In the spring of 2006 I had to stop full-time work following the triggering of parkinson's disease and while I am doing quite well on the meds I am mostly housebound these days. As a result I have watched on TV a range of comedy shows that I had never heard of before and some of these have become such firm favourites that I have asked for DVDs of some of them as gifts.
One of these favourites is an American sit-com called Frasier. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this show, it revolves around a Seattle-based psychiatrist called Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer) who has a radio talk-show produced by a vivacious lady called Roz (played by Peri Gilpin). He has a younger brother, Niles (played by David Hyde Pierce), who is also a psychiatrist but who has his own private practice.
In Season One, their father, Martin (John Mahoney), and Martin's dog, Eddie, a bouncy Jack Russell Terrier come to live with Frasier in his luxury apartment. Martin is an ex-cop who was shot in the hip so his mobility isn't great and in Sesason One a live-in physicial therapist, Daphne Moon (played by Jane Leeves), is hired and she becomes an integral part of the household - taking on other minor household chores as part of her role.
Having met the core characters in season one, this DVD of Season Two sees the pompous but well-intentioned Frasier blundering more than is humanly possible! Frasier and Niles are obviously both very bright men and much as they love their father, there is a huge gap between what they like in life and what he likes. This comes to the fore when it turns out a company in which the boys have invested is going to be responsible for the demolition of Martin's favourite bar and the boys do their best to soften the blow.
In another episode, Frasier realises that he doesn't recall hearing Martin ever say that he loves him and in an effort to bond the boys and their father head off on an ice-fishing expedition - neither Frasier nor Niles is really "outdoorsy" so this becomes a very funny and calamity-prone venture!
A recurrent theme is the way in which Frasier and Niles try to become part of the upper echelon of Seattle society, and one episode they try and keep open Seattle's oldest restaurant (they are manifestly not cut out to be restaurateurs!) and in another vying to join one of Seattle's most exclusive private clubs.
There is no real love interest for Frasier in this season - he is constantly on the lookout for "the one" but sadly we reach the end of the season without his search bearing fruit. Niles, though married, harbours a secret love (or is it lust?) for Daphne and in one episode where there is a major power outage, Niles manages to get close to her but nothing comes of it.
Having won many awards over its life, Frasier really is a wonderfully written, genuinely funny show. Each episode encapsulates a complete story, while continuing to reveal more of the individual characters.
None of the episodes are unsuited to any age, although the nature of the comedy and the dialogue is probably more appropriate for the older viewer.
All in all another funny DVD so break out the popcorn and get watching!!
More details
Story
Excellent
Characters/Performances
Excellent
Special Effects
Not applicable
Soundtrack
Good/appropriate
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