As usual, their tunnel vision and egos lead to their eventual humiliation.ġ7. Here, Niles and Frasier get involved with the underground caviar hustle.Īfter winning seats at a brunch with geniuses, Niles and Frasier not-so-shockingly become competitive, trying to prove how they are smarter than the other. There were still gems hidden in the mix, often when they returned to the formulas that made the show successful in the first place.
The last few seasons were noticeably weaker than the preceding years, with new characters forced in and the resolution of the Niles/Daphne plotline. Many different unrelated stories are woven together, including Martin singing in a Christmas show, Roz and Frasier working as a mall Santa and elf and Niles getting stuck in an elevator.ġ9. Perspectives on Christmas (Season 5, Episode 9)Ĭhristmas episodes in sitcoms are usually pretty stale, but this one keeps it fresh. Niles finally has to accept his marriage with Maris is over, and Frasier tries to help him through and analyze the situation.Ģ0. Are You Being Served? (Season 4, Episode 22)Ī very well rounded episode that exemplifies what this show does best: combining comedy with real human issues. After finding some suspicious evidence, the Crane brothers play detective, piecing together a murder incriminating their landlord. Very different stories with very different moods, combine into a great episode of TV.įrasier, Niles and Martin revisit the home they lived in long ago. The episode consists of three short vignettes: Niles disastrously preparing for a date, Frasier confused about the intentions of his female co-worker and Daphne and Martin at dinner on Valentines day. ‘Frasier’ has never been opposed to playing with the typical sitcom format, and Three Valentines is one of their most experimental. Meanwhile Niles and Martin run into mishaps trying to take care of the child and prepare Thanksgiving dinner.Ģ3. Three Valentines (Season 6, Episode 14) Frasier and Lilith spend the entirety of the episode bugging the headmaster of an exclusive school to accept Frederick. One of the better sitcom Thanksgivings, here the show relocates to Boston to be with Frasier’s son Frederick and his ex-wife Lilith. Niles and Martin join the tour, only for it all to be upended by a surprise appearance by Niles’s wife Maris.Ģ4. A Lilith Thanksgiving (Season 4, Episode 7) In this episode Roz books Frasier as a speaker on a celebrity cruise, only to find that the other celebrities are washed out. Hopefully the list below will provide a good starting point for those looking to get into the show, or be an interesting read for the already initiated.Ģ5.Voyage of the Damned (Season 5, Episode 6)
The show can often get too saccharine, or misfire on a plot line, which could scare off a potential new viewer. While ‘Frasier’ is hands down my favorite show, there are many stinkers among its episodes. A careful balance of personalities as well as classical comedy gags, however, break down these barriers, making it one of the most popular sitcoms of its era. On paper, this show should not work because the main character is so far removed from the average viewer. Rounding out the main cast is the quirky, British Daphne and Frasier’s man-eating producer Roz. Not only did in round out Kelsey Grammer’s lovable but pretentious radio psychiatrist, but it introduced a plethora of other great characters, including his equally elitist brother Niles, and their ex-cop father Martin, who acts as a foil, representing the common man. ‘Frasier’ may have started as a spin-off of cheers but quickly gained an identity of it’s own.