Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: Frasier - season 3 (1995)

5/24/2018

Frasier - season 3 (1995) - A comedy triumph

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Frasier and Co. return in high spirits on this poster for the third season of David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee's Frasier

In the third season of creators David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee's (Encore! Encore! (1998-99), all) brilliant sitcom Frasier, the dialog bubbles with delightful wit and originality, while we as viewers feel that something often is actually at stake for the series' beloved characters.

In the first episode (She's the Boss), Mercedes Ruhl (Doubt (2013, TV movie)) is introduced as Kate Costas, the refreshing new chief of title lead radio therapist Frasier's (Kelsey Grammer (Boss (2011-12))) workplace, radio station KACL. Following a hot affair with her difficult therapist radio personality employee Frasier, Costas flies away from the station's location in Seattle ten episodes later.
Maris (still unseen) decides to leave Frasier's beloved psychiatrist brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce (Isn't She Great (2000))), who consequently breaks Ming vases in a rage, stating, hilariously; "I never cared for that dynasty!" (in episode 8: The Last Time I Saw Marris.)
Niles' hibernating fling with his and Frasier's retired cop father Martin's (John Mahoney (The Human Factor (1992), TV-series)) British live-in physical therapist Daphne (Jane Leeves (Room for Romance (1990), TV-series)) moves forward a tiny bit, as they go together to a ball (episode 13: Moon Dance). We meet the woman, Diane, who left Frasier standing by the alter (episode 14: The Show Where Diane Comes Back), and then we seem to return to square one, as Niles and Maris get back together, (episode 16: Look Before You Leap).
In the season's last episode (episode 24: You Can Go Home Again), Frasier's radio talkshow celebrates its 3 year anniversary, and the fine subtext of the episode is that family means everything, and (therefore) it can seem awfully depressing.

The major part of the episodes of season 3 end in utter humiliation for Frasier, whose colossal ego dictates this somehow infinitely satisfying formula to repeat itself ad infinitum.
Besides the magnificent central cast, the season has funny side characters such as Niles' housekeeper Marta (Irene Olga Lopez (The L Word (2006), TV-series)) and KACL's awkward character Noel Shempsky (Patrick Kerr (Domino (2005))), and season 3 features celebrity guest calls to Frasier's show from distinguished names such as Matthew Broderick, Carrie Fisher, Ed Harris, Billy Crystal, Ray Liotta, Jodie Foster, David Duchovny and Tony Shalhoub.
There is no way around it: Frasier season 3 is a comedy triumph!

Best episodes:

Episode 3: Martin Does It His Way - Written by David Lloyd (Brothers (1984-89)); directed by Philip Charles MacKenzie (My Wife and Kids (2001), TV-series)
Martin writes a song to Frank Sinatra.

Episode 9: Frasier Grinch - Written by Lloyd; directed by MacKenzie
We get to meet Frasier's cute son Frederick for the first time.

Episode 18: Chess Pains - Written by Rob Greenberg (Bad Haircut (2001), TV movie); directed by Gordon Hunt (Mad about You (1995-99))
A very funny episode in which Martin and Frasier duel in the game of chess, while Niles buys a skinny dog.

Related posts:

David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee (creators): Frasier - season 2 (1994) - Seattle's sitcom power team return, resulting in many more laughs and good times
Frasier - season 1 (1993) - The perfect sitcom arrived

Watch the fabulous dance scene and its complicated aftermath from episode 13: Moon Dance here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV series
= Uncertain - but certainly a TV hit
[Frasier season 3 was first shown from 19 September 1995 - 21 May 1996 on NBC, and it spans 24 episodes of an average 22 minutes, totaling approximately 528 minutes. Shooting took place in Hollywood, Los Angeles, with establishing shots from Seattle, Washington. The series' cost grew during its run, and the cost per episode at its closure after 11 seasons was reportedly 5.2 mil. $ (124.8 mil. $ for the 24 episodes), of which 60 % went to its regular stars, of which Grammer commanded an impressive 1.6 mil. $ (amounting to 38.4 mil. $ for the season). Still, with syndication, foreign sales, home video etc., the series was likely a great asset for NBC. The season's rating's lowest (episode 23: The Focus Group) was 24.3 mil. US viewers and its highest (episode 16: Look Before You Leap) was 34.8 mil.. The season climbed its Nielsen ratings ranking from season 2's #15 ranking to #11, closer to the first season's sensational #7 ranking. The season won 2/7 Emmys, 1/3 Golden Globes and many other honors. The fourth season started showing in September 1996. Grammer at the time also starred in comedy Down Periscope (1996) and in TV movie London Suite (1996). 62,485 IMDb users have given Frasier an 8.0/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Frasier's second season?

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Donald Sutherland has passed away

Born in Canada, Sutherland battled polio as a child. His first credit was in Suspense (1963, TV-series) and his first film was The Castle of the Living Dead (1964). Later credits in his remarkable career include The Saint (1965-66), The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Klute (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), 1900 (1976), Casanova (1976), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), Ordinary People (1980), A Dry White Season (1989), JFK (1991), Outbreak (1995), Fallen (1998), Virus (1999), Fierce People (2005), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Lord of War (2005), The Hunger Games (2012), The Undoing (2020, miniseries) and many more. He passed away at age 88. R.I.P.

Roger Corman has passed away

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Corman had a sprawling, intellectually hungry life as a youth and young man before arriving with his first film in 1955, Five Guns West. He would follow that with titles such as Apache Woman, It Conquered the World, Attack of the Crab Monsters, Teenage Cave Man, A Bucket of Blood, House of Usher, The Little Shop of Horrors, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Intruder, The Raven, The Terror, The Masque of Red Death, The Tomb of Ligeia, The Wild Angels, The Trip, Bloody Mama and many more. As a producer he was behind almost 500 films. Arguably among the most important filmmakers of the 20th century, Corman passed away at age 98. R.I.P.

William Friedkin has died

Born in Chicago, Friedkin accrued TV credits prior to his advance to the big screen as the director of Good TImes (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) and The Boys in the Band (1970) before his major breakthrough, The French Connection (1971), for which he won his only Oscar. He followed it up with the even bigger smash, The Exorcist (1973), arguably the best horror film of all time, for which he was Oscar-nominated. Later credits include Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Rampage (1987), Rules of Engagement (2000), Killer Joe (2011) and The Devil and Father Amorth (2017, documentary). Friedkin passed away at age 87. R.I.P.

Louise Fletcher has passed away

Born in Alabama to deaf parents, Fletcher got her first credits in late-1950s TV-series.She took a 10 year-long sabbatical to devote her time to motherhood after the release of A Gathering of Eagles, but then came back and soon saw her career's most important part, as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), for which she won her sole Oscar. Later credits include Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), The Lucky Star (1980), Brainstorm (1983), Two Moon Junction (1988), Cruel Intentions (1999), A Perfect Man (2013) and many more. Fletcher passed away at age 88. R.I.P.

Jean-Luc Godard has passed away

Born in Paris, France, Godard lived much of his life in Switzerland. He wrote for French film criticism magazine Cahiers du Cinema and became foundational for the New French Wave that inspired new waves in scores of other countries across the world with his Breathless (1960). Later credits include A Woman Is A Woman (1961), Vivre Sa Vie (1962), Le Petit Soldat (1962), Contempt (1963), Alphaville (1965), Pierrot le Fou (1965), 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967), Weekend (1967), Every Man for Himself (1980), King Lear (1987), Century of Cinema (1995, documentary), Goodbye to Language (2014) and many more. Godard died of assisted suicide at age 91. R.I.P.

Wolfgang Petersen has died

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Caan was born the son of Jewish immigrants from Germany in New York. He got his start on TV in the early 1960s. His credits include El Dorado (1966), The Rain People (1969), Brian's Song (1971, TV movie), The Godfather (1972), - for which he earned his only Oscar nomination, - Slither (1973), The Gambler (1974), Funny Lady (1975), Rollerball (1975), Silent Movie (1976), Hide in Plain Sight (1980), - the only film he also directed, - Thief (1981), Misery (1990), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Bottle Rocket (1996), Eraser (1996), Dogville (2003), Elf (2003), Las Vegas (2003-07), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and many more. Caan passed away at age 82. R.I.P.

Jean-Louis Trintignant has died

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Ray Liotta has died

Adopted from an orphenage at a young age, Liotta got hooked on acting in high school. He had various TV credits in the late 1970s and early 80s, with his film debut in The Lonely Lady (1983). Later credits include Something Wild (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), Goodfellas (1990), Cop Land (1997), Hannibal (2001), Blow (2001), Narc (2002), John Q (2002), Identity (2003), Observe and Report (2009), Youth in Revolt (2009), The Details (2011), Killing THem Softly (2012), The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), Shades of Blue (2016-18), The Simpsons (2018, TV-series), Marriage Story (2019), The Many Saints of Newark (2021), Black Bird (2022, TV-series) and many more. Liotta passed away at age 67 in his sleep while on production in the Dominican Republic. R.I.P.

Philip Baker Hall has died

Born in Ohio, Hall didn't start acting until he was 30. His long list of credits include Zabriskie Point (1970), Miami Vice (1987, TV-series), Midnight Run (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), Cheers (1993, TV-series), Hard Eight (1996), The Rock (1996), Air Force One (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), Seinfeld (1991-98), Rush Hour (1998), The Insider (1999), Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Bruce Almighty (2003), Dogville (2003), The Zodiac (2005), Zodiac (2007), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004-09), Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011), Modern Family (2011-12) and many more. Hall passed away at age 90. R.I.P.

Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!

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5/24/2018

Frasier - season 3 (1995) - A comedy triumph

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