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Johannesburg - Dr Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) is ready to see you now, with all 11 seasons of his sitcom Frasier (1993-2004) available on streaming service ShowMax.
But what makes it worth the binge-watch? Frasier is known for its witty humour and intelligent writing, and, despite being total snobs, Frasier and his brother Dr Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) have problems just like the rest of us.
Get settled on the couch for 11 truths we learned on Frasier, packaged in the show’s trademark hilarious moments - just what the doctor ordered.
1. Everyone brings baggage – sometimes it’s small & furry
Frasier reluctantly lets his ex-cop dad Martin (John Mahoney) move in in episode 1. Seeing Frasier’s face when Martin brings his scrappy pooch Eddie into his posh penthouse is priceless, as is the psychiatrist’s frustration when Eddie beats him at staring contests.
2. Luxury furnishings make life sweeter
Frasier’s apartment is all about luxury and designer brands. Except for the hideous old recliner that Martin brings with him. By season 9, frustrated Frasier is ready to set it alight. (Fun fact: the furniture in Frasier’s apartment was genuinely pricey - his Chanel replica couch cost $15 000 to re-cover … in 1993!)
3. You’ll put up with almost anything… for family
Family comes first, even when you have to bite your tongue. In season 1 episode 23, Martin takes his sons on a road-trip, and it’s obvious how much the prim-and-proper Crane sons hate their rented motorhome, but they somehow keep it to themselves.
4. Making light of serious matters helps you to cope with them
The show’s running gag is how mean Niles’s wife Maris is. We never see her, but Frasier constantly questions how his brother – or anyone – could love someone “with webbed fingers and no pigmentation, who’s too light to ‘activate’ a whoopee cushion”.
5. Love at first sight is real
There’s a reason Niles is always visiting, and it’s not for brotherly love. He’s smitten with Martin’s live-in physiotherapist Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) and it’s worth the 8-season wait for them to finally get together.
6. Mrs Right can turn into Mrs Wrong
Bad luck with ladies runs in the Crane family. After meeting Frasier’s ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) in season 1 episode 16, viewers will instantly see what Frasier loves and hates about her – she’s a psychiatrist and can hold intelligent conversation, but she’s an ice queen who makes Disney’s evil witch Maleficent look like a girl scout.
7. Crazy co-workers keep things sane
The craziness isn’t confined to Frasier’s home though – his colleagues are just as zany. And if there’s one who can get the best out of Frasier, it’s raunchy producer Roz (Peri Gilpin) who makes life easy for him: she’s refreshingly honest with her bluntness.
8. You just can’t get rid of old friends
Frasier started as a spin-off of Cheers, the hugely popular sitcom that ran from 1982 to 1993. In seasons 2 and 6 of Frasier, Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson make guest appearances. (Bonus fact: the show also features real-life TV psychiatrist Dr Phil in season 10, episode 21.)
9. Coffee shops are cooler than bars
Frasier had a coffee-shop meeting spot a full year before Central Perk in sitcom Friends (1994-2004, seasons 1-10 are on ShowMax) made coffee shops trendy. Café Nervosa is where Frasier and his folk discussed everything from advancements in psychiatry to their coffee addictions.
10. There are a lot of people out there with very weird problems
Frasier’s on-air callers offer some off-the-wall problems for him to solve. Did you know that the show’s network NBC got actual celebs to pose as these callers by getting them to phone a studio answering machine to record their lines? Among the famous voices are rockstar Eddie Van Halen (season 1, episode 7), designer Tommy Hilfiger (season 1, episode 23), actor Macaulay Culkin (season 2, episode 11) and tennis player John McEnroe (season 5, episode 24).
11. Laughter is the best medicine
The writers of Frasier excelled at LOL-worthy one-liners. In season 3, episode 24, for example, Daphne asks Frasier, “Why is it so easy to love our families, yet so hard to like them?” His reply? “That’s the kind of question that makes life so rich … and psychiatrists richer.”
And lastly … A little love can fix anything
And they saved the best for last, in season 11, episode 24 (2004), when Frasier tells everyone, “I want what you all have. A new chapter.” Instead of going to San Francisco to start his new radio show, he flies to Chicago … where his girlfriend Charlotte (Laura Linney) now lives. Goodnight, Seattle – and thanks for listening.
Go to www.showmax.com now to sign up for your 14-day free trial to start streaming or downloading all 11 seasons of Frasier.
(Photos: NBC/ShowMax
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