Frasier: Season 8

Season 8 marked a pivotal moment in the history of TV's most acclaimed sitcom. Following the sensational ratings glory of season 7 finale `Something Borrowed, Someone Blue (when Niles and Daphne finally got together) expectations were understandably high. There was unprecedented anticipation for this season, but that soon became an albatross weighing around the neck of season 8. The departure of two of the series' longest serving and most influential writers (showrunners Joe Keenan and Christopher Lloyd) added to the considerable pressure the production team faced this year. Jane Leeves (Daphne) also dropped a bombshell pre-production by announcing her pregnancy which forced some hasty re-writing. Many considered Daphne's weight gain storyline in poor taste but it's difficult to imagine how else the writers could have dealt with this without introducing a baby into Niles and Daphne's fledgling relationship. New showrunners Mark Reisman and Dan O'Shannon (whose previous work included `Cheers') certainly had their work cut out. On top of that the show's star Kelsey Grammer also requested that the show become more `Frasier' centred, the previous season having focused mainly on Niles and Daphne's characters. It was a reasonable request, but sadly it led to some extremely dull character-based episodes like `Frasier's Edge', which had one wondering if this was the same show responsible for the fast-paced high quality episodes of yore.

It's not all bad news. There are some genuinely entertaining episodes this year, including the hugely anticipated season opener `And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon'. `Taking Liberties' saw the introduction of a butler to Frasier's apartment, `Cranes Unplugged' has some nice father and son moments for Frasier with both his father Martin and his son Frederick, and `The Show Must Go Off' sees a welcome return to the Frasier/Niles centred farces in which they try and stop an aging Shakespearean actor from making an ill-advised return to stage (guest starring an Emmy award winning Derek Jacobi).

Die hard fans will not want to be without this important and pivotal season, and there's plenty to keep the casual fan entertained too. For newcomers though, I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction to Frasier. Season 1 is the best place to start for any newcomer as unlike many comedies this show really hit the ground running. Season 4 would also offer a good starting point as it's crammed full of so many classic episodes it's almost a `best of' compilation in itself.

After ending season seven with a fan-pleasing twist, Frasier returned in its eighth iteration to fulfill it. This is the season that Niles and Daphne begin to date, and even though this development did take a lot of tension out of the series, it is possible that the writers felt they had nowhere else to go. Frasier proved an oddity while on the air: most sitcoms peak in their first two seasons and go steadily downhill after that, but while Frasier certainly had a strong opening, it had several renaissances during its run. This season was one of them, as it brought several surprises: Frasier having an existential crisis, Niles becoming a sports celebrity, as well as some others. In short, this was hardly a weak season and has more than its share of laughs.

Frasier's crisis manifests itself in "Frasier's Edge", which has Frasier reuniting with his old mentor (Rene Auberjonois of Boston Legal and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and coming to grips with a feeling of emptiness. Funnier still is the subplot in which food critic Gil is primarily happy about being nominated for an award so as to avoid going to the annual awards show his wife throws when he's not nominated. The episode also starts off the joke about Daphne growing fatter in order to disguise Jane Leeves' real-life pregnancy. In "Hooping Cranes", Niles (almost magically) sinks a half-court charity shot at a basketball game and becomes a local hero, which, of course, causes Frasier to become jealous. The final showdown takes place over an arcade-style basketball machine and unfolds much as would be expected. Perhaps the best episode of the season is "The Show Must Go Off", in which Niles and Frasier are reacquainted with an aging Shakespearean actor (Derek Jacobi) who inspired them in their childhoods to delve into the Bard. In hopes of allowing their childhood idol to get over the heavy typecasting that came with being on a successful science-fiction show and get meatier parts, the two decide to put on a play and have him star in it. It doesn't take long to discover that the actor is horribly untalented, and then Niles and Frasier have to do everything in their power to sabotage their own production.

These are only a few of the highlights, but if you've enjoyed the show so far, chances are you'll like this. Enjoy.

Before you read this review, you must understand that there is NO greater fan of this sitcom than I. The whole show has always made me split my sides, and I love the show more than any other. Believe me, it is my favorite sitcom.

That was why Season Eight so seriously disappointed me. The magic was gone from the cast this season, and I think that the choices made by the writers and producers were huge mistakes. Frasier has a "mid-life crisis" during which he questions his career choice; every episode from then on shows a Frasier who is completely downtrodden and has no spark. One commonly-cited flaw about this season was how the writers chose to deal with Jane Leeves' real-life pregnancy: they had Daphne gaining incalculable weight, going off to "fat-camp," and then coming back only to blame the whole escapade on Niles' love for her. Needless to say, this put a damper on the comedic quality of all the Niles/Daphne humor. 'Bulldog' Briscoe was wholly absent from this season, as was Frasier's producer Bebe Glazer - and the void was glaring. Martin and Roz were almost non-entities, blending into the background and not really bolstering the floundering humor.

The reason I am still able to love the show, despite this uncharacteristically poor season, is because I have seen what followed Season Eight. The Final Season (11) is wonderful again, so I know that the show turned around eventually. Hopefully Season Nine is again brilliant, and finds the characters having broken out of their individual funks. While the show Frasier is amazing, and my personal favorite, Season Eight was the most disappointing of all thus far. If you are a die-hard Frasier fan, you obviously need to own all the seasons, as I do. If, however, you just have an interest in seeing some funny Frasier episodes (but don't necessarily need to see them all), this is NOT the season for you.