Eagerly anticipating this week ... (14-24)

Eagerly anticipating this week ... (14-24)
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1/13/2019

Frasier - season 4 (1996) - Angell, Casey and Lee's superb therapist sitcom winner retains its level

♥♥♥♥♥♥


+ 2nd Best Title of the Year

+ Best Returning TV-series of the Year + Best Sitcom of the Year 


Seattle's top radio therapist returns in a red setting on this poster for season 4 of David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee's Frasier


Protagonist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer (Like Father (2018))), Seattle's high-minded top radio therapist, continues his unlucky romantic life in the delightful sitcom's fourth season. His separated therapist brother Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce (Wolf (1994))) is lonely, until his ever elusive wife Maris decides to take him back - to counseling, of course. Meanwhile Niles' flirt with Daphne (Jane Leeves (Murphy Brown (1989-93))), - the physical therapist, who lives with Frasier and his retired cop father Martin (John Mahoney (Article 99 (1992))) in Frase's swanky apartment, - has its ups and downs, and more than once Niles almost gets lucky.
Martin, a widower, has more success in that direction; one girlfriend gets replaced by another: Big-mouthed Sherry (Marsha Mason (The Middle (2010-17))), who lasts for the duration of the season and stirs up all kinds of problems.

The tender Niles/Daphne situation gets drawn out and taken right to the border of what is bearable; but the dance around the attraction remains funny, - although it reaches its limit here.
Dan Butler's (Hey Arnold! (1997-04)) Bulldog Briscoe character, Frasier's co-worker at the radio station, gets added space in season 4, which also has the series' first double episode, episode 19: Three Dates and a Breakup
Season 4 continues the legendary show's roll as a uniformly magnificent series with hilarious episodes following each other as pearls on a favorite necklace. Creators David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee (Encore! Encore! (1998-99), all) were the captains of a rare, perfect ship in TV with this fan favorite.

Best episodes:

3: The Impossible Dream - Written by Rob Greenberg (Meet Dave (2008)); directed by Lee
Latent homosexuality worries Frasier after he has recurring dreams of gay colleague Gil Chesterton.

7: A Lilith Thanksgiving - Written by Anne-Flett Giordano, Chuck Ranberg (Hot in Cleveland (2010-13), both); directed by Jeff Melman (The Exes (2013-15))
Frasier's ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth (Bored to Death (2009-11))) and Frasier have it out concerning their son's fine education. With Jane Lynch (Glee (2009-15)).

14: To Kill a Talking Bird - Written by Jeffrey Richman (Rules of Engagement (2009-10)); directed by Lee
Niles gets a bird stuck on his head.

15: Roz's Krantz & Gouldenstein Are Dead - Written by William Lucas Walker (Will & Grace (1998), TV-series); directed by Melman 
Frasier's producing partner Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin (Thru the Moebius Strip (2005))) gets confronted with her fear of aging, and Frasier with James Earl Jones (Primary Colors (1998)). 

18: Ham Radio - Written by David Lloyd (Wings (1990-95)); directed by Lee
Frasier celebrates the radio station's 50th anniversary by taking up a dream of directing a radio murder mystery, but his lack of the necessary skills renders the result a disaster.

Related posts:

David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee (creators):
1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Frasier - season 3 (1995) - A comedy triumph
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 a hilarious clip from the episode Ham Radio here


Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV series
= Uncertain - but certainly a TV hit
[Frasier season 4 was first shown from 17 September 1996 - 20 May 1997 on NBC, and it spans 23 episodes, (some count the double-length episode 19 as two), 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 3: The Impossible Dream) was 14.5 mil. US viewers and its highest (episode 1: The Two Mrs. Cranes) was 21.8 mil.. The season dived in its Nielsen ratings ranking from season 3's #11 ranking to #16. The season won 2/9 Emmy noms, was nominated for 3 Golden Globes and many other honors. The 5th season started showing in September 1997. Grammer at the time also starred in TV-series Fired Up (1997) and gave a voice performance in Anastasia (1997). 65,049 IMDb users have given Frasier an 8.1/10 average rating.]


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