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Frasier Crane

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Dr. Frasier Crane
Cheers and Frasier character
Frasier Crane in a radio station
Frasier Crane as a contracted radio host in Frasier
First appearanceCheers:
"Rebound (Part 1)"
(season 3, episode 1)
Last appearanceFrasier:
"Goodnight, Seattle"
(season 11)
Created byGlen Charles
Les Charles
Portrayed byKelsey Grammer
Kendall Schmidt (flashbacks)
In-universe information
NicknameFrase, The Doc, Old Man Crane
GenderMale
OccupationPsychiatrist[1] (Boston private practice; 1983–1993)
Radio host and psychotherapist (Seattle KACL AM Radio; 1993–2004)
FamilyMartin Crane (father)
Hester Crane
(mother; deceased)
Niles Crane (younger brother)
Spouse"Nanette Guzman("Nanny G")" (before 1984)
Lilith Sternin (1987–1993; reenacted in 1992)
ChildrenFrederick Crane (son, with Lilith Sternin)
RelativesRonee Lawrence (stepmother)
Daphne Moon (sister-in-law, via Niles)
NationalityAmerican

Frasier Winslow Crane,[2] M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A., Ed.D. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Cheers and Frasier, portrayed by Kelsey Grammer. Grammer received award recognitions for portraying this character in three different NBC shows, including a 1992 one-time appearance in Wings.

The character was written in 1984 as Diane Chambers's love interest, part of the "Sam and Diane" triangle. Intended to appear for only a few episodes, however, Grammer's performance for the role was praised by producers, prompting them to expand his role and to increase his prominence in Cheers. After Cheers ended, the character moved to his spin-off series Frasier, totalling his overall appearance into a twenty-year span.[3][4]

In the television series Cheers, Frasier is married to Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth), with whom he has a son, Frederick, and resides in Boston. When Frasier premiered, as learned, he moves back to his birthplace Seattle after his divorce from Lilith, who retained custody of Frederick in Boston. In Seattle, Frasier is reunited with his estranged father Martin and brother Niles, who were created at the time that the concept of the spin-off began. In his final episode on "Cheers," Frasier is last seen in an airplane landing in Chicago.

Character

Frasier Crane is a licensed psychiatrist who is, as Kelsey Grammer described, "flawed, silly, pompous, and full of himself, [yet] kind [and] vulnerable".[5] He is "a child prodigy", theatre enthusiast, and "frequent target for bullies".[6] He earned his undergraduate degree in Harvard University and a graduate degree in Harvard Medical School.[7] According to Peter Casey, a writer on Cheers and co-creator of Frasier with David Lee and David Angell, Frasier has depths within the last three years of Cheers (1990–1993): he is "very complicated, very intelligent, but also very insecure". He "supposedly [has] all the answers" for others, but not for himself.[8]

Cheers

Kelsey Grammer portrayed Frasier Crane for twenty years since his debut in 1984 as Diane Chambers's love interest.

The character of Frasier Crane was created in the third season of Cheers (1984–1985) by series creators Glen and Les Charles as Diane Chambers's (Shelley Long) "romantic and intellectual ideal" following her breakup with Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Frasier Crane was considered Sam Malone's rival and opposite and part of the love triangle, "a different form to the Sam-Diane relationship", said Glen Charles.[9][10] The show's writers saw the character as "the role Ralph Bellamy used to play in Cary Grant movies — the guy the lady falls in love with, but is not real. You just know he doesn't have the sexual dynamism Grant does."[11]

John Lithgow was originally chosen by Cheers producers for the role, but turned it down.[12][13][14] Grammer believed that he had failed the audition because no one laughed, but was chosen because of the quality of his performance with Danson.[11] Frasier was supposed to only appear on a few episodes before Diane left him, but Grammer's performance was praised by series executives, leading to an extended role in the series.[10][15] His character was not universally popular, however, for coming between Sam and Diane; a fan approached Grammer asking "Are you that pin dick that plays Frasier?", and the show received fan mail denouncing Grammer.[11]

1984–85: Sam and Diane

Further information: Sam and Diane and Diane Chambers

Initially, Frasier is too reluctant to be friends with people at the bar, especially Sam Malone. In his very first two-part episode, "Rebound" (1984), the third season premiere of Cheers, the prestigious and sophisticated Frasier arrives in Boston as a psychiatrist to help Sam Malone recover from a brief return to his alcoholism and to help him cope with his breakups with Diane Chambers. When Diane gets her job back as waitress, Frasier initially refuses to let her do so as he fears that Diane and Sam would lose their stabilities again. However, Coach (Nicholas Colasanto) convinces Frasier to make Diane continue working as a waitress again so she would not pine for Sam. Frasier takes Coach's advice, and Diane once again resumes her job as a waitress.

Frasier's mother Hester (Nancy Marchand) appears in "Diane Meets Mom" (1984) and threatens to kill Diane if she marries her son, but admits that her threats are "jokes" because she fears that she would lose her son if he marries Diane. The matter is seemingly resolved with no hard feelings. Unbeknownst to Diane and Frasier, Hester offers to pay Sam to resume his relationship with Diane, but he declines to do so.

In "Diane's Allergy" (1984), Diane moves into Frasier's apartment but becomes allergic to his female puppy, Pavlov. Frasier gives up Pavlov to Sam (who refers to the dog as "Diane"), and then has his apartment renovated to remove allergens. (In the spinoff show Frasier, Frasier does not like Eddie the dog, who resides in his Seattle apartment.) Meanwhile, Frasier gives Carla (Rhea Perlman) a fake "wine glass", a gag gift, along with other gag gifts given by her other friends, on her birthday as a prank. She tries a drink, but the gift results in the drink spilling on her shirt.

In "The Heart Is the Lonely Snipe Hunter" (1985), Frasier is bored with helping patients at the mental ward, so Diane encourages the guys, including ringleader Sam, to invite him on their "Guys Only" weekend. Although the guys always had found Frasier dull and boring, they invite him anyway, but later purposely abandon Frasier, leaving him snipe hunting alone and seemingly unaware of the prank. Frasier returns, apparently proud and happy to be part of the gang, which worries Diane. (According to her, Frasier did not have any friends back in his childhood.) However, at the end, Frasier tells Diane, much to her relief, that he was already aware that the game was fabricated and of his plan to abandon them in another snipe hunting game. (What actually happens afterwards is unclear, as no other Cheers episodes continued this episode's story.)

In later episodes of the third season, including season finale "Rescue Me", Frasier and Diane travel to London, tour Europe, and are engaged and then set to be married in Italy.

1985–86: Heartbreak

Back in 1984, Frasier was cocky, bright-eyed, incredibly youthful, and had a lot more hair on his gigantic forehead. His awkward integration into the tight-knit group of friends was the subject of many an episode this season, as he stuck out like a gigantic tool. By the end of the season, though, he ceased to be the nerdy kid nobody liked, and fit in with the gang like a glove.[16]

—Adam Arseneau, DVD Verdict, July 12, 2004

In the fourth season premiere "Birth, Death, Love, and Rice" (1985), Diane leaves Frasier at the altar in Europe, and he becomes heartbroken.[10] A despondent Frasier loses his license and his job. Later in the same season, he begins to regularly attend Cheers for drinks[17] and finds himself depending more and more dependent on alcohol. Over time, Frasier becomes every bar person's friend.

In "Woody Goes Belly Up" (1985), an under-employed Frasier finds work as a janitor. After others fail to stop Woody and Beth (Amanda Wyss), with whom Woody reunites, from compulsive overeating, Frasier tells Woody that he and Beth substitute overeating for premarital sex. Although Sam and Diane take the couple to dinner to help them control their eating habits, Woody and Beth end up taking Frasier's psychological advice seriously, and make plans to have sex. Meanwhile, Frasier erases phone numbers posted in the men's restroom, meant for Carla, which totally annoys her as well as Diane.

In "The Triangle" (1986), Sam and Diane feel bad about Frasier's deterioration, so they plan to help him regain his self-confidence by encouraging Sam to fake symptoms. Frasier concludes that Sam is still in love with Diane and advises him to confess his love to her. For Frasier's sake, Sam and Diane make an attempt to be "in love," but end up arguing again. Then Sam furiously admits to Frasier that their love for each other was fabricated to help Frasier sober up and boost his self-esteem. Frasier is adamant that they still love each other, but they deny and loathe their feelings for each other all the time. Moreover, he declares himself to be sober, to be no longer part of their relationship, and vows to practice psychiatry again.

1986: Resurgence

In "Second Time Around" (1986), after Frasier's bad dates with sophisticated, upper-class women, Sam sets him up with Candi (Jennifer Tilly), whom Sam describes as "fun". After a one-night stand, Frasier becomes engaged with her. Unfortunately, Diane finds her neither bright nor good enough for Frasier and too different from him, prompting Diane into stopping their wedding. When Diane tries to help Frasier come into his senses, Frasier lashes out at her and then Candi. Realizing what he did, Frasier apologizes to Candi, postpones the wedding, and states his intent to develop the relationship further. (Before another relationship with Lilith, for unknown reasons, his relationship with Candi is short-lived off-screen.)

In "Dark Imaginings" (1986), Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) uses his home-grown vegetables as resemblances to celebrities, such as calling a corn a resemblance to actress Meryl Streep, and then realizes that he has gone overboard on vegetables. Therefore, he attempts to seek free therapy with Frasier, who claims that they are free of charge. At first, Cliff is cured of his obsession, but then he finds out that Frasier charges him hundreds of dollars for therapy sessions. Therefore, Cliff relapses back into becoming obsessed again with comparing vegetables to celebrities.

In "Diane Chambers Day" (1986), Frasier and his recent bar pals, including Sam, feel sorry for Diane, who is left out of the gang because she has none of their common interests. To make things up to her, Frasier suggests that his friends take Diane to an opera. However, in "Strange Bedfellows, Part Two" (1986), Frasier tells Diane's political campaign co-workers that she is a transvestite, including to a failed political candidate (Max Wright) who wanted to ask her out.

1986–92: Later years

While he hangs out his bar friends, Frasier is considered an "elitist" by the characters, and he mocks and is mocked by his friends and Lilith, who further criticizes and mocks his bar activities and friends. After Diane left Boston in "I Do, Adieu" (1987), he and his buddies makes jokes about Diane.[18]

Later, Frasier claims to be an orphan.[19] In "Two Girls for Every Boyd" (1989), Frasier tells bar patrons he studied acting at university and wanted to be a performer, but his father, a supposed scientist who was demanding and neglectful, wanted him to pursue a career in Psychiatry. At first reluctant, Frasier realized that his father was correct before he died.[19] However, Woody chuckles and then openly believes that Frasier is faking a story to impress everyone with his stellar theatrical performance. In "Bar Wars III: The Return of Tecumseh" (1990), he tells Sam his parents, including his mother Hester, later died off-screen. (This contradicts the situation in his spin off of his having a living, retired cop father Martin Crane in Frasier.[19])

In "Spellbound" (1987), Frasier wins over Norm. Sam offers him one of Sam's women to take his mind off chess, but Frasier kindly refuses in favor of "fancy", like chess. Later, Frasier loses to Woody and becomes angry, literally pushing his chess set aside.

In "Airport V" (1988), Frasier and his friends laughed over his wishing that he should have given Diane a shock treatment at a psychiatric hospital. Meanwhile, Frasier wants to help Carla overcome her fear of flying in an airplane but, due to his unusual nature, Carla is too reluctant to be involved in his psychological sessions. However, Carla is later seen in an airplane with other passengers who share her fear as part of a session led by Frasier. Carla, along with other passengers, is unaffected by Frasier's therapy. Nevertheless, Carla overcomes her fear of flying because she witnesses Frasier falling apart into madness and going frantic over dying in an airplane.

In "Sam Ahoy" (1989), Frasier's bar friends want to raise $500 to compete against the millionaire Robin Colcord (Roger Rees) in a sailing race with a $10,000 prize. They do not have enough money, so they try to get $500 from Frasier's wallet. Frasier tries to run away, but his friends take the $500, swearing that Frasier will be paid back from the prize money. During the race Norm discovers a bomb on board the boat and the friends miraculously escape as the boat explodes. Since they failed to finish the race, they do not win the prize, but due to the circumstances, Frasier forgives them for taking (and losing) his $500.

In "Don't Shoot... I'm Only the Psychiatrist" (1992), Frasier brings group of low self-esteem men into the bar with Lilith's assistance, despite her doubts that the plan might succeed. Then Norm, Cliff, and Paul (Paul Willson) heighten the group's self-esteem by remarking how much of an "egghead" and a "snob" Frasier is, telling stories of making pranks on Frasier, and convincing them not to fear their negative thoughts about Frasier. Frasier becomes enraged and storms out of the bar. (Then the bar mates boost the group's self-esteem by encouraging them to pull out Frasier's pants.)

The next day, Frasier becomes angry at bar mates for humiliating him in front of the group and then feels guilty about bringing group into the bar. Ironically, the group feels better about themselves, thanks Frasier for this progress, and exits the bar. Then Frasier feels proud for "successfully" helping the group. Furious that he gets credit (instead of bar mates) from the group, bar mates chase after Frasier in attempt to pull down his pants.

Relationship with Lilith

In an episode of the fourth season "Second Time Around" (1986), Frasier's first date with a stereotypical "intelligent, ice queen"[18] Lilith Sternin, whose portrayer Bebe Neuwirth won two Emmy Awards as an Outstanding Supporting Actress in 1990[20] and 1991,[21] did not go well. She disdained his activities at the bar and then left, leaving Frasier disappointed with another of his failed dates.

In an episode of the fifth season "Abnormal Psychology" (1986), Frasier becomes aroused by Lilith's makeover, done by Diane, during the talk show. Then they both end up leg-embracing each other there. After the show is over, both feel guilty about themselves. When Diane unsuccessfully attempts to trick Lilith into removing her hairpin, Frasier tells Lilith to remove it to make Sam and Diane squirm. With Lilith's hair loosened again, Frasier is flabbergasted, becomes kissed by Lilith, and takes her out to dinner. In another fifth season episode "Dinner at Eight-ish" (1987), they are living together in one house, even when they argue over things, like neatness and his concealment of his past relationship with Diane, and then make each other up.

In "The Crane Mutiny" (1987), Frasier tells the boys that he was coerced by Lilith into becoming engaged to her and that he wants a sexy woman. Then the boys tell him that bar manager Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley) is attracted to him. (Unbeknownst to Frasier, Cliff tricks Rebecca into licking her lips, which Frasier interprets as a sexual overture.) Frasier dumps Lilith and then tries to win Rebecca unsuccessfully. Then Frasier reassures Lilith that she is the woman of his life and then becomes together with her again.

Later in "I Kid You Not" (1989), Frasier and Lilith find themselves sharing common interests with hard-working waitress Carla's son Ludlow Tortelli (Jarrett Lennon), like opera, and spending time with him, which takes away Carla's time with Ludlow. Feeling bad, Frasier and Lilith invite Carla and Ludlow all together for one evening in the restaurant, filled with upper-class environment. Later, in the restaurant, Carla and Ludlow mock the place, the upper-class environment, and the meal, nerving Frasier and Lilith. Frasier attempts to convince Ludlow into enjoying the restaurant, but Ludlow burns his shoes, worsening and then severing his ties with Ludlow. After Carla and Ludlow leave the place for hamburgers, Lilith announces her pregnancy, which excites Frasier joyfully. (Similar situation takes place at the steakhouse in the Frasier episode "Dinner at Eight", involving Frasier, his snooty brother Niles, and lower-class father Martin.)

Birth of Frederick

Lilith later gives birth to their son Frederick in "The Stork Brings a Crane" (1989). According to the married couple in "Breaking In Is Hard to Do" (1990), 11-month-old Frederick is of "average" intelligence. After Lilith fails to raise Frederick herself at home, Frasier takes him to the bar without notifying her. Lilith then finds out when she comes in the bar and then becomes angry at him for exposing their son to the bar environment. Then Norm (George Wendt) comes in and greets everyone, and, suddenly, baby Frederick yells out, "Norm!" (Everybody yells out "Norm!" in a welcoming manner whenever he comes.) Nevertheless, Lilith thinks that Frederick said, "Mommy."

Then they become married in "Smotherly Love" (1992), and the wedding is handled by Lilith's mother Betty (Marilyn Cooper). Prior to his date with Diane, in the Cheers episode "One Hugs, the Other Doesn't" (1992), Frasier is found out to have been previously married to Nanny G (Emma Thompson), real name Nanette Guzman, Frederick Crane's favorite singer of children's songs. (In Frasier, Dina Spybey in "Don Juan in Hell, Part 2" (2001) portrays her younger version in Frasier's imaginary dream, and Laurie Metcalf in "Caught in the Act" (2004) portrays her as a substitute for Thompson.)

Wings (1992)

Further information: Wings (NBC TV series)

In an episode "Trains, Planes, and Visiting Cranes" (1992), Lilith and Frasier arrive to Nantucket by plane, while their son Frederick himself is, as Frasier puts it, under care of their nanny Dagmar. Frasier has to host a self-esteem seminar there, while Lilith wants a relaxing vacation. At the airport, they meet Helen (Crystal Bernard), who wants a refund from Frasier because one of his programs did not work out for her. However, Frasier refuses under policy but does, on Lilith's suggestion, invite Helen to attend his upcoming seminar without charge. One of Frasier's seminars becomes disrupted by Helen's unceasing behavior. After unsuccessful attempts to calm down attendees, Frasier loses control and then lashes out at people inevitably. Realizing his mistake, he offers refunds to customers. Before they continue their vacation, Lilith bloodies Frasier's nose off-screen with the train whistle after he says "home to Dagmar" to the cab driver Antonio (Tony Shalhoub).

1992–93: Final years in Cheers

Of the eleventh and final season (1992–93), in "Teaching with the Enemy" (1992), Lilith admits her affair with another man Dr. Louis Pascal (Peter Vogt), which enrages and distresses Frasier. In "The Girl in the Plastic Bubble" (1992), Frasier attempts suicide. Nevertheless, Lilith swears that she will not leave him for Dr. Pascal and their marriage can work out, so Frasier decides not to do so. However, he decides that a reconciliation is too late, so she and Dr. Pascal go to an eco-pod together.

In "Is There a Doctor in the Howe?" (1993), distraught Frasier and Rebecca attempt to have sex in bed until Lilith walks in the bedroom and then sees them together. In "The Bar Manager, The Shrink, His Wife and Her Lover" (1993), Lilith storms out the room, and then Frasier and Rebecca postpone a love-making attempt. At the bar, Rebecca decides for the best to not go between Frasier and Lilith, even when it does not affect Frasier's disdain toward Lilith, and then to be still friends with Frasier. Lilith confesses that she regrets living with Dr. Pascal, who is claustrophobic, and then severs ties with him. Later, Dr. Pascal arrives with a gun to hold everyone hostage, but then Lilith swears that she must die first before Frasier, which motivates Dr. Pascal into surrendering himself to the police. Although Frasier does not forgive her, Frasier is soon won over by Lilith's sobbing.

Frasier

According to an April 1–4, 1993, telephone survey of 1,011 people by the Times Mirror Center for the People and the Press (now Pew Research Center), before the Frasier premiere and the Cheers finale, Sam Malone (Ted Danson) scored 26 percent as a favorite character, and Frasier Crane scored 1 percent.[22][23] For a question of spinning off a character, 15 percent voted Sam, 12 percent voted Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), 10 percent voted Norm Peterson (George Wendt), and 29 percent voted no spin-offs.[23] Frasier Crane, whose own spin-off Frasier debuted in September 1993, was voted 2 percent to have his own show.[24]

Initially, the creators did not plan a spinoff from Cheers out of failure concerns. Instead, they wanted to star Kelsey Grammer as a different character who would resemble Malcolm Forbes, "a magazine mogul" and "a motorcycle enthusiast", and then would have been paralyzed by an accident. The idea was deemed a failure and then scrapped. Then the creators decided to move Frasier Crane out of Boston to avoid any resemblance to its predecessor Cheers. The spinoff idea would have focused on "his work at the radio station", but they found its eventual resemblance to the older sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati. Therefore, they decided to add in his private life, such as his father Martin and brother Niles.[8]

In 1993, after Cheers ended and before Frasier premiered, Frasier and Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) soon divorced, and Frasier's son Frederick is under Lilith's child custody, leaving Frasier childless. In the pilot "The Good Son", as announced in the radio show, Frasier no longer enjoyed his life in Boston, such as frequently visiting the Cheers bar for beer. Therefore, he has moved to Seattle, where his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) lives, to live with his own life comfortably.

Frasier works for the radio station, KACL, as the host of his psychotherapeutic radio show, The Dr. Frasier Crane Show, produced by his producer and friend, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin), who flirts with many men and has many ex-boyfriends. Later, his father Martin (John Mahoney), a retired cop with a bad hip, ends up living with him, and Frasier becomes more worried about him, especially at his father's current state. (In Cheers, Frasier's father is supposed to be an off-screen dead scientist.[19]) Therefore, Frasier hires housekeeper Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) (although he wanted someone classier than Daphne, who is psychic). Moreover, Martin brings in his dog Eddie, whom Frasier despises. Throughout the series, while Frasier had several friends in Boston, he is not able to forge many friendships in Seattle.[original research?] His brother Niles Crane and his producer Roz Doyle are essentially his only friends in Seattle.

Family

During the course of the spin-off's run, especially at Frasier's apartment, Frasier and Martin may have conflicts about living up to and uncomfortable about each other's standards: Frasier's taste of sophistication, intellect, and use of complex words, and Martin's enthusiasm toward things that suits an average man, such as sports and words that no "sophisticated, educated" person may understand.[25] Moreover, Frasier has common interests with Niles and adventures (or misadventures) with him, while he shares none with Martin.

In "Dinner at Eight" (1993), Martin takes Frasier and Niles to a steakhouse, where health-conscious boys Frasier and Niles mock the food and then the place. Martin becomes embarrassed and motivated into leaving and then remarks that their mother Hester would feel ashamed about the boys' behavior, leaving the boys feel bad about themselves there and motivating the whole staff into shunning them. The boys try to prove that they are not "snobs", but they end up slowly finishing the meal after closing time. (Earlier in Cheers episode "I Kid You Not", Frasier berates Carla and her son Ludlow for mocking the upper-class, expensive restaurant.)

In "Chess Pains", Martin does not know chess but eventually wins chess games against Frasier, which motivates Frasier into questioning and becoming obsessed with his own intellect. After several games, including one that Frasier won, Martin has had enough of Frasier's obsession with chess and does not want to play chess with Frasier anymore.

In an episode of the seventh season "A Tsar Is Born" (1999), Martin uses a clock, which Frasier and Niles consider hideous, for the television show Antiques Roadshow. As the boys discover, the clock relates to their ancestors and royalty, is worth a fortune, and then brings up their expectations of royalty. Unfortunately, when they try to sell the clock, the boys realize from the antique consulate that the clock belonged to and was stolen from the daughter of Tsar Alexander II. Moreover, their great-great-grandmother is discovered to have been the clock thief and the daughter's scullery maid, and another of Frasier's ancestors is discovered to have been a prostitute. Therefore, the boys are left without a fortune, a clock, and a royal dream come true. Much to their chagrin, Martin buys an RV, Winnebago, with money Frasier claimed were the proceeds from selling the clock.

Reunion with Lilith and Frederick

Actress Bebe Neuwirth left Cheers for fear of becoming a Lilith-"typcast" and to do theatre, (mostly Broadway), and she did not expect to appear recurrently in the spin-off Frasier.[26] Cheers and Frasier writers Ken Levine and David Isaacs found chemistry of Frasier and Lilith "special" enough to compare them with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy mixed with "Prozac" and to comfortably write stories about.[27] In "The Show Where Lilith Comes Back" (1994), Lilith calls Frasier during the radio show, which surprises him. Later at his apartment, she reminds him about their times together during marriage. Then they make love in the hotel room, but they end up regretting it, which leaves them no chances to be together again. Nevertheless, their friendship over time develops further, and they become more concerned about future of their son Frederick,[28] who also occasionally appears in this spin-off.

In "Adventures in Paradise, Part Two" (1994), Frasier and his girlfriend Madeline (JoBeth Williams) end up coincidentally meeting Lilith (again) and her fiancé Brian (James Morrison) in Bora Bora. As learned, Lilith and Brian are engaged, which makes Frasier jealous, which motives Madeline into breaking up with him. In "A Lilith Thanksgiving" (1996), Frasier and Lilith successfully have Frederick admitted into a private school after they annoy the administrator (Paxton Whitehead) by visiting him several times on Thanksgiving to get their son admitted, especially when Frasier and Lilith bring in a turkey to two families whom they witness clashing each other.

In "The Unnatural" (1997), Frederick (Trevor Einhorn) realizes that Frasier is bad at softball and then admits that he already knows that his dad Frasier is not perfect. He cites Frasier's inability to fix a computer and confusing Venus with North Star as examples. Frasier assures him that he is all right with his own flaws. Then Frasier tells him that, when Frasier was a third-grade elementary student, his father Martin was bad at mathematics, leaving Frederick stunned and shocked about his own grandfather.

In "Room Service" (1998), Lilith is recently divorced from Brian, who comes out of the closet with a male lover. Frasier is almost tempted to make love to her. However, when he finds Niles and her in a hotel room together, Frasier realizes that they slept together, even when accidental, and becomes outraged that lessens his desire for her.

In Lilith's last episode, "Guns 'N Neuroses" (2003), Lilith's colleague, Nancy (Christine Dunford), meets Frasier at the coffeehouse without recognizing him as Lilith's ex-husband and then sets him up with Lilith. Frasier assumes that Nancy is his "blind date", while Lilith assumes otherwise. At the hotel room, Lilith's and Frasier's "blind dates" cancel on them. In fact, Lilith and Frasier cancel their "blind dates" when they call Nancy, who still does not realize Lilith's history with Frasier.

Lilith and Frasier are close to restarting a relationship in the hotel room, but they are interrupted by a loud argument between a young married couple in the room next door. Fortunately, Frasier and Lilith successfully resolve the couple's dispute. Then Frasier and Lilith spend the night together watching the television and finally falling asleep on the couch. The next morning, they part ways without restarting their romance together.

Reunion with Cheers characters

With the exception of Kirstie Alley (Rebecca Howe), all the surviving main cast members of Cheers appear in the show at various points. In "The Show Where Sam Shows Up" (1995), Sam Malone arrives to Seattle to see Frasier, meets his family at Frasier's place, and mentions that Frasier's father was supposed to be a dead scientist and that Frasier is "the only child", as Frasier previously mentioned in other show Cheers. Moreover, Sam remarks how Niles looks like Frasier when he first met Frasier. Later, Frasier is discovered to have slept with Sam's fiancée Sheila (Téa Leoni), but Sam has not discovered the affair, much to Frasier's relief. Nevertheless, Sam finds out her dalliances with Paul Krapence (Paul Willson) and Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger), which ends the romantic relationship. The friendship between Sam and Frasier is still intact.

In "The Show Where Diane Comes Back" (1996), Diane Chambers's life is on the rocks, and the producer stops funding her theatrical play, so she visits Seattle to seek Frasier to help her fund it. Interpreting her return as an attempt to start another relationship with him, Frasier falls in love with Diane again. However, the whole play turns out to be an imitation of Cheers, and the whole play praises the Diane imitation as the important figure. Therefore, Frasier unleashes his fury and then spreads negative remarks about the Diane imitation and her abandonment on the Frasier imitation at the wedding altar. At the end, actual Frasier and actual Diane make amends to each other with goodbyes, the play is postponed, and Diane heads back to Los Angeles.

In "The Show Where Woody Shows Up" (1999), Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) arrives to Seattle, still married to Kelly with his son and daughter, to see his old friend Frasier. After reunion, however, they realize that they no longer enjoy their time together anymore. Moreover, Frasier abhors beer and karaoke, unbeknownst to Woody. (Frasier was addicted to karaoke in Cheers episode "Wedding Bell Blues" (1991).) Meanwhile, Woody does not fit in with Frasier's sophisticated lifestyle in Seattle and admits his pity to Frasier for Frasier's lack of plans. Nevertheless, they admit that their times together in Boston were good and are irreplaceable. Therefore, they drink beer in their last onscreen scene together for old times' sake.

In "Cheerful Goodbyes" (2002), Frasier arrives to Boston for his conference. At the airport, Frasier unexpectedly reunites with postal worker Cliff Clavin and then is invited to Cliff's retirement party. The Cheers bar is reserved for Sam Malone's reunion party with the Boston Red Sox teammates, so the retirement one is held at the hotel. At the party, he reunites with waitress Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) and then barfly Norm Peterson (George Wendt). Later, Cliff admits his concerns to Frasier about not being missed by his friends. Therefore, Frasier advises everyone to say a nice farewell to Cliff for Cliff's sake, including reluctant Carla who hates him. After a nice farewell, Cliff decides to stay in Boston, much to Carla's chagrin. Then, at the end, Frasier parts ways from his bar buddies.

Final years

In the final season of Frasier (2003–2004), he falls in love with the matchmaker Charlotte Connor (Laura Linney), but the romance turns out to be short-lived when she moves to Chicago. In the 2004 two-part series finale, "Goodnight, Seattle", Frasier is offered a job as the host of his own television talk show, located in San Francisco. However, in the final scene of the show, Frasier has taken an airplane to Chicago where Charlotte has moved.

Other appearances

Kelsey Grammer has made several appearances as Dr. Frasier Crane outside of Cheers and Frasier.

Reception

Critical reaction

At the time Cheers originally aired, Rick Sherwood from Los Angeles found Frasier himself and his involvement with the "Sam and Diane" story arc gimmicky and unnecessary.[29] Moreover, Sherwood found Frasier's frequent visits to "his girlfriend's former lover's bar", especially after he was dumped by Diane Chambers at the wedding, unrealistic, unusual, and unbelievable.[29] Later, after Frasier's prominence increased in the series and then inspired a spin-off Frasier, in a 1999 book Writing and Responsibility, Beverly West and Jason Bergund noted that Frasier's father Martin was supposed to be dead in Cheers but turns out still alive in Frasier, calling it inconsistent with "a bout of amnesia", "poor scriptwriting", or a desperation to elicit more laughter.[19] (This is later addressed in the 1995 episode "The Show Where Sam Shows Up", in which Frasier explains to Sam that he claimed Martin was dead after an argument.)

In another book TV Therapy, Frasier Crane in Cheers is considered "high-strung [and] pseudo-sophisticated" and an attraction to 1980s demographics of "anti-intellectual snobbery",[30] but Frasier in Frasier is considered a good, positive role model for intellectuality and sophistication.[31] In 2004, he was ranked by Bravo No. 26 of Bravo's The 100 Greatest TV Characters of all-time.[32][33] In 2009, the National Lampoon website ranked him No. 20 of "Top 20 Sitcom Characters You'd Kill in Real Life" and called him "hilarious" in the fictional world and "unbearable" in the real world.[34]

Robert Bianco from USA Today considered Frasier Crane masculine in the days of "Fred Astaire and William Powell" instead of recent "beer-belching" days of the reality show, Survivor. Bianco found series of Frasier's love life repetitive and "tiring".[35] Gillian Flynn from Entertainment Weekly considered Frasier Crane's "diction" an inspiration of Fringe's Walter Bishop (John Noble), who has an addition of "daffiness" of roles portrayed by actor Christopher Lloyd.[36]

Joe Sixpack, a pseudonymous name for writer Don Russell, called Frasier an "insufferable twerp".[37] An internet user from Ken Levine's blog considered Frasier a successor to more prestigious, experienced medical doctor and surgeon, Charles Winchester, from the television series M*A*S*H. However, Levine did not acknowledge it when Frasier was the new character in Cheers in 1984.[38] Television Without Pity called Frasier "snooty and pretentious", even if he may be "smart" on television and a "rare" species of all characters.[39]

Steve Silverman from Screen Junkies praised Kelsey Grammer's performance as Frasier Crane but found them "predictable". Silverman thought that Grammer did not deserve an Emmy, especially in 1998. In note, Silverman deemed the character Frasier as "a windbag with a sense of humor" and "a whining schoolboy with a series of lame excuses."[40] Lance Mannion from his Typepad blog depicted Grammer as partially responsible for turning Cheers "from a light romantic into farce" by physical comedy.[41]

Reviews on Frasier and Lilith

Martha Nolan from The New York Times called Frasier and Lilith "repressed" when married together in Cheers.[42] Josh Bell from About.com called Frasier and his ex-wife Lilith Sternin one of the "best sitcom divorced couples" of all-time.[28] Steven H. Scheuer from Sarasota Herald-Tribune considered Lilith's significance to and marriage with Frasier "fun" to watch, especially when, in "Severe Crane Damage" (1990), she used comparisons between "the duller good boy" Frasier and "the interesting bad boy" Sam Malone as "psychiatric examples of the good boy-bad boy syndrome".[43]

Faye Zuckerman and John Martin from The New York Times called their marriage in Cheers a hilariously "perfect mismatch".[44] Television critic Kevin McDonough from New York praised Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth's performances as "repressed individuals" and "separate couple on TV" with "acidic and hilarious" chemistry together.[45] Lance Mannion depicted Frasier and Lilith as separate halves of Diane Chambers.[41]

Accolades

For his performance as Frasier Crane in Cheers, Kelsey Grammer was Emmy Award-nominated twice as an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and did not win in 1988 and 1990.[46][47] For the same role in Wings episode "Planes, Trains, and Visiting Cranes", he was Emmy-nominated for the same category in 1992. For the same role in Cheers spin-off Frasier, Grammer was consecutively nominated as an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series during the show's whole run except in 2003. He won that Lead category in 1994, 1995, 1998, and 2004.[46] Grammer won the Screen Actors Guild Award as part of an ensemble cast of Frasier in 2000.[48]

References

  • Bjorklund, Dennis A. Cheers TV Show: A Comprehensive Reference. Praetorian Publishing, 1993. Google Books. Web. 8 April 2012. Another edition
  • Gates, Anita. "TELEVISION; Yes, America Has a Class System. See 'Frasier'." The New York Times 19 Apr. 1998. Web. 09 Feb. 2012.
  • West, Beverly; Jason Bergund (2005). TV Therapy: The Television Guide To Life. New York: Bantam Dell, an imprint of Random House, Inc. ISBN 0-385-33902-X.
  • Brown, Robert S (2005). "Cheers: Searching for the Ideal Public Sphere in the Ideal Public House". The Sitcom Reader: America Viewed and Skewed. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. pp. 253–260. ISBN 0-7914-6570-5. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)

Notes

  1. ^ Kolbert, Elizabeth (February 27, 1994). "TELEVISION; A Chip Off The Old Sitcom". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  2. ^ Gumbel, Andrew (15 May 2004). "Kelsey Grammer: The darker side of TV's favourite shrink". The Independent.
  3. ^ Isenberg, Barbara (September 21, 2003). "Cheers to the long run". LA Times. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  4. ^ "Condo by condo, Seattle has become a lot like Frasier". Seattle Times. May 13, 2004. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  5. ^ Gates, Anita. p. 4.
  6. ^ Berman, June. "TV’s Most Memorable Shrinks: Frasier Crane, Cheers and Frasier." FlavorWire.com 8 November 2011. Web. 20 May 2012.
  7. ^ "The Ready-for-Primetime Facebook." The Harvard Crimson 17 October 2003. Web. 20 May 2012 [1]. According to the spinoff Frasier, he attended Oxford University. However, whether he earned a degree there is unknown.
  8. ^ a b Levin, Gary. "So how did 'Frasier' come about?" USA Today 12 May 2004. Web. 20 May 2012.
  9. ^ "`Cheers' Sam Gets a Rival." Ocala Star-Banner: TV Week [Ocala, FL] 18 August 1984: 19. Google News. Web. 31 March 2012.
  10. ^ a b c Gates, Anita. p. 3.
  11. ^ a b c Raftery, Brian (October 2012). "The Best TV Show That's Ever Been". GQ. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  12. ^ "`Frasier' Says `Goodnight, Seattle' for Good." St. Paul Pioneer Press [St. Paul, MN] 13 May 2004: E1. Web. 06 April 2012.(subscription required)
  13. ^ Filichia, Peter. "John Lithgow to appear at McCarter Theatre." NJ.com 05 April 2010. Web. 06 April 2012.
  14. ^ Neal, Rome. "'Frasier' Meets 'Becker'." CBS News 11 February 2009. Web. 06 April 2012.
  15. ^ Levine, Ken (June 6, 2008). "One more question..." ...by Ken Levine. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012, by Webcite. Retrieved July 19, 2012, at Blogspot. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |archivedate= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Arseneau, Adam (July 12, 2004). "Cheers: The Complete Third Season". DVD Verdict. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  17. ^ Sherwood, Rick. "`Cheers' is back in fine, funny form." The Gainesville Sun [Gainesville, FL] 31 Oct 1985: 9A. Google News. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.
  18. ^ a b Brown (2005). "Cheers". p. 257. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ a b c d e Tighe, Carl (2004). Writing and Responsibility. London: Psychology Press. p. 35. Retrieved June 24, 2012. Google Books.
  20. ^ Bjorklund, p. 461
  21. ^ Bjorklund, p. 462
  22. ^ Mills, Kim I. "TV viewers glad Sam stayed single." The Sunday Gazette [Schenectady, NY] 2 May 1993: A3. Google News. Web. 21 Jan. 2012. The margin of error in the survey was ±3, according to the polls. In this web edition, scroll down to see the title of the headline.
  23. ^ a b Leefler, Pete. "Show Piles Up Viewer Cheers." The Morning Call [Allentown, NY] 2 May 1993: A01. Web. 17 Jan. 2012. (subscription required)
  24. ^ "Mixed Reaction to Post-Seinfeld Era." Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Pew Research Center 10 May 1998. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.
  25. ^ Gates 1998, p. 1.
  26. ^ Dominguez, Robert (May 13, 2004). "Not Much Adieu About Lilith". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  27. ^ Graham, Jefferson (November 15, 1994). "Her love for Frasier lures Bebe Neuwirth for return visit". USA Today. p. 3-D. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  28. ^ a b Bell, Josh. "The Best Sitcom Divorces". About.com. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  29. ^ a b Sherwood, Rick (31 October 1985). "'Cheers' is back in fine, funny form". The Gainesville Sun. p. 9A.
  30. ^ TV Therapy 2005, p. 57, "You've Got a Friend TV".
  31. ^ TV Therapy 2005, p. 44, "Diva TV".
  32. ^ "Kelsey's Launches Ad Campaign with Cheers TV Theme Song." Canada NewsWire 03 Feb. 2008. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.
  33. ^ "The 100 Greatest TV Characters." Bravo, 2004. Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. Archived from the original.
  34. ^ Economou, Thane. "Top 20 Sitcom Characters You'd Kill in Real Life." National Lampoon 27 May 2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.
  35. ^ Bianco, Robert. "Sophisticated 'Frasier' signs off." USA Today 29 March 2004. Web. 20 May 2012 [2].
  36. ^ Flynn, Gillian. "Fringe (2008)." Entertainment Weekly 17 September 2008. Web. 20 May 2012 [3].
  37. ^ Joe Sixpack, pseudonymous for Don Russell (March 23, 2007). "The Hall of Foam: The 20 bartenders I wish could pour for me". Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 65. Record no. at NewsBank: 7006886267. JoeSixPack.net
  38. ^ Levine, Ken (April 13, 2012). "What scripts do you need to get an assignment or representation?". ...by Ken Levine. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012, by WebCite. Retrieved July 13, 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |archivedate= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ Ariano, Tara; Sarah D. Bunting (2006). Television Without Pity: 752 Things We Love to Hate (And Hate to Love) About TV. 2006903875: Quirk Books. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-59474-117-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) ISBN 1-59474-117-4. Distributed in North America by Chronicle Books (San Francisco)
  40. ^ Steve Silverman (January 7). "5 Of The Most Overrated Best Actor Emmy Winners". Screen Junkies. Retrieved September 25, 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ a b Mannion, Lance (June 21, 2006). "Shelley, what were you thinking?". Typepad.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ Nolan, Martha (May 16, 1993). "The Best of Cheers: 11-year Run of TV Hit Leaves Fans with Fond Memories". Sunday Star-News. The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2012, at Google News Archive. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  43. ^ Scheuer, Steven H (February 15, 1990). "Lilith Labels Frasier a 'Good Boy on Cheers". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Sarasota, Florida. p. 7E. Retrieved July 28, 2012, at Google News Archive. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  44. ^ Zuckerman, Faye; John Martin (June 24, 1997). "Lilith, Frasier perfect together". Telegraph Herald. The New York Times Syndicate. p. 13B. Retrieved July 29, 2012, at Google News Archive. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  45. ^ McDonough, Kevin (March 3, 1998). "Exes mark the spot on Something So Right". Star-Banner. Ocala, Florida. p. 9C. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  46. ^ a b "Kelsey Grammer". Emmys.com. 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012. There were no nominations for guest performances in television series in 1992 Primetime Emmy Awards.
  47. ^ Bjorklund, pp. 460–461
  48. ^ "The 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards." Screen Actors Guild Awards, 2000. Web. 30 March 2012. He has been nominated as a "Lead Actor in a Comedy Series" many times and did not win once individually.
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