Frasier - season 2 (1994) - Seattle's sitcom power team return, resulting in many more laughs and good times

♥♥♥♥♥

+ 3rd Best Title of the Year

+ Returning TV-series of the Year + Best Sitcom of the Year + Best Washington State Movie

Your favorite TV family, the Cranes, return under a black umbrella on this poster for David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee's Frasier season 2

Frasier season 2 follows the masterpiece first season from creators David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee (Wings (1990-97), all).

The second season paddles around in the same waters that were stirred up during the first 24 episodes. Some new corners of the lake are explored here and there, but nothing really changes for our leads, despite psychiatrist Niles Crane's (David Hyde Pierce (Wet Hot American Summer (2001))) verbalized wish for an affair with his father Martin's (John Mahoney's (Tracey Walks On... (1997), TV-series)) live-in physical therapist Daphne (Jane Leeves (Phineas and Ferb (2009-13))), which, however, doesn't go anywhere, even as Niles' wife Maris (who, amusingly, remains unseen) has an affair with her fencing instructor (in episode 21, An Affair to Forget.) I find it a little sluggish - for a considerable 24-episode season - and I find that as viewers of this terrific sitcom, we'd like to see a bit of development in each season, - and a bit more than we get here in season 2. Also, and maybe it's a related issue, some of Niles' Daphne-jokes get to be a little wearying here. 
The series' protagonist, Seattle's top radio therapist Frasier's (Kelsey Grammer (Modern Family (2017), TV-series)) son Frederick could have been a welcome break, if he was introduced, but - perhaps symptomatic for the yuppie shrink, - the son is wholly absent.
The season nevertheless still has so many bright moments and great episodes (see the long list of them below here) that Frasier continues as an absolute hit in its second run, wherein Frasier again and again makes a fool of himself on and off the air.
Episode 12 (Roz in the Doghouse) has a radical style shift with a montage of awful producers that Frasier goes through, as he is attempting to replace his producing partner Roz (Peri Gilpin (Stars in Shorts: No Ordinary Love (2016))).
Ted Danson (CSI: Cyber (2015-16)) turns up in one episode (episode 16: The Show Where Sam Shows Up) as Sam from Cheers (1982-93), the sitcom that Frasier is a spin-of from. Unfortunately the season's last episode is a mediocre round of arguments following Martin's birthday in Seattle, as the city suffers a power outage.
Guest stars and callers in the second season include James Spader, Lili Tomlin, Sydney Pollack, Art Garfunkel, Kevin Bacon, Macaulay Culkin, Nathan Lane, Tea Leoni, Gary Sinise, John Lithgow, Shelley Duvall and Harriet Sansom Harris (Robot and the Monster (2012), TV-series) as Frasier's agent Bebe, who proves that Frase does have a sex life by getting him into bed.

Best episodes:

Episode 1: Slow Tango in South Seattle - Written by Martin Weiss (8 Simple Rules (2002-04)); directed by James Burrows (Romantically Challenged (2010-11))
The first episode is about the time when Frasier lost his virginity to his piano teacher

Episode 2: The Unkindest Cut of All - Written by Dave Hackel (Wings (1990-93)); directed by Rick Beren (House Rules (1998), TV-series)
Martin's dog Eddie gets neutered, and Niles later gets lost in a Seattle park.

Episode 3: The Matchmaker - Written by Joe Keenan (Out of Practice (2005-06)); directed by Lee
A farcical mix-up episode in which Frasier by an accident gets to date his new station manager boss Tom!

Episode 5: Duke's, We Hardly Knew Ye - Written by Linda Morris, Vic Rauseo (Roomies (1987), TV-series, both); directed by Burrows
Martin's regular hangout Duke's bar is closing to be torn down, and Daphne hooks up in a park.

Episode 6: The Botched Language of Cranes - Written by Keenan; directed by Lee
Frasier ends up in a storm because of his on-air rant about Seattle's less-than-stellar weather, and columnist Derek Mann is again the nemesis.

Episode 8 and Episode 9: Adventures in Paradise: Part 1 and Part 2 - Written by Ken Levine, David Isaacs (Becker (1999-03), both); directed by Burrows
A two-parter in which Frase's love vacation to Bora Bora is spoiled by the second coming of his icy, bitchy ex-wife Lilith.

Episode 15: You Scratch My Book... - Written by Keenan; directed by Andy Ackerman (Superstore (2016), TV-series)
Frasier falls for a trite psychologist writer and is again forced to choose between his personal and professional integrity - and his animal instincts.

Episode 17: Daphne's Room - Written by Morris, Rauseo; directed by Lee
Daphne is close to leaving the Crane family, because they constantly and unintentionally barge into her room.

Episode 20: Breaking the Ice - Written by Steven Levitan (Stacked (2005-05)); directed by Philip Charles MacKenzie (Normal, Ohio (2000), TV-series)
The Cranes go ice fishing, and Martin, who can be a bit paradoxical with his almost schizophrenic sentimentality, finally says that he loves his sons.

Episode 23: The Innkeepers - Written by David Lloyd (Cheers 1982-93)); directed by Burrows
Frase and Niles open a restaurant called The Happy Brothers (in French, of course), and EVERYTHING goes wrong.

Related post:

David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee (creators): 1994 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Frasier - season 1 (1993) - The perfect sitcom arrived

 Watch a delightful 5 minute clip from episode 23: The Innkeepers here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV series
= Uncertain - but certainly a TV hit
[Frasier season 2 was first shown from 20 September 1994 - 23 May 1995 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 were 21.3 mil. US viewers and its highest were 36.4 mil., which was on the show with Danson. The season fell in the Nielsen ratings ranking from the first season's #7 to #15. The season won 5/9 Emmy nominations, was nominated for 4 Golden Globes and many other honors. The third season started showing in September 1995. Grammer at the time also acted in an episode of the TV-series documentary Biography (1995) as George Washington and voiced a character in the animated short Runaway Brain (1995). 62,444 IMDb users have given the show an 8.0/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Frasier's second season?

Frasier - season 1 (1993) - The perfect sitcom arrived

♥♥♥♥♥♥

+ 3rd Best Title of the Year

+ Breakthrough of the Year, Male: Kelsey Grammer + Best New TV-series of the Year + Shooting Star of the Year, Male: David Hyde Pierce + Best Sitcom of the Year + Best Washington Title of the Year

The Seattle skyline and the five leads - and dog Eddie - make up this poster for the first season of David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee's Frasier

Frasier was created for NBC by David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee (Wings (1990-97), all). It might be the most perfect first season of a sit-com ever made.
It is solid right off the bat; the first episode presents the central characters with the series' signature title cards presenting them, ('the son', 'the father' etc.)

Successful psychiatrist Frasier (Kelsey Grammer (Partners (2014), TV-series))) has moved from Boston to Seattle after a divorce, which removes him from his son Fredrick. He is setting himself up as the city's top radio therapist and rekindles his friendly but also deeply competitive relationship with his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce (The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human (1999))), also a psychiatrist with a successful private practice. But as the two Crane brothers' father, widower Martin's (John Mahoney (The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000))) health is declining, Frasier allows his old man, - naturally his complete counterpart in terms of lifestyle and preferences, - to move into his swanky new penthouse apartment.
From here on their father-son relationship is put to the test: Martin's Easy-chair and smart dog Eddie are a great nuisance to perfectionist Frasier, whereas Martin's residential, British physical therapist Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves (Garfield 2 (2006))) is mostly a joy to have around, - although mostly to frequent visitor Niles, who quickly falls for her completely and courts her more and more openly. Daphne of course never realizes this, (despite her claims to have psychic abilities.)
Niles, who is married to upper class mansion-owner Maris, (whom Frasier at one point describes as "like the sun, but without the warmth", and whom we never see, which is a funny ploy), admits late in the season that he isn't happy, and that he longs for an affair with Daphne.
At work Frasier is partnered with his radio show producer Roz Doyle (played with feisty affability by Peri Gilpin (Occupy, Texas (2016)), and we are introduced to other radio station characters such as Bulldog Briscoe (Dan Butler (Hey Arnold! (1997-04)) is supremely energetic), Gil Chesterton and Chopper Dave; and each episode has celebrities making the listener calls to Frasier. - First season includes calls from names such as Jeff Daniels, Jay Leno, Mel Brooks, Ben Stiller, Piper Laurie, Henry Mancini, Elijah Woods, Malcolm McDowell, Reba McEntire, Mary Tyler Moore and Tommy Hilfiger. These radio 'sessions' of Frasier's are almost always failed attempts at telephonic therapy - and usually hilarious. Roz is a notorious man-eater, while Frasier is lonely and mostly alone: He has a relapse with his ex-wife Lilith, but otherwise little action romance-wise on his part in season 1.
When Martin strikes up a short-lived relationship to a woman, Frase unintentionally ruins their growing fling by discussing their sex life on his show! He attempts to make it up again, and such is the basic structure of many an episode: Expectations, analyzing, mistakes being made, arguments, conflicts - and reunification.

It is always the snappy, intelligent and deeply humorous dialog served up by a terrific team of writers, which amazes and entertains in the warmest fashion from episode to episode. - An example of of the show's many familiar jabs could be this reply from Frasier, when Niles in one episode suddenly boasts to Daphne about his having begun pumping iron: "Niles, you don't even pump your own gas!"
The cast is also brilliant, especially leading man Grammer, who creates a grand comical figure in Frasier Crane, and the series is much in his debt. The season is so lovely that at its conclusion, you will be ready to join in Frasier's late admittance of happiness.

Best episodes:

Episode 1: The Good Son - written by Angell, Casey, Lee; directed by James Burrows (Man with a Plan (2016-17))
The characters are introduced, and Frasier accepts his father into his new Seattle abode.

Episode 12: Miracle on Third or Fourth Street - written by Christopher Lloyd (Modern Family (2009-19)); directed by Burrows
A delightfully unpretentious anti-Christmas Christmas episode in which Frasier is mistaken for being a homeless man.

Episode 17: A Mid-Winter Night's Dream - written by Chuck Ranberg (House Blend (2002), TV movie), Anne Flett-Giordano (Mom (2015-18)); directed by Lee
Niles and Daphne are caught in Niles' mansion, and the Maris jokes are many and uproariously funny.

Episode 21: Travels with Martin - written by Linda Morris, Vic Rauseo (Roomies (1987), TV-series, both); directed by Burrows
The family of four go camping to Canada, where Daphne isn't supposed to be, officially!

Episode 24: My Coffee with Niles - written by Angell, Casey; directed by Burrows
The sublime episode takes place exclusively in Frasier and Niles' regular hangout, the aptly named Cafe Nervosa, where the two carry out an intense conversation on the topic of happiness, disturbed by the series' regulars. SPOILER Frasier answers Niles' question, finally, to the waitress; yes, he is mostly fairly happy.

Related post:

1993 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Watch a clip of the very beginning of the first episode of the show here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV series
= Uncertain - but certainly a TV hit
[Frasier season 1 was first shown from 16 September 1993 - 19 May 1994 on NBC, and it spans 24 episodes of an average 22 minutes, totaling approximately 528 minutes. The series is a spin-off of Cheers (1982-93), wherein Frasier (Grammer) was a regular in Sam's (Ted Danson) bar in Boston. 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 ratings lowest were 25.5 mil. US viewers and its highest was 33.1 mil, - impressive numbers, - ranking it #7 on the Nielsen rank, which the series only bested in its seasons 6 and 7. The season won 4/6 Emmy nominations, was nominated for 3 Golden Globes and other honors. The second season started showing in September 1994. Grammer at the time also starred in TV movies Beyond Suspicion (1993) and The Innocent (1994). 62,422 IMDb users have given the show an 8.0/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Frasier's first season?