Frasier Turns 20!

 

     You didn't think a truly devout Frasier fan would let this day go by without some kind of acknowledgement, did you?

     I've already written so many posts about my favorite TV series of all time, including My Favorite Frasier Episodes  and of course My Least Favorite Frasier Episodes, not to mention my series "Niles Crane's Greatest Lines" (link above), it would seem there wouldn't be anything left for me to write about—but there is, and I'll probably keep writing Frasier posts as long as there are Frasier fans. And when will there not be Frasier fans?

     For now, just a little something: while I love all the principal characters in the series, I certainly don't love them equally. It's no secret that Niles is by far my favorite and, I daresay, the favorite of many viewers. My reasons, besides my being a huge DHP fan, are outlined in this post.

     My second favorite is Eddie. Yes, I consider him to be a principal character, as eloquent and developed as any of the others. (I would also add that I think Moose, the first Eddie, was much more facially expressive and generally charismatic than the second Eddie, Enzo, who incidentally was Moose's son.)

 

Moose, the first "Eddie"

Enzo, Moose's son and successor

    

     My third favorite character is Marty. I love the way he mellows over the course of the show; I love his forthrightness, his no-nonsense approach to life, his down-to-earth charm, and the integrity that Frasier and Niles admire in him. Plus, he's funny as hell. 

     Tied for fourth are Daphne and Roz. I have to say, I like Daphne better in the earlier seasons, and a lot better before she and Niles get married. After their marriage, she seems to lose some effervescence and much of the adorable, ingenuous wackiness that won our hearts early on. I know she had to grow up, even more so than any of the other characters, because she started out (according to the producers' conception) in her late 20's and ended the series nearing 40. Everyone else in the show starts out in their 30's or older, already past that long maturity spurt which is our 20's. (At the start, Frasier is 40, Niles 36, Marty 63, and I think Roz is around 32.) Still, I find myself regretting a bit Daphne's acquired gravitas in seasons ten and eleven.

     Roz is one of those characters that most women like a lot. She's brassy, aggressive, wears her sexuality like a flashy blouse, and isn't afraid of anyone, including Frasier. If I were writing this post twenty years ago, I would have placed Roz ahead of Daphne without any hesitation. Now, however, my values and views have changed, and while I love Roz's humor and essential good-heartedness, I identify personally much more with Daphne. The early Daphne. Conversely, I like the later, post-pregnancy Roz much better than the early Roz. Like Marty, she mellows over the seasons without losing her humor.

     Ironically, the title character is my least favorite of the principals. That isn't to say I dislike him. It's only to say that he annoys me much, much more often than do the other characters. In fact, none of the other characters ever annoy me. There are many times when Frasier is unbearably self-centered and petty, and I just want to slap him. What I love most in him is his deep love for his father, and also for his brother (despite, or perhaps because of, their sibling rivalry). And he has afforded me one of my very favorite comic moments in the whole series—his unforgettable rendition of "Buttons and Bows."

 

     Oh, yes—the minor characters. Both Bebe and Bulldog had to grow on me. I started out not liking them at all, but now I appreciate them, Bebe because she's just a brilliant caricature portrayed by such a brilliant actress (Harriet Harris); and Bulldog redeemed himself in my eyes when he revealed himself to be a sucker for children and genuinely in love with Roz. Kenny is your stock "boob," and I like him as well.

     The one and only character I still wrestle with is Gil. Nothing against the fine Edward Hibbert; I just don't understand why Gil is there at all. And I find nothing really likable about him.

     At any rate—Frasier is twenty years old today, but it hasn't really aged at all. The writing is so good, the show and its unforgettable characters are still fresh, and will stay fresh for many more decades to come. It is television at its most excellent.