Frasier: Difference between revisions

''But I don't know what to do''

''With those tossed salads and scrambled eggs''

 

A [[Spin-Off]] of ''[[Cheers]]'', in which psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane ([[Kelsey Grammer]]) has moved back to his home town of Seattle to take a job as a radio shrink on KACL in order to put his life back together after his divorce from his wife Lilith. In the pilot, Frasier's father Martin (John Mahoney), a down-to-earth, blue-collar, easygoing man [[Averted Trope|as different from]] [[Like Father, Like Son|his pompous, stuffy, intellectual son as it is possible to be]], is forced to move in with Frasier following his retirement from the Seattle police force after being shot in the hip, providing the setting for the rest of the show.

* [[555]]: The call-in number for the KACL radio station.

* [[Aborted Arc]]: Season 10 built up an [[Unresolved Sexual Tension]] between Frasier and Roz that culminated with Roz leaving the station due to jealously towards [[Romantic False Lead|Julia]]. When Season 11 rolled around, an A-team of Frasier writers (Joe Keenan, Chris Lloyd, Rob Greenberg) returned, declared Season 10 a misfire, and gracefully undid all the damage in two episodes.

* [[Acting Unnatural]]: Frasier and his family are encouraged to do this by Martin after they accidentally cross the Canadian border, unaware that Daphne's work permit forbids her from leaving the country, and must pass through customs before re-entering. This eventually involves Frasier babbling his head off whenever the customs officer asks him a question, Niles buttoning up entirely, and Daphne saying the only thing she can say in a vaguely convincing American accent, which happens to be the word "Sure". Martin, who actually does manage to act naturally, is not greatly impressed.

* [[Actually Pretty Funny]]: "Voyage Of The Damned" sees Frasier booked as a cruise ship entertainer along with several B-list celebrities whom Frasier is less than enthusiastic about sharing billing with ("You've booked me on a floating [[The Gong Show|Gong Show]]! ... of course I got top billing! I'm the only one up there I've ever heard of!"), one of whom is comedian Giggles O'Shea. Later, Giggles helps Frasier spice up his speech with a few jokes, which Frasier has to admit are really pretty good.

** "People of Seattle! Listen to me! We are not barbarians! We are not Neanderthals! [[Acceptable Targets|AND WE ARE NOT FRENCH!]]"

** In one episode, two DJ's try to make a career out of [[Break the Haughty|publicly humiliating]] Frasier. He refuses to sink to their level and will only counter them by quoting famous authors. After all the ridicule, one of them manages to hit his [[Berserk Button]] by [[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?|correcting his pronunciation of]] "[[François de La Rochefoucauld|La Rochefoucauld]]".

* [[Artistic License Religion]]: Very many in the Bar Mitzvah episode: the fact that the service ends after Frederick finishes reading his ''haftara'' (there is a whole other prayer service that follows); the fact that a dinner is apparently served then (this service is in the morning); Martin taking photos in a synagogue on the Sabbath (even in a Conservative synagogue he would be asked to stop).

** In fairness, it could be that it wasn't a conservative synagogue, but rather a more Liberal one, which might allow such a thing. While not the public face of Judaism at large, they do exist.

** In the episode "An Affair To Forget", a viewer who understands German or especially Spanish will get the episode's major punchline several minutes before it's revealed in English.

** There's also the episode where Frasier and Niles have a conversation in French to confuse [[Amplified Animal Aptitude|Eddie]].

* [[Blah Blah Blah]]: One episode even has a gag black-and-white POV shot from Eddie the dog, where everybody just makes yammering noises except when they mention his name. Soon after, a POV from Martin during one of his boys' discussions does the same thing, except in color. Bonus points: For Eddie, the cast says "[[Seinfeld|Yadda, yadda, yadda.]]"

* [[Blind Date]]

* [[Celebrity Endorsement]]: Several references throughout the show and a whole episode dedicated to the ethics of putting a respected name on a product; "Selling Out". Also a [[Real Life]] example where [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHsIbjB5Ck0 Frasier hawks a soft-drink],

** Frasier generally has no problems endorsing as long as he's tested the product himself and isn't asked to make a false claim; he endorsed a Chinese restaurant after enjoying the food, and a hot tub, saying that not only he liked it but his friends and family did as well (he, Martin, and Daphne took a soak in one). He drew the line at endorsing a brand of nut that was too unhealthy, and also at claiming that "Happy Dreams Tea" would give people happy dreams, because he felt it sounded like psychiatric advice.

* [[Change the Uncomfortable Subject]]

* [[Character Development]]: Over the course of the series, previously [[Flat Character|defining]] quirks and personality traits are played down or deconstructed leading to more subtle characterization (e.g. Frasier and Niles' snobbery, Martin's crankiness, Roz's promiscuity, Niles' cleanliness).

* [[The Dandy]]: Both Frasier and Niles.

* [[Dark Horse Victory]]: Not uncommon at some of the in-show awards ceremonies.

* [[A Day in the Limelight]]:

** Most notably Daphne's [[Flash Back]] episode "Dark Side of the Moon", where a series of stressful situations lead her to court-ordered therapy.

** Also played with in the final season episode "Guns N Neuroses", where Frasier and Lilith get set up on blind dates with each other-- and never find out about it; and Niles, Martin and Daphne try to cover up having accidentally shot Frasier's wall-- and succeed.

* [[Finger in the Mail]]: Parodied. When Niles is taking care of [[Companion Cube|a sack of flour as though it were a child]], he tells Frasier about his nightmares where the sack of flour is kidnapped and he starts receiving muffins in the mail.

* [[Flashback to Catchphrase]]: Martin says "I'm listening" when Frasier forces him to have a conversation in "You Can Go Home Again".

* [[For Want of a Nail]]: "Sliding Frasiers" is an episode based on ''[[Sliding Doors]]'', in which two paths of Frasier's life are examined on whether he chose to wear a suit or a sweater for a speed dating service. {{spoiler|After a week, Frasier's lives meet at the same point, showing no matter which choice he made, he ended up at the same destination.}}

* [[Mars and Venus Gender Contrast]]: Played with ''and'' played straight.

* [[May-December Romance]]: Deconstructed in one episode where a young woman in her early twenties (played by Sara Melson) is interested in dating Frasier, but he is worried that people would have bad impressions of him. Finally invoked near the end of the episode, but they decided that it won't work out.

* [[Mediation Backfire]]: Played with; Frasier sits Roz and Julia down in the cafe to try to get them to make nice, and when they find common ground insulting him, he graciously leaves them to it. The moment he's gone, though, they both get up to leave, and are bickering again before they reach the door.

* [[Memetic Badass]]: Invoked with Frasier's aunt Zora, a violent person with a hair-trigger temper that the entire family fears.

* [[Men Don't Cry]]: Averted for laughs in "Our Father Whose Art Ain't Heaven": Martin's breakdown causes Frasier to start weeping as well, then Niles joins in shortly after.

{{quote| '''Niles:''' ''(bawling)'' Nobody wants to come to my party!}}

* [[Minor Flaw, Major Breakup]]: Played with. Sometimes played straight when Frasier breaks up with an otherwise lovely woman for a few minor flaws, but occasionally he realizes this and forces himself to overlook the flaws of his [[Girl of the Week]], who then turns out to be completely bizarre but Frasier refuses to break up with her because he wants to kick his habit.

* [[Missing Mom]]: Hester Crane, although she appeared occasionally through flashbacks.

* [[Never My Fault]]: Plenty of examples throughout the series. Usually with Niles pointing the finger. He even has "Well I hope you're ''happy''!" as his catchphrase.

* [[New Old Flame]]

* [[No Accounting for Taste]]: It's a wonder what Niles ever saw in Maris to begin with.

** [[Money, Dear Boy]]. Well, partly. [[Characterization Marches On|For most of the series]], Niles is also an [[Extreme Doormat]] who doesn't feel right without someone bossing him around.

* [[The Tell]]: Niles' nose bleeds when he's broken his ethical code. Likewise, when Frasier has knowingly broken his ethical code, he starts having attacks of nausea.

* [[Temporary Substitute]]: Ties in with [[A Day in the Limelight]].

* [[That One Case]]: The Weeping Lotus Case. Solved by Martin, with "help" from Frasier and Daphne, during Season 2.

{{quote| '''Martin:''' Why'd you tell him it was a dream?''

'''Daphne:''' [[For the Evulz|No fun telling him the truth now]], [[Victory Is Boring|when he's all doped up]]. [[I Have You Now, My Pretty|I'll wait till tomorrow morning]] - [[For Massive Damage|when he's good and lucid.]]}}

{{quote| '''Niles''': Who was that babe-o-rama?''

'''Frasier''': Niles, please don't try to be hip. You remind me of [[Bob Hope]] when he dresses up as [[Happy Days|the Fonz]].}}

* [[Tsundere]]: Lana.

* [[TV Genius]]: [[Depending on the Writer|Depending on who wrote the episode]], can be subverted, averted or played straight.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:The Nineties]]

[[Category:American Series]]