DVD/TV Series Review: Frasier (2023): Season 2

 

The 10-episode second season of the Frasier reboot/sequel/revival series streamed on Paramount Plus during the fall and winter of 2024. All of the main cast members returned for the second season. Peri Gilpin, who made a cameo appearance at the end of season 1, returned as Roz in an expanded recurring role. Patricia Heaton also joined the cast in a recurring role as a love interest for Frasier. Other recognizable cast members included Amy Sedaris and Yvette Nicole Brown. Greer Grammer also joined in a recurring role, playing the adult version of Roz's daughter, Alice. A few more cast members from the original series also reprised their roles, including Dan Butler, Edward Hibbert, and Harriet Sansom Harris. 

The show continued to primarily be a story-of-the-week procedural set back in Boston where Frasier returned after leaving Chicago. The show occasionally referenced prior episodes, but for the most part, you can easily follow the plotline of any given episode without having seen the prior episodes. The best episode of the season is what would end up being the penultimate episode of the series, in which Frasier returns to Seattle to make a guest appearance at the radio station, during which he encounters a man whose life went haywire after taking Frasier's advice. 

The DVD is a two-disc set. It is mostly a made-on-demand set, but it does have a gag reel and a few minutes of deleted scenes as extras. And the episodes can be played with English captions. Unlike the original series, this one is not availble on blu-ray.

The season was fine, but like the first season, this one still could not capture the feel of the original series. That's largely because John Mahoney had passed away, and neither David Hyde Pierce nor Jane Leevs appeared on the show. Whether one or both of them could have been convinced to appear had the series continued will never be known (the series was canceled after this season wrapped and, as of this writing, has not been picked up elsewhere), but David Hyde Pierce has gone on record as saying he did not think there would be anything for Niles to do on the show. Whether that was true or it was more about distancing himself from Grammer's politics (as he is a huge RWNJ), we will probably never know. That said, there were some funny moments during the season, the best one being a joke about Bulldog coming out (and acknowledging Dan Butler's sexuality) when Frasier assumes it was Gil. Because the show was canceled after the season aired, it did not get a proper conclusion/finale. Thankfully, the season did not end on a cliffhanger, so nothing major is left unresolved. Ultimately, the season is worth watching if you liked Season One and possibly if you loved the original series. I do think the show would have been better if Frasier had visited Cheers at least once, but the chances of getting any of the surviving cast members (aside from maybe Bebe Neuwirth) to return were probably slim. If, however, you are expecting it to be as good as the original series, you will probably be disappointed.  

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: The Complete Original Series

 

The 264-episode sitcom Frasier aired for 11 seasons from 1993 to 2004. It is the most successful series directly spun off from Cheers, following the short-lived 1987 spin-off The Tortellis and preceding the shared-universe series Wings. The central premise follows Dr. Frasier Crane after his attempted reconciliation with Lilith fails. He moves back to his hometown of Seattle and begins hosting a call-in radio show, which serves as the anchor for the workplace segments of the series. Outside the radio station, most of the scenes occur either in Frasier's apartment or in the local coffee shop near the radio station. The main ensemble cast includes Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, and Peri Gilpin.

The core comedy of the series relies on the specific dynamics and friction between these central characters. Peri Gilpin plays Roz Doyle, the producer of Frasier's radio show, while David Hyde Pierce plays his brother, Niles Crane, an even more fastidious psychiatrist who is married to a wealthy, eccentric woman named Maris who remains entirely unseen throughout the series. John Mahoney plays Frasier's father, Martin Crane, a retired police officer who has to move into Frasier's apartment along with his dog, Eddie, after a hip injury leaves him disabled. Jane Leeves rounds out the household as Daphne Moon, Martin's live-in physical therapist and the object of Niles's long-term obsession. The interplay between the upper-class sensibilities of the brothers and Martin's down-to-earth perspective forms the foundation of the household conflict.

Beyond the core cast, the show established a reliable roster of recurring characters and guest appearances. Dan Butler plays the sports show host Bulldog, who was eventually promoted to a series regular for a period, while Edward Hibbert appears regularly as food critic Gil Chesterson, and Harriet Sansom Harris plays Frasier's aggressive agent, Bebe Glazer. The series maintained ties to Cheers through guest appearances by Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith, Ted Danson as Sam Malone, and Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd. A larger reunion occurs when the characters travel to Boston and end up at Cliff's retirement party, in an episode featuring John Ratzenberger, George Wendt, and Rhea Perlman reprising their roles. Additionally, the daily radio show setup allowed a continuous stream of celebrity voice cameos as troubled callers, including athletes, actors, and musicians.

Structurally, the series blends a story-of-the-week procedural format with multi-season serial narrative arcs. Major ongoing storylines involve the prolonged relationship hurdles between Niles and Daphne, Niles's eventual divorce from Maris, and Martin finding a new romantic partner later in life. The writers also integrated real-world production factors into the narrative, such as writing around Jane Leeves's real-life pregnancy by constructing a weight-gain subplot, and handling a serious mid-series heart surgery arc for Niles. The first episode of the ninth season, airing shortly after the September 11th attacks, was dedicated to series co-creator David Angell and his wife, who were passengers on American Flight 11.

The physical Blu-ray set is a 33-disc collection that serves as the only high-definition release of the series, as individual seasons are not sold separately on the format. Each season is in its own keep case with three discs, and these cases are housed in a decorative outer box. The video and audio quality represent a noticeable upgrade, though the earlier seasons show occasional limitations based on the condition of the original source material. Because the final seasons were produced later in the show's original broadcast run, they show fewer technical flaws and offer a cleaner visual presentation.

The bonus features on this set consist entirely of legacy content carried over from the older individual season releases. These features include creator commentary tracks on select episodes, short featurettes focused on specific characters like Roz, Maris, and Eddie, a tour of Frasier's apartment, and various retrospective cast and crew interviews. No new supplemental material was created specifically for this Blu-ray release. The set also omits certain broadcast extras, such as the 200th-episode retrospective special hosted by Bob Costas.

Overall, the show is a very good to great sitcom. Some elements of the writing and specific references have dated since the episodes originally aired. Certain jokes would likely be reworked or left out entirely if the show were produced today. Even so, the show mostly holds up well even years later. The writers balanced the storylines effectively so that each main character received focused material throughout the eleven-year run. Ultimately, if you were a fan of the series and/or a fan of Cheers, this set provides a substantial technical upgrade over the DVDs and is a worthwhile addition to a physical media collection.

DVD/TV Series Review: Frasier (2023): Season One

 

The 10-episode first season of the 2023 Frasier reboot aired during the fall and winter of 2023. It was only streamed on Paramount Plus. While it is a continuation of the original series, the show features a mostly new cast. It stars Kelsey Grammer returning as Frasier, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasier's son Freddy, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salguerio, Anders Keith, and Nicholas Lyndhurst. Bebe Neuwirth reprises her role as Lilith for a single episode, and one of the original series stars does appear toward the end of the season.

The season opens with Frasier returning to Boston, and we quickly learn that he spent the last twenty years living in Chicago with Charlotte while hosting a highly successful daytime television series. He returns to Boston after his father's funeral to reconnect with his estranged son Freddy, now played by Jack Cutmore-Scott, but he decides to stay permanently after accepting a position as a lecturer at Harvard. For the most part, the season functions as a story-of-the-week procedural rather than a heavily serialized comedy. To the extent that it maintains a running narrative arc, it relies entirely on the evolving relationship between Frasier and Freddy, a narrative focus that becomes even more critical because central characters like Niles and Daphne do not appear in the series.

The DVD set is a two-disc set, with five episodes on each disc. The episodes can be played with or without English captions. This is a pretty bare-bones release (what I call an MOD-plus set), with mostly just the episodes and one token bonus feature: a short gag reel. 

While the new series incorporates familiar production elements like a similar opening title card and a revamped version of the closing theme song, it has a much different tone and feel than the original run. I was initially hesitant to support the series because I despise Grammer's personal politics, but as a long-time fan of both Cheers and the original Frasier, I think he does a great job stepping back into the character. The season has some genuinely funny moments, though overall the humor isn't as sharp or consistently funny as the original series. The writers do a commendable job blending the old with the new, making both subtle and overt callbacks to past events, and they balance the comedy with emotional elements surrounding Martin. The premiere handles this beautifully, featuring a short clip of John Mahoney, who passed away in 2018, and dedicating the episode to his memory. Ultimately, while the reboot (at least the first season) didn't capture the magic of the original series, it's still well worth watching for established fans of the franchise.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 11

 

The 24-episode 11th and final season of Frasier aired during the 2003/2004 TV season. All the primary cast members returned for the final season, and several recurring cast members from throughout the series' run also returned, including Dan Butler, Harriet Sansom, and Anthony LaPaglia. Felicity Huffman continued in her recurring role early in the season, and later in the season, Laura Linney and Wendie Malick had major recurring roles that carried through to the end of the series. The series brought in several recognizable guest stars this season, including Patrick Stewart, Julia Sweeney, Penny Johnson Jerald, Sarah Silverman, Laurie Metcalf, Jennifer Tilly, Krista Allen, Rosie Perez, Stephen Root, Aaron Eckhart, Jason Biggs, and Jennifer Beals. This season also featured Bebe Neuwirth making her final appearance as Lilith in a funny and touching episode. The celebrity voice cameos for the guest callers this season included Benjamin Bratt, Stanley Tucci, Penny Marshall, Hillary Duff, and Helen Mirren.

The show continued to blend story-of-the-week procedural storylines with longer story arcs. There is a multi-episode arc in the middle of the season involving Maris (who we still do not see), which wraps up her storyline in the series. The large arcs this season involve Niles and Daphne becoming parents and Martin finding love. The season itself was mainly good, but I think the writers dropped the ball with a potential major storyline for Roz, which was set up in the season 10 finale. Despite that, the writers do an excellent job of wrapping up the story arcs for several characters; however, not everything is tied up in a neat bow, and while it does not end on a total cliffhanger (in the conventional sense), viewers are left to wonder how things play out. There are some absolutely funny moments, including a great joke that breaks the fourth wall about playing the same character for 20 years, and there are some touching moments, especially at the end.

As of this writing, the individual seasons remain available only on DVD as a four-disc set. The Blu-rays are only included in the complete series box set, with the 11th-season episodes spread over three discs that are held in their own keep case. There are a couple of bonus features on the final Blu-ray disc that serve as series retrospectives and include interviews with cast, writers, and producers. The A/V quality of the Blu-rays is very good, and because this season was produced later in the show's original run, there are fewer flaws in the video quality than there were in the earlier seasons.

While the series was at the end of its historic run and was beginning to get a bit stale by the 11th season, it remained a very well-written and well-acted sitcom. All of the actors did a great job in their various roles. Ultimately, it is absolutely worth watching to see how the series is wrapped up.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 10

 

The 24-episode 10th season of Frasier aired during the 2002/2003 TV season. All of the primary cast members returned for the tenth season, and Dan Butler also returned to make a couple of guest appearances as Bulldog. The series brought in several recognizable guest stars this season, including Bob Hoskins, Elvis Costello, Ana Gasteyer, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Alan Cumming, John Hannah, Mike Judge, Alex Borstein, Sarah Shahi, Luis Guzman, and David Ogden Stiers. This season also marked one of the earliest TV roles for Zooey Deschanel, and Felicity Huffman joined the cast in a recurring role that got larger as the season went along. The celebrity voice cameos for the guest callers this season included Billy Bean, Leelee Sobieski, Bradley Whitford, John Turturro, Laura Linney, and Bill Paxton.

The show continued to blend story-of-the-week procedural storylines with longer story arcs and callbacks to previous years. The season picks up right after the events of the prior season finale, with Niles and Daphne having eloped in Reno, which forces them to hold a couple of fake wedding ceremonies back home to make their respective families happy. Mid-season, there is a serious three-episode arc in which Niles has to undergo and then recover from heart surgery. These are probably the best episodes of the season, and some of the best in the entire series, perfectly mixing humor and drama. The writers do a great job balancing the material for the large ensemble cast, and the season ends with a major storyline for Roz that carries directly into the show's final season.

As of this writing, the individual seasons remain available only on DVD as a four-disc set. The Blu-rays are only included in the complete series box set, with the 10th season episodes spread over three discs that are held in their own keep case. There are no bonus features included on the tenth season discs, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The A/V quality of the Blu-rays is very good, and because this season was produced later in the show's original run, there are fewer flaws in the video quality than there were in the earlier seasons. 

While the series was getting close to the end of its historic run, it remained a very well-written and well-acted sitcom. The series remained very good in season 10, even though some storylines feel a bit recycled. All of the actors did a great job in their various roles, and each got at least one episode centered on their character. Ultimately, it was a good season that sets up the show's final season well, and if you have been a fan of the series up to this point, it is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 9

 

The 24-episode 9th season of Frasier aired during the 2001/2002 TV season. All of the series regulars returned for the 9th season. The show continues to primarily be a story-of-the-week procedural, with longer story arcs here and there, as well as callbacks to events in prior episodes. This season sees Niles and Daphne's relationship evolving, Frasier still trying to find someone, and Martin starting a new job. This season also includes the 200th episode, and the largest Cheers reunion to date, with the group going to Boston and inadvertently attending Cliff's retirement party (at a hotel instead of Cheers). John Ratzenberger, George Wendt, Rhea Pearlman, and Paul Wilson all reprise their roles during the episode. The guest stars this season include Bill Gates, Adam Arkin, Larry Gelbart, Allison Janney, Jennifer Jason Lee, Kristen Chenoweth, Brian Cox, Robert Picardo, Anthony LaPaglia, Millicent Martin, Wolfgang Puck, Bridgette Wilson, and Michael Keaton. Keaton plays Lillith's half-brother in a hilarious role. The guest callers this season include Scott Hamilton, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Keith Carradine, Naomi Judd, Freddie Prinze Jr., Andy Garcia, Pat Boone, Cherry Jones, and Anthony Edwards. The first episode, which aired two weeks after the 9/11 attacks, was dedicated to series creator David Angell and his wife, who were passengers on  Flight 11.

As of this writing, the blu-rays are only included in the complete series set. In that set, the episodes are spread over three discs, which are held in a keep case. The individual season DVD release is a four-disc set. There are no extras with this season's discs, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The A/V quality of the Blu-rays is good and is a definite upgrade from the DVDs. The only drawback is that the 200th episode special that was hosted by Bob Costas, in which he interviewed the cast and showed outtakes from throughout the series, was not included. 

While the series was getting a bit long in the tooth by season 9, the writers did a good job of mostly keeping it from getting stale. David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves continued to be the comedy standouts, but all of the cast members do a great job in their respective roles. There are still not as many scenes in the radio station as there were in the first few seasons, but they are mixed in here and there. Episode 21 was titled Cheerful Goodbyes, and was probably the best of the season (for those who were also fans of Cheers). It would have been nice if they could have set the episode at Cheers and been able to get Ted Danson and/or Woody Harrileson to appear as well, but Ratzenberger, Wendt, and Pearlman all stepped back into their characters wonderfully. Ultimately, if you are a fan of the series, this season, while not as great as the first few seasons, is worth checking out. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 8

 

The 24-episode 8th season of Frasier aired during the 2000/2001 TV season. All the main cast members returned. The only notable omission from the cast was Dan Butler, who had been moved from a series regular to a recurring character and did not appear at all this season. The guest and recurring stars this season included Saul Rubinek, Jean Smart, Anthony LaPaglia, Alan Tudyk, Teri Polo, Victor Garber, Gary Cole, Kim Coles, Rene Auberjonois, Fisher Stevens, John Glenn, John Michael Higgins, and Jennifer Coolidge. Bebe Neuwirth also reprised her role as Lilith. The show did have some celebrity voice cameos this season, including Stephen King, Wolfgang Puck, Melissa Etheridge, and Bernadette Peters.

The season picks up right where season 7 left off, with Niles and Daphne driving away from her wedding. We discover they only reach the end of the driveway before deciding to go back and face everyone. The first handful of episodes involve the repercussions of ending their respective relationships and provide a way for the writers to present hurdles to them being together. Jane Leeves also took time off due to her real-life pregnancy (which was not written into the show, although her weight gain was), and missed four episodes about 2/3 of the way through the season. As with prior seasons, the show remains primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, with longer arcs and callbacks to earlier episodes mixed in. The big arc this season is Niles and Daphne's relationship. Both David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves are hilarious at points this season, and continue to be the highlights of the show. 

As of this writing, the individual seasons are not available on Blu-Ray, only as part of a complete series set. In that set, season 8 is on three discs that are in their own keep case. There are no bonus features included in the season 8 discs, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The individual seasons are available on DVD as a four-disc set. The A/V quality of the blu-rays remained good, though at times the picture quality is not as good, likely due to the condition of the source material (presumably film).

While the show was getting a bit long in the tooth by season 8, it remained good and had very funny moments. The writers did a good job keeping the storylines interesting, especially the main relationship between Niles and Daphne. There were probably not as many laugh-out-loud moments as in the earlier seasons, but it remained well-written and acted. Ultimately, if you have been a fan of the series up to this point, this one is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 7

 

The 24-episode seventh season of Frasier aired during the 1999/2000 TV season. All of the main cast members returned for this season. The character of Bulldog was once again made a recurring character, so Dan Butler made fewer appearances this season than in the past couple of seasons. The guest cast this season includes Rita Wilson, Jane Adams, Marg Helgenberger, Jean Smart, Robert Loggia, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Anthony LaPaglia. There were fewer guest callers this season, as the show's focus was mostly outside the radio station. Gloria Estefan was the most recognizable caller this season. Bebe Neuwirth and Trevor Einhorn also reprised their roles as Lilith and Frederick in a great Thanksgiving episode. 

As of this writing, the Blu-Rays are only available in a complete series set. In the set, each season is packaged in its own keep case, and the seventh season has three discs. There are no bonus features on the seventh-season discs, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The individual seasons are available on DVD, and season 7 is a four-disc set with no bonus material.

The show remains very funny in season seven, with many laugh-out-loud moments. It continues to mix story-of-the-week procedural storylines with longer serial arcs. This season, the main serial arc involves Daphne's impending wedding to Simon, and the ongoing teasing of Niles and Daphne getting together. The writers keep finding ways to keep the characters apart; however, the season-ending scene takes a huge leap forward in advancing their storyline. David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves continue to be outstanding in their roles as Niles and Daphne, but all the characters are given great material this season, and all of the primary characters get at least one episode centered around them. Ultimately, if you have enjoyed the series up to this point, season 7 is well worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV series review: Frasier: Season 6

 

The 24-episode sixth season of Frasier aired during the 1998/1999 TV season. All of the primary cast members return for the sixth season, as do several of the "regular" recurring cast members. The notable guest stars this season include Teri Hatcher, Amy Brenneman, Eva Marie Saint, Virginia Madsen, Christine Baranski, and Piper Laurie. This season would also mark early roles for Timothy Omundson (who would later star in the great series, Psych) and Erika Christenson. This season's tie to the parent series Cheers includes a guest appearance by Woody Harrelson, returning to the franchise as Woody Boyd, who contacts Frasier during a trip to Seattle. The guest callers this season include Ron Howard, William H. Macey, Phil Donahue, Beverly D'Angelo, Gillian Anderson, and Yo-Yo Ma. 

This season, the series continues to blend the story-of-the-week procedural format with longer story arcs. The beginning of the season centers on the fallout from the radio station employees being fired at the end of season five, as everyone tries to find new jobs. It is not spoiling anything to say that the radio station eventually switches back to the old format and everyone gets their job back, but the writers do a good job of drawing out the storyline for a handful of episodes. The other big storyline this season involves Niles and the still-unseen Maris finalizing their divorce, and the writers were still teasing a Niles-and-Daphne romance. 

The Blu-ray set is, as of this writing, still only available as a complete series release, with individual seasons available only on DVD. In the blu-ray set, the season is a three-disc set packaged in its own keep case. The DVD set is a four-disc set. There are no bonus features this season, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The A/V quality of the blu-ray is very good. While it did not get a "reference quality" HD transfer, the blu-rays are a significant upgrade from the DVDs. 

The show continues to be very funny this season, with many laugh-out-loud moments. As he has for most of the series, David Hyde Pierce steals nearly every scene he is in as Niles, but all of the cast members have great moments throughout the season. Christine Baranski's episode was one of the best of the season, as she made a great foil for Fraiser, dispensing "tough love" advice to callers. Ultimately, if you liked the first five seasons, the sixth season is absolutely worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 5

 

The 24-episode fifth season of Frasier aired during the 1997/1998 TV season. All members of the main cast/series regulars returned for the season, as did recurring cast members such as Edward Hibbert (who plays Gil Chesterson) and Marsha Mason (who plays Sherry). Bebe Neuwirth also reprised her role as Lilith in a hilarious episode later in the season. The notable guest stars this season included Sela Ward, Lisa Edelstein, Larry King, and Leslie Stahl. There were fewer radio station segments this season, so there were fewer celebrity callers, but those who did appear included Cindy Crawford, John Waters, Rob Reiner, Halle Berry, and John McEnroe.

As of this writing, the individual seasons are available only on DVD in a four-disc set. The Blu-Rays are available in a complete series release, with each season packaged in its own keep case. The fifth season set is a three-disc set on blu-ray. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is excellent and absolutely a step-up in quality from the DVD release. There are no bonus features this season, but the episodes can be played with or without English captions. 

The show remained primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, but there were some ongoing storylines throughout the season, including the ongoing saga of Niles and Maris's marriage, hints of Niles and Daphne getting together, and a pregnancy storyline for Roz. This season also included the series' 100th episode, with a storyline in which Frasier celebrated 1000 episodes of his radio show. The show continues to be very funny in season five, with many laugh-out-loud moments. The episode in which Lilith returns was hilarious, with standout performances by David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth. The Niles-Maris storyline is finally resolved this season, and the season ends on a significant cliffhanger going into season six. While some elements of the series are very dated by today's standards, it remained well-written and well-acted, and if you liked the first four seasons, this one is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 4

 

The 24-episode fourth season of Frasier aired during the 1996/1997 TV season. All of the main cast members returned for the fourth season, with Dan Butler (who played Bulldog) being promoted to a series regular. The guest and recurring cast this season included Robert Prosky, Marsha Mason, James Earl Jones, Linda Hamilton, Jane Lynch, Zeljko Ivanek, Lisa Darr, Megan Mullally, Pauley Perrette, Jane Kaczmarek, and Bobby Sherman. Bebe Neuwirth made another appearance as Lilith, and Harriet Sansom Harris made another appearance as Frasier's agent, Bebe. The guest callers this season included Marv Albert, Dr. J., Bob Costas, Kieran Culkin, John Cusack, Patty Duke, and Eric Roberts. The show remained a story-of-the-week procedural, with longer story arcs mixed in. The longer storylines this season included the "will-they-or-won't-they" get-together between Niles and Daphnie (including teasing that Niles would get back together with Maris) and a new love interest for Martin. The season ends on a bit of a cliffhanger with Frasier making an impulsive decision to head off to Mexico with a woman he meets in the airport.

As of this writing, the blu-rays are only available in the complete series box set. The individual seasons are available on DVD. In the blu-ray set, the fourth season is a three-disc set that is included in its own keep case. The DVD set is a four-disc set. There is no bonus material included on the fourth season discs, just the episodes that can be played with or without English captions. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is mostly very good, and a significant upgrade from the DVDs. 

By the fourth season, the show had found the format that worked and stuck to it. Some of the jokes are definitely more adult-oriented, but the sex jokes were toned way down from what was on Cheers, especially in the early seasons. The writing and acting continued to be great, and while some things about the show are a bit dated thirty-plus years later, it holds up fairly well. In one eerie bit of coincidence, in the season finale, there is a reference to American Flight 11, which is a flight that series creator David Angell often took when he flew back to Los Angeles, including on September 11th 2001. Of course, that was the first plane hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center that day. Ultimately, if you liked the first three seasons, you will like this one, and it is worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 3

 

The 24-episode third season of Frasier aired during the 1995/1996 TV season. All of the primary cast members returned for season 3, and there was a new recurring character introduced in the season premiere: Mercedes Ruehl playing Kate Costas, the new station manager who immediately has tension with Frasier. There were several notable guest appearances this season, including Tony Shalhoub, Harris Yulin, and Jane Kaczmarek. Harriet Sansom Harris returned in her recurring role as Frasier's agent, Bebe, and Shelly Long made her second appearance in the series as Diane Chambers. This season, instead of a one-second, blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo like Long had in season 2, this time she actually has a storyline that makes another hilarious nod to Cheers and provides closure to Diane's and Frasier's relationship. And, of course, there is the usual cavalcade of celebrity voices playing characters who call into Frasier's show. This season, they include Matthew Broderick, Carrie Fisher, Terri Garr, Blair Brown, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Billy Crystal, Ed Harris, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Jodie Foster, Randy Travis, Katarina Witt, Mrs. Fields, and David Duchovny. The series continues to primarily be a story-of-the-week procedural, with serial storylines intertwined. This season, the main storyline spanning the majority of the season involves Niles' relationship with the still-unseen Maris. David Hyde Pierce really stole the show this season, playing Niles. John Mahoney,  Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin also had several wonderful moments throughout the season.

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set that is, as of this writing, still only available in the complete series release. The individual seasons are only still available on DVD (which is a four-disc set). All the bonus content that was included on the DVD release is carried over. Those include interview segments with Grammer and Pierce discussing the brothers' storylines this season, an interview with the series' art director, a list of some of the celebrity voices, and another featurette on the mystery of Maris. All of the bonus features are included on the third disc, while on the DVDs, they are spread across the four discs. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is good and a significant upgrade over the DVDs. However, in some episodes, I did notice that the audio and/or video were not as good as in others. 

Ultimately, the third season was strong, especially once the Maris-Niles storyline (and the resulting consequences) took off. The two best episodes of the season were episodes 13 ("Moon Dance") and 14 ("The Show Where Diane Comes Back"). The spoof of Cheers characters in episode 14 was hilarious, and the chemistry between Leeves and Pierce in Moon Dance was wonderful. So, if you liked the first two seasons, this one is worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 1

 

The 24-episode first season of Frasier aired during the 1993/1994 TV season. It stars Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, and Peri Gilpin. It is the second (and most successful) series directly spun off from the long-running sitcom, Cheers. The first series, the Tortellis, was a short-lived spin-off in 1987 set around the characters of Carla's ex-husband Nick and his new wife Loretta (both of whom made several recurring appearances on Cheers). That one bombed and was canceled after a handful of episodes. The series Wings, which was not a direct spin-off of Cheers, but existed in the same universe as several characters from Cheers, made guest appearances. 

Frasier, of course, is set around the character of Frasier Crane, who was originally a secondary recurring character on Cheers and eventually became a series regular, but was still one of the secondary characters. In the pilot, we learn that Frasier's attempted reconciliation with Lilith did not work out, so he moved back to his hometown of Seattle and began hosting a call-in radio show. Gilpin plays Roz, the producer of his show; Pierce plays his brother, Niles, who is an even more nerdy and stuck-up version of Frasier (and also a psychiatrist) and who is married to a woman named Maris, who we never actually see, but hear crazy stories about; Mahoney plays Frasier's dad, Martin, a retired police officer who  (along with his dog Eddie) has to move in with Fraiser after becoming disabled when he is shot in the hip; Leaves plays Daphnie Moon, Martin's live-in caregiver and the object of Niles' obsession. 

The DVD set is a four-disc set. The bonus features include a commentary track on the pilot episode by two of the series creators, Peter Casey and David Lee, a behind-the-scenes featurette featuring cast interviews (filmed near the end of the series' run), a tour of Frasier's apartment, and clips of some of the various celebrity voices who called the radio show. In season one, they included Linda Hamilton, Christopher Reeeve, Joe Mantegna, Jeff Daniels, Eddie Van Halen, Bruno Kirby, Carl Reiner, Jay Leno, Ben Stiller, Mel Brooks, Eric Stoltz, Rosemary Clooney, Henry Mancini, Elijah Wood, Malcolm McDowell, Reba McEntire, Christine Lahti, Tommy Hillfiger, Mary Tyler, Moore, and Piper Laurie.  

The show is set up as a procedural, story-of-the-week sitcom. It has a much different look and feel from Cheers, and the character of Frasier is a bit different than how he was portrayed on Cheers. The writers do a good job separating the show from the parent series, but they do call back to events that happened on Cheers. Bebe Neuwirth is the only character from Cheers to appear during season 1, in a hilarious episode in which she returns to try to get back together with Frasier. It is well-written and very well acted. The writers were not concerned with strict continuity with Cheers. On Cheers, Frasier was portrayed as an only child and stated that his father had passed away. And, Mahoney and Gilpin both appeared in the later seasons of Cheers as entirely different characters. Of course, this is nothing new for TV series (especially sitcoms), as the same actors are often cast in different roles. Grammer, as crazy as he has become in real life (especially when it comes to politics), is excellent as Frasier and picks the role back up with ease. Mahoney and Gilpin do a wonderful job with their respective characters, and Pierce and Leeves compete for stealing every scene they are in. Ultimately, while it is a much different series than Cheers, if you enjoyed Cheers, especially the later years, you will probably like Frasier.