Frasier TV series review - cast, seasons and more

Overview

Frasier is an American sitcom which aired on NBC between 1993 and 2004, spanning 11 seasons. It was created as a spin-off of the series Cheers, with the story of Frasier Crane continuing as he returned home to Seattle and began a new life as a radio advice show host. Part of the new chapter of his life also involves reconnecting with his father and brother, as well as making new friends.

The show itself and the cast won a total of 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, which was a record at the time for a scripted series. Frasier also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for five years in a row. In 2019, there were discussions being had about a revival, which would air in 2020.

Premise

Dr Frasier Crane, who is a psychiatrist, returns to his hometown of Seattle after his marriage ends. He had planned a new chapter of his life as a bachelor, but then he needs to take in his father, who has mobility issues after being shot while on the job as a Seattle Police Department detective.

Frasier hires Daphne Moon to be his father’s live in carer and physical therapist. He also spends a lot of time with his younger brother Niles, who is a psychiatrist too. As the show goes on, Niles falls in love with Daphne.

Cast and characters

Frasier Crane – Kelsey Grammer
Daphne Moon – Jane Leeves
Niles Crane – David Hyde Pierce
Roz Doyle – Peri Gilpin
Martin Crane – John Mahoney
Bob ‘Bulldog’ Briscoe – Dan Butler
Gil Chesterton – Edward Hibbert
Noel Shempsky – Patrick Kerr
Kenny Daly – Tom McGowan
Mrs Moon, Daphne’s mother – Millicent Martin
Kirby, Bob’s son – Brian Klugman
Alice, Roz’s daughter – Ashley Thomas

Filming locations

The bulk of filming for Frasier took place at Paramount Studios, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Some establishing shots were taken in Seattle, Washington, while another location was the Hollywood Forever Cemetery located on 6000 Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood.

Trailer

There aren’t any trailers for Frasier readily available online. However, the first scene of the show depicts Frasier on his radio show, offering fairly brutal advice to someone on the air. Then someone comes on for a final call-in, but while he’s talking about his depression, Roz bangs on the window.

Believing he needs to wrap it up, Frasier cuts the man short and uses his own life as an example to help motivate the man, saying that when his marriage broke down, he got a divorce and moved back to his hometown. In other words, he took action when his life wasn’t working. Roz then says that nobody heard his response as the show cut to news, then points out everything he did wrong.

Production

When Cheers was in its eighth season, Kelsey Grammer – who plays Frasier – made a deal with former producers David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee that they would work on a new series together once Cheers was over. When Cheers was in its 10th season and it was clear the next one would be its last, they began working on the next project.

Initially, Grammer didn’t want to continue playing Frasier Crane, so it was proposed that he play a wealthy paraplegic publisher who managed his business from his apartment. There would be a live-in nurse who would clash with him. However, Paramount Television didn’t like the concept, and suggested that they spin off the Frasier character instead.

Episodes and reception

The series has 11 seasons, each of which has 24 episodes. Each season aired on a yearly basis in September, between 1993 and 2003. The first episode aired on September 16, 1993, and the last episode was shown on May 13, 2004.

Frasier has a rating of 8 out of 10 on IMDb at the time of writing. TV.com rates it a 9 out of 10, and 91% of Google users have reported liking this show.

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Many sought-after shows have been acquired by this streamer, such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, Law & Order and Chicago Fire. To further invest in its content offering, Peacock has available movies from major companies such as DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, Focus Features and Universal Pictures.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Free subscription plan available – People don’t have to part with a monthly fee if they sign up for the free version of Peacock, which is ad-supported.
Reboots of classic TV shows – Subscribers can relive childhood memories by watching reboots of series such as Gossip Girl and Saved By The Bell.
Flexible content viewing – There are options for viewing a channel guide, streaming TV shows or movies and browsing short-form content clips.

Cons

Launching later than other new services – Some people may not be on the lookout for a new streaming service now that new platforms from Disney and Apple are here.
Smaller content library – Inevitably, Peacock doesn’t have as large or varied a library as major competitors such as Netflix and Disney Plus.
Ad-free tier may be pricey for some – The ad-free Premium version is a few dollars more expensive than the plans from Apple TV+ and Disney+.

Types of content available

Peacock has over 15,000 hours of content on offer, which includes sought-after TV series, a range of movies and a selection of original features and shows. There are also linear channels available, which is similar to the setup with Pluto TV. These include live content, such as 24/7 feeds of particular channels.

Those subscribed to the premium pricing tier of this platform gain access to Premier League games which can’t be viewed on linear TV. Full episodes of shows such as The Tonight Show are available on a daily basis from 8pm ET.

In terms of original content, Peacock focuses on the nostalgia factor for reboots of classic shows. For example, Saved By The Bell, Punky Brewster and Battlestar Galactica are receiving this treatment. Other original content includes Dr Death, Rutherford Falls and a docuseries about Saturday Night Live.

In the TV shows department, you can expect such titles as The Office, Law & Order, Parks and Recreation, Two and a Half Men and Chicago Fire. A lot of the shows you can find on Hulu are also available on Peacock – notable examples include Cheers, House, Frasier, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights and Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Film titles to keep an eye out for in the Peacock content library include American Pie, Meet the Parents, Back to the Future, Brokeback Mountain, ET, Erin Brockovich, The Breakfast Club, Dallas Buyers Club, Knocked Up and Jaws. Franchises featured on Peacock include Fast & Furious, Bourne and Despicable Me.

Top Peacock TV shows and movies

Division One – When a new female coach arrives to head up a womens’ collegiate soccer team, they have to decide if they’re going to keep losing or start winning.

MacGruber – After over a decade in jail, it’s time for MacGruber to seek out Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth.

Expecting – Ellie asks her gay best friend Jonathan if he’ll donate his sperm so she can become a mother.

Clean Slate – A car wash owner in Alabama is overjoyed to have his estranged child return after 17 years. Then he finds out his child is a proud trans woman called Desiree.

Girls5Eva – A girl group reconnect after having a one hit wonder in the 90s and decide to give fame another go.

Saved By The Bell – Peacock is rebooting the 90s drama which followed A.C.Slater, Screech, Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski through high school, college and adult life.

Punky Brewster – Abandoned by her parents, a child is taken in by a photographer whom Punky and her dog Brandon teach a few things about lightening up.

One Of Us Is Lying – Based on the novel, this show tells the story of five high school students who walk into detention, but only four walk out.

Battlestar Galactica – A group of people on the battleship Battlestar Galactica have to leave their planet after an attack from Cylons.

The Office – This mockumentary focuses on the lives of typical office workers at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Frasier – A psychiatrist called Dr Frasier Crane relocates to Seattle so he can have a fresh start. He ends up on the air as a radio psychiatrist.

Will and Grace – A lawyer allows his best friend to stay in his house when her marriage breaks down. But she never leaves.

Everybody Loves Raymond – A comedy focusing on successful sportswriter Raymond Barone and his life with a jealous sibling and obnoxious parents.

Parks and Recreation – Leslie wants to help a local nurse convert an abandoned construction site into a community park, but encounters obstacles from the neighbours.

30 Rock – Focuses on the head writer of a sketch comedy show who has to run it successfully while dealing with kooky stars and an arrogant boss.

Bates Motel – Norman Bates struggles with his life when his mental health suffers. Norma, his mother, tries to get him the right help.

Cheers – People from various walks of life come together at a bar called Cheers, run by Sam in Boston, and share their experiences while working and drinking there.

Original Peacock content

Peacock also offer a range of originals on their service. Check out the list below:

Brave New World – this drama stars Alden Ehrenreich and sees a futuristic society controlled by drugs and a strict class system challenged by the arrival of a newcomer.

Psych 2: Lassie Come Home – a sequel film to TV series Psych, this film sees Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster reunite to help Chief Lassiter.

Cleopatra in Space – from DreamWorks Animation, this series sees Cleopatra launched into the future, where we follow her through high school and see her try to get back to her own time.

Lost Speedways – a documentary with Dale Earnhardt Jr. looking at closed-down racetracks in the US.

The At-Home Variety Show Featuring Seth MacFarlane – host Seth MacFarlane entertains entirely from home in this quarantine-created variety show, supporting essential workers and those in need.

Wilmore – a talk show hosted by Larry Wilmore.

The Amber Ruffin Show – a talk show hosted by Amber Ruffin.

Curious George 5: Go West Go Wild – the fifth instalment in the Curious George film series, which sees the animals leave the farm.

Dreams Live On: Countdown to Tokyo – a special documentary about Olympic hopefuls ahead of the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games.

In Deep with Ryan Lochte – a documentary looking at Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, and the scandal that followed him at the Rio Olympics.

Kamome – a documentary about a small boat that ended up in Crescent City after the Japan 2011 tsunami, and the bond that the boat created between two communities.

Black Boys – a documentary about the lives of Black men and boys in America.

The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show – a documentary looking at the week Johnny Carson stepped aside for Harry Belafonte to host the tonight show.

Along with these productions, Peacock also exclusively streams international content like Noughts + Crosses, Departure, The Capture and more.

User interface

Peacock took the inspiration for its user interface from that used by Sky in the UK for its streaming services. Generally speaking, there are three options for subscribers when they enter the app – they can go to channels, trending or browse. While they pick one of the options, a video will autoplay in the background.

When a user enters browse mode, they will be able to look through over 15,000 options across TV and movies. This is where the app looks most similar to competitors such as Disney Plus or Netflix, as the selections are broken down into rows.

If they go into the trending tab, they will see short-form content such as news, pop culture or a sports event highlight reel. This is where the section aims to compete with YouTube, as Peacock hopes to lure people away from there and towards the streaming service – which has more to offer beyond this kind of feature.

In the channels section, people will find that the interface here is most like traditional TV. As seen with cable packages, there is a channel guide to scroll through, with options ranging across TV shows, movies, news, sports and various specialised content hubs.

Here are some of the additional features subscribers can make the most of with Peacock:

Curation hubs – Fans of a particular show will be able to navigate to its hub and choose one of the characters. From there, they can watch set sequences such as episodes which focus on them.

Profiles – All Peacock accounts include the option to create a profile. You can create a profile for each member of the household. Various Universal characters are available for use as avatars.

Parental controls – Accounts can be set up in Kids Mode, which enables just content which is focused on children to be shown when browsing with this profile.

Multiple streams – Peacock lets you stream on multiple devices simultaneously, allowing for clashes over what to watch to be avoided.

No ads – While there are tiers in the pricing structure which feature ads, there are only five minutes worth of advertising per hour. Furthermore, these can be removed altogether for an additional $5 per month.

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