Frasier - Season 9
The ninth season of Frasier was a 24-episode season that ran from September 2001 to May 2002, beginning on September 25, 2001. The opening title screen color was changed to a gradient of orange to white.
Frasier - Season 9
In Season 8, Leeves was pregnant, and even though Daphne was with Niles by this point, her pregnancy could not be written into the show for some reason. So, the writers decided that the way to explain it was that Daphne started eating too much and gained weight. It's a testament to how strong the series is as a whole that it can still be considered so beloved, despite this horrible decision. The fact that the worst season directly follows the best season just makes it all the more frustrating.
Despite this, the 10th season does have a few highlights, including a surprisingly tender and heartfelt dramatic episode called "Rooms with a View," which finds Niles in hospital, reflecting on his past and considering his possible futures. It also has a great Halloween episode called "Tales from the Crypt," in which Frasier pranks Bulldog. Good episodes at the radio station involving the wider supporting cast of eccentrics such as Gil and Noel are not as plentiful as one might hope, but Dan Butler's Bulldog was the best of the lot.
This season also features Tony Goldwyn's guest appearance as Roger the garbage man in "Love Stinks," forcing Roz to realize that she's snobbier than she thought. Elsewhere, "Death Trap" sees a Crane Boys Mystery as Frasier and Niles try to solve a "murder most foul." And a plot revolving around Martin's ancient Lay-Z-Boy chair leads to Frasier setting it on fire and throwing it off the balcony, then having it painstakingly remade so that it becomes the most expensive piece of furniture in the apartment.
The most famous episode from this season is "Three Valentines," which features David Hyde Pierce's masterful silent comedy routine in the show's cold open, ably supported by Eddie, of course. His work with the fire extinguisher alone is comedy gold. This section of just one episode is so good that it cements Season 6's place in the top five of the series.
Season 5 is another mid-series gem for "Frasier." At this point, the characters have had enough time to embed with each other (before things go off the rails with the introduction of Daphne's family). The season shows that much of the humor and farce in "Frasier" surrounds dating and sex, and particularly Frasier's relentless bad luck at finding love.
The highlight episodes of the 3rd season include "Martin Does It His Way," in which Frasier and Niles try to help Martin write a song for Frank Sinatra. Another music-based episode, "Look Before You Leap," will have the phrase "buttons and bows" rattling through your head for days after. Season 3 contains probably the best "Frasier" Christmas episode, where he frantically tries to find an Outlaw Laser Robo Geek for his son Frederick, and it contains one of the best ever "Frasier" lines: "The Cranes of Maine have got your Living Brain!"
In Season 4, "Frasier" hits its peak and rides that wave until Season 8's unfortunate Daphne-based decision. It features banger after banger, with the only slight downside of the season being Martin's girlfriend, Sherry.
The 4th contains the best episode title, "Roz's Kranz and Gouldenstein are Dead," and it has a great Eddie episode, "Death and the Dog," as well as a Bulldog episode, "Love Bites Dog." This season also sees Daphne dating a Niles clone in "Mixed Doubles." One of the undoubted highlights is "A Lilith Thanksgiving," in which Lilith and Frasier are preoccupied with getting Frederick into a prestigious prep school while Niles and Martin do their best to injure the precious boy himself at every turn. It also features "a turkey so underdone a skilled veterinarian could still save it." There's also "Ham Radio," in which Frasier tries to produce an elaborate murder mystery for the radio station.
This is also the season where Niles moves into the Montana, starting many epic episodes of him throwing disastrous parties, including "To Kill a Talking Bird," where his highly-strung cockatiel gets stuck on his head. And then there's "Are You Being Served," which sees Niles getting "hot and foamy" and is the closest we'll to seeing the cast corpsing on camera. Season 4 is certainly in contention for the best season of "Frasier."
It was a tough decision and hard to narrow down, especially when it came to choosing between the top two seasons, but there can be only one winner, and it's Season 7. Unfortunately, "Frasier" hits its peak just before a series of baffling Daphne-based decisions derail things somewhat for Season 8 through 10.
Several Cheers characters made an appearance on the spin-off series Frasier. Running for 11 seasons from 1993 to 2004, the NBC sitcom featured a string of memorable guests factoring in the Cranes' day-to-day lives. Some of them are familiar faces, being Frasier Cranes' (Kelsey Grammer) old friends from his time practicing psychiatry in Boston.
Originally debuting as an additional cast member in Cheers season 3 premiere, Frasier is Diane Chambers' (Shelley Long) rebound boyfriend following her breakup with former baseball-star-turned-bar-owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson). The character was initially brought in as a guest star, but thanks to his chemistry with the rest of the cast, he eventually became a show regular, even after Diane left her waitressing gig at the eponymous pub. The fans' positive reception to Frasier made him the perfect character to lead a spin-off series following Cheers' finale in 1993.
Frasier first comes to Cheers via his short-lived romantic relationship with Diane. They meet while she's enrolled in a mental institution following her first break-up with Sam in season 2 of the original show. When she returns to Cheers in the season 3 premiere, she introduces Frasier to the rest of the bar people as her new high-society boyfriend. On paper, the couple is perfect for each other as they have similar interests and expensive taste, but that's not enough to sustain their affair as Diane ultimately goes back to Sam. Frasier continued to hang around Cheers even after Diane relocates to Los Angeles.
Woody appears in Frasier season 6, episode 13, entitled "The Show Where Woody Shows Up," again to Frasier's delight. They spend days hanging out together; each of them updating the other how their lives have changed since Frasier left Boston. After a while, however, Frasier realizes that they've changed too much in the years they've been apart, and is annoyed more than pleased with Woody's presence. In the end, they bid each other goodbye on good terms, happy with the memories they've shared back in Boston as chronicled in Cheers.
Frasier reunites with some of his old bar pals in Frasier season 9, episode 21, entitled "Cheerful Goodbyes." Unlike previous Cheers guests in the offshoot, however, it's Frasier who travels back to Boston during the said outing when he's invited to the city to give a speech. In the airport, he runs into Cliff and learns that he's retiring and is moving to Florida. For old times' sake, the mailman invites Frasier to his retirement party where he reunites with Carla and Norm, as well as Paul (Paul Wilson), Phil (Philip Perlman), and Walt (Raye Birk).
Nanny G (portrayed by Dina Spybey) makes an appearance in season 9, where Frasier in his dream sequence is confronting the women in his life (his mother Hester, his first wife Nanny G, his one-time fiancee Diane Chambers, and his second wife Lilith Sternin).
Nanny G (portrayed by Laurie Metcalf) makes an appearance in season 11 on Frasier, when she goes to Seattle on tour. She married her producer, although she claims it is simply out of convenience and feels no real passion for him. She and Frasier briefly reconnect, but ultimately go their separate ways again.
NFL Football (ABC, 9 p.m.-midnight): In their first regular-season meeting since the last Super Bowl, champions Green Bay Packers will play the New England Patriots. Both teams have five wins and two losses each this season. Since this is midseason, this game is not just about bragging rights.
NBA Basketball (TNT, 8-10:30 p.m.): The top meets the bottom. As the National Basketball Association kicks off its 51st season, champions Chicago Bulls play the Boston Celtics, who had the worst record in the league last year. The Bulls with Michael Jordan will continue to receive the usual high-profile reception. But the microscope will be on the Celtics: How will the NBA's winningest team fare under new coach Rick Pitino? 041b061a72