"Frasier" won dozens of Emmys over its original run (well deserved), but it still works now due to the fact that sitcoms once upon a time were built to last...
Fraiser is the best sitcom. As well as the snappiness of the writing, the countless references from pop culture to high art, and the great comedic acting (apparently Grammer was barely functional when not working for several seasons at least, it was a wonder to see him snap in and out of it), the
jokes are not ruined by cell phones. I was watching Friends at my parents while waiting for something, and we all found ourselves wondering "why don't they just call her and warn her?" or "why don't they look up this thing?" Many of the jokes in a lot of sitcom depend on a kind of situation a smart phone prevents with its ease of communication and ability to find basic info in a heartbeat. Fraiser doesn't have this problem because the core of the humor is in the relationships of the people and the problems tend to arise from their foibles and conflicts. It really is a very sweet show, too, for all its cynicism about some things. When it comes down to it, the family loves each other. Niles and Daphne's relationship is quite sweet, Niles for all his issues with his butt-of-jokes first wife does try to do right by her, Marty loves his weird crazy boys even for all their many differences, and Fraiser does care about his son and want the best for him, making a fool of himself many times in an effort to do so.
Funny you mention Rob Long- he hates Fraiser. Never said why that I've heard.
I think it might that he feels the character is stolen, since Fraiser originated on Cheers. Or it could be a personal Hollywood tiff. Rob’s funny, he’s pretty sentimental about real life, I think, but can’t stand that in or about media.
"Frasier" won dozens of Emmys over its original run (well deserved), but it still works now due to the fact that sitcoms once upon a time were built to last...
And they had HUGE writers rooms by modern standards. They were able to toss jokes around like no one's business.
One of whom was David Lloyd, who'd already established amazing credibility in the 1970s with his scripts for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".
Thanks so much for the shoutout!
Fraiser is the best sitcom. As well as the snappiness of the writing, the countless references from pop culture to high art, and the great comedic acting (apparently Grammer was barely functional when not working for several seasons at least, it was a wonder to see him snap in and out of it), the
jokes are not ruined by cell phones. I was watching Friends at my parents while waiting for something, and we all found ourselves wondering "why don't they just call her and warn her?" or "why don't they look up this thing?" Many of the jokes in a lot of sitcom depend on a kind of situation a smart phone prevents with its ease of communication and ability to find basic info in a heartbeat. Fraiser doesn't have this problem because the core of the humor is in the relationships of the people and the problems tend to arise from their foibles and conflicts. It really is a very sweet show, too, for all its cynicism about some things. When it comes down to it, the family loves each other. Niles and Daphne's relationship is quite sweet, Niles for all his issues with his butt-of-jokes first wife does try to do right by her, Marty loves his weird crazy boys even for all their many differences, and Fraiser does care about his son and want the best for him, making a fool of himself many times in an effort to do so.
Funny you mention Rob Long- he hates Fraiser. Never said why that I've heard.
I wonder why he hates Frasier since his personal sense of humor aligns so well with it. His books and personal essays have a very similar vibe.
Then again he worked on Cheers, which is in many ways the anti-Frasier comedically as the humor is more absurdist.
I think it might that he feels the character is stolen, since Fraiser originated on Cheers. Or it could be a personal Hollywood tiff. Rob’s funny, he’s pretty sentimental about real life, I think, but can’t stand that in or about media.