Frasier: The Complete First Season [1994] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Customer Reviews:

Superb character-led sitcom.......2007-08-29

Ah, dear, dear Kelsey, his voice so often inflected with that Bette Davis-style hauteur which made you love him even as you laughed. Whatever the faults of late-period Frasier (why, why, why let Niles marry Daphne? Or was that to prepare us for the long goodbye? And let's not even mention that Dick Van Dyke brother - who was meant to be Mancunian anyway), it was, for a long time, a superb sitcom, moving from farce to pathos in a heartbeat: key to its success was trusting the audience to stay with the characters for those pages when the cast weren't cracking wise.

At the core of the show is the relationship between Frasier and his dad, and the melancholy fact that whatever they feel about each other, they can never share that much. One of my fave moments (not in this series) was when Martin's relationship with the cheerful vulgarian, banjo-playin' Sherry, ended. Frasier meets his dad in a bar and seems to want to reassure him, tell him he'd find someone else. But both men know that at Martin's age that's unlikely - and eventually, rather than insult his dad with platitudes Frasier does the only thing he can : he pretends to take an interest in watching the sports on TV with his dad. It's a beautiful scene because, for all their differences, they are offering each other something simply in spending time together. Incidentally Niles, the brother, is really Frasier mk.1 - ie the super-neurotic shrink in Cheers. The new sitcom's creators realised if Frasier was to be at the centre he'd have to be more three-dimensional than his earlier persona allowed. And the happy coincidence that David Hyde Pearce resembled Kelsey Grammar when young swung it. Of such chances are great sitcoms made.

Why did it eventually run out of steam? My friend Mr Bennett said that it was that all the permutations had been tried - there was nothing new to say. I don't know; but I do know that the freshness and verve here is worth cherishing. And if you have been, thanks for reading.

Brilliant beginning to an excellent series!.......2005-07-13

As a spin-off from the extremely successful 'Cheers', you wouldn't think that 'Frasier' would be anywhere near as good as it's predecessor; cracking the same jokes, redoing old storylines just with new characters.
This series totally out-does 'Cheers' in every way, the scripts are wittier and the casting is just inspirational.
Every episode is brilliantly witty, extremely funny; and either make you want to laugh out loud, cry or cringe with discomfort!
This has to be my favourite comedy of all time, with 'Cheers' and 'Friends' lagging way behind in terms of intelligent comedy.

Frasier: The Complete First, Second, Third & Final Seasons [1994] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Average customer rating:

Frasier: The Complete First, Second, Third & Final Seasons [1994] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Starring: Kelsey Grammer
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

All Comedy | Comedy | Categories | DVD | Video

All Television | Television | Categories | DVD | Video

Comedy | Television | Categories | DVD | Video

Region 1 | Special Features | DVD | Video

DVD | Format (binding_browse-bin) | Refinements | DVD | Video

Box Set | Format (binding_browse-bin) | Refinements | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0002WZTMA
Release Date: 2004-11-16

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