Frasier (TV series)

Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons, premiering on September 16, 1993, and concluding on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub Street Productions) in association with Grammnet (2004) and Paramount Network Television. The series was created as a spin-off of Cheers, continuing the story of psychiatrist Frasier Crane as he returned to his hometown of Seattle and started building a new life as a radio advice show host while reconnecting with his father and brother and making new friends. Frasierstars Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce, Peri Gilpin, and John Mahoney. The show was critically acclaimed, with the show itself and the cast winning thirty-seven Primetime Emmy Awards, a record at the time for a scripted series.[4] It also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for five consecutive years.[5] As of 2019, the possibility of a revival is being discussed.[6][7]
== Overview ==
Psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane (Grammer) returns to his home town of Seattle, Washington, following the end of his marriage and his life in Boston (as seen in Cheers). His plans for a new life as a bachelor are challenged when he is obliged to take in his father, Martin (Mahoney), a retired Seattle Police Departmentdetective, who has mobility problems after being shot in the line of duty during a robbery.
Frasier hires Daphne Moon (Leeves) as Martin's live-in physical therapist and caregiver, and tolerates Martin's dog Eddie. Frasier frequently spends time with his younger brother Niles (Pierce), a fellow psychiatrist. Niles becomes attracted to, and eventually falls in love with, Daphne (notwithstanding his own marriage), but does not confess his feelings to her until the final episode of the seventh season.
Frasier hosts The Dr. Frasier Crane Show, a call-in psychiatry show on talk radio station KACL. His producer Roz Doyle (Gilpin) is very different from Frasier in many ways. She is working class, direct and, at least early in the series, has superficial relationships with many men. However, Roz and Frasier share a professional respect and a wry sense of humour, and over time, they become best friends. Frasier and the others often visit the local coffee shop, Café Nervosa.
The Crane brothers, who have expensive tastes, intellectual interests, and high opinions of themselves, frequently clash with their blue-collar, average Joefather. The brothers' close relationship is often tense, and their sibling rivalry intermittently results in chaos. For a pair who make a living solving others' problems, they are often comically inept at dealing with each other's myriad hangups. Other recurring themes include Niles's relationship with his never-seenwife (later ex-wife) Maris, Frasier's search for love, Martin's new life after retirement, and the various attempts by the two brothers to gain acceptance into Seattle's cultural elite.
Season	Season	Episodes	Episodes	Originally aired 	Originally aired	Nielsen ratings[8]	Nielsen ratings[8]	Nielsen ratings[8]
Season	Season	Episodes	Episodes	First aired 	Last aired 	Rank 	Rating 	Tied with
 	1 	24 	24 	September 16, 1993	May 19, 1994 	7 	16.8 	N/A
 	2 	24 	24 	September 20, 1994	May 23, 1995 	15 	14.5 	N/A
 	3 	24 	24 	September 19, 1995	May 21, 1996 	11 	13.6 	20/20
 	4 	24 	24 	September 17, 1996	May 20, 1997 	16 	11.8 	N/A
 	5 	24 	24 	September 23, 1997	May 19, 1998 	10 	12.0 	Home Improvement
 	6 	24 	24 	September 24, 1998	May 29, 1999 	3 	15.6 	N/A
 	7 	24 	24 	September 23, 1999	May 18, 2000 	6 	13.6 	N/A
 	8 	24 	24 	October 24, 2000 	May 22, 2001 	17 	10.7 	Temptation Island
 	9 	24 	24 	September 25, 2001	May 21, 2002 	14 	9.9 	JAG
 	10 	24 	24 	September 24, 2002	May 20, 2003 	26 	8.4 	N/A
 	11 	24 	24 	September 23, 2003	May 13, 2004 	30 	7.3 	The King of Queens
== Characters ==
=== Main ===
* Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane, a radio psychiatrist. He is a pedantic, finicky, overscrupulous and sometimes pontifical man. Growing up with a cultured mother and "Average Joe" father, Frasier epitomises a synthesis of upper-class sophistication yet is still capable of working-class enjoyments. After returning to Seattle, he begins embracing his more cultured background but developed a more snobbish and haughty self, possibly due to rekindling his relationship with his brother Niles Crane. Despite his pretentious demeanour, Frasier has a good heart and strong moral compass.
* Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon later Crane, a Mancunian physiotherapist and live-in housekeeper hired by Frasier to help Martin with his physiotherapy. Daphne's eccentric, working-class background and self-professed psychic abilities (which often end up being correct) frequently lead to Daphne's comical non-sequiturs about her unusual family, to the Cranes' incredulity. Despite her background, Niles falls for her instantly. Niles' obsession with Daphne and Daphne's obliviousness of this obsession is developed throughout the earlier seasons of the series.
* David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane, Frasier's younger brother, a psychiatrist in private practice. Fastidious, fussy, and far snobbier than Frasier, Niles' pedantic, neurotic qualities provide a foil for Frasier's own idiosyncrasies. He is also loyal, chivalrous and incredibly loving which more than makes up for it in the eyes of his loved ones. Niles is very close to his older brother, though their fiercely competitive natures provide much of the humour. Like Frasier, Niles also prefers fine arts, music, and intellectual pursuits to activities like sports, though (surprisingly given Niles' clumsiness and lack of hand-eye coordination) he excels in squash and croquet. Niles is especially Mysophobic, given to wiping his hands after human contact and wiping down chairs in public places before sitting on them.
* Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle, the producer of Frasier's radio show. Originating from Bloomer, Wisconsin, Roz is an attractive single woman with a euphonious voice much-remarked amongst Frasier's listeners. She has no shame about her serial dating, which is the subject of many jokes and snide remarks, particularly from Frasier's brother Niles.
* John Mahoney as Martin Crane, Frasier and Niles's father, a down-to-earth and unpretentious Seattle police detective who was forced to retire from the force due to a gunshot wound to his hip. Due to this injury inhibiting him from living alone, Martin is forced to accept Frasier's invitation to live with him upon Frasier's return to Seattle. Though his sons share very little in common with him in terms of hobbies and personalities, their relationship deepens over the seasons. Martin's relationship with his Jack Russell terrier, Eddie; beer-drinking (specifically Ballantine) and pea-green recliner are a perpetual source of irritation for Frasier.
* Dan Butler as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe (seasons 4–6; recurring season 1; special appearance seasons 2–3; special guest seasons 7 & 9–11), the woman-hungry, chauvinistic host of "Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe and the Gonzo Sports Show", which followed Frasier's time slot at KACL. Bulldog's practical jokes on Frasier and interruption of his show to boot him out of the booth were a perpetual source of antagonism for both Frasier and Roz.
== Minor characters ==
=== Sherry Dempsey ===
Sherry Dempsey (Marsha Mason) is a bartender at McGinty's, Martin's favorite bar, and, for a short time, Martin's girlfriend. Sherry is fun-loving, brash, loud and crass, and she and Martin share many interests. Frasier and Niles dislike her, but nevertheless, for the sake of family unity, they attempt to tolerate her, to the point that when the pair split, Frasier attempts to reunite them, despite it being against his own interests. Martin and Sherry eventually break up at a bar when Martin wants to marry, but Sherry (who has had several previous marriages) wants to keep the relationship casual. As father and son watch a basketball game and drink beers at that bar, Martin confides to Frasier that he just couldn't bring himself to propose to Sherry.
=== Faye Moskowitz ===
Faye Moskowitz (Amy Brenneman) is a former lawyer turned pastry chef who is a love interest to Frasier during the sixth season. While Christmas shopping with Roz, he meets Faye's mother. Thinking Frasier is Jewish because she saw him buying a menorah for his son, Mrs. Moskowitz takes a liking to him and hooks him up with Faye. Despite a decent first date, Faye breaks up with him for a while when she embarks on a planned trip to Paris. By the time Faye returns to Seattle towards the end of the season, Frasier was already dating a KACL marketing manager named Cassandra Stone (played by Virginia Madsen). Almost immediately, Frasier finds himself torn between both women, and although Frasier eventually chooses Faye, he constantly calls her Cassandra by mistake. To cover this, Frasier tells her that Cassandra is his aunt. But when Faye learns the truth, she breaks up with him for good.
=== Mel Karnofsky Crane ===
Dr. Melinda "Mel" Karnofsky Crane (Jane Adams) is Maris Crane's plastic surgeon, and for a period, Niles Crane's girlfriend and (briefly) wife. She is fussy, neurotic, and fastidious, much like Niles. Similarly, she's the sort of manipulative, controlling female Niles is attracted to (e.g., Maris). It is heavily implied in her first appearance that she is much older than she appears, probably due to her profession. Mel also has one son, and it is specifically stated she is divorced. It is hinted at that she had her son at a very young age. Just two days prior to Daphne's planned marriage to Donny, Niles and Mel impulsively elope. After Niles runs off with Daphne on the day of her intended wedding to Donny, Mel is humiliated and bitter. She pays Niles back by refusing to grant an immediate divorce; instead, she forces Niles to play along that the two remain happily married, assuring him that after he has done this on several select social occasions she will file for divorce. It quickly becomes apparent that she is deliberately prolonging the process while ensuring the maximum public humiliation for Niles. At a social event held by Frasier, Mel finally pushes Niles to the limit; Niles publicly disowns "this sham of a marriage", and the two are quickly divorced. Mel is humiliated and does not appear again.
=== Charlotte Connor ===
Charlotte Connor[citation needed] (Laura Linney) is a matchmaker recently arrived from Chicago and Frasier's final love interest on the series. Frasier initially hires her to set him up with someone following a particularly grim period regarding his romantic prospects. Charlotte sends him on several bad dates but when they get to know each other, Frasier finds himself falling in love with her. She eventually returns his feelings, but the relationship is forced to end prematurely when Charlotte, having bought back her old business from her ex-husband, moves back to Chicago. Frasier, initially claiming not to have any regrets about letting her go, accepts a high-paying job offer in San Francisco. The series ends with Frasier on a plane, but it is revealed at the last minute that he had chosen love over career as the plane lands in Chicago, where he hopes to reunite with Charlotte.
=== Kelly Easterbrook ===
Kelly Easterbrook (Sela Ward) is a supermodel, part-time, in order to support her zoology PhD work. She and Frasier meet on a plane to Acapulco where Kelly is headed to observe spiny-tailed iguanas. After they spend the night together, she reveals that she is in the process of breaking up with a player from the Seattle Seahawks and "doesn't want any publicity". She doesn't want anyone to know that she and Frasier are consummating their relationship and asks him not to tell. He is covert with friends and attempts discretion with his family members, but in both cases it is interpreted as loneliness. He states he is tired of the pity and ends up stating that he met a supermodel in Acapulco who would like him to be discreet. He reveals that it is Kelly Easterbrook, "the lotion girl" as Daphne refers to her. They don't believe him until nearly the end of the episode when they finally do see the two of them together.
=== Ronee Lawrence Crane ===
Veronica "Ronee" Lawrence Crane (Wendie Malick) is Niles and Frasier's old babysitter, and the first woman to break Frasier's heart (he used to watch her kiss her boyfriend through the balusters). She is also responsible for Niles' compulsive furniture-wiping, as she told him stories when he was a child about earwigs laying eggs on all the furniture, which would hatch, crawl into his ears, and eat his brain.
In 2003 she meets Frasier by chance and soon starts dating Martin (whom she had a crush on as a teenager). They get married the following year, on May 15 (Eddie's birthday), in the show's final episode, "Goodnight, Seattle".
She released an album called Mood Swings, and works as a lounge singer and pianist at the Wellington Club. Ronee drives a red 1959 Cadillac Eldorado. Her traditionally minded, prudish mother lives in Spokane, Washington.
=== Claire French ===
Claire (Patricia Clarkson) is a friend of Frasier's old date / high school prom queen. She appears in season 8.
== Crane family members ==
The following are significant members of the Crane family excluding Frasier, Martin, Niles, and Daphne Crane. Although most of the series revolves around Frasier Crane and his immediate family, occasionally members of Frasier's extended family appear. These are listed below.
=== David Crane ===
David is Niles' and Daphne's son. He was born in the two-part episode "Goodnight, Seattle". During Daphne's pregnancy, it is implied he takes after his low-brow uncles (Daphne's brothers); for example, he kicks away classical music and jumps at the mention of a pub. He was born in a veterinary clinic and is named after show's creator David Angell, who died along with his wife Lynn aboard American Airlines Flight 11 during the September 11, 2001 attacks.
=== Eddie ===
Eddie (born May 1990) is a Parson Russell Terrier. Eddie was originally played by Moose,[1] and later by Moose's son Enzo.[2]
Eddie is known for responding to Martin and Daphne with human-like understanding, but often seems to taunt Frasier. In one episode, "Three Dates and a Breakup", Eddie eats the meals Frasier prepared for his dates as if he, Eddie, knew that Frasier's dates would not be staying for dinner. An early recurring gag had Eddie staring unceasingly at Frasier, often wanting something, to Frasier's increasing annoyance. Frasier's ex-wife Lilith is the only one who scares Eddie and whenever she's around, Eddie does exactly as Lilith says.
Eddie is often featured in the closing sequences of a show, when the closing theme is played/ sung and the credits roll, in a short vignette generally related to a joke from earlier in the episode.
Eddie's birth date was originally given as May 7 in the episode "Desperately Seeking Closure" but was then changed to May 15 in the final episode, "Goodnight Seattle".
Eddie's intelligence and capacity to learn tricks are very inconsistent, sometimes being incapable of learning to sit and at other times looking left and right on Martin's command. It was once shown that the only word he understands is his own name but other times he seems to understand exactly what he's being told.
In "The Unkindest Cut of All" a neighbor brings over a box of puppies that she claimed Eddie sired. Frasier, who had not thought that Eddie was entire, subsequently manages to give them away, and insists that Martin have Eddie neutered.
In a flashback in the episode "The Return of Martin Crane", Martin (shortly before being shot) is shown having just bought a goldfish named "Eddie". His partner suggests that he should've got himself a dog instead, to which Martin responds that he isn't a dog person. Clearly, this changed sometime after he got shot.
=== Frederick Crane ===
Frederick Gaylord Crane (born October 1989, played by twins Christopher and Kevin Graves in Cheers, Luke Tarsitano in 1995, Trevor Einhorn from 1996 until 2003) is the son of Frasier and Lilith Sternin. "Freddy" was born in the Cheersepisode "The Stork Brings A Crane;" he appears in several episodes throughout the show's run. In the episode "Breaking In Is Hard to Do", which aired a year after his birth episode he spoke his first word: "Norm!" He lives with his mother in Boston but often comes to visit Frasier in Seattle on the holidays. Through his mother, he is Jewish; his bar mitzvah was most notable for his mother's emotional breakdown and his father's ill-advised attempt to make a speech in Hebrew (but in fact in Klingon) (as seen in the tenth-season episode Star Mitzvah, which reveals Freddy's middle name, Gaylord). In his first appearance, he has Lilith's hair color but when he returns, he has Frasier's.
Frederick was born during Cheers' eighth-season episode "The Stork Brings a Crane". He was delivered in a taxicab while Lilith was on her way home from the hospital after an episode of false labor. Lilith tolerated the pain by biting down on one of the cab driver's fuzzy dice. Initially his personality is very undeveloped, as he is just a small child. In early seasons he is portrayed as having numerous rather debilitating allergies and being rather inexpert when faced with a number of more or less mundane social situations (as seen in the fourth-season episode "A Lilith Thanksgiving"). He is known to be intelligent, achieving high academic scores, and is accepted to the Marbury Academy, an exclusive Boston private school. In addition to his intelligence he shares several family traits, including a talent for chess, and his mother's talent at Machiavellian scheming based on an understanding of behaviorist psychology. He shares both his Uncle Niles' lack of coordination and his spelling skill, becoming one of the two final contestants on the National Spelling Championship.[3] As he gets older more traits begin to develop. At around seven he develops a crush on Daphne, much to Niles' jealousy. As he gets older he begins to get somewhat spoiled and surly, and enjoys Frasier's company less and less, prompting Frasier to fear a growing generation gap, particularly when Freddy becomes a goth, but father and son are able to bond over their mutual bad luck with the opposite gender. At the end of the series he is 15 years old.
Frederick's chronologically last appearance in the Cheers/Frasier universe is during the epilogue of the tenth-season Cheers episode "I'm Okay, You're Defective", described as taking place "Many years later". It shows an older Lilith and adult Frederick (played by Rob Neukirch) sitting for the reading of Frasier's will.
=== Hester Crane ===
Hester Rose Crane, née Palmer[4] (Nancy Marchand in Cheers, Rita Wilson in Frasier) was Martin's wife and Niles's and Frasier's mother. By the time the series begins, she has been dead for approximately six years;[5]. Hester Crane died in 1987 of lung cancer.[4]. Hester appears in a dream sequence (experienced by Frasier in episode "Don Juan In Hell") and in 8 mm cine transferred to video (in the seventh-season episode "Momma Mia" where Rita Wilson also plays Mia Preston who is the spitting image of Hester).
Hester first appeared (played by Nancy Marchand) in a third-season episode of Cheers ("Diane Meets Mom") in which Hester threatened to kill Diane Chambersif Diane did not stop seeing Frasier. This Hester was duplicitous, manipulative and controlling, more so than the recollections and descriptions of her in the later series. Frasier is surprised by her threats, and says she "has always been the most gentle, rational human being [he] had ever known."
Rita Wilson would play a middle-aged version of Hester in the two-part episode "Don Juan in Hell", using prosthetic makeup.
Hester was a research psychiatrist and met Martin, a cop, in 1952[4] when she was profiling a murderer. She rejected his first marriage proposal, but the two married when she became pregnant with Frasier.[6] As they did not know better in the 1950s, Hester smoked during at least her first pregnancy.[7] Hester had an affair with a family friend when Frasier and Niles were still children,[8] and she and Martin were subsequently separated for a time.[9]
Hester was the inspiration for both Frasier and Niles to go into the profession. She named her two sons after favorite lab rats. Both her sons take after her more than they do their father, being intellectually pompous, which causes Roz and Martin — especially given her infidelity — to consider that Hester's one-time lab assistant Leland Barton (David Ogden Stiers) might be the boys' biological father.[10] (Without knowing Martin's concerns, Barton reveals he is gay, implying he is not their father.) For example, Frasier and Niles quote her as saying "a handshake is as good as a hug."[11] When his snobbish sons embarrass him at "The Timber Mill", a steakhouse chosen by Martin, Martin points out that his wife "may have had fancy tastes, but she had too much class to ever make me or anybody else feel second-rate", and was willing to eat hot dogs and watch ballgames with him.[12] While her sons mostly took after her, certain aspects come from neither Hester or Martin. According to Martin, both him and Hester always hated Sherry, which Frasier and Niles love.[10]
=== Maris Crane ===
Maris Crane is Niles Crane's wife for much of the series. She is unseen on camera, but often the subject of plotlines and jokes. Her maiden name was never revealed on the series. Maris is immensely wealthy, much wealthier than Niles,[13] as well as spoiled, dominating, and neurotic. Many of the characters pointedly dislike her (to Niles' consternation), with Frasier contributing in the show's first episode, "Maris is like the sun ... except without the warmth". In a further humorous vein, David Hyde Pierce passively describes Maris during a Montréal comedy performance (which he performs in-character) as "...a wife who's like a refugee from Taming of the Shrew..."[14]
Maris was born in 1952 in Seattle. Her father was referred to as "The Commodore". She also has at least two sisters, one named Bree, who was born with only one nostril; she is mentioned as Frasier's date in one episode. As a child, Maris was overweight, but started losing weight and soon became very thin. She is described as small, very pale, and pathologically emaciated; Roz originally mistook her for a hat rack, and Niles noted that she once sat on a whoopee cushion without setting it off.
Maris lived in her family's mansion, which has been in the family for four generations after they made their fortune from urinal cakes (but she fools people by telling them her fortune comes from timber). She met Niles during his internship in Seattle when he stopped to help her as she was banging on the electric gates to get into her home. They were married three years later,[15] in 1986.
Maris makes only two onscreen "appearances": once in the episode "Voyage of the Damned" when her shadow is seen through a shower curtain (she is spoken to but makes no reply), and again in "Rooms with a View", where she appears in Niles' memory, almost completely covered by bandages after surgery. In "The Seal Who Came to Dinner", the pass-code to Maris's seaside home is described as her "ideal weight", and "what she weighed at her débutante ball" during her pageant years. The series of numbers that Niles punched in would mean that Maris, at that time, was 45 pounds and 12 ounces (20.8 kg). Aside from her low weight, Maris is subject to various medical problems: she has abnormally tight quadriceps, a rigid spine, a large number of very specific allergies, she cannot produce saliva, and has a slight webbing of her hands that made her self-conscious enough to shy away from their physical touch. She frequently travels to Europe for plastic surgery and expensive, eccentric health treatments.
In 1993, Maris and Niles refer Frasier to Daphne Moon (Niles' future wife) as a live-in physical therapist for Martin. Two years later, Maris goes to New Yorkwithout telling Niles, who worries greatly and is then infuriated by her rash, selfish disappearance (with encouragement from Frasier). On her return, Niles finally stands up to Maris and she promptly kicks him out of the house, beginning a two-year separation. Maris eventually reunites with Niles, but immediately has an affair with their marital therapist, Dr. Bernard Shenkman. In 1998, Niles finally files for divorce. In spite of the finalized divorce, Maris and Niles continue to be codependent for some time, until Niles finally breaks completely free, largely due to Daphne's aggravation.
In 2003, Maris becomes romantically involved with a violent Argentinian poloplayer, Esteban de Rojo (Victor Alfieri), whom Maris kills in self-defense. Consequently, she is jailed for a few months on suspicion of murder. In 2004, shortly before her trial is scheduled to begin, she escapes to her family's private island from which she cannot be extradited, effectively stranding her for life.
=== Nikos Crane ===
Nikos Crane (Joseph Will) is the son of Walt and Zora Crane. He is Martin's nephew, and Frasier and Niles' cousin. Nikos was originally going to attend medical school, but became a juggler after receiving some advice from Frasier, about which Zora was quite angry.
=== Walter "Walt" Crane ===
Walter "Walt" Crane (John Mahon) is Martin's brother and the uncle of Frasier and Niles. He appears only once, in an episode in which he and Martin meet again, only to become separated again by the end of the episode. In the episode "Author, Author" when Frasier and Niles are having a fight, Martin tells them a story about a dispute he once had with a partner. His first words are "Now, I never had a brother..." However, the story that Martin tells the boys turns out to be a lie, which he reveals to Daphne after the boys make up and leave.
=== Zora Crane ===
Zora Crane, (Patti LuPone) a Greek woman, is Walt Crane's wife, Martin's sister-in-law, and the aunt of Frasier and Niles, and the one responsible for Walt and Martin's estrangement. Savagely domineering, she is notable for having violent outbursts. According to family lore, when the Nazis invaded Greece, the five-year-old Zora joined the partisans just to strangle Nazis with her jump ropes.
=== Lilith Sternin ===
Main article: Lilith Sternin
Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth) is the ex-wife of Frasier Crane and mother of their son, Frederick. A cold, remote woman, she is disliked by most of his family and friends. Lilith appeared as a prominent character on Cheers, in which Frasier also first appeared. Her relationship with ex-spouse Frasier is polite yet distant in the early seasons, becoming more cordial in the final seasons.
=== Nanette Guzman/"Nanny G" ===
Nanny G is Frasier's first wife and a well-known children's entertainer. She first appeared in the tenth-season episode of Cheers, titled "One Hugs, the Other Doesn't", played by Emma Thompson. She then appeared in the Frasier Season 9 premiere episode "Don Juan in Hell" in a fantasy sequence as a young hippiefrom Frasier's memory (played by Dina Spybey). Her final appearance was in the final season of Frasier in the episode "Caught in the Act", this time played by Laurie Metcalf, who proclaims, "Do you have any idea what it's like to play the same character for twenty years?!" – an in-joke reference to Grammer's own twenty-year portrayal of Frasier Crane on Cheers, Wings and Frasier. Frasier and Nanette were briefly married while he was an undergraduate; the ceremony occurred at City Hall.[16] The two experienced a strong sexual chemistry but Frasier claims that the marriage could not work because of their youth and naïveté.
=== Aunt Vivienne ===
An unseen character central to the episode "Beloved Infidel". Her nickname is "The Mouth" and Niles describes her as the "keeper of the Crane family skeletons". When Frasier and Niles suspect Martin of having an affair in their childhood, Niles plans to call her to find out, but Frasier stops him. Niles suggests Frasier is worried what he might find out; he replies "Yes; that she knows where I live and that she still drives!".
=== Aunt Louise ===
Aunt Louise is an unseen and deceased character mentioned in the episode "Martin Does It His Way". In it she plays a central role, being her funeral and the disposal of her ashes importan part of the main plot. She's described as a coarse and mean woman with no warmth, as Frasier said "She was a dreadful old harpy, made everyone's life around her miserable.". In the end, Niles botched the disposal of the ashes throwing them into himself and, by the end credits, being swept from the church floor and into a garbage can. [17]
== KACL staff and professional ==
=== Gil Chesterton ===
Gilbert "Gil" Leslie Chesterton (Edward Hibbert) is the host of Restaurant Beaton KACL. He is a pompous, effeminate, over-refined food-critic whose taste buds are insured. In his first appearance, Gil is somewhat antagonistic towards Frasier and vying for his KACL time-slot, though in subsequent appearances the issue is no longer contentious. Believed by his coworkers to be in the closet, Gil claims to be married to a woman named Deb, a "Sarah Lawrence graduate and the owner of a very successful auto body repair shop", as well as an Army Reservist, but his co-workers believe "Deb" is Gil's pet cat and don't believe the latter, either. Much of the humour related to 'Gil' stems from his adamant denial of his seeming homosexual orientation, as well as his overall catty snarkiness. In a season eleven episode, Frasier is falsely outed on the air, after being seen at a local gay bar; Gil is seen coyly reading a newspaper outside the same bar during the episode's closing-credits before entering the bar. In "The Impossible Dream", Frasier is disturbed to find that he is having overtly sexual dreams about Gil.
Gil drives a red BMW with a red interior and is almost always seen wearing his trademark bow tie. It is also revealed that Gil wears an ankle bracelet. He claims to be a veteran of the armed services (he once refers to having "seen some cruel pranks in the Army"). His last appearance is in the show's two part finale Goodnight, Seattle where he is seen along with Kenny Daly, Roz, Daphne, Bebe, Noel, Martin, Ronee, Niles, and the rest of the KACL staff watching Frasier give his farewell speech.
The character is named in honor of series producer Christopher Lloyd'sjournalism teacher at Beverly Hills High School.[19][20]
=== Chopper Dave ===
Chopper Dave (Richard Poe) is a Vietnam War veteran who hosts KACL's Eye in the Sky traffic reports. He has a tendency to speak very loudly due to spending time trying to speak over the din of his helicopter. He has also been known to annoy his colleagues by flying his helicopter very close to their apartment windows.
=== Julia Wilcox ===
Julia Wilcox (Felicity Huffman) becomes the new financial reporter for the KACL late in the series' run. She is the author of two books, Practical Applications of Econometrics and Day Trade Your Way Out of Debt, the latter of which had stirred some controversy and had eventually contributed to her being fired from CNBC.
Her no-nonsense, all-business demeanor and arrogant and stand-offish attitude earn her the dislike of the other staff, especially Roz Doyle. Frasier makes an advance towards her in a moment of anger-induced passion, similar to a scene in an episode with Kate Costas, with Frasier even using some of the same insults and quoting the famous line by Sam Malone to Diane Chambers in Cheers "Are you as turned on as I am?", which results in the entire station being forced to attend a sexual harassment seminar until Julia promises not to sue Frasier or the station, after which the entire staff leave the seminar.
When Frasier discovers that his accountant and former Oxford classmate, Avery (John Hannah), is cheating on his wife with Julia, he confronts Avery, unaware that Julia is hiding in a closet, overhearing the entire conversation. Julia's attitude towards Frasier begins to soften after this display of chivalry on his part, and she uses her connections to have Ben, a British street musician (Elvis Costello) whom Frasier and Niles find annoying, then playing a regular gig at Café Nervosa, offered a full-time job elsewhere.
She and Frasier have a brief romantic encounter, much to Roz's chagrin. Julia and Roz end up verbally attacking each other after Julia suspects Roz's feeling for Frasier. He ends up siding with Julia, causing Roz to take a new position and leave KACL, albeit temporarily. Her boorish and coarse behavior towards Martin, Niles, and Daphne ultimately persuades Frasier to break off their relationship.
=== Kenny Daly ===
Kenny Daly (Tom McGowan) is a long-time radio man; apparently a successful DJ in the past, in 1993 he was reduced to delivering pizzas as he was out of work at the time.[21] Kenny was married with at least three children, but got divorced in 2003, following which he suffered a breakdown.
Kenny becomes the new station manager of KACL in 1998. A likable and relaxed manager, he soon becomes friends with all the staff there. When he took over in "Sweet Dreams", he gave Frasier the ultimatum of doing an ad he couldn't endorse or be fired. Kenny fires Frasier but rehires him an hour and a half later. Kenny then goes to station owner Joe Martin to tell him about Frasier's complaint and is fired (this is the time that KACL becomes an all-Salsa station as Joe Martin, inadvertently inspired by Frasier, goes back to his birth name, José Martinez, and rediscovers his Latin roots). Kenny occasionally performs the unscrupulous acts of his predecessors, such as firing and lying to the talent, but often feels guilty and admits to it shortly afterward. Kenny is fairly lowbrow and has tastes and pleasures similar to Martin Crane, which occasionally grates against Frasier's more refined sensibilities.
Kenny resigns as station manager after deciding to go back to DJing, and Roz is appointed as his replacement. He is last seen, along with Frasier's family, friends and KACL staff watching him do his farewell speech.
=== Kate Costas ===
Kate Costas (Mercedes Ruehl) is one of several KACL station managers before Kenny. Frasier and Kate have a love-hate relationship finding themselves on opposite sides on programming decisions and union negotiations. They have a brief affair before Kate leaves to accept a management position at a Chicagostation.
=== Noel Shempsky ===
Noel Shempsky (Patrick Kerr) is a painfully geeky Trekkie who keeps an autographed picture of William Shatner as Captain Kirk on his desk[22] and is fluent in Klingon. His station nickname is "Noel the Mole".[22] He is also good friends with Bill Gates, offering a Vulcan salute to Gates when he appears on Frasier's show in Season 9 episode "The Two Hundredth Episode". Noel is such an avid Star Trek fan that William Shatner has a restraining order against him.
He works in sales at KACL and drives a '73 Dodge Polara. From early in the series[22] He and Roz go out for a drink and he falls in love with Roz Doyle who, in his attempt to win her heart gives her a spice rack that he made. Roz, who does not feel the same way about him, was even willing to date a lesbianinstead of him once. In the season 10 episode Star Mitzvah it is revealed that Noel is Jewish, and is fluent in Hebrew.
His claim to fame, as seen when he volunteers to be the station representative during contract negotiations, is that he can faint at will. It has also been mentioned in the season 10 final episode "A New Position for Roz" that Noel has never missed a day of work. He was even retained by KACL when it changed formats to Salsa radio and fired most of the talk radio personnel, due to his mastery of Spanish and his never ever having a sick day. Noel shows attraction to Roz throughout the series leading to often embarrassing attempts to impress her. In the final episode, he finally kisses her after she becomes the station manager.
=== Thomas "Tom" Duran ===
Thomas "Tom" Duran (Eric Lutes) was an openly gay station manager during the second season. In "The Matchmaker", Frasier unwittingly asks Tom out on a date, intending to fix him up with Daphne. He appears later in the season in "Agents in America, Part III", trying to coax Bebe from jumping off the ledge of the building.
=== Father Mike Mancuso ===
Father Mike (George DelHoyo) is a clergyman who serves as host of Religion on the Line at KACL. He appears or is referenced in various episodes throughout the first two seasons, before being fired by new station manager Kate Costas in the first episode of season 3, seemingly for no reason other than the fact Kate found his show boring – something which concerned Frasier, whose show had similar audience figures.
=== Poppy Delafield ===
Poppy (Katie Finneran) is introduced in season 7 as an intern at KACL. She annoys her coworkers with her overly talkative manner and lack of intelligence, and only has her job because her mother owns the station. When Niles gets a job as an arts critic, Frasier becomes jealous and persuades Poppy to ask her mother to start a culture review show on KACL. However, Poppy does not realize that Frasier wants to host the show and ends up hosting it herself, to disastrous effect. Later in the season, she meets Niles and becomes attracted to him. The two set a date to attend an upcoming ball, but due to a series of misunderstandings between them and Frasier, the brothers start to argue and scare away both Poppy and Frasier's date.
=== Other shows on KACL ===
There have been numerous other shows on KACL, some of which are:
Gonzo Sports Show — Hosted by Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe.
Restaurant Beat — Hosted by Gilbert "Gil" Leslie Chesterton.
Religion on the Line — Hosted by Fr. Mike Mancuso, canceled by Kate Costas.
Pet Chat with Nanette — Hosted by Nanette, canceled by Kate Costas.
Amber Edwards Book Chat — Hosted by Amber Edwards.
Health Watch — Hosted by Dr. Clint Weber.
Storytime Theater — Hosted by Tooty, the Story Lady.
Teen Scene — Hosted by Trent, Emily and Ryan. The show is featured on the season nine episode "Juvenilia" when Frasier acts as a guest. Despite his initial belief that the show will be an easy ride, he quickly learns that the three hosts have an abrasive, interrogative style of hosting, leaving Frasier feeling exposed and dumbfounded.
The Morning Zoo with Carlos and The Chicken — KACL's morning show hosted by Carlos and Dwayne a.k.a. "The Chicken".
Let's Go Camping — Hosted by Dan and Jenna, disappeared inexplicably.
Dr. Nora — a second advice show on KACL, hosted by Dr. Nora Fairchild (recommended by Frasier), this show lasted for about two weeks.
Dr. Mary — a third advice show on KACL, hosted by ex-temp producer Mary Thomas.
Car Chat with Bob and Bethany — Hosted by Bob and Bethany; Martin mistakes Bethany for a man.
Money Matters — Julia Wilcox (Felicity Huffman), financial reporter, formerly of CNBC, to whom Frasier is forced to devote part of his show. He has a brief affair with her later.
=== Other radio shows mentioned ===
KeKe and Mel's Drivetime Circus — Mentioned by Opera Director Allister Berk (Patrick Stewart) in season 11 episode "The Doctor is Out".
And many other shows (the names of which were not given) but the hosts are:
Ray Schmidt, the "Green Grocer".
Bonnie Weems, the "Auto Lady".
Leo Pascali, the "Happy Chef". In season 3 episode "Leapin' Lizards" the host of The Happy Chef is shown on a schedule as Floyd Lovett.
Miss Judy, Arts and crafts.
Helen Grogan, "Ma Nature".
Chester Ludgate, KACL's "lovable curmudgeon" commentator.
== Moon family members ==
This section discusses the more significant members of Daphne Moon's family, a large, working-class clan from Manchester, England. Many of the actors who play Moon family members do not have specifically Mancunian English accents: Anthony LaPaglia, Richard E. Grant and Robbie Coltrane, who portray three of Daphne's brothers, and Brian Cox, who portrays her father, were not even born in England (La Paglia is Australian, Grant was born in Swaziland and both Coltrane and Cox are Scottish) and this apparent discrepancy is never addressed on the show but may be taken as an in-joke (see below).[23]
=== Gertrude Moon ===
Gertrude Moon (Millicent Martin) is Daphne's mother. The two have a difficult and complex relationship, and Daphne appears to dislike her mother immensely while still remaining intensely loyal and subservient to her. Domineering and conniving, Gertrude is doting and always forgiving towards her son Simon's selfish behavior but is hyper-critical of her ever-supportive and long-suffering daughter, frequently guilting Daphne into providing what she wants. When Gertrude leaves her husband she goes to Seattle. There she unsuccessfully tries to start a romance with Martin and briefly lives with Niles and Daphne, where she quickly overstays her welcome. When Daphne finally snaps and throws her out, she immediately breaks down with guilt, Niles offers to move her to an apartment of her own so that she can remain in Seattle with her daughter.
=== Grammy Moon ===
Grammy Moon, Daphne's paternal grandmother, is frequently mentioned but never seen or heard from on the show (see also: Maris Crane). She and her numerous eccentricities, cooking tips and health complaints are frequently the subject of Daphne's long-winded stories.
=== Harry Moon ===
Harry Moon (Brian Cox) is Daphne's father. Although he is an alcoholic and a layabout (who supports his drinking on the money given to him by men who attempt to impress their girlfriends by pretending to hit Harry after he pretends to chat up their girlfriends), his relationship with Daphne is closer than the relationship between Daphne and her mother. Seemingly trapped in a long-suffering marriage with his wife, he eventually left her. With Niles' intervention, they attempted a reconciliation, but it was short-lived, and Harry Moon eventually returned to England.
=== Michael Moon ===
Michael Moon (Robbie Coltrane) is a brother of Daphne. Michael appeared in the two-part series finale, "Goodnight, Seattle", and his speech is almost entirely incomprehensible, spoken in a very fast Lancashire accent.[24]
He also briefly appears in "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue" played by a different actor and is mentioned in "IQ" as having lost one of his toes after falling into a frozen lake. In "Goodnight, Seattle", he is revealed to have lost another toe in a shooting incident.
=== Simon Moon ===
Simon Moon (Anthony LaPaglia) is one of Daphne's brothers. An obnoxious and boorish heavy drinker and layabout, Simon has a difficult relationship with his sister, largely because of Simon's uncouth and selfish nature. He is greatly disliked by both Frasier and Niles, partly because of their class-conscious nature but also because when in Seattle he frequently stays with one of them, often taking unreasonable liberties with regard to their homes, possessions and alcohol supplies in the process. Conversely, he gets on quite well with Martin and, despite his many negative qualities, is quite a popular man who is very successful at attracting women.
Roz is quite taken with him (and he with her) at first, but she eventually catches on to his ways and rejects his advances. Simon views her as a sex object, yet always forgets her name. During the ninth-season episodes in which he appears, he constantly calls her "Rose." Roz does not care enough at that point to even correct him.
Simon appears in nine episodes. Like the majority of the Moon family seen on the show, he does not share a Mancunian accent with Daphne: the Australian LaPaglia imitates a London 'cockney' accent.[23] He does, on occasion, wear a Manchester United T-shirt.
=== Stephen Moon ===
Stephen Moon (Richard E. Grant) is Daphne's favorite brother. He appears in person in the series finale "Goodnight, Seattle" (and speaks with Grant's trademark RP 'posh' accent despite the Moons being from Manchester).[23] The character also appears in the two-part episode "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon", where he is played by a different actor and has no speaking lines.
=== Billy Moon ===
Only seen briefly during Daphne and Donny Douglas' ill-fated wedding, Billy is Daphne's gay brother, a professional ballroom dancer. In an early episode Daphne states 'he's me mum's favourite. Me dad mostly flicks the crust off his kidney pie at him'. He is described as extremely promiscuous, having sneaked peeks at his brother Nigel in the shower, and getting sexually excited by going to the doctor (even undressing in the car on a visit to the dentist.)
=== Nigel Moon ===
Briefly appeared in "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue". According to Daphne their brother Billy would spy on Nigel in the shower. He was portrayed by Cameron Dye.
=== Peter Moon ===
Briefly appears in "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue".
=== David Moon ===
Briefly appears in "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue". Coincidentally Daphne names her and Niles's son David (though in memory of series producer David Angell ).
== Doyle family members ==
=== Alice Doyle ===
Alice May Doyle (played by Ashley Thomas, 2002–2004) is the daughter of Roz Doyle. She first appears as a newborn in the fifth-season episode "Life of the Party", and by the end of the series has become a child of six. Her father, Rick Garrett, had only just turned 20 when Roz discovered she was pregnant with Alice, and rather than, as she thought, ruin his life, Roz decides to raise Alice herself and not burden Rick. Alice refers to Niles, Martin and Frasier as her "uncles". A running gag in the show's later seasons involved her desperate desire to be a flower girl at various weddings, but always being prevented at the last minute. She has a mildly adversarial relationship with Daphne's mother Gertrude, and a close relationship with Roz's onetime boyfriend, Roger.
=== Denise Dawson ===
Denise Dawson née Doyle (played by Suzanne Cryer) is Roz's older sister. Denise appears twice, first in "The Guilt Trippers", where Roz bemoans Denise's perfect life with her handsome husband Craig. However, there are evident cracks in the relationship, and when she next appears in "Sea Bee Jeebies", Denise receives a call from Craig telling her he's leaving her. Denise regularly puts Roz down using back-handed compliments, such as buying Roz a dress two sizes too small and telling her how good she'd look in it. She ultimately gets her comeuppance when her husband leaves her for someone else, leading her to hate men.
=== Jen Doyle ===
Jen Doyle (Zooey Deschanel) is Roz's 'pushy and opinionated' cousin who visits her in Seattle. Her judgmental attitude irritates Frasier and Roz finds she cannot maintain the all night partying that Jen prefers. She forms an unlikely friendship with Kenny Daly who is inspired by her spontaneity and passion for traveling in "Kissing Cousins".
=== Joanna Doyle ===
Joanna Doyle (Eva Marie Saint) is Roz's mother. Currently divorced, she is the Attorney General for the state of Wisconsin. Roz frequently speaks to her openly on the phone about very personal matters, to a level that often shocks Frasier. Appeared in the "Our Parents, Ourselves" episode (played by Saint).
=== Rick Garrett ===
Rick Garrett (Todd Babcock) is a waiter at Cafe Nervosa who, at the age of twenty, has an affair with Roz, which results in her getting pregnant. Guilt-stricken at the news, he impulsively asks Roz to marry him, but Roz declines, insisting that he pursue his college education firstly. Their child is Alice May Doyle.
== Niles and Maris' household staff ==
This section discusses the significant members of Maris and Niles' household staff who are mentioned on the show. Of these, Marta is significant as the only member of the household staff to have both a recurring role in the series complete with dialogue.
=== Marta ===
Marta (Irene Olga López) is Niles and Maris' elderly maid. She comes from a remote mountain village in Guatemala, and has difficulty with her English pronouns. She speaks fluent German, however, owing to her previous experience working for a German family "who turned up in Guatemala just after the war". In one episode, she translates from German to Spanish, and Frasier (mis)translates from Spanish to English for Niles, leading to comedic misunderstandings, related to a romantic entanglement. She is the only member of "Missy Crane's" household staff to be regularly seen on the show. In the episode Frasier Crane's Day Off from 1994 she is referred to as being 78 years old, meaning she would have been born in 1916.
=== Yoshi ===
Yoshi is Niles and Maris' elderly and temperamental Japanese gardener. He is frequently mentioned by Niles, usually when referring to arguments over the Zen garden Yoshi is keen to build. He is seen once on the series when Niles is addressing staff before leaving Maris. Yoshi dies of a heart attack while trimming Maris' elaborate hedge maze—Niles said 'the paramedics never had a chance.'
=== Ngee ===
Ngee is Niles' and Maris' housekeeper. He is frequently mentioned by Niles during the beginning of the series. Given that Ngee's name seems rather hard to pronounce, Frasier constantly refers to him as "Guy" (pronounced (French: [ɡi]) – clearly assuming him to be French), thus causing Niles to correct him.
=== Nadia ===
Nadia is referred to as Maris' "hatchet maid" but is never seen or heard.
== Characters seen on Cheers ==
These are Frasier's old friends from Boston that guest star in certain episodes, influencing the episode's outcome (in addition to frequent guests Lilith and Frederick). The only surviving series regular from Cheers that never appeared on the show was Kirstie Alley, who played Rebecca Howe from 1987–1993 (seasons 6–11).
=== Sam Malone ===
Sam Malone ran the bar (Cheers) that Frasier frequented back in Boston. He appeared on one episode of Frasier, in Season Two, called "The Show Where Sam Shows Up". He is having second thoughts about his wedding to a woman (played by Téa Leoni) whom Frasier had slept with unknowing that she and Sam were engaged. Sam breaks off the marriage when he finds out she once slept with Cliff Clavin.
=== Diane Chambers ===
Diane Chambers left Frasier at the altar during their wedding. She appeared in four episodes, three of which were only dream sequences. In season two, she first appears in a dream that Frasier had after going to a tropical island. Then in season three, Diane visits Seattle to produce a play, but confesses to Frasier she needs help because her life is a mess. Later in the series she appears in a dream sequence in which Frasier's ex-wives, ex-girlfriends and late mother all confront him regarding his romantic failings. Diane is mentioned throughout the series by Frasier and his family as both one of his most important relationships, as well as being the cause of a notable downturn in his life after she left him at the altar.
=== Woody Boyd ===
Woody Boyd appears in one episode in season six when he visits Frasier in Seattle. He and Frasier reminisce about their past days at Cheers, but the more time they spend together, the more they realise they have nothing in common but memories. Realizing that, they part as friends, agreeing to meet once every five or ten (Frasier emphasizes ten) years.
=== Cliff Clavin ===
Cliff Clavin was in a season nine episode called "Cheerful Goodbyes" where Frasier returns to Boston for a convention and unwittingly stumbles on Cliff's retirement party, with Frasier too diplomatic to admit he had not come for the party. In a farewell speech, Frasier inadvertently convinces Cliff to stay in Boston, to the outrage of Carla, who tries to kill him with a spear gun.
=== Norm Peterson ===
Norm Peterson attends the retirement party of Cliff Clavin in "Cheerful Goodbyes". He meets up with Frasier at the party, and gets along famously with Martin as a fellow beer drinker. Frasier telephones Norm in the episode "Three Dates and a Break Up".
=== Carla Tortelli ===
Carla Tortelli was a waitress at Cheers. She appears in the episode Cheerful Goodbyes at Cliff Clavin's retirement party, ecstatic that Cliff is finally leaving Boston. She flies into a psychotic rage when Cliff announces he has decided to stay, thanks in part to Frasier. She is ready to attack Cliff with one of his gifts, a spear gun, but security drags her out.
=== Minor characters ===
Many of the recurring minor characters seen on Cheers also appeared in "Cheerful Goodbyes", including Paul Krapence (played by Paul Wilson), Cliff's rival Walt Twitchell (played by Raye Birk), and Phil (played by Philip Perlman).
== Other characters ==
=== Bebe Glazer ===
Bebe Glazer (Harriet Sansom Harris) is Frasier's agent over the course of most of the series, described by Niles as "Lady Macbeth without the sincerity" and said to have "morals that would raise eyebrows in the court of Caligula". An intensely manipulative and seductive woman, with no apparent morals whatsoever outside of getting the best deal for herself and her clients, she is often compared to the Princess of Darkness by most of the characters, Niles in particular, who comments "She's the devil, Frasier. Run fast, run far!"
The two first meet in the season 1 episode "Selling Out", in which Bebe – who introduces herself as Bulldog's agent – hears Frasier endorse a Chinese restaurant on the air and harangues him into letting her line up other such deals for him, intimating that her own experience of meeting her daughter's college fees at Stanford will stand Frasier in good stead when he sends Freddie to Harvard. He comes to rely on her in order to get the best deal he can out of his employers, whilst simultaneously frequently being horrified by her extremely flexible and questionable ethics. She harbors a deep desire to be in the limelight herself, a dream briefly realized when she and Frasier co-host a morning television show for a week in "Morning Becomes Entertainment". She is revealed to have a son in the final episode, whose apparent age (around 40) is used to imply the talent of Bebe's cosmetic surgeon. In "Agents In America Part III", Bulldog describes Bebe as his agent, though it's likely this changed later in the series by the time he lost his job at KACL. She once seduced and attempted to marry an octogenarian multimillionaire in the hopes of inheriting his fortune upon his death, for which Frasier had to help her quit smoking over the course of a single weekend, at great stress to herself and the entire Crane family. However, during the wedding he died, whereupon she took up smoking again. She is also revealed, like Frasier, to have been an old friend of Dr. Phil, who frequently ended up owing her money as a result of their poker games.
=== Donny Douglas ===
Donald Ronald "Donny" Douglas (Saul Rubinek) is Niles' divorce lawyer and, for a period, Daphne's boyfriend and fiancé. Ironically, despite his intense crush on Daphne, it is actually Niles who first introduces the two; they meet during Niles' divorce proceedings, while Donny, who is representing Niles against Maris, is helping Frasier to prepare his upcoming testimony. Although a highly successful lawyer, Donny is exceedingly boorish and brash (his antics include arriving for a meeting with Frasier and Niles in a tracksuit after a jog, and changing into his suit in front of them), and are anathema to Frasier's and Niles' refinement; his degree from the University of Las Vegas leads Yale/Cambridge-educated Niles to comment that there could have been "no problem finding tassels for those mortarboards", and although Harvard/Oxford-educated Frasier tells him to "stop being such a snob", his opinions are evidently similar. Their opinion of Donny changes when he cows a supposedly tough lawyer over the phone, greatly reducing the time Niles must wait for his day in court. Donny wins a favorable divorce settlement for Niles through his discovery that Maris' family fortune was based on urinal cakes; Niles' joy is immediately cut short when Donny starts dating Daphne.
Ultimately, Daphne leaves Donny at the altar in favor of Niles. Embittered, Donny sues both her and Frasier (who was responsible for Daphne and Niles getting together) but eventually drops the lawsuit. Daphne later encounters Donny in the final minutes before his courtroom wedding to his new fiancée. In the tenth-season premiere, "The Ring Cycle," he reappears with yet a different fiancée, a woman named Bridgett, at Daphne's courtroom wedding with Niles. Donny thanks Daphne, stating that she played a major role in his eventual happiness, as if she had not left him at the altar, he would not have met his ex-wife, who introduced him to his new bride-to-be. Donny then comments that he hopes Niles and Daphne will attend their wedding, to which Daphne, absentmindedly being polite, states the same thing, only for Donny to graciously accept her invitation. While it appears that he no longer harbors any resentment towards the couple, when Daphne states that she cannot marry Niles (as, unbeknownst to Donny, Bridgett, Frasier, Martin, and Gertrude, they eloped to Reno, Nevada a week before, and were about to be married for a third time, in order to appease Gertrude, who had missed their second wedding, which occurred in order to please Frasier and Martin), Donny is vindictive towards him, declaring "YES! I KNEW IT! Now you know what it's like to have the love of your life dump you at the altar! And good luck trying to find somebody as good, because she just ain't out there!" This shocks and insults Bridgett, who leaves, causing a distressed Donny to chase after her.
=== Jerome Belasco ===
Jerome Belasco is an implied crime boss, whom Niles and Frasier approach to seek his help in getting one of Maris' parking tickets overturned—an action which soon comes back to haunt Frasier, as he must then provide couples counseling for Belasco's girlfriend. He was portrayed by Harris Yulin, who was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Jerome.
=== Kirby Gardner ===
Kirby (Brian Klugman) is the teenage son of Lana and Bob Gardner, and sometime employee of KACL. He is briefly tutored by Frasier, with whom he develops a father-son relationship in the later portion of his appearances. When Frasier endures a brutal interview with teen radio journalists where they exploit him, Kirby comes to Frasier's aid by supplying him with embarrassing information about the journalists. He also does odd jobs for Niles. Kirby's wild hairstyle has been compared to Sideshow Bob's.[25] Kirby is smitten with Roz Doyle, leading Frasier to manipulate Roz into escorting Kirby to the latter's high school prom as an incentive for Kirby to study and achieve good marks.
=== Bob Gardner ===
Bob Gardner (Brian Kerwin) is the husband of Lana Gardner and father of Kirby. Having previously abandoned his wife for another woman, he later had second thoughts and debated whether to return to her—coincidentally, at an airport he met up with Frasier, who was considering whether or not to pursue Lana romantically at the time, and after a brief conversation decided to remain with his wife. Frasier, who had also left the conversation with the intent to pursue Lana, decided as a consequence to withdraw and advised Lana to at least attempt to restore her marriage.
=== Lana Gardner ===
Lana Gardner, née Lynley (Jean Smart) is an old high school classmate of Frasier's, on whom both Frasier and Niles had crushes during high school. Frasier and Lana meet again as adults, and have a brief romantic relationship while Lana is estranged from her husband, Bob Gardner. Frasier calls this off owing to Lana's immensely aggressive personality. They later become friends. Lana is the mother of Kirby, and has at least one other child. In Jean Smart's first appearance as this character, she was known as Lorna Lynley—the character's name was later changed to Lana to avoid referring to a real person by that name.[26]
=== Derek Mann ===
Derek Mann (voiced by Joe Mantegna) is a newspaper columnist who is one of Frasier's biggest critics. His columns often debase Frasier's program and often twists the doctor's innocent advice to make Frasier look bad in the eyes of the public. He once challenged Frasier to a fistfight after the doctor publicly ridiculed him on his radio show.
=== Cam Winston ===
Cam Winston (Brian Stokes Mitchell) is the deep-voiced tenant of the apartment above Frasier's and is Frasier's rival. The two frequently clash and compete over parking spaces, apartment board placement, and balcony rights. For all their rivalry, the two have near-identical tastes, mannerisms, and personalities, which prompt competitiveness between them. The two have a history of trumping each other tit-for-tat via the apartment board: while Frasier convinces the board to ban Cam from parking his Humvee in the provided garage, Cam, in passive protest, hangs an enormous American flag over Frasier's balcony, covering Frasier's view; as well as the obvious inconvenience, this incident also damages Frasier's standing with the board, as when he protests about the flag, Cam twists matters so as to make Frasier seem unpatriotic. When their parents feign a dating relationship to have the two come to a truce, Cam and Frasier finally end their feud and compromise with each other to please their parents. Martin and Cam's mother do eventually form a short lived relationship. Cam is exploited in the 10th-season episode, Door Jam, when Frasier finds an exclusive luxury spa invitation addressed to Cam in his own mail box due to their mail box exchange as a condition of their truce. Intrigued, Frasier and Niles go to the spa, but find that they are not on the "list", prompting Niles to impersonate Cam's vocal characteristics in the charade, to get access into the spa.
The last mention of Cam Winston is in the 11th-season episode, "Crock Tales": Frasier, Niles, Daphne, and Roz are locked out of Frasier's apartment on the balcony and yell for Cam's help after they are unable to gain the attention of Martin, who's inside with headphones on.
=== Duke ===
Duke (John LaMotta) is Martin's close friend. He briefly appears in the second-season episode "Dukes, We Hardly Knew You" when Martin takes Frasier and Niles to Duke's bar called "Duke's", which is demolished later in the episode. He also appears as one of Martin's poker buddies in the fifth-season episode "Where Every Bloke Knows Your Name". Sometime near the beginning of the eighth season, Duke moves to Florida. Duke is frequently referenced on the show, and Martin is sometimes shown speaking to him on the phone or returning from visiting with him. Duke is divorced and has a son, as well as a daughter named Marie (played by Teri Hatcher) who briefly dates Frasier in the sixth-season episode "First, Do No Harm".
=== James ===
James (James Oliver) is a barista and waiter at Cafe Nervosa. He appeared in thirteen episodes over the course of the series, and often interacted with the main characters in the cafe. His first appearance was in 2001, and his last was in 2003. Somewhat indifferent or emotionless, he is described by Frasier as 'unflappable'. In the episode "Deathtrap", he pitches in an idea to Roz about how to make Alice's new pet hamster be quiet; suggesting "moving the cage to another room".
=== Waitress ===
Luck Hari played a never-named waitress at Cafe Nervosa during seasons 1 through 4. She appeared in eleven episodes, perhaps most memorably in "My Coffee With Niles", where she appeared in the episode's final reflective moment with Frasier.
== Dr. Frasier Crane Show callers ==
Voices for callers who phone in to the Dr. Frasier Crane Show were provided, in many cases, by famous actors and other personalities. Very often, they would literally call in to the studio to record their parts, without having to appear in person.
Since these voices were added in post-production, callers' lines were spoken during live studio filming by crewpersons or other actors—including, very often, Arleen Sorkin, the wife of executive producer Christopher Lloyd. Sorkin appeared in a live cameo during the series finale, "Goodnight, Seattle".
Some performers would later appear on the show as unrelated characters. For instance, Linda Hamilton played the final caller during the pilot episode, "The Good Son", and later appeared in the season four finale.
There were only three performers to make a call into the show and appear later in the episode. Lilith Sternin, Frasier's ex-wife, in the episode "The Show Where Lilith Comes Back" when she calls in to make a criticism of his advice to a previous caller. He then makes plans to meet her after Roz, knowing all about Frasier's tumultuous relationship with his ex, suggests taking her out for dinner live on air so that he has no choice but to accept. The second was Renée Lippin, who played Kari in the episode "Someone to Watch Over Me". Kari is Frasier's stalker who calls into the show and is seen at the SeaBea awards. Woody Boyd, the bartender at Cheers, calls in to the show because he is stuck driving in circles at the airport. He and Frasier reminisce on their Cheers days later in the show.
Occasionally, the problem mentioned by a caller served as the main plot for the show, such as Gretchen (Glenne Headly), who worried that her husband was having an affair with a woman whom Frasier suspected of being Niles's wife, Maris. In a similar episode "A Word to the Wiseguy", Frasier receives a call from Brandy, the girlfriend of a shady businessman saying she wants to leave him after Frasier promised he would counsel the woman into marrying her boyfriend.
Very often, the caller's problem is a deliberate joke on that actor's real-life. For instance, Cindy Crawford, a model and spokeswoman for a make-up company, played a manicurist.
Caller name 	Season and Episode	Portrayed by 	Call Information 	Notes
Russell 	1.01 	Griffin Dunne 	the first caller featured in the pilot episode, who feels his life is going nowhere 	Dunne later appeared in the series as Bob, a wheelchair-using photographer interested in becoming Frasier's friend.
Claire 	1.01 	Linda Hamilton 	broken-hearted about the loss of her boyfriend 	Played Sarah Connor in the Terminator films, her character experiences a break-up which she can't get over emotionally in her call. She later appeared in season 4 episode "Odd Man Out" as a Cello player who left messages on Frasier's machine by accident.
Leonard 	1.02 	Christopher Reeve 	an extreme agoraphobe with a terror of wide, open spaces 	Reeve portrayed Superman in a series of films.
Pam 	1.03 	Patti LuPone 	calls in asking how to deal with her in-laws who drop by unannounced 	Later appeared as Aunt Zora in the season 5 episode "Beware of Greeks".
Lorraine 	1.04 	Judith Ivey 	calls in but keeps getting interrupted with other calls on her line 	
Derek Mann 	1.04 	Joe Mantegna 	A newspaper critic. After being attacked by Frasier on his radio show, he calls in to berate him and to arrange a fist fight 	Like Grammer, Mantegna plays one of The Simpsons most recognizable guest characters, Springfield mob boss Fat Tony
Doug 	1.05 	Jeff Daniels 	is getting fed up with his layabout mother 	Daniels appeared in the 90's films Dumb and Dumberand Speed
Gary 	1.06 	Robert Klein 	his wife wants to go to Italy but he thinks the money should be spent on a sump pump 	
Hank 	1.07 	Eddie Van Halen 	unsure if he's on the show due to broadcast delay feedback issues 	Eddie Van Halen is a rock guitarist that leverages electronic effects to complement musicianship
Marco 	1.07 	Bruno Kirby 	complains about his girlfriend pressing him for a commitment, saying he wants to keep his options open "in case somebody better comes along" 	Kirby played in comedy films such as Good Morning, Vietnam, When Harry Met Sally..., and City Slickers.
Danielle 	1.08 	JoBeth Williams 	is having a problem with her monsieur 	Williams later appeared as Madeline Marshall in "Adventures and Paradise" Parts 1 and 2.
Roger 	1.09 	Carl Reiner 	arguing with his wife about what to name his brand-new cabin cruiser; Frasier responds that he couldn't locate his interest in Roger's problem with the aid of an electron microscope 	Carl Reiner directed the comedy films Oh, God! and Summer School.
Don 	1.10 	Jay Leno 	complains about his inability to lose weight, when another voice cuts in and reveals that he's at a drive-through window 	Actually known for having hundreds of cars and is often seen cruising in them
Barry 	1.12 	Ben Stiller 	calls in on Christmas Day and cannot stop crying 	
Don 	1.12 	Eric Stoltz 	calls in to share a feeling which put him in the spirit of Christmas 	
Tom 	1.12 	Mel Brooks 	a man traumatized as a child when his parents' Christmaspresent, a puppy, "wouldn't wake up" 	
Jeff 	1.12 	Dominick Dunne 	says he always relieves his Christmas depression watching The Sound of Music (at a time when Frasier has had to give up a visit with his son, Frederick, so he can take a theatre tour of Salzburg). 	
Gladys 	1.12 	Rosemary Clooney 	has fallen so many times in the shower that they can't fit any more pins in her hip 	
Al 	1.13 	Henry Mancini 	a man who can't stand the sound of his own voice 	Shortly thereafter, Frasier plays Mancini's "Moon River"
Ethan 	1.13 	Elijah Wood 	gets beat up at school for being too smart and non-athletic, and proceeds to complain about Frasier's condescending advice. 	Because he was constantly appearing in films as a child, Wood was home-schooled until he enrolled in university
Marianne 	1.13 	Piper Laurie 	had a fight with her grown-up daughter when she insisted that her daughter's boyfriend spend the night in a separate bedroom 	Laurie later appeared in the episode "Dr. Nora". Also played the religious fanatic mother of the title character in the film Carrie.
Hank 	1.16 	Timothy Leary 	complains about an overeating disorder 	
Dr. Bruga 	1.19 	Malcolm McDowell 	appears on Frasier's show to discuss his book as well as hit on Roz 	
Rachel 	1.20 	Reba McEntire 	married to a widower who insists on keeping his late wife's ashes on a shelf in their bedroom 	McEntire later starred in her own sitcom, Reba, as a divorced mother who can't get her ex & his new wife to stay away from her.
Laura 	1.22 	Christine Lahti 	calls in to tell Frasier and Niles about her sisters and how she lost her hair 	Later appeared in another episode as a quack psychiatrist.
Janice 	1.23 	Patricia Hearst 	has a problem breaking through a barrier with her in-laws, Frasier (who's high) then dismisses this problem as "boring" 	
Robert 	1.23 	Tommy Hilfiger 	calls in, but Frasier (who's high) disconnects him as they've already had a Robert on the show today 	
Howard 	1.23 	Steve Lawrence 	Niles (filling in for Frasier) is counseling Howard and his wife over the radio simultaneously 	Lawrence's singing partner and real-life wife also plays his 'radio' wife
Louis 	1.23 	Garry Trudeau 	calls in to Frasier's show while Gil Chesterton is filling in for a sick Frasier to say he's forgotten his anniversary, and Gil arranges a private table at a five-star restaurant. 	
Lois 	1.23 	Eydie Gormé 	Niles (filling in for Frasier) is counseling Lois and her husband over the radio simultaneously 	Eydie's singing partner and real-life husband also plays her 'radio' husband
Blake 	1.23 	Steve Young 	crashes his car after Frasier, not realizing he was on a car phone, tells him to close his eyes and imagine he's on a tropical island 	
Marjorie 	1.23 	Mary Tyler Moore 	thinks her boss does not respect her and lacks courage to approach him 	describes relationship between character Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) and boss Lou Grant character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Steven 	2.01 	James Spader 	has doubts about his wife's decision to have their newborn baby share their bedroom. 	
Rita 	2.02 	Lily Tomlin 	an overworked housewife with four children who's about to crack under the strain; Frasier, who's just been laden with a litter of puppies, suggests that she consider getting one. 	
Maggie 	2.04 	Amy Madigan 	is unsure what to do with her clingy boyfriend 	
Edna 	2.06 	Alfre Woodard 	gets depressed about living in rain-washed Seattle. 	
Connie 	2.06 	Sandra Dee 	angrily berates Frasier for claiming Seattle is depressing 	
Holden Thorpe 	2.07 	Sydney Pollack 	an obnoxious right-wing Congressionalcandidate who insults Frasier over the air, driving Frasier to film an endorsement for his opponent 	
Chester 	2.08 	Art Garfunkel 	a laconic man whose wife is criticizing him for his lack of ambition or drive 	
Vic 	2.09 	Kevin Bacon 	has trouble meeting women. 	In real life, Bacon has played a teen heartthrob in Footloose and a bachelor astronaut in Apollo 13.
Linda 	2.10 	Betty Comden 	calls in asking for directions to an antique store 	Comden was one-half of the musical-comedy duo Comden and Green
Walter 	2.10 	Adolph Green 	proclaims that he isn't lost after his wife calls into the show asking for directions 	Green was one-half of the musical-comedy duo Comden and Green
Elliott 	2.11 	Macaulay Culkin 	plays an adolescent who calls in to the show saying the problem is that he is a salesman with a young voice, causing Frasier to apologize, and Culkin replies, "Ha Gotcha Dr. Doufus". 	brother Kieran calls in season 4
Francesca 	2.12 	Rosie Perez 	suffers a fear of abandonment – Frasier is cut off from her when his incompetent producer hits the wrong button 	Perez later appeared during the Season Eleven episode, "Crock Tales". She was also the actress originally pitched by the show's creators for the role of Martin Crane's caretaker, the role ultimately given to Jane Leeves.[27]
Marie 	2.12 	Carly Simon 	wants to ask out a forty-year-old man who's never been married 	
Marjorie 	2.13 	Mary Steenburgen 	an acrophobe who calls in to say that she's almost conquered her fears 	In real life Steenburgen is married to actor Ted Danson who appears as his Cheers character, Sam Malone, later in the series
Sid 	2.18 	Gary Sinise 	is incapable of talking on the phone with strangers unless he writes out everything he wants to say in advance 	
Madman Martinez 	2.19 	John Lithgow 	pretends to be depressed, as a means of plugging his car dealership 	Lithgow routinely plays insane characters, such as the films Footloose and Cliffhanger, and an alien on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.
Gretchen 	2.21 	Glenne Headly 	an Austrian woman who suspects that her husband, a fencing instructor, is having an affair with his student (whom Frasier suspects is Maris) 	
Caroline 	2.24 	Shelley Duvall 	feels like she's not making any progress with her therapist (who, unbeknownst to Frasier, turns out to be Niles) 	
Mark 	3.01 	Matthew Broderick 	a clerk in an all-night convenience storewhose "camera self" is doing things Mark doesn't approve of 	Played a man stalked by a psychopathic technician in the 1996 film The Cable Guy.
Phyllis 	3.01 	Carrie Fisher 	has incurable insomnia 	
Keith 	3.01 	Tom Hulce 	disagrees with the last two callers and says that his job is very important before leaving to go powder jelly donuts 	
Nancy 	3.01 	Teri Garr 	calls in proclaiming she's naked and that she'd prefer to be the spanker 	appeared in a series of ads for lady's underwear in the 1980s
Jill 	3.02 	Blair Brown 	has a recurring dream that Frasier finds fascinating 	
Eileen 	3.03 	Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	fantasizes about Frasier when she is having sex with her husband 	
Rob 	3.04 	Ed Harris 	calls in to Bulldog's show to congratulate him on "getting" Frasier with pranks 	Looks remarkably like Dan Butler, who plays Bulldog. Both actors also played NASA flight director Gene Kranz, (Harris in Apollo 13 and Butler in the mini series From the Earth to the Moon).
Jack 	3.04 	Billy Crystal 	on Bulldog's show talking about sport and congratulate him on "getting" Frasier with pranks 	
Marylin 	3.05 	Brooke Adams 	homesick for her little hometown in Wisconsin 	
June 	3.06 	Laura Dern 	her husband gets mad at her for eavesdropping on other diners in restaurants 	
Polly 	3.07 	Cyd Charisse 	says she's "lacking a certain spice", not knowing Frasier is filling in for "The Happy Chef" 	
Vinnie 	3.08 	Paul Mazursky 	a womanizer who calls in trying to locate a pinky ring he left in his latest conquest's house 	
Bob 	3.09 	Ray Liotta 	calls from the airport during Christmas, unsure whether he wants to fly home, or hop on an open flight to Hawaii, after Frasier counsels him, Bob says he has reached a decision, to which Frasier replies darkly "Mele Kalikimaka, Bob" 	
Gerard 	3.11 	Armistead Maupin 	"Called in for a different reason" when Frasier talked about the apprehension of meeting new friends, Gerard was inspired and offered to comb Frasier's hair. 	
Marlene 	3.13 	Jodie Foster 	an over-worked housewife who announced that, if her husband and she didn't find a time to themselves to have sex, she would go to a department store and pick up a stranger 	played a teenage prostitute in the film Taxi Driver.
Brandy 	3.15 	Faith Prince 	after being told to do so by her boyfriend Jerome, she calls in to ask Frasier if she should marry him. This is pay back for Jerome helping with Maris' ticket problem and part of his plan to get Brandy to marry him 	
Steve 	3.15 	Randy Travis 	trying to lose weight 	
Chris 	3.17 	Billy Barty 	takes revenge on a neighbor by shoving a pound of rotten shrimp into the man's air conditioner. 	
Lydia 	3.17 	Joan Allen 	being tormented by obscene phone calls. 	Frasier enters the booth as Roz hurriedly moves away to let Frasier sit down, he is late because somebody took his parking space, and on top of it all, just after Lydia has finished stating her problem, Frasier starts breathing heavily into the mic.
Chuck 	3.17 	Eric Idle 	takes revenge on an enemy by sending him 100 scorpions in a FedEx parcel 	Monty Python star.
Mitch 	3.17 	Jerry Orbach 	takes revenge on an offending neighbor by smashing the man's offending leaf blower against a tree 	At the time, was playing a NYPD detective on NBC's Law & Order.
Rochelle 	3.17 	Jane Pauley 	takes revenge on her neighbor for failing to curb her dogs, by setting the woman's lawn on fire 	
Brenda 	3.17 	Katarina Witt 	starts to tell Frasier about a dispute with her sister, but puts Frasier on hold to answer her other line. 	[28]
Beth 	3.19 	Debbi Fields 	is pretty sure her husband is having an affair. Frasier suspects that Roz is talking to his callers after he hangs up with them. Frasier catches Roz in the act of giving Beth advice. She assures him that it is the first and last time. After Frasier leaves, Roz then takes a call from Bill. 	
Tom 	3.22 	David Duchovny 	has sex with his girlfriend of six years every morning, every night, and three times a day on weekends, but isn't sure they really have anything else in common 	
Angela 	3.24 	Sherry Lansing 	calls in about a problem relating to her dead husband 	At the time, Lansing was CEO of Paramount Studios, which produced Frasier.
Jerry 	4.02 	Marv Albert 	calls in to Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe's Gonzo Sports Showwith a question. 	Albert is a professional sportscaster.
Jake 	4.02 	Bob Costas 	calls into Bulldog's show with a sports question 	Costas is a professional sportscaster.
Mike 	4.02 	Julius Erving 	calls into Bulldog's show for his take on the Yankees this season 	Erving was a former professional basketball player
Jimmy 	4.03 	Kieran Culkin 	calls in claiming his parents are stupid and asks how long it'll last 	Plays a character with similar Problems in "Igby Goes Down"; brother Macaulay calls in season 2
Rudy 	4.03 	Christopher Durang 	on air telling the plot of a sad movie while crying 	
Linda 	4.05 	Wendy Wasserstein 	While Niles is sitting in for Frasier Linda calls in to have Niles talk with her cat to get it to eat. 	
Greg 	4.08 	John Cusack 	a first-year graduate student in psychology who has misdiagnosed himself with every disorder he's studying 	
Alice 	4.12 	Patty Duke 	calls in after thinking about sad things, to which Frasier tells her a story about Eddie 	
Chet 	4.15 	Eric Roberts 	a once-timid man who takes Frasier's advice about assertiveness too far and becomes an overbearing jerk 	
Doug 	4.19 	David Benoit 	explaining his unemployment situation 	Before getting steady gigs or record deals, musicians are considered stereotypically chronically unemployed.
Dorothy 	5.03 	Cindy Crawford 	Roz's manicurist, whom Roz accidentally puts through to the show 	Crawford later became a spokeswoman for Revlon cosmetics
Roger 	5.13 	John Waters 	thinking of changing careers as he's kind of trapped. Roz forces him make the problem more interesting in order to get through by classifying "trapped" as a woman trapped inside of a man's body who's thinking of running for political office 	
Bill 	5.13 	Rob Reiner 	was a bed-wetter as a child and thinks the problem is coming back. Roz forces him to make the problem more interesting in order to get through asking him if he's wet the bed with anyone else in it (stripper, hooker, best friend's wife); he decides to pick the third option 	Father Carl Reiner called in Season 1.
Betsy 	5.15 	Halle Berry 	her husband wants to take her on an anniversary cruise, but she has recurring nightmares about being shipwrecked 	
Marie 	5.17 	Jill Clayburgh 	has a hard time getting out of bed every morning, and that she feels irritable when she does 	
Patrick 	5.24 	John McEnroe 	he thinks his wife is having an affair 	
Ralph 	6.11 	William H. Macy 	calls after Frasier has helped him change a tire, to complain about damage done to his car 	Macy co-starred with Kelsey Grammer in Down Periscope and is also married to Felicity Huffman, who had a recurring role on the show as Julia Wilcox, a brief love interest and colleague to Frasier.
Stephen 	6.11 	Ron Howard 	believes a mysterious voice from his radio is telling him what to do 	Directed the classic films Splash, Apollo 13, and A Beautiful Mind.
Sophie 	6.12 	Marlo Thomas 	arguing with her husband, Larry, about wanting to invite some of her girlfriends to his Super Bowl party 	Larry is voiced by Thomas's real-life husband, Phil Donahue.
Larry 	6.12 	Phil Donahue 	gets pulled onto the show after an argument with his wife, Sophie, about inviting some of her friends to his Super Bowl party 	Sophie is voiced by Marlo Thomas, Donahue's real-life wife.
Audrey 	6.13 	Beverly D'Angelo 	Seems to be discussing a serious relationship problem with her sister when Frasier states in a fed-up tone that she should just "fix the dress" that was accidentally ripped. 	
Jenny 	6.20 	Gillian Anderson 	worried about whether her boyfriend is afraid of commitment. 	Anderson plays Dana Scully on The X-Files.
Jill 	6.20 	Pia Zadora 	her husband is gay, but Dr. Nora refuses to accept this as a reason for a divorce, telling her to "Make it work!" 	
Tom 	6.20 	Yo-Yo Ma 	calls in to Dr. Nora's show asking how he can deal with an annoying co-worker 	
Denise 	6.20 	Bonnie Raitt 	has a poisonous relationship with her overbearing mother 	Raitt is a Blues legend.
Gabe 	7.16 	Isaac Mizrahi 	has an addiction to shopping 	Mizrahi is a famous fashion designer
Maria 	7.16 	Gloria Estefan 	her husband has been having affairs since they were newlyweds and wants to know how to change him 	In real life, Gloria and her husband Emilio have been happily married(as well as partners in music & business) for over 35 years.
Brian 	8.08 	Stephen King 	Frasier tries to squeeze Brian in before the news, however he doesn't want that and claims that he would rather wait 	
Tom 	8.08 	Wolfgang Puck 	Frasier tries to squeeze Tom in before the news, however he doesn't want that and claims that he would rather wait 	Later appears in season 9 episode "The Proposal" as himself
Andy 	8.09 	Neil Simon 	unsure if he's on 	
Cleo 	8.10 	Melissa Etheridge 	unable to choose among her three gorgeous boyfriends 	In real life, Melissa is married to another woman.
Rachel 	8.13 	Bernadette Peters 	(while Frasier is listening to The Best of Crane in his car) calls in to thank Frasier for a book recommendation and to try score a date with him 	
Fred 	8.16 	Hal Prince 	has a fear of intimacy 	
Tom 	9.04 	Anthony Edwards 	calls from his wedding to say he's having second thoughts 	
Estelle 	9.08 	Jennifer Jason Leigh 	calls in with a question for Bill Gates about multi-lingual user inferface add-ons 	
Warren 	9.08 	Bobby Short 	calls in with a question for Bill Gates asking if he needs to make a boot disk when installing XP as an upgrade 	
Phyllis 	9.08 	Allison Janney 	calls in with a description of her missing cat 	Appears in the episode "Three Blind Dates".
Joe 	9.08 	Larry Gelbart 	calls in explaining how he understands how Frasier feels losing his tape as he lost a gold cuff link a few years ago and that if anyone finds it, he'd love to have it back 	
Garth 	9.10 	Pat Boone 	calls in while Frasier and Kenny are arguing over the show's advertising budget after Dr. Zach's more sexually oriented show begins dominating the ratings. When Garth mentions he's part of a couple with problems, Kenny and Frasier get their hopes up for a juicy call, only to find out Garth has budget problems	Boone owned the Oakland Oaks, an ABA team with severe financial problems
Polly 	9.10 	Cherry Jones 	complains about her boring sex life with her husband 	
Terrence 	9.11 	Andy García 	is sick of being single 	
Mike 	9.14 	Freddie Prinze, Jr. 	calls in while Frasier is a guest speaker on the program Teen Scene 	
Lillian 	9.18 	Naomi Judd 	has perfectionist tendencies 	
Jeremy 	9.21 	Rufus Wainwright 	teenager who has (unknown) problems 	
Carl 	9.22 	Keith Carradine 	after hearing Roz's heartbreak on air, he calls in believing that he's going to be dumped and is unsure what to do about it 	
Unnamed Caller 	9.22 	Olympia Dukakis 	called to berate Frasier over the phone, but changes her mind when she hears Roz unload her heartbreak over the air 	
Unnamed Caller 	9.22 	Scott Hamilton 	tells Frasier to go back to Seattle 	
Unnamed Caller 	9.22 	Daryl Hannah 	calls in to let Sully fans know they're boycotting KQZY 	
Jerry 	10.02 	Billy Bean 	wants to know what's going on with Dr. Crane (who's late) after Roz let it slip that they slept together 	
Mark 	10.02 	Charles Busch 	things are uncomfortable at work after he slept with his boss 	
Sheila 	10.02 	Leelee Sobieski 	originally wanted to ask something else, but questions Roz about this 'person she slept with' because it sounded like she still worked for him 	
Stu 	10.04 	Bradley Whitford 	his girlfriend wants him to move in 	
Grant 	10.09 	John Turturro 	calls in because his grandmother died two weeks ago and he never told her how much she meant to him 	
Mindy 	10.17 	Laura Linney 	calls in about her mother from work, causing her to pretend she's dealing with customers because of her boss 	Later played Charlotte in the final season
Ernie 	10.23 	Bill Paxton 	calls in because he's angry at his dog 	
Kevin 	11.03 	Benjamin Bratt 	Frasier claims that he's not honest, who then turns it back around by saying that Frasier also isn't honest after he was seen entering a gay bar 	
Celeste's Mother	11.12 	Estelle Parsons 	picks up the phone saying they're all on the radio 	
Britney 	11.12 	Hilary Duff 	announces she's running away from home after the rest of her family have carried their latest argument onto the air 	
Morrie 	11.12 	Stanley Tucci 	a man whose wife suspects him of cheating on her, to the point where he's locked himself in his bathroom to make the call. 	
Celeste 	11.12 	Penny Marshall 	Morrie's wife, who picks up the phone, sure he's on the phone with his mistress 	Marshall directed the classic films Big, Awakenings, and A League of Their Own.
Babette 	11.17 	Helen Mirren 	a kleptomaniac 	Mirren was the last guest caller of the series.
=== Notes ===
The main cast remained unchanged for all 11 years.[9] When the series ended in 2004, Grammer had portrayed the character of Frasier Crane for a total of 20 years, including his nine seasons on Cheers plus a one time performance as the character on the series Wings which earned Grammer an Emmy nomination; at the time, he tied James Arness' portrayal of Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for the longest-running character on primetime television.[10] The record has since been surpassed in animation by the voice cast of The Simpsons, and in live action by Richard Belzer's portrayal of John Munch on the series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Grammer was briefly the highest-paid television actor in the United States for his portrayal of Frasier, while Jane Leeves was the highest-paid British actress.[10][11]
In addition to those of the ensemble, additional story lines included characters from Frasier's former incarnation on Cheers, such as his ex-wife Lilith Sternin, played by Bebe Neuwirth, and their son Frederick, played by Trevor Einhorn.
=== Reunions ===
Grammer had been the voice of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons since 1990. In a 1997 episode (while Frasier was still in production), the character's brother, Cecil Terwilliger, was introduced, played by Pierce, as referenced in the episode title, "Brother from Another Series". The episode contained numerous Frasierreferences, including a Frasier-style version of The Simpsons theme for a transition and its iconic title card for the same thing. Pierce returned as Cecil for the second time (the first since Frasier had concluded) alongside Grammer in the 2007 episode "Funeral for a Fiend". The episode introduced the brothers' father, Dr. Robert Terwilliger, who was portrayed by Mahoney.
Cast reunions also occurred on four episodes of Hot in Cleveland, which featured Leeves in the main cast along with Wendie Malick (who played Martin's girlfriend towards the end of Frasier). In the season-two episode "Unseparated at Birth" and season-three episode "Funeral Crashers", Mahoney guest-starred as a waiter smitten with Betty White's character. Gilpin appeared in the episode "I Love Lucci (Part 1)", and Tom McGowan (who played Kenny Daly) appeared in "Love Thy Neighbor" as a casting director. Hot in Cleveland was created and produced by Suzanne Martin, who wrote multiple episodes of Frasier.
== Production ==
See also: List of Frasier writers
=== Creation ===
During the eighth season of Cheers, Grammer made a deal with former Cheersproducers David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (who were moving on to produce Wings) that they would do a new series together once Cheers ended.[12]Once it became clear during the 10th season that the 11th would be the last, the group began working on their next series together.[12]
Grammer did not originally want to continue playing Frasier Crane, and Angell, Casey, and Lee did not want the new show to be compared to Cheers, which they had worked on before Wings. The three proposed that the actor play a wealthy, Malcolm Forbes-like paraplegic publisher who operated his business from his apartment. The main show featured a "street-smart" Hispanic live-in nurse who would clash with the main character.[12] While Grammer liked the concept, Paramount Television disliked it, and suggested that the best route would be to spin off the Frasier Crane character.[12] Grammer ultimately agreed to star in a Cheers spin-off, but the producers set the new show as far from Boston as possible to prevent NBC from demanding that other characters from the old show make guest appearances on the new show during its first season. After first choosing Denver, Angell, Casey, and Lee ultimately chose Seattle as the setting.[13]
The creators did not want Frasier in private practice, which would make the show resemble The Bob Newhart Show. From an unused idea they had for a Cheers episode, they conceived the concept of the psychiatrist working in a radio station surrounded by "wacky, yet loveable" characters.[12] After realizing that such a setting was reminiscent of WKRP in Cincinnati, the creators decided to emphasize Frasier's home life, which Cheers had rarely explored.[13] Lee considered his own experience with "the relationship between an aging father and the grown-up son he never understood"[14] and thought it would be a good theme for Frasier. Although Frasier had mentioned on Cheers (in two episodes) that his father, a research scientist, had died,[15] Angell, Casey and Lee did not realize this was the case, as they were not working on Cheers during the season those two episodes were filmed. The creative team was already well into the development process when Grammer pointed out the discontinuity; they decided to overlook it, initially retconning the character's backstory. In a second-season episode, the discrepancy was resolved, as Frasier revealed he had lied to the Cheers gang about his father.
One element of the original concept that was carried over was the live-in health-care provider for Frasier's father. Grammer points out that very little of the Frasier Crane of Cheers carried over to Frasier, as his family history was changed (though this was later adjusted); the setting, his job, and even the character himself changed from the Cheers predecessor, having to be more grounded as the central character of the show so the other supporting characters could be more eccentric.[12]
=== Casting ===
Martin Crane was based on creator Casey's father, who spent 34 years with the San Francisco Police Department. The creators suggested to NBC that they would like to cast someone like Mahoney, to which NBC told them if they could get Mahoney, they could hire him without auditions.[12] Both Grammer and the producers contacted Mahoney, with the producers flying to Chicago to show Mahoney the pilot script over dinner. Upon reading it, Mahoney accepted. Grammer, who had lost his father as a child, and the childless Mahoney immediately built a close father-son relationship.[14]
In discussing Martin's nurse, Warren Littlefield of NBC suggested she be English instead of Hispanic and suggested Leeves for the role.[12] Grammer was initially reluctant, as he thought the casting made the show resemble Nanny and the Professor, but approved Leeves after a meeting and read-through with her. Mahoney and Leeves quickly bonded over their shared English heritage; Mahoney was originally from Manchester where Leeves's character is from.[12]
The character of Niles was not part of the original concept for the show. Frasier had told his bar friends on Cheers that he was an only child.[12][14] However, Sheila Guthrie, the assistant casting director on Wings, brought the producers a photo of Pierce (whom she knew from his work on The Powers That Be) and noted his resemblance to Grammer when he first appeared on Cheers. She recommended him should they ever want Frasier to have a brother. The creators were "blown away" both by his resemblance to Grammer and by his acting ability.[13] They decided to ignore Frasier's statement on Cheers and created the role for Pierce.[12][16] Pierce accepted the role before realizing he had not read a script. Once he was given a script, he was initially concerned that his character was essentially a duplicate of Frasier, thinking that it would not work.[12] The first table reading of the pilot script was notable because the producers had never heard either Pierce or Mahoney read lines because they were cast without auditions.[12]
The only main role that required an audition was Roz Doyle,[13] who was named in memory of a producer of Wings.[17] The producers auditioned around 300 actresses with no particular direction in mind. Women of all ethnicities were considered.[12] Lisa Kudrow was originally cast in the role, but during rehearsals, the producers decided they needed someone who could appear more assertive in her job and take control over Frasier at KACL, and Kudrow did not fit that role. The creators quickly hired Gilpin, their second choice.[18][19]
The original focus of the series was intended to be the relationship between Frasier and Martin, and it was the focus of most of the first-season episodes. Once the show began airing, Niles became a breakout character, and more focus was added to the brothers' relationship, and other plots centering on Niles, starting in the second season.[20] The producers initially did not want to make Niles's wife Maris an unseen character because they did not want to draw parallels to Vera, Norm's wife on Cheers. They originally intended that she would appear after several episodes, but were so enjoying writing excuses for her absence that eventually they decided she would remain unseen, and after the increasingly eccentric characteristics ascribed to her, no real actress could portray her.[12]
=== Sets and settings ===
Frasier's apartment was designed to be ultra-modern in an eclectic style (as Frasier himself points out in the pilot). One of the show's signature elements that it became well known for was the apartment's design which included elements such as a slightly split-level design, doors with triangular wooden inlay features, numerous pieces of well-known high-end furniture (such as a replica of Coco Chanel's sofa, and both Eames and Wassily Chairs) and a notable view from the terrace which was frequently complimented by visitors. The main set consisted of the open-concept living area with a sitting/TV space and dining area on the lower level and a piano exit to the terrace on the rear upper level. The set also included the kitchen through an open archway. A small section of the building corridor and elevator doors was built, as was a powder room near the front entrance. Two corridors off the living area ostensibly led to the apartment's three bedrooms. Sets for each of these rooms were built as separate sets on an as-needed basis.[21]
No building or apartment in Seattle really has the view from Frasier's residence. It was created so the Space Needle, the most iconic landmark of Seattle, would appear more prominently. According to the season-one DVD bonus features, the photograph used on the set was taken from atop a cliff, possibly the ledge at Kerry Park, a frequent photography location. Despite this, Frasier has been said to have contributed to the emergence of an upscale urban lifestyle in 1990s Seattle, with buyers seeking properties in locations resembling that depicted in the show, in search of "that cosmopolitan feel of Frasier".[9]
Another of the primary sets was the radio studio at KACL from which Frasier broadcasts his show. The studio itself consists of two rooms: the broadcast booth and the control room. A section of the corridor outside of the booth was also built (visible through the windows at the back of the studio) and could be shot from the side to view the corridor itself. The set was designed based on ABC's then-brand-new radio studios in Los Angeles which the production designer visited. Technical elements such as the microphones were regularly updated to conform with the latest technology. Although the studio set lacked a "front" wall (the fourth wall), one was built for occasional use in episodes with certain moments shot from behind the broadcast desk, rather than in front of it as usual.[21]
The producers wanted to have a gathering place outside of home and work where the characters could meet. After a trip to Seattle, and seeing the many burgeoning coffee shops, the production designer suggested to producers that they use a coffee shop. Unlike many of the relatively modern coffee shop designs prevalent in Seattle, the production designer opted for a more warm and inviting style which would appear more established and traditional. Stools were specifically omitted to avoid any similarity to the bar on Cheers. Several Los Angeles coffee shops were used for reference. A bookcase was added on the back wall, suggesting patrons could grab a book and read while they enjoyed their coffee. The show used three versions of the interior set depending on how much space other sets for each episode required. If space for the full set was not available, a smaller version that omitted the tables closest to the audience could be used. If space for that set was lacking, a small back section of the back of the cafe at the top of the steps could be set up under the audience bleachers. A set was also used on occasion for the exterior patio.[21]
=== Filming ===
The cast had an unusual amount of freedom to suggest changes to the script. Grammer used an acting method he called "requisite disrespect" and did not rehearse with the others, instead learning and rehearsing his lines once just before filming each scene in front of a live studio audience. Although effective, the system often caused panic among guest stars. In 1996, Grammer's recurrent alcoholism led to a car accident; the cast and crew performed an intervention that persuaded him to enter the Betty Ford Clinic, delaying production for a month.[14]
Only one episode, "The 1000th Show", was filmed in Seattle.[22] As with Cheers, most episodes were filmed on Stage 25, Paramount Studios,[14] or at various locations in and around Los Angeles.
The KACL callers' lines were read by anonymous voice-over actors during filming in front of a live audience, and during postproduction, the lines were replaced by celebrities, who actually phoned in their parts without having to come into the studio. The end credits of season finales show greyscale headshots of celebrities who had "called in" that season. Numerous celebrities called in, including David Duchovny, Phil Donahue, Marlo Thomas, Linda Hamilton, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, Christopher Reeve, Gary Sinise, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Laura Linney, Reba McEntire and Estelle Parsons. Some "callers" also guest-starred, such as Parsons and Linney, who played Frasier's final love interest in the last season.
==== Credits ====
The show's theme song, "Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs", is sung by Grammer and is played over the closing credits of each episode. Composer Bruce Miller, who had also composed for Wings, was asked to avoid explicitly mentioning any subjects related to the show such as radio or psychiatry. After Miller finished the music, lyricist Darryl Phinnesse suggested the title as they were things that were, like Frasier Crane's patients, "mixed up". The lyrics indirectly refer to Crane's radio show; "I hear the blues a-callin", for example, refers to troubled listeners who call the show.[23] Grammer recorded several variations of the final spoken line of the theme which were rotated for each of the episodes. Other than season finales, a short, silent scene, often revisiting a small subplot aside from the central story of the episode, appears with the credits and song, which the actors performed without written dialogue based on the scriptwriter's suggestion.[24]
The title card at the start of each episode shows a white line being drawn in the shape of the Seattle skyline on a black background above the show's title. In most episodes, once the skyline and title appear, the skyline is augmented in some way, such as windows lighting up or a helicopter lifting off. The color of the title text changed for each season (respectively: blue, red, green, purple, gold, orange, yellow, light green, light orange, silver, and metallic gold). Over the title card, one of about 25 brief musical cues evoking the closing theme is played.[23]
=== Possible revival ===
Talks of a revival began in 2016, but were initially denied by Grammer, though they resurfaced in mid- to late 2018, with Grammer confirming they were looking into it. As of February and March 2019, he had confirmed a reboot is likely and has discussed it in several interviews, saying he is meeting with writers to develop ideas. Most of the cast seem up for returning. Grammer has said the revival will be a "third act" for the Frasier Crane character and likely to be in a new setting other than Seattle. He has also indicated a new series will pay tribute to John Mahoney. [25][26] [27][28][29]
== Relationship to Cheers ==
With the exception of Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), all the surviving main regular cast members of Cheers made appearances on Frasier. Lilith Sternin(Bebe Neuwirth) was the only one to become a recurring character.
Some cast members of Frasier had appeared previously in minor roles on Cheers. In the episode "Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman" (1992), John Mahoney played Sy Flembeck,[30] an over-the-hill jingle writer hired by Rebecca to write a jingle for the bar. In it, Grammer and Mahoney exchanged a few lines. Peri Gilpin appeared in a Cheers episode titled "Woody Gets an Election"[31]playing a reporter who interviews Woody when he runs for office.
In the eighth-season Cheers episode "Two Girls for Every Boyd", Frasier tells Sam Malone (played by Ted Danson) that his father, a research scientist, had died.[15] In the Frasier season-two episode "The Show Where Sam Shows Up", when Sam meets Martin, Frasier explains that at the time, he was angry after an argument with his father on the phone.[32] However, in "The Show Where Woody Shows Up", when meeting Martin, Woody says he remembers hearing about him.[33]
In the ninth-season episode of Frasier, "Cheerful Goodbyes" in 2002, Frasier returns to Boston to give a speech and Niles, Daphne, and Martin come along to see the city. Frasier runs into Cliff Clavin (played by John Ratzenberger) at the airport and learns that Cliff is retiring and moving to Florida. Frasier and company attend Cliff's retirement party, where Frasier reunites with the rest of the gang from Cheers (minus Sam, Woody, and Rebecca), including bar regular Norm Peterson (played by George Wendt), waitress Carla Tortelli (played by Rhea Perlman), barflies Paul Krapence (played by Paul Willson) and Phil (played by Philip Perlman), and Cliff's old post-office nemesis Walt Twitchell (played by Raye Birk).[34]
In the 11th-season episode of Frasier, "Caught in the Act", Frasier's married ex-wife, children's entertainer Nanny G, comes to town and invites him backstage for a rendezvous. Nanny G appeared on the Cheers episode "One Hugs, The Other Doesn't" (1992) and was portrayed by Emma Thompson.[35] In this episode of Frasier, she is portrayed by Laurie Metcalf.[36] She also appeared in the second episode of season 9 of Frasier, "Don Juan in Hell: Part 2" and was played by Dina Waters.[37]
The set of Frasier was built over the set of Cheers on the same stage after it had finished filming.
== International broadcasters ==
Country 	TV network(s) 	Series premiere 	Weekly schedule
Finland 	YLE TV1, Nelonen(2008–)	1994 	Monday–Wednesday
Canada 	Global 	1993 (on global)	Various
Various
Ireland 	Virgin Media Television
Paramount Comedy	 	Weekdays
Various
Netherlands 	Comedy Central 	2007/2008 On CC 	Weekdays
Mexico 	Canal Sony 	 	Weekdays
Turkey 	ComedyMax 	 	Various
Slovakia 	TV Markíza 	 	Various
Serbia 	Studio B 	 	Weekdays
United Kingdom 	Channel 4
Paramount Comedy	 	Weekdays (Mon–Sun)
Australia 	Nine Network
GO!
10 Peach
TV1
111 funny	1994–2006
2009–2010
2011–present
2000–2013
2014–present	original run – 7pm weeknight (ratings period)
syndication – 7:30pm weeknights
syndication 5:30pm Sunday to Friday, 3:30pm weekdays
syndication – every day
syndication – every day
Argentina 	Canal Sony 	 	Various
North Macedonia	Kanal 5 	2007 	Weekdays
Norway 	TV2 and TV3 	 	Various
== Reception ==
=== Critical reaction ===
Critics and commentators broadly held Frasier in high regard.[38] Caroline Frost said that the series overall showed a high level of wit, but noted that many critics felt that the marriage of Daphne and Niles in season 10 had removed much of the show's comic tension.[39] Ken Tucker felt that their marriage made the series seem desperate for storylines, while Robert Bianco felt that it was symptomatic of a show that had begun to dip in quality after so much time on the air.[40][41] Kelsey Grammer acknowledged the creative lull, saying that over the course of two later seasons, the show "took itself too seriously".[42]Commentators do, however, acknowledge that there was an improvement following the return of the writers Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan, although not necessarily to its earlier high standards.[40][42][43]
Writing about the first season, John O'Connor described Frasier as being a relatively unoriginal concept, but said that it was generally a "splendid act,” while Tucker thought that the second season benefited greatly from a mix of "high and low humor.” [44][45] Tucker's comment is referring to what Grammer described as a rule of the series that the show should not play down to its audience.[46] Kevin Cherry believes that Frasier was able to stay fresh by not making any contemporary commentary, therefore allowing the show to be politically and socially neutral.[43] Other commentators, such as Haydn Bush disagree, believing the success of Frasier can be attributed to the comedic timing and the rapport between the characters.[47] Joseph J. Darowski and Kate Darowski praise the overall message of the series, which across eleven seasons sees several lonely, broken individuals develop warm, caring relationships. While individual episodes vary in quality, the series as a whole carries with it a definitive theme and evolution from pilot to finale.[48]
In spite of the criticisms of the later seasons, these critics were unanimous in praising at least the early seasons, with varied commentary on the series' demise ranging from believing, like Bianco, that the show had run its course to those like Dana Stevens, who bemoaned the end of Frasier as the "end of situation comedy for adults".[49] Critics compared the farcical elements of the series, especially in later seasons, to the older sitcom Three's Company.[50][51][52]NBC News contributor Wendell Wittler described the moments of misunderstanding as "inspired by the classic comedies of manners as were the frequent deflations of Frasier’s pomposity."[50]
=== Awards ===
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Frasier
Frasier is one of the most successful spin-off series in television history and one of the most critically acclaimed comedy series of all time.[53] The series won a total of 37 Primetime Emmy Awards during its 11-year run, breaking the record long held by CBS' The Mary Tyler Moore Show (29). It held the record until 2016 when Game of Thrones won 38.[54] Grammer and Pierce each won four, including one each for the fifth and eleventh seasons. The series is tied with ABC's Modern Family for the most consecutive wins for Outstanding Comedy Series, winning five from 1994 to 1998.
Grammer has been Emmy-nominated for playing Frasier Crane on Cheers and Frasier, as well as a 1992 crossover appearance on Wings, making him the only performer to be nominated for playing the same role on three different shows. The first year Grammer did not receive an Emmy nomination for Frasier was in 2003 for the 10th season. However, Pierce was nominated every year of the show's run, breaking the record for nominations in his category, with his eighth nomination in 2001; he was nominated a further three times after this.
In 1994, the episode "The Matchmaker" was ranked number 43 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.[55]
In 2000, the series was named the greatest international programme of all time by a panel of 1,600 industry experts for the British Film Institute as part of BFI TV 100.[56]
In 2002, Frasier was ranked number 34 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[57]
In a 2006 poll taken by Channel 4 of professionals in the sitcom industry, Frasierwas voted the best sitcom of all time.[58]
=== Fandom and cultural impact ===
Frasier began airing in off-network syndication on September 15, 1997.[59] It is available on Cozi TV, Netflix and Hulu.
The show's popularity has resulted in several fan sites, podcasts, and publications. Podcasts that look primarily at the television show Frasier include Frasierphiles and Talk Salad and Scrambled Eggs with Kevin Smith and Matt Mira. While the show was still in production, a cookbook, Cafe Nervosa: The Connoisseur's Cookbook, was published that claimed to be authored by Frasier and Niles Crane.[60] Similarly, a book titled My Life as a Dog was published as an autobiography of Moose, the dog that played Eddie in the first several seasons of the series.[61] In 2001, a soundtrack to the series was released.[62] Jefferson Graham published a behind-the-scenes look at the series, and several collections of scripts were published.[63]
== Merchandising ==
=== Home media ===
Paramount Home Entertainment and (from 2006 onward) CBS DVD have released all 11 seasons of Frasier on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4. A 44-disc package containing the entire 11 seasons has also been released.
On April 7, 2015, CBS DVD released Frasier: The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[64]
DVD Name 	Ep # 	Release dates 	Release dates 	Release dates
DVD Name 	Ep # 	Region 1 	Region 2 	Region 4
The Complete 1st Season 	24 each	May 20, 2003 	November 24, 2003 	January 13, 2004
The Complete 2nd Season 	24 each	January 6, 2004 	June 7, 2004 	June 3, 2004
The Complete 3rd Season 	24 each	May 25, 2004 	September 6, 2004 	September 10, 2004
The Complete 4th Season 	24 each	February 1, 2005 	July 18, 2005 	July 20, 2005
The Complete 5th Season 	24 each	June 7, 2005 	November 27, 2006 	January 11, 2007
The Complete 6th Season 	24 each	September 13, 2005	May 14, 2007 	May 3, 2007
The Complete 7th Season 	24 each	November 15, 2005 	July 9, 2007 	July 12, 2007
The Complete 8th Season 	24 each	June 13, 2006 	February 4, 2008 	February 14, 2008
The Complete 9th Season 	24 each	May 15, 2007 	April 28, 2008 	July 31, 2008
The Complete 10th Season 	24 each	December 11, 2007 	July 28, 2008 	November 6, 2008
The Complete 11th & Final Season	24 each	November 16, 2004 	September 15, 2008	January 15, 2009
The Complete Series 	264 	April 7, 2015 	October 6, 2008 	July 30, 2009
Christmas Episodes 	8 	October 10, 2017 	 	
The first four seasons were also released on VHS along with a series of 'Best Of' tapes. These tapes consisted of four episodes taken from seasons 1–4. No more video releases have been announced.
Video name 	Release date
The Best of Frasier 1 – From Boston To Seattle	1999
The Best of Frasier 2 – Crane Vs. Crane 	1999
The Best of Frasier 3 – Serial Dater 	1999
The Best of Frasier 4 – Like Father Like Sons 	1999
The Best of Frasier 5 – Brotherly Love 	1999
The Best of Frasier 6 – Love Is in the Air 	1999
The Best of Frasier Box Set 	1999
The Complete 1st Season 	July 16, 2001
The Complete 2nd Season 	December 3, 2001
Season 3 – Part 1 	May 6, 2002
Season 3 – Part 2 	July 1, 2002
Season 4 – Part 1 	October 14, 2002
Season 4 – Part 2 	November 18, 2002
One Frasier CD has been released featuring a number of songs taken from the show.
CD name 	Release date
Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs	October 24, 2000