to credit James Burroughs here. The legendary 00:05:00.589 --> 00:05:03.759 James Burroughs. He directed The Good Son. And 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.639 Burroughs is just the master of the multi -camera 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:09.259 sitcom format. He knows exactly how to block 00:05:09.259 --> 00:05:11.439 a scene like a stage play. Yeah, if you watch 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:13.439 the pilot, the movement in that apartment, the 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:15.220 way the characters physically interact with the 00:05:15.220 --> 00:05:18.360 space around them, it is so polished. It really 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:20.240 doesn't feel like a pilot episode at all. No, 00:05:20.300 --> 00:05:22.680 it feels like the hundredth episode. So let's 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:25.300 unpack the ensemble. Because you can have 28 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:26.980 million people watch the first five minutes, 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:29.370 but if the chemistry isn't there... They had 00:05:29.370 --> 00:05:31.949 gone by the first commercial break. And this 00:05:31.949 --> 00:05:35.509 cast, looking at the notes here, wow. It is often 00:05:35.509 --> 00:05:37.810 cited as one of the best ensembles in television 00:05:37.810 --> 00:05:40.490 history. And season one is really where we watched 00:05:40.490 --> 00:05:42.290 them learn to dance together. Let's start with 00:05:42.290 --> 00:05:44.649 the center of the universe, Frasier Crane, played 00:05:44.649 --> 00:05:46.829 by Kelsey Grammer. In Cheers, he was just part 00:05:46.829 --> 00:05:50.370 of a larger ensemble. Here, he is the definitive 00:05:50.370 --> 00:05:53.050 protagonist. But what I find so interesting looking 00:05:53.050 --> 00:05:55.550 at these episode logs is that he isn't exactly 00:05:55.550 --> 00:05:59.100 the hero. No, he's not. And that is a critical 00:05:59.100 --> 00:06:01.420 distinction to make. He is the sun that everything 00:06:01.420 --> 00:06:03.720 orbits, but he is also constantly the butt of 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:06.899 the joke. In season one, Frasier is defined by 00:06:06.899 --> 00:06:09.360 a very specific trait. He is what you might call 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:12.160 a learner. A learner. Unpack that for us. Yeah. 00:06:12.220 --> 00:06:15.300 So he is an intellectual giant. He has the degrees, 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:19.180 the vocabulary, but he is emotionally stunted 00:06:19.180 --> 00:06:22.899 when it comes to. practical everyday family dynamics. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:25.360 If you look at the arcs of these early episodes, 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:28.259 it is almost always Frasier trying to fix something. 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:30.399 Oh, totally. He tries to fix his apartment's 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:32.319 layout. He tries to fix his father's lifestyle. 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:34.879 He tries to fix his brother's romantic choices. 00:06:35.180 --> 00:06:38.660 And usually he fails miserably. He has to learn 00:06:38.660 --> 00:06:40.959 over and over that he cannot control everything. 00:06:41.240 --> 00:06:43.180 That is a great point. He is constantly being 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:45.579 humbled by the world around him. Exactly. Then 00:06:45.579 --> 00:06:48.480 we have the grounding force of the show. Martin 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:50.959 Crane, played by the late, great John Mahoney. 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:52.839 Martin is really the audience surrogate, right? 00:06:52.899 --> 00:06:55.399 He cuts through all that thick pretension. He 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:57.839 does, but season one Martin is especially interesting 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:00.660 because he is much pricklier than he is in later 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:03.680 seasons. He is deeply resentful of the move. 00:07:03.860 --> 00:07:06.319 He feels like a burden to his son. He doesn't 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:07.839 want to be there any more than Frasier wants 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.120 him there. Precisely. They are trapped together. 00:07:10.500 --> 00:07:12.600 There is that incredible moment in the pilot, 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.040 though. It honestly brings a tear to my eye just 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:17.600 reading the summary in our notes. It is the moment 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:20.519 that I think truly sold the show emotionally 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:23.040 to those 28 million people. You are talking about 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:27.079 the radio call. Yes, the radio call. Frazier 00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:29.939 is on the air doing his psychiatry show, feeling 00:07:29.939 --> 00:07:32.660 pretty defeated about his home life. And he gets 00:07:32.660 --> 00:07:35.540 a caller who sounds a little familiar. It is 00:07:35.540 --> 00:07:37.939 Martin, but he uses a fake name. He calls in 00:07:37.939 --> 00:07:40.319 using his first name as a cover, I believe, or 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:42.899 maybe as Marco. But he calls in not to complain, 00:07:43.180 --> 00:07:46.759 but to publicly yet anonymously thank Frazier 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:48.879 for taking him in. Yeah, he says something like 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:51.639 it was tough for him, but he did the right thing. 00:07:51.779 --> 00:07:54.600 It is so powerful because Martin is way too proud 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:56.860 to say that directly to Frazier's face over the 00:07:56.860 --> 00:07:59.240 dinner table. Right. It tells the audience, OK, 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:01.180 these two are going to drive each other absolutely 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:04.860 crazy. But there is. deep underlying love here 00:08:04.860 --> 00:08:07.920 it anchors the show emotionally so it doesn't 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:10.480 just devolve into a mean -spirited roommate comedy 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:12.939 and we simply cannot mention martin without mentioning 00:08:12.939 --> 00:08:17.060 the third roommate eddie the dog played by moose 00:08:17.060 --> 00:08:19.560 a little jack russell terrier the stare downs 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:22.860 between frazier and eddie are instant Undeniable 00:08:22.860 --> 00:08:25.680 comedy gold. It is brilliant nonverbal comedy. 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:27.579 It establishes the pecking order in the house 00:08:27.579 --> 00:08:30.139 perfectly. Frasier thinks he's the undisputed 00:08:30.139 --> 00:08:32.200 king of his castle, but he can't even command 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:34.799 a tiny dog. The dog just stares at him and blinking. 00:08:34.899 --> 00:08:36.899 It completely undermines Frasier's authority 00:08:36.899 --> 00:08:39.720 in his own sanctuary. Now, let's move to the 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:41.980 character who I think was the absolute secret 00:08:41.980 --> 00:08:45.059 weapon of season one. And frankly, the character 00:08:45.059 --> 00:08:46.659 who wasn't even supposed to exist in the first 00:08:46.659 --> 00:08:49.620 place. Niles Crane. Played by David Hyde Pierce. 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:52.320 The brother. Originally, the creators weren't 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:54.019 planning on Frazier having a brother at all. 00:08:54.100 --> 00:08:56.700 He was an only child on Cheers. But the casting 00:08:56.700 --> 00:08:59.379 director saw David Hyde Pierce's headshot and 00:08:59.379 --> 00:09:02.440 noticed this striking physical resemblance to 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:04.620 Kelsey Grammer. Thank goodness they paid attention 00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:06.919 to that. Because the dynamic there is fascinating. 00:09:07.379 --> 00:09:10.440 Niles is like Frazier, but more so. He's the 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:14.440 distilled version. Exactly. If Frazier is a snob, 00:09:14.539 --> 00:09:17.620 Niles is a mega snob. If Frazier is neurotic, 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:21.600 Niles is... a walking bundle of phobias he literally 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:24.820 wipes down chairs in coffee shops before sitting 00:09:24.820 --> 00:09:28.139 which makes frazier look somewhat normal by comparison 00:09:28.139 --> 00:09:30.519 and that is a very smart writing trick it allows 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:33.279 the audience to root for frazier because well 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.159 at least he isn't as bad as niles but season 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:37.740 one niles has a very specific narrative arc that 00:09:37.740 --> 00:09:40.679 defines him right away the smitten art oh absolutely 00:09:41.340 --> 00:09:43.220 And this is where we get to meet Daphne Moon. 00:09:43.419 --> 00:09:45.620 Played by Jane Leaves. She is hired as Martin's 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:47.480 physical therapist and live -in help. And in 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:49.899 episode three, Dinner at Eight, Niles meets Daphne 00:09:49.899 --> 00:09:52.279 for the very first time. It is a defining moment 00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:55.059 of sitcom history. He is instantly captivated 00:09:55.059 --> 00:09:57.500 by her. He takes one discreet whiff of her hair 00:09:57.500 --> 00:10:00.879 and he is just gone. Completely smitten. And 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:02.899 the tension is built right into the premise because 00:10:02.899 --> 00:10:06.090 he is married to the unseen Maris. We never actually 00:10:06.090 --> 00:10:08.350 see her, but the descriptions of her in season 00:10:08.350 --> 00:10:11.370 one are hilarious. The logs note she's described 00:10:11.370 --> 00:10:15.129 is incredibly frail, incredibly pale and utterly 00:10:15.129 --> 00:10:18.090 impossible to please. The tragedy and obviously 00:10:18.090 --> 00:10:21.429 the comedy of Niles is that he is trapped in 00:10:21.429 --> 00:10:24.429 this loveless, incredibly cold marriage with 00:10:24.429 --> 00:10:27.029 a wealthy socialite. And then he walks into his 00:10:27.029 --> 00:10:29.350 brother's living room and sees this psychic. 00:10:29.950 --> 00:10:33.149 quirky, intensely warm English woman. And Daphne 00:10:33.149 --> 00:10:35.350 is such a fantastic counterpoint to the Korean 00:10:35.350 --> 00:10:38.370 men. She is working class. She is eccentric with 00:10:38.370 --> 00:10:40.950 her psychic visions, which Frasier completely 00:10:40.950 --> 00:10:44.330 dismisses as utter nonsense. But she is also 00:10:44.330 --> 00:10:47.110 very, very practical. She has her own real struggles 00:10:47.110 --> 00:10:49.610 in season one, too. It is not just about being 00:10:49.610 --> 00:10:51.950 the passive object of Niall's affection. There 00:10:51.950 --> 00:10:55.190 is a major subplot in episode 21, Travels with 00:10:55.190 --> 00:10:57.529 Martin. The Winnebago episode. Right. They all 00:10:57.529 --> 00:10:59.669 want to go on a bonding trip to Canada. a massive 00:10:59.669 --> 00:11:02.250 Winnebago. But it is revealed that Daphne actually 00:11:02.250 --> 00:11:04.309 cannot leave the U .S. because she doesn't have 00:11:04.309 --> 00:11:06.269 her green card yet. Which complicates things 00:11:06.269 --> 00:11:08.730 just a little bit when they're literally driving 00:11:08.730 --> 00:11:11.419 toward a border crossing. But it adds a real 00:11:11.419 --> 00:11:14.220 layer of vulnerability to her character. She 00:11:14.220 --> 00:11:16.980 is an immigrant trying to make a stable life 00:11:16.980 --> 00:11:20.620 in this crazy, chaotic household. She has actual 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:23.200 stakes. And finally, rounding out the main cast, 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:26.340 we have Roz Doyle, played by Perry Gilpin. Fraser's 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:29.440 producer down at the radio station, KACL, she 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:32.480 is the voice of the modern real world. She really 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:34.940 is. While Fraser and Niles are sitting around 00:11:34.940 --> 00:11:37.820 obsessing over the perfect opera recording or 00:11:37.820 --> 00:11:40.610 vintage wine, Roz is out there in the trenches 00:11:40.610 --> 00:11:43.230 of the Seattle dating scene. And the show uses 00:11:43.230 --> 00:11:46.330 that contrast perfectly. We see subplots, like 00:11:46.330 --> 00:11:47.990 in the episode You Can't Tell a Cluck by His 00:11:47.990 --> 00:11:50.350 Cover, where she ends up getting scammed by a 00:11:50.350 --> 00:11:52.590 guy. She provides the workplace element that 00:11:52.590 --> 00:11:55.029 keeps the show from feeling claustrophobic. It's 00:11:55.029 --> 00:11:57.230 not just about a family in an apartment. She 00:11:57.230 --> 00:11:59.870 is grounded, she is deeply cynical, and she is 00:11:59.870 --> 00:12:01.710 the only person who isn't afraid to just tell 00:12:01.710 --> 00:12:03.889 Frazier to shut up. So that is our core team. 00:12:04.110 --> 00:12:06.519 Right. The ensemble is set. Now, let's get into 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:08.539 the actual meat of the season, the conflict. 00:12:08.779 --> 00:12:10.559 We have a section outlined in our notes here 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:13.039 called Navigating Domestic Friction. This is 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:15.159 the driving force of the first half of the season. 00:12:15.320 --> 00:12:18.100 It is a domestic turf war. And it starts with 00:12:18.100 --> 00:12:22.139 physical space. Episode 2, Space Quest. A perfect, 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:24.919 logical follow -up to the pilot. Frasier has 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:27.779 lived alone for a long time. Now, suddenly, he 00:12:27.779 --> 00:12:31.149 has no sanctuary. The episode logs describe him 00:12:31.149 --> 00:12:33.710 desperately struggling to get any solitary time 00:12:33.710 --> 00:12:35.870 whatsoever. He tries to read a book interrupted. 00:12:35.990 --> 00:12:38.049 He goes to work interrupted. There's that great 00:12:38.049 --> 00:12:40.090 scene where he tries to just go sit in a public 00:12:40.090 --> 00:12:42.789 park to read in peace and it starts pouring rain 00:12:42.789 --> 00:12:45.470 because, well, it is Seattle. He eventually tries 00:12:45.470 --> 00:12:48.549 to just forge a bond with Martin to clear the 00:12:48.549 --> 00:12:51.309 awkward air, but it highlights the massive generational 00:12:51.309 --> 00:12:54.019 divide. Martin is a guy who wants to sit in his 00:12:54.019 --> 00:12:56.559 chair and watch sports. Frazier is a guy who 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.620 wants to sit in total silence and ponder philosophy. 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:01.639 Speaking of the chair, we absolutely have to 00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:04.120 talk about episode 19. Give him the chair. The 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:06.960 chair. That taped up yellow and brown striped 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:09.360 monstrosity of a recliner. It is genuinely iconic. 00:13:09.419 --> 00:13:11.799 It is the visual antagonist of the entire apartment 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:15.220 set. But in this specific episode, Frazier finally 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:18.299 snaps. He gets rid of it. He puts it in storage, 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:20.799 right? Okay. And replaces it with this incredibly 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:24.019 sleek, modern, vibrating leather chair that acts 00:13:24.019 --> 00:13:26.299 as a massager. And Martin is just devastated. 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.120 And this is where the show proves how smart it 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:30.419 is. It is not just a silly fight about furniture. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:34.940 To Frazier, the chair is a hideous eyesore that 00:13:34.940 --> 00:13:37.419 ruins his carefully curated Eames aesthetic. 00:13:38.139 --> 00:13:41.360 But to Martin, that chair is his ultimate comfort 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:44.149 zone. It's his history. Exactly. It's where he 00:13:44.149 --> 00:13:46.509 sat when he came home exhausted from work as 00:13:46.509 --> 00:13:48.549 a cop. It's where he watched sports with his 00:13:48.549 --> 00:13:51.330 kids. It holds memories. So Frazier feels guilty 00:13:51.330 --> 00:13:53.509 and has to go on this epic quest to get it back. 00:13:53.690 --> 00:13:56.129 Which involves tracking it down to a local school 00:13:56.129 --> 00:13:58.370 production of Ten Little Indians. Which is such 00:13:58.370 --> 00:14:01.509 a great classic farce setup. It is, but the resolution 00:14:01.509 --> 00:14:04.789 is deeply emotional. Frazier realizes he has 00:14:04.789 --> 00:14:06.789 to respect his father's comfort over his own 00:14:06.789 --> 00:14:09.350 superficial aesthetic. He brings the ugly chair 00:14:09.350 --> 00:14:12.429 back. He accepts it as part of his home. That 00:14:12.429 --> 00:14:15.350 theme of style versus comfort or pretension versus 00:14:15.350 --> 00:14:18.009 reality comes up again and again in these sources. 00:14:18.250 --> 00:14:20.230 You mentioned Dinner at Eight earlier, Episode 00:14:20.230 --> 00:14:23.909 3. Right. Frazier and Niles decide they need 00:14:23.909 --> 00:14:26.570 to improve Martin's sense of style. They decide 00:14:26.570 --> 00:14:28.570 to take him out to a wildly fancy restaurant 00:14:28.570 --> 00:14:31.990 called Le Cigar Volant. Which translates to The 00:14:31.990 --> 00:14:34.669 Flying Cigar, doesn't it? It does. A wonderfully 00:14:34.669 --> 00:14:36.929 pretentious name for a wonderfully pretentious 00:14:36.929 --> 00:14:38.610 place. And of course, Martin doesn't fit in at 00:14:38.610 --> 00:14:41.190 all. He asks for a beer. They don't serve beer. 00:14:41.389 --> 00:14:44.450 He asks for a steak well done. The chef outright 00:14:44.450 --> 00:14:47.289 refuses to cook it that way. But the joke ultimately 00:14:47.289 --> 00:14:50.409 ends up being on the brothers. Always. They're 00:14:50.409 --> 00:14:52.129 the ones who end up looking ridiculous with their 00:14:52.129 --> 00:14:54.450 snobbery, causing a huge scene, while Martin 00:14:54.450 --> 00:14:56.289 is just an ordinary guy trying to get a decent 00:14:56.289 --> 00:14:59.570 meal. They end up eating at a rustic, loud steakhouse, 00:14:59.610 --> 00:15:01.590 where Martin is the popular one, and the brothers 00:15:01.590 --> 00:15:03.850 are completely out of their depth. And then there 00:15:03.850 --> 00:15:06.190 is The Crucible, episode 6. This one is almost 00:15:06.190 --> 00:15:09.350 painful to watch, but it's so funny. Fraser buys 00:15:09.350 --> 00:15:11.909 a painting. A painting by a renowned artist named 00:15:11.909 --> 00:15:14.929 Martha Paxton. He throws an elaborate cocktail 00:15:14.929 --> 00:15:17.289 party, specifically to show it off to his peers. 00:15:17.899 --> 00:15:20.639 This is Frasier at his absolute most pompous. 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:23.600 He craves the validation. He wants everyone to 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:26.559 swoon over his impeccable taste. And then the 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:29.379 artist herself, Martha Paxton, arrives at the 00:15:29.379 --> 00:15:32.080 party. She walks in, takes one look at the painting 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:34.379 on his wall, and casually declares it a complete 00:15:34.379 --> 00:15:37.779 forgery. She says, I didn't paint that. Ouch. 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:39.980 In front of everyone. It hits Frasier where it 00:15:39.980 --> 00:15:43.320 hurts most. His ego. He prides himself on being 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:46.000 an expert, a true connoisseur. To be publicly 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:49.120 duped is the ultimate humiliation for him. It 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:51.220 leads to this hilarious revenge plot against 00:15:51.220 --> 00:15:53.620 the gallery owner, where Frazier actually throws 00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:56.259 a rock through the gallery window. Which is such 00:15:56.259 --> 00:16:00.179 a juvenile, unhinged reaction for a trained psychiatrist. 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:02.559 That is the whole point. When you strip away 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:04.620 the Ivy League degrees and the tailored suits, 00:16:04.899 --> 00:16:07.419 Frazier is fundamentally petty. It humanizes 00:16:07.419 --> 00:16:09.879 him. But it is not just petty fights over art 00:16:09.879 --> 00:16:12.840 and furniture. There is real emotional baggage 00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:15.799 being unpacked here. We have to talk about Beloved 00:16:15.799 --> 00:16:18.139 Infidel Episode 8. This is a much heavier one. 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:20.340 Fraser and Niles are at a restaurant and they 00:16:20.340 --> 00:16:22.539 see Martin having a very emotional meeting with 00:16:22.539 --> 00:16:25.139 an old family friend, a woman. And their minds 00:16:25.139 --> 00:16:27.820 immediately leap to the absolute worst case scenario. 00:16:28.200 --> 00:16:30.460 They do the math on the dates and they suspect 00:16:30.460 --> 00:16:32.600 Martin actually had an affair with this woman 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:35.230 while he was still married to their mother. Which 00:16:35.230 --> 00:16:37.830 would completely shatter their pristine image 00:16:37.830 --> 00:16:40.629 of him. Exactly. They intensely idolize their 00:16:40.629 --> 00:16:43.269 late mother. This forces them to confront the 00:16:43.269 --> 00:16:45.610 uncomfortable reality that their parents were 00:16:45.610 --> 00:16:49.409 complex people with secrets. Right. Now, it turns 00:16:49.409 --> 00:16:52.169 out not to be what they thought. The affair never 00:16:52.169 --> 00:16:54.750 physically happened, but the emotional connection 00:16:54.750 --> 00:16:57.710 was definitely there. The journey of the episode 00:16:57.710 --> 00:17:00.389 involves them realizing they don't know everything 00:17:00.389 --> 00:17:03.429 about their father's past, and perhaps they shouldn't 00:17:03.429 --> 00:17:05.970 judge him quite so harshly. And speaking of heavy 00:17:05.970 --> 00:17:09.009 family conflict, we have the Christmas episode, 00:17:09.250 --> 00:17:11.990 Miracle on Third or Fourth Street, Episode 12. 00:17:12.269 --> 00:17:15.349 The holiday blues. This is a very classic sitcom 00:17:15.349 --> 00:17:18.089 trope, but Frasier executes it with a really 00:17:18.089 --> 00:17:21.210 unique melancholia. Frasier learns that Lilith, 00:17:21.289 --> 00:17:23.890 his ex -wife, is taking their son Frederick to 00:17:23.890 --> 00:17:26.269 Austria for the holidays. So he is not going 00:17:26.269 --> 00:17:28.730 to get to see his son for Christmas. And he ends 00:17:28.730 --> 00:17:30.670 up fighting with Martin over Christmas decorations 00:17:30.670 --> 00:17:33.180 or something totally trivial. He takes all his 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:36.160 underlying anger out on Martin. And because of 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:38.980 that fight, he stubbornly agrees to work the 00:17:38.980 --> 00:17:41.140 Christmas shift at the radio station just to 00:17:41.140 --> 00:17:45.339 avoid his family. It is deeply depressing. He 00:17:45.339 --> 00:17:47.680 is sitting alone in the broadcasting booth, hearing 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:49.859 people's miserable Christmas stories on the air. 00:17:50.019 --> 00:17:53.410 Then he goes to a cheap diner, alone. He has 00:17:53.410 --> 00:17:55.829 alienated everyone who cares about him. But it 00:17:55.829 --> 00:17:58.069 serves a real narrative purpose. It does. It 00:17:58.069 --> 00:18:00.609 strips Frasier down to his lowest possible point 00:18:00.609 --> 00:18:02.910 so he can rebuild a little bit of genuine gratitude. 00:18:03.490 --> 00:18:06.089 The homeless patrons at the diner end up having 00:18:06.089 --> 00:18:08.750 more actual holiday spirit and community than 00:18:08.750 --> 00:18:11.069 he does. Let's pivot to the relationship that 00:18:11.069 --> 00:18:13.170 I think defines the comedy of the show more than 00:18:13.170 --> 00:18:18.150 any other. The sibling rivalry. It is a relationship 00:18:18.150 --> 00:18:21.690 of intense competition, but also intense codependency. 00:18:21.869 --> 00:18:24.269 They are the only two people in the entire world 00:18:24.269 --> 00:18:26.130 who actually understand each other's references, 00:18:26.329 --> 00:18:28.990 who know the same obscure whines, and yet they 00:18:28.990 --> 00:18:36.650 drive each other absolutely mad. The premise 00:18:36.650 --> 00:18:39.589 is just perfect. They decide to collaborate on 00:18:39.589 --> 00:18:42.990 a book together about, wait for it, sibling relationships. 00:18:43.529 --> 00:18:46.549 The irony is so palpable. It writes itself. They 00:18:46.549 --> 00:18:48.490 think, well, we are experts. We are renowned 00:18:48.490 --> 00:18:50.710 psychiatrists. Writing this will be incredibly 00:18:50.710 --> 00:18:53.390 easy. They lock themselves in a hotel room to 00:18:53.390 --> 00:18:56.730 write. And it ends in a literal brawl. A full 00:18:56.730 --> 00:19:00.109 on physical wrestling match on the floor. They 00:19:00.109 --> 00:19:01.869 get writer's block. They get on each other's 00:19:01.869 --> 00:19:04.730 nerves. Niles starts aggressively correcting 00:19:04.730 --> 00:19:07.390 Frazier's grammar and they completely revert 00:19:07.390 --> 00:19:09.509 to being petulant children. There is a moment 00:19:09.509 --> 00:19:11.769 where Niles actually tries to choke Frazier, 00:19:11.769 --> 00:19:14.119 isn't there? Yes. It proves that no matter how 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:15.920 many degrees they have framed on their walls, 00:19:16.119 --> 00:19:18.400 they are still just two young brothers fighting 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:20.619 for dominance in the backseat of the family car. 00:19:20.859 --> 00:19:23.339 But they also fiercely have each other's backs. 00:19:23.859 --> 00:19:26.319 Especially when it comes to romantic entanglements. 00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:29.359 We have to dive into A Midwinter Night's Dream, 00:19:29.539 --> 00:19:32.299 episode 17. This is a crucial, crucial episode 00:19:32.299 --> 00:19:34.839 for the Niles and Daphne dynamic. The setup is 00:19:34.839 --> 00:19:37.980 pure classic gothic romance. A severe storm. 00:19:38.279 --> 00:19:41.940 A massive mansion. The lights go out. Niles has 00:19:41.940 --> 00:19:44.299 had a terrible fight with Maris. He's feeling 00:19:44.299 --> 00:19:47.200 very vulnerable. He tries to make a grand reconciliation 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:50.579 dinner to win Maris back, but Daphne is there 00:19:50.579 --> 00:19:52.849 at the mansion to help him set it all up. And 00:19:52.849 --> 00:19:54.750 they get stranded because of the weather. The 00:19:54.750 --> 00:19:57.549 storm completely traps them there. They are stuck 00:19:57.549 --> 00:19:59.710 in their nightclothes. And there is a moment, 00:19:59.829 --> 00:20:02.849 a very real, tangible moment of mutual attraction. 00:20:03.089 --> 00:20:05.630 Or at least Niles perceives it that way. And 00:20:05.630 --> 00:20:07.650 Daphne is being incredibly warm and comforting. 00:20:07.930 --> 00:20:09.630 And Frasier has to play the role of the conscience. 00:20:09.930 --> 00:20:12.549 He has to intervene. He literally drives through 00:20:12.549 --> 00:20:15.130 the raging storm wearing a completely ridiculous 00:20:15.130 --> 00:20:18.369 outfit, if I recall, to prevent Niles from doing 00:20:18.369 --> 00:20:21.170 something he will deeply regret. Shows that Frasier, 00:20:21.250 --> 00:20:24.069 despite his constant rivalry with Niles deeply 00:20:24.069 --> 00:20:26.849 protects him. He protects Niles' honor and he 00:20:26.849 --> 00:20:29.170 protects Daphne from getting dragged into a very 00:20:29.170 --> 00:20:32.269 messy marital situation. He pulls his brother 00:20:32.269 --> 00:20:34.789 back from the edge of infidelity. And that actually 00:20:34.789 --> 00:20:37.109 leads us nicely toward the season finale, My 00:20:37.109 --> 00:20:40.069 Coffee with Niles, episode 24. We will discuss 00:20:40.069 --> 00:20:42.109 the finale more in depth later, but in terms 00:20:42.109 --> 00:20:44.569 of their dynamic, this is where Niles finally 00:20:44.569 --> 00:20:47.789 explicitly acknowledges to Frasier that he may 00:20:47.789 --> 00:20:50.450 actually have real feelings for Daphne. It is 00:20:50.450 --> 00:20:52.630 no longer just a funny look or a quick sniff 00:20:52.630 --> 00:20:55.589 of her hair. It is a spoken reality between the 00:20:55.589 --> 00:20:58.130 brothers. Now let's go to work. Section four 00:20:58.130 --> 00:21:01.869 of our deep dive, the radio shrink. We see Frazier 00:21:01.869 --> 00:21:04.809 and his element at KACL. The radio station is 00:21:04.809 --> 00:21:07.349 the second major set of the show. It is Frazier's 00:21:07.349 --> 00:21:10.430 professional domain, but it is also a brilliant, 00:21:10.470 --> 00:21:14.289 chaotic workplace comedy embedded inside a domestic 00:21:14.289 --> 00:21:16.730 sitcom. And it is full of incredibly colorful 00:21:16.730 --> 00:21:18.910 characters. We mentioned Rods earlier, but we 00:21:18.910 --> 00:21:21.410 also have Bulldog Briscoe. Dan Butler plays Bob 00:21:21.410 --> 00:21:23.990 Bulldog Briscoe. He is the complete antithesis 00:21:23.990 --> 00:21:27.250 of Frasier Crane. He is gross, loud, aggressively 00:21:27.250 --> 00:21:30.289 sexist, a total sports guy. He barks at people. 00:21:30.430 --> 00:21:34.230 He literally barks. In episode 10, oops, we see 00:21:34.230 --> 00:21:36.970 just how dangerous the rumor mill can be at a 00:21:36.970 --> 00:21:39.450 radio station. Frasier overhears a rumor that 00:21:39.450 --> 00:21:41.369 someone at the station is getting fired. He immediately 00:21:41.369 --> 00:21:44.009 assumes it is Bulldog because Bulldog is so incredibly 00:21:44.009 --> 00:21:46.109 abrasive. And being Frasier, he just can't keep 00:21:46.109 --> 00:21:48.559 his mouth shut. He accidentally reveals this 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:51.640 firing river to Bulldog. Bulldog loses it and 00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:54.460 quits in a massive huff, violently cursing out 00:21:54.460 --> 00:21:56.819 the management on his way out. But the twist, 00:21:56.900 --> 00:21:58.980 and it is a fantastic one, is that the rumor 00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:01.500 was actually true, but it wasn't about Bulldog 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:03.859 at all. It was about Frazier. Frazier was the 00:22:03.859 --> 00:22:06.000 one on the chopping block. Right. So he inadvertently 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.619 saved his own job by causing Bulldog to quit 00:22:08.619 --> 00:22:11.720 in his place. It is a classic comedy of errors, 00:22:11.819 --> 00:22:14.240 but it also highlights Frazier's real insecurity 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:17.319 about his new career. He is not established in 00:22:17.319 --> 00:22:20.460 Seattle yet. He is very vulnerable. And his professional 00:22:20.460 --> 00:22:22.980 ethics are constantly being tested. Look at Episode 00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:25.799 9, Selling Out. Enter Bebe Glazer. Oh, Bebe. 00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:27.980 Played wonderfully by Harriet Sansom Harris. 00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:30.990 She is just something else entirely. She is the 00:22:30.990 --> 00:22:33.150 literal devil sitting on Frazier's shoulder. 00:22:33.470 --> 00:22:36.029 Describing her as a smarmy talent agent doesn't 00:22:36.029 --> 00:22:39.710 even begin to cover it. She seduces him, metaphorically 00:22:39.710 --> 00:22:42.509 speaking, with the tantalizing idea of fame and 00:22:42.509 --> 00:22:46.250 big money. She is highly theatrical, deeply manipulative, 00:22:46.269 --> 00:22:48.589 and absolutely hilarious. She gets him to agree 00:22:48.589 --> 00:22:51.029 to do commercial product endorsements. Specifically 00:22:51.029 --> 00:22:54.710 for nuts, I think. Frazier hates it. He fundamentally 00:22:54.710 --> 00:22:57.210 thinks it is beneath his dignity as a medical 00:22:57.210 --> 00:22:59.769 professional. But she expertly uses it. This 00:22:59.769 --> 00:23:02.549 is his guilt against him. She casually mentions 00:23:02.549 --> 00:23:04.990 needing money for his son Frederick's college 00:23:04.990 --> 00:23:07.710 tuition to twist his arm. It sets up a great 00:23:07.710 --> 00:23:12.289 core conflict. Frazier, the pure ethical psychiatrist, 00:23:12.490 --> 00:23:15.549 versus Frazier, the local celebrity who really 00:23:15.549 --> 00:23:17.750 needs to pay his bill. And then there's the ethics 00:23:17.750 --> 00:23:20.190 of the actual advice he gives on the air. Episode 00:23:20.190 --> 00:23:22.930 7, Call Me Irresponsible. This is a really tricky 00:23:22.930 --> 00:23:25.990 one. Frazier advises a caller on the air, Marco. 00:23:26.569 --> 00:23:28.609 To break up with his current girlfriend, Catherine. 00:23:28.869 --> 00:23:31.170 Standard talk radio advice. Leave her, Marco. 00:23:31.250 --> 00:23:33.430 You deserve better. Until Frazier actually meets 00:23:33.430 --> 00:23:36.210 Catherine in person. And he finds her incredibly 00:23:36.210 --> 00:23:38.609 attractive. And he starts dating her. Which definitely 00:23:38.609 --> 00:23:40.970 feels like a massive violation of some medical 00:23:40.970 --> 00:23:43.430 code. Niles certainly thinks so. Niles calls 00:23:43.430 --> 00:23:46.609 Frazier out on it immediately. It explores the 00:23:46.609 --> 00:23:49.410 very blurry line between Frazier's public persona 00:23:49.410 --> 00:23:52.529 as this wise counselor and his private desires 00:23:52.529 --> 00:23:56.240 as a flawed man. Can you date the woman you just 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:59.230 advised a patient to dump? The ethical answer 00:23:59.230 --> 00:24:01.990 is probably no. But watching Frazier desperately 00:24:01.990 --> 00:24:04.750 try to justify it is comedy gold. And we see 00:24:04.750 --> 00:24:07.269 how incredibly fragile his ego is in episode 00:24:07.269 --> 00:24:10.230 four, I Hate Frazier Crane. A local newspaper 00:24:10.230 --> 00:24:13.369 columnist, Derek Mann, publicly challenges Frazier 00:24:13.369 --> 00:24:16.230 to a fistfight. A literal fistfight. Frazier 00:24:16.230 --> 00:24:18.769 is not a fighter. He is a lover and he is a talker. 00:24:18.809 --> 00:24:21.009 But his pride is deeply wounded because Derek 00:24:21.009 --> 00:24:24.390 Mann wrote a very nasty column mocking him. In 00:24:24.390 --> 00:24:26.410 a moment of bravado, he agrees to the fight. 00:24:26.609 --> 00:24:29.589 Then he immediately tries. Of course. But then 00:24:29.589 --> 00:24:31.829 he realizes that backing out publicly would bring 00:24:31.829 --> 00:24:34.609 shame to Martin. Martin values traditional toughness 00:24:34.609 --> 00:24:37.250 and grit. So Fraser resolves to actually go through 00:24:37.250 --> 00:24:39.329 with the fight purely to earn his father's respect. 00:24:39.569 --> 00:24:41.589 It perfectly connects the workplace drama back 00:24:41.589 --> 00:24:43.809 to the family dynamic. And we cannot forget the 00:24:43.809 --> 00:24:46.730 station rivalries. Episode 23, Fraser Crane's 00:24:46.730 --> 00:24:49.490 Day Off. This is an absolute tour de force for 00:24:49.490 --> 00:24:52.210 Kelsey Grammer as a physical comedian. Fraser 00:24:52.210 --> 00:24:55.809 gets sick. A very high fever. And Gil Chesterton, 00:24:55.990 --> 00:24:58.190 the station's pompous food critic, played by 00:24:58.190 --> 00:25:00.769 Edward Hibbert, tries to swoop in and steal his 00:25:00.769 --> 00:25:04.430 premium time slot. Gil is another fantastic recurring 00:25:04.430 --> 00:25:07.950 character, very effate, very snide. He is almost 00:25:07.950 --> 00:25:10.089 like a Funhouse Mirror version of Frasier himself. 00:25:10.450 --> 00:25:12.890 Frasier is intensely paranoid about losing his 00:25:12.890 --> 00:25:15.900 show. He asks... Niles to fill in for him just 00:25:15.900 --> 00:25:19.099 to block Gil. But it turns out Niles is unexpectedly 00:25:19.099 --> 00:25:21.680 great at doing radio. Which makes Frazier even 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:25.279 more paranoid. Exactly. His feverish brain convinces 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:28.269 him Niles is trying to steal his career. So we 00:25:28.269 --> 00:25:31.029 get this incredible scene of a delirious, sweating 00:25:31.029 --> 00:25:33.789 Frasier dragging himself all the way to the station 00:25:33.789 --> 00:25:36.950 in his bathrobe, physically locking Niles and 00:25:36.950 --> 00:25:39.269 Roz out of the broadcasting studio and doing 00:25:39.269 --> 00:25:41.630 the show while actively hallucinating. He starts 00:25:41.630 --> 00:25:43.329 rambling on the air about the little people. 00:25:43.470 --> 00:25:45.829 It is physical comedy at its absolute finest. 00:25:46.130 --> 00:25:48.130 Now, one of the most unique features of Frasier, 00:25:48.130 --> 00:25:49.450 and we really have to highlight this because 00:25:49.450 --> 00:25:50.930 the log show it started right here in season 00:25:50.930 --> 00:25:53.759 one, is the guest caller phenomenon. It became 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:56.700 a huge status symbol in Hollywood to be a caller 00:25:56.700 --> 00:25:59.799 on Frasier. Explain how that worked for our listeners 00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:02.160 who might not know the behind the scenes magic. 00:26:02.460 --> 00:26:05.539 So you would hear a voice on the radio asking 00:26:05.539 --> 00:26:09.119 Dr. Crane for advice. Frazier would answer. But 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:11.460 the person on the other end of the phone wasn't 00:26:11.460 --> 00:26:13.980 just a random extra or a working voice actor. 00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:17.740 It was a major A -list celebrity recording a 00:26:17.740 --> 00:26:19.680 voiceover from wherever they were in the world. 00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:22.319 And they were usually entirely uncredited until 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:24.420 the very end of the episode. Right. And the list 00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:26.960 of names in season one is just insane. I am looking 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:28.799 at the notes here. In the pilot episode alone, 00:26:29.019 --> 00:26:33.079 they had Linda Hamilton and Griffin Dunn. Linda 00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:35.980 Hamilton plays Claire, who is sobbing hysterically 00:26:35.980 --> 00:26:37.990 because her boyfriend broke up with her. It sets 00:26:37.990 --> 00:26:40.569 the tone immediately. Big stars playing very 00:26:40.569 --> 00:26:42.809 small, funny roles. Christopher Reeve in Space 00:26:42.809 --> 00:26:45.089 Quest. Playing a character named Leonard, an 00:26:45.089 --> 00:26:47.170 agoraphobic who thinks his house is physically 00:26:47.170 --> 00:26:50.369 shrinking. Very meta. The Christmas episode had 00:26:50.369 --> 00:26:53.210 a completely stacked lineup. Mel Brooks. Mel 00:26:53.210 --> 00:26:56.990 Brooks, Rosemary Clooney, and Ben Stiller. All 00:26:56.990 --> 00:26:59.450 in one episode. It was a massive flex by the 00:26:59.450 --> 00:27:01.609 network. It showed that the industry already 00:27:01.609 --> 00:27:04.259 loved and respected this show. Eddie Van Halen 00:27:04.259 --> 00:27:06.359 in Call Me Irresponsible. Playing a character 00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:08.400 named Hank who doesn't even realize he is on 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:12.000 the air. Jay Leno in, oops, Timothy Leary in 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:14.039 the episode where Lilith comes back. Even Mary 00:27:14.039 --> 00:27:16.339 Tyler Moore in Frasier Crane's Day Off. It was 00:27:16.339 --> 00:27:18.400 like a weekly Easter egg hunt for your ears. 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:21.180 It also helped ground the show in reality. These 00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:24.660 voices were all so distinct. It made KACL feel 00:27:24.660 --> 00:27:27.700 like a real... functioning radio station dealing 00:27:27.700 --> 00:27:30.740 with the weird, wonderful, unpredictable public. 00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:33.460 And it created incredible word of mouth buzz. 00:27:33.640 --> 00:27:35.740 People would go to work the next day and ask, 00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:38.339 did you hear who called in last night? Let's 00:27:38.339 --> 00:27:41.180 move to section six of our deep dives. Love, 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:44.160 loss, and the past. Because Frasier is a true 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:47.069 romantic at heart. but he is also a bit of a 00:27:47.069 --> 00:27:49.589 tragic figure when it comes to love. He is constantly 00:27:49.589 --> 00:27:51.950 looking for a deep connection, but he is carrying 00:27:51.950 --> 00:27:54.869 a massive amount of baggage, specifically the 00:27:54.869 --> 00:27:57.650 ex -wife factor. Episode 16, the show where Lilith 00:27:57.650 --> 00:28:01.289 comes back. Bebe Neuwirth returns. This was a 00:28:01.289 --> 00:28:04.069 massive, highly anticipated television event. 00:28:04.309 --> 00:28:07.609 You have to understand, Lilith was a profoundly 00:28:07.609 --> 00:28:10.829 major character on Cheers. The ratings definitely 00:28:10.829 --> 00:28:14.930 confirm that. 33 .1 million viewers tuned in. 00:28:15.180 --> 00:28:17.400 The highest viewership of the entire season. 00:28:17.640 --> 00:28:19.660 Everyone in America wanted to see that reunion. 00:28:20.019 --> 00:28:22.779 Lilith shows up in Seattle out of nowhere. She 00:28:22.779 --> 00:28:25.099 is looking for a reconciliation. She found an 00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:26.940 old letter Frazier wrote during a vulnerable 00:28:26.940 --> 00:28:29.220 moment, and she thinks there's a chance they 00:28:29.220 --> 00:28:32.039 can fix things. It is a deeply poignant episode 00:28:32.039 --> 00:28:34.059 because it essentially gives emotional closure 00:28:34.059 --> 00:28:37.299 to the entire Cheers era. Frazier is very tempted. 00:28:37.380 --> 00:28:39.460 It is comfortable. It's familiar. But they ultimately 00:28:39.460 --> 00:28:41.880 realize they bring out the absolute worst in 00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:44.619 each other. By finally saying a definitive goodbye 00:28:44.619 --> 00:28:47.339 to Lilith, Frazier is free to truly become a 00:28:47.339 --> 00:28:49.759 Seattleite and start over. But his dating life 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:52.940 in Seattle is, well, rocky. To say the very least. 00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:54.680 Look at, here's looking at you, episode five. 00:28:55.140 --> 00:28:57.660 Martin gets a telescope. And Martin casually 00:28:57.660 --> 00:28:59.819 uses it and immediately spots a woman he likes 00:28:59.819 --> 00:29:01.960 in another building. He waves to her, she waves 00:29:01.960 --> 00:29:05.539 back, they connect. It is so simple and natural. 00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:08.619 Frazier, meanwhile, tries to use the exact same 00:29:08.619 --> 00:29:12.519 telescope to find a date. And he completely overanalyzes 00:29:12.519 --> 00:29:15.720 every single detail. It perfectly contrasts Martin's 00:29:15.720 --> 00:29:18.920 simple gut instinct approach to life with Frazier's 00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:21.700 exhausting paralysis by analysis. Then there 00:29:21.700 --> 00:29:24.960 is Can't Buy Me Love, episode 14. Frazier gets 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:27.079 auctioned off. A bachelor auction for charity. 00:29:27.299 --> 00:29:29.940 Guy. And he is bought by a stunning model named 00:29:29.940 --> 00:29:33.240 Christina. Frazier thinks, this is it. I have 00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:35.869 won the lottery. But the dream date quickly turns 00:29:35.869 --> 00:29:38.410 into him having to babysit her young daughter. 00:29:38.650 --> 00:29:41.049 And here is where Frazier's professional arrogance 00:29:41.049 --> 00:29:43.809 fails him again. He listens to the daughter's 00:29:43.809 --> 00:29:46.049 wild stories and decides, as a psychiatrist, 00:29:46.390 --> 00:29:48.750 that the mother is deeply neglectful. Frazier 00:29:48.750 --> 00:29:50.990 analyzing a situation without all the facts. 00:29:51.190 --> 00:29:54.289 And getting it spectacularly wrong. He self -righteously 00:29:54.289 --> 00:29:56.349 lectures Christina about her parenting skills, 00:29:56.470 --> 00:29:58.269 only to find out the daughter was making everything 00:29:58.269 --> 00:30:00.849 up because she is just a bored kid. Again, his 00:30:00.849 --> 00:30:02.990 own arrogance completely costs him a relationship 00:30:02.990 --> 00:30:05.500 with a supermodel. And then 40 -something episode 00:30:05.500 --> 00:30:09.359 20, the classic midlife crisis. He worries constantly 00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:11.859 about aging. He starts dating a shop assistant 00:30:11.859 --> 00:30:14.400 named Carrie, who is much, much younger than 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:17.220 he is. Which is almost always a recipe for awkwardness. 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:20.380 It highlights his deep fear of irrelevance. He 00:30:20.380 --> 00:30:23.220 wants to feel young and vital again. But he quickly 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:26.799 realizes he cannot relate to her at all. She 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:28.460 listens to different music. She has entirely 00:30:28.460 --> 00:30:30.779 different cultural references. She realizes that 00:30:30.779 --> 00:30:33.680 chasing youth is just exhausting. Speaking of 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:36.160 fear, we have to talk about... Death Becomes 00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:39.279 Him, episode 11. This is a surprisingly dark 00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:41.799 one for a sitcom. It really is. A local doctor 00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:44.440 dies unexpectedly, and it is a doctor who is 00:30:44.440 --> 00:30:48.039 very, very similar to Frazier. Same age, same 00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:50.440 general build, same professional temperament. 00:30:50.500 --> 00:30:53.259 And Frazier just spirals. He becomes completely 00:30:53.259 --> 00:30:55.880 obsessed with his own mortality. He even decides 00:30:55.880 --> 00:30:58.539 to attend the Dead Man's Shiva, a Jewish mourning 00:30:58.539 --> 00:31:00.390 ritual, even though he... didn't even really 00:31:00.390 --> 00:31:02.950 know the man. That is peak Frasier behavior. 00:31:03.309 --> 00:31:05.490 Yeah. Inserting himself into a total stranger's 00:31:05.490 --> 00:31:08.210 funeral just because he's having a personal existential 00:31:08.210 --> 00:31:11.170 crisis. He is desperately looking for answers. 00:31:11.369 --> 00:31:13.730 He wants to know exactly why the man died so 00:31:13.730 --> 00:31:15.789 he can somehow prevent it from happening to himself. 00:31:16.410 --> 00:31:18.910 When he finally finds out it was just a random, 00:31:18.990 --> 00:31:21.650 unpredictable heart attack, it terrifies him 00:31:21.650 --> 00:31:24.009 even more. It shows the incredible depth of the 00:31:24.009 --> 00:31:26.210 writing team. This isn't just a man slipping 00:31:26.210 --> 00:31:28.789 on a banana peel. No, this is a man staring into 00:31:28.789 --> 00:31:31.769 the void. And the void staring back. And then, 00:31:31.809 --> 00:31:34.490 only then, he slips on a banana peel to break 00:31:34.490 --> 00:31:37.009 the tension. Which brings us, finally, to the 00:31:37.009 --> 00:31:40.430 end of the road. Section 7 of our dive. The season 00:31:40.430 --> 00:31:44.109 finale. My Coffee with Niles. A remarkably daring 00:31:44.109 --> 00:31:46.490 episode of television. Why daring, would you 00:31:46.490 --> 00:31:49.269 say? Because of the structure. It is almost entirely 00:31:49.269 --> 00:31:51.930 what you would call a bottle episode. The whole 00:31:51.930 --> 00:31:54.589 22 minutes takes place over a single, continuous 00:31:54.589 --> 00:31:57.250 conversation at Café Nervosa. There's no big 00:31:57.250 --> 00:31:59.779 B -plot. No crazy running around the apartment. 00:32:00.119 --> 00:32:02.519 None. Just two brothers sitting at a table talking. 00:32:02.779 --> 00:32:05.180 And it asks the most fundamental question of 00:32:05.180 --> 00:32:08.059 the entire season. Are you happy? Niles explicitly 00:32:08.059 --> 00:32:11.859 asks Frazier, are you happy in Seattle? And Frazier 00:32:11.859 --> 00:32:14.680 genuinely struggles to answer it. He systematically 00:32:14.680 --> 00:32:17.880 analyzes his job, his relationship with his dad, 00:32:18.099 --> 00:32:21.019 his complete lack of romance. He complains about 00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:22.940 the constant rain, the quality of the coffee, 00:32:23.019 --> 00:32:25.299 the cramped apartment. It acts as a philosophical 00:32:25.299 --> 00:32:28.519 audit of the entire first season. And it ends 00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:32.140 with a quiet sense of acceptance. He is not perfectly 00:32:32.140 --> 00:32:35.140 happy. But he realizes he is exactly where he 00:32:35.140 --> 00:32:37.859 needs to be. He realizes that his life is messy 00:32:37.859 --> 00:32:41.339 and chaotic and loud, but it is his life. It 00:32:41.339 --> 00:32:44.759 is a very quiet, grounded ending to a very loud, 00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:47.740 busy season. And it worked beautifully. It certainly 00:32:47.740 --> 00:32:49.940 did work. Let's look at the final scoreboard 00:32:49.940 --> 00:32:53.240 from our notes. The 1994 Primetime Emmy Awards. 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:55.519 It was an absolute sweep. Outstanding comedy 00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:57.859 series. Outstanding lead actor. Kelsey Grammer, 00:32:57.960 --> 00:33:00.519 winner. Outstanding directing. James Burroughs, 00:33:00.539 --> 00:33:03.539 specifically for the pilot. The Good Son, winner. 00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:06.680 Outstanding writing. Angel, Casey, and Lee, also 00:33:06.680 --> 00:33:09.180 for The Good Son, winner. And let's not forget 00:33:09.180 --> 00:33:11.900 David Hyde Pierce. He was nominated for Supporting 00:33:11.900 --> 00:33:14.839 Actor, and he actually won the Viewers for Quality 00:33:14.839 --> 00:33:16.980 Television Award for Best Supporting Actor that 00:33:16.980 --> 00:33:20.019 year. So critically, commercially creatively. 00:33:20.670 --> 00:33:23.269 This first season was an absolute juggernaut. 00:33:23.269 --> 00:33:25.750 It did what almost no spinoff ever manages to 00:33:25.750 --> 00:33:28.769 do. It stepped completely out of the massive 00:33:28.769 --> 00:33:31.869 shadow of its parent show and immediately cast 00:33:31.869 --> 00:33:34.569 a giant shadow of its own. So bringing it all 00:33:34.569 --> 00:33:36.930 together for our listeners, the synthesis of 00:33:36.930 --> 00:33:40.650 this deep dive, why did season one work so incredibly 00:33:40.650 --> 00:33:43.759 well? I think it comes down to the mix. The show 00:33:43.759 --> 00:33:46.119 inherently respected the audience's intelligence. 00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:48.680 It wasn't afraid to make highbrow jokes about 00:33:48.680 --> 00:33:51.519 obscure opera or vintage wine, knowing the audience 00:33:51.519 --> 00:33:53.559 would either get the reference or at least find 00:33:53.559 --> 00:33:55.619 the character's intense obsession with it funny. 00:33:55.880 --> 00:33:58.440 But it grounded all of that pretension in the 00:33:58.440 --> 00:34:01.579 universal, highly relatable family dynamic. It's 00:34:01.579 --> 00:34:03.660 conflict we just built right in. Right. You didn't 00:34:03.660 --> 00:34:06.279 need to invent crazy outlandish plots every week. 00:34:06.339 --> 00:34:08.179 You just put these specific people in a room 00:34:08.179 --> 00:34:11.340 together. A snob, an even bigger snob, a regular 00:34:11.340 --> 00:34:13.559 working class guy and a A psychic. You shake 00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:15.920 the jar and you just watch them fight. The chemistry 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:18.840 was instant. Usually a cast takes a full season 00:34:18.840 --> 00:34:21.360 just to gel. These guys look like they'd been 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:24.099 living and bickering together for years by episode 00:34:24.099 --> 00:34:27.380 five. Here is my final provocative thought for 00:34:27.380 --> 00:34:29.739 you to chew on, listener. And for you as well. 00:34:29.960 --> 00:34:31.820 All right, let's hear it. Think about the core 00:34:31.820 --> 00:34:35.480 irony of this character. Dr. Fraser Crane is 00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:38.159 a man who can supposedly solve anyone's deepest 00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:40.539 psychological problem in three minutes flat on 00:34:40.539 --> 00:34:43.340 the radio. He says, I'm listening. He gives the 00:34:43.340 --> 00:34:45.159 perfect answer and he goes to commercial. The 00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:47.980 ultimate quick fix. But when it comes to his 00:34:47.980 --> 00:34:50.840 own actual life, his own happiness, his own family, 00:34:50.960 --> 00:34:53.639 it takes him 24 full episodes just to finally 00:34:53.639 --> 00:34:56.519 ask himself the question, am I happy? That is 00:34:56.519 --> 00:34:59.159 the tragedy in the comedy wrapped into one. The 00:34:59.159 --> 00:35:01.840 brilliant doctor cannot heal himself. And that 00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:04.320 is exactly why we watch. Thank you for joining 00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:08.420 us on this very Jeep trip back to 1993. If you 00:35:08.420 --> 00:35:10.559 decide to re -watch season one after listening 00:35:10.559 --> 00:35:12.699 to this, and you really should, keep an eye out 00:35:12.699 --> 00:35:14.760 for that blue title card. It is a little piece 00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:17.019 of TV history. And seriously, watch the dog. 00:35:17.099 --> 00:35:19.639 He is doing way more acting in those scenes than 00:35:19.639 --> 00:35:22.880 you think. We will see you on the next Deep Dive.