Frasier: The Complete Series

While Frasier has 'left the building' for a while now, the series is still as well crafted, well acted, and humourous as the first season. You don't need to watch "Cheers", from which Frasier spun off, to appreciate the wit and humour of this comedy.

Frasier will tickle your funny bone with shenanigans like any good comedy. There's misconstrued meanings, "sliding doors", innuendo, gags, quirky mannerisms, and sticky situations a plenty. But there's also wit for your intelligence. It's not mensa, it's very accessible, and frequently references our media based culture a plenty. Imagine Big Bang but for the Theatre/Opera mindset.

The acting is spot on - I recommend viewing the DVD extras on the first season to get a sense of just how well the casting brought together this group of actors. Each actor seems to have been tailor made (well, handpicked really) to match the role.

Frasier is a sophisticated but bumbling, kind of pompous, loveable main character.
Niles, his brother, is equally 'sophisticed', but also neurotic - a younger brother (issues!) with an unrequited love for ......
... Daphne, the live in physio therapist, who is an eccentric young woman with a heart of gold.
Frasier's father is a retired cop who tells it like it is, and rubs his sons the wrong way - all the while keeping the brothers Crane grounded so that we, the viewers, can appreciate the family dynamic even more.

The supporting cast rounds out the crew very nicely - just watch the series - you'll see what I mean.

You can almost imagine the best Frasier episodes being successfully carried onto Broadway (minus singing) - the best episodes are *that* sharp and entertaining. The laughs are quick, they don't demean your wit with lowest common denominator jokes, and you appreciate the craftsmanship of the actors, the sets, and the series as a whole.

Oh - and it really is Frasier (aka Kelsey Grammar), singing the closing credits.. Who would've thought? :)

Enjoy.

We are into the fourth season but there have been a few times it has skipped on the first viewing.

Frasier is about 2 psychiatrist brothers,Frasier Crane(Kelsey
Grammar)and Niles Crane(David Hyde Pierce).but these 2 are not your
average psychiatrists.they are upper crust snobs,especially Niles.the
show is a spin off of cheers.Frasier has moved from Boston to Seattle
and is the host of this own very popular radio program However,many
times it is his producer Roz Doyle(Perri Gilpin)who dispenses more
realistic down to earth advice than Frasier would.She also gets
Frasier out of a lot of jams.there are few eccentrics at the radio
station,each with their own quirks and oddities.on the home front
Frasier livers with his dad,Marty Crane(John Mahoney) who has just
recently moved in for reasons i won't disclose.of course,things do not
always run smoothly between the 2.the show uses dry,witty sarcasm as
humour(in an upper crust sort of way)which most people will get.there
are also many misunderstandings,leading to some very amusing
situations.there is one running gag to do with Niles,which is also
quite amusing.Frasier is not the "howling with laughter" kind of
show,though it does have those moments.it is more subtle and high brow
than many comedies.it is however,immensely entertaining.unfortunately
though most of the episodes worked, on occasion there were some that
fell flat throughout its 11 year run.as a result,i would have to give
Frasier a 4.5/5 rather than a a perfect 5