subject: Frasier DVD [print this page] Frasier is an American sitcom broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993 to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub Street Productions) in association with Paramount Television.
A spin-off from Cheers, Frasier stars Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane. David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin and Moose (a Jack Russell Terrier) rounded out the regular cast.
Frasier won a record 37 Emmy Awards during its run, and a poll taken by the British Channel 4 of the sitcom industry voted Frasier the best sitcom of all time. It is one of the most successful spin-off series in television history, and one of the most critically acclaimed comedies in the history of television. http://www.buydvdhere.com/frasier-seasons-111-dvd-boxset-p-2126.html Psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Grammer) returns to his hometown of Seattle, Washington, following the break up of his marriage and his life in Boston (which was covered in the series Cheers). His plans for his new life as a bachelor are complicated when he is obliged to take in his father, ex-police officer Martin Crane (Mahoney), who had to retire and is unable to live by himself owing to an injury caused by being shot in the line of duty. Frasier and Martin are joined by Daphne Moon (Leeves), Martin's eccentric English live-in physical therapist and caretaker, and Martin's dog Eddie (Moose). A frequent visitor to their apartment is Frasier's effete younger brother Niles (Pierce), a fellow psychiatrist. Niles' infatuation with and eventual love for Daphne, feelings which he does not confess to her openly until the final episode of the seventh season, form a complex story arc that spans the entire series.
Frasier hosts a popular radio talk show on KACL 780AM (named to honor the show's creators, Angell, Casey, and Lee). His producer is Roz Doyle (Gilpin), a woman with a very active romantic life who, while decidedly different from Frasier in taste and temperament, nevertheless becomes a very close friend over the course of the series. He and his brother are also very frequently customers in Caf Nervosa.
Numerous running jokes and themes develop throughout the series. Chief among them are the class and familial conflicts among Frasier, Niles and Martin. The two sons, who possess fine tastes, intellectual interests and rather high opinions of themselves, frequently clash with their blue-collar, down-to-earth father. A running theme, particularly in the early seasons, is Frasier's and Martin's difficulty in reaching an accommodation with each other and in sharing an apartment.
Despite being similar in personality, interests and sensibilities, the relationship between Frasier and Niles is no less turbulent. They have an intense sibling rivalry and their jealousy of each other and petty attempts at one-upmanship which frequently result in chaos drive many of the plots. Frasier is also seen at times to be more able than Niles to adapt even if only with reluctance to situations where he needs to be less pretentious and more practical.
Other storylines include the breakdown of Niles' marriage to the never-seen Maris, Frasier's search for love in his own life, and the various attempts of the two brothers to gain acceptance into Seattle's cultural elite.
Structurally, many episodes center around misunderstandings or elaborate lies which multiple characters are forced to "play along" with, in order to conceal the truth. Frasier also featured many "once-a-year" plot devices, such as an appearance by Frasier's ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) and son Frederick. Season finales sometimes took the form of a "two part" special that was concluded as the season premiere the following season. http://www.buydvdhere.com/frasier-seasons-111-dvd-boxset-p-2126.html
