The greatest movie ever!

Good concept, poorly executed.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

There's a big problem with most sitcoms in that they age like a bad curry. Years later they're just not that funny anymore and they feel somehow forced and unfunny. And it could have been a sitcom that you loved watching week after week. But when you try to revisit it, it's not the same and you might watch an episode or two but in the end you just leave it as a relic of it's time. Frasier is not one of those shows. It's aged like a fine wine and just as funny today as it was when it first came out. The writing still feels sharp, the acting is still on point and while it's been off the air for almost 15 years you could almost feel like it's happening right now.Sure there were bits that were a little forced like when they hid Jane Leeve's pregnancy. And part of the magic that was Niles always mooning after Daphne took a hit when they finally started dating and got married but David Hyde Pierce still managed to pull off a terrific character as Niles the compulsive and overly fastidious brother to Frasier. But like all good things they knew to pack it in eventually and they still left on a high note. Very few other sitcoms can claim this.

However the character of Niles is 'stretched' through almost a decade of seasons he never loses his 'comic shape'. This is indeed the most deftly executed comic persona in the whole 'Frasier' clan (Eddie is in a class by himself). Kelsey Grammar & David Hyde Pierce are a comic pairing reminiscent of classic comedy - Laurel & Hardy inhabited an infantile world of their own as do the Crane boys in their 'fortress' of culture, psychiatry and shared neediness. I never really appreciated David Hyde Pierce till I saw him in the rather bad movie 'Down With Love' which was a mean-spirited spoof of the profoundly un-mean-spirited Rock Hudson-Doris Day movies. The one bright spot in the film was D.H.P. doing an uncanny impression of Tony Randall in similar films. I do believe that someone else must have written his dialogue for that film, it is infinitely superior to the rest of the movie.I have no doubt that David Hyde Pierce is doing Tony Randall in Frasier and doing it even better than Tony Randall.

While "Frasier" is in fact merely a spin-off of the shrink character established in the long-running "Cheers", he's quite different in his own show. Which is a good thing: Years after leaving his favorite bar in Boston, Frasier works as a radio psychiatrist in Seattle; he's older, also more mature, oh, and at the same time his naivety concerning matters of the common man is easier exposed. Plus, he'd still eat a worm if someone were to give it only a French name. Frasier might be short-tempered, single-minded and self-absorbed at times, but he has his heart in the right place. As far as women are concerned he's charming, but all in all mostly hopeless, which on the other hand is part of the fun for the viewer as it makes him even more lovable and easier to connect with when keeps messing things up - despite the best of intentions. Then again he's snooty as ever, and has found a brother he never admitted to have in "Cheers". And finally there's dad with a hip problem who has permanently pitched a tent (or rather a tasteless chair) in Frasier's postmodern apartment. Aside from considerable taste differences to the culturally spoiled brats dad also brings his terrier Eddie with him, primarily good for winning staring contests with irritating shrinks.One thing soon becomes perfectly clear when watching the series: Kelsey Grammar (Frasier) and David Hyde Pierce (his brother Niles, psychiatrist too by profession) unmistakably form one of the rare comedic dream teams one finds hard to get tired of even after 11 years. Thanks to the brilliant writing staff especially the early seasons sparkle with witty comebacks, acid remarks, hilarious situations only snobs may chance upon finding themselves in. Furthermore the show sports a level of intelligence and cultural references that are entirely absent from many American shows, particularly sitcoms, served with frantic pace and spot-on delivery. While "Frasier" has a certain highbrow angle that lends the series its uniqueness, it can nevertheless be enjoyed on multiple levels: aside from sophisticated remarks of the side-splitting kind there's also slapstick and farce in the mix, and even the weaker episodes blow comparable situation comedies still out of the water. The sophistication that permeates the show clearly has something to do with the fact that "Frasier" turns out as a highly re-watchable offering, yes, even an addictive one, for there's always something new one can pick up in re-runs. That, and the fact that the characters are drawn so incredibly well makes the show an absolute winner. From physical therapist Daphne, Nile's desperate infatuation, over Frasier's producer and sleep-around Roz to station manager Kenny right down to the easily irritable Bulldog and the 11 seasons long unseen Maris, Nile's wife and doom - the writers gave all of these people recognizable personalities, even the invisible ones. Just like Frasier's radio sessions in fact give sound psychological advice. Instead of a quick laugh and fast food for the soul, you get the fun plus food for thought to go. And maybe an urge to grab some coffee. In that respect we close the circle, lift our cup and say: Cheers!

It's hard to write a review spanning all the seasons of Frasier, but I remember Jeff Foxworthy's routine "We don't get the jokes of Frasier" which highlighted the class distinction between the shows that "common folk" watch and the Frasier viewers.I must admit I didn't really like Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe as he came across as way too forceful with no subtlety that's a hallmark of Frasier. I'm pleased his character was phased out half-way through the series, and not a moment too soon. Maybe there was one episode where his racism really caused an uncomfortable moment - where he did a horrible Chinese accent to mock a Chinese restaurant commercial on KACL - all on air! You think about it, the Chinese restaurant has paid big bucks to be advertised on KACL and you'd expect they'd get some dignity out of it. But no, Bulldog does the honors and trashes the restaurant. Okay, I get it, Bulldog was politically incorrect. He attacked political correctness. But the blindspot was that Bulldog never seemed to mock LGBTs. Never. Maybe there's an episode where he did, but if Bulldog is so politically incorrect, why were they off limits? I do wonder about this. Maybe an uncomfortable truth.