Frasier-Season 2 (1993)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Audio Commentary-The Matchmaker - David Lees (Director) & Joe Keenan (Writer) Featurette-Celebrity Voices Featurette-Marching On To Season 2 Featurette-The Mystery Of Maris Continues Featurette-Roz's Dating Tips Featurette-The Niles And Daphne Attraction Featurette-And Then There Was Eddie
Rating
Year Of Production	1993
Running Time	529:15 (Case: 528)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (4)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Andy Ackerman Rick Beren James Burrows Dan Butler
Studio Distributor	Paramount Home Entertainment	Starring	Kelsey Grammer David Hyde Pierce John Mahoney Jane Leeves Peri Gilpin Dan Butler Edward Hibbert Tom McGowan Harriet Sansom Harris Patrick Kerr Bebe Neuwirth Marsha Mason Millicent Martin
Case	?
RPI	$69.95	Music	Bruce Miller

    After a first season that was arguably a little too serious-minded for a comedy series, and in which, understandably the chemistry between the ensemble cast was still be worked out, the second season brought new richness and charm, and tremendously funny writing and performances. As the number of episodes accumulates one is faced with delightful in-jokes and references to past events, along with a growing understanding of the idiosyncrasies of the wonderful characters. For those who have never enjoyed the laughable pomposity of Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and his younger brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce - my favourite character in the show) or how it is so cleverly and sharply cut down by their father Martin (John Mahoney) and the two female leads (three if you count the seemingly omnipresent but never seen Maris, wife of Niles) Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) and Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin) treat yourself - this show is a winner.

    Season Two debuted in the U.S. in September of 1994 and is presented on four discs in this set.

Disc One:

Slow Tango in South Seattle
Frasier decides to visit his old piano teacher after learning that their steamy (and brief) romance has become the subject of a popular new novel, thanks to the work of an old college acquaintance. When he arrives to apologise all is not what first appears, and the revelations at the end of the episode provide some great laughs.

The Unkindest Cut of All
Frasier and Martin fight about Eddie (Moose the dog) after a neighbour complains that he is responsible for her dog's litter of puppies, which Frasier must take with him to work, providing great entertainment. This surprises Frasier, since he thought Eddie had been 'taken care' of and delay after delays ensues as the Crane men attempt to come to terms with the dreaded snip.

The Matchmaker
In my opinion one of the funniest of Frasier episodes in this season, in which a simple gag is pushed to its limit, surviving thanks to some brilliantly funny writing and fantastically sharp delivery by the actors. Frasier asks his new boss to dinner in an effort to find a date for the lonely Daphne. Except his new boss assumes that Frasier is gay (Frasier's realization of how this occurred is one of many great moments) and is asking him over for dinner. One by one the characters become aware of the guest's intentions, each revelation providing some great comedy.

Flour Child
Two winners in a row! Niles decides that he wants to have a child after having assisted (maybe that's not the right word) a taxi driver giving birth in their cab. Frasier suggests he test his readiness by taking care of a 10 pound bag of flour for a week and treating it like a child. Niles does his best but it seems that he is not particularly suited to the parental role. The ensuing damage to the flour is brilliant in itself, but it is David Hyde Pierce's performance that steals the show.

Duke's, We Hardly Knew Ye
Frasier and Niles unwittingly buy into the mini-mall development that is going to tear down and replace Duke's, Martin's favourite watering hole. The boys try to bond with their dad by stopping the bulldozers but at the end of the day 'progress' must occur.

The Botched Language of Cranes
Frasier insults the entire city of Seattle when he tells a depressed caller to move to a sunnier and more upbeat location. Reminiscent of the worst of our talkback callers, people call in in hordes, decrying Dr. Crane's misplaced criticism. His downward spiral continues as his inadvertent insults continue at a benefit dinner...

Disc Two:

The Candidate
Martin, ever the straight talking conservative, endorses a political candidate that Niles and Frasier find offensive to their liberal inclinations, so Frasier decides to support his own candidate... until he finds out the man thinks he was abducted by aliens. Niles and Frasier, finding a brilliant way around the patient-doctor code of confidentiality, discuss urgently what should be done, and once again Frasier puts his foot squarely in his mouth - all because of the double meaning of the word 'alien'.

Adventures in Paradise: Parts 1 & 2
Frasier meets a woman he believes might be 'the one', and takes her on a romantic getaway to the tropics, only to run into his ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth). Frasier tries way too hard to prove he's over his marriage, and some funny moments ensue. I did feel the material was a little scant for a double episode, but the final scene is a gem.

Burying a Grudge
Niles and Frasier attempt to heal a rift between Martin and his old police partner, who is in the hospital for surgery. This episode is probably the weakest of the series, simply because the subject matter is too serious to do much comically with it. There is, however, a very funny subplot about Maris going through the rigours of plastic surgery.

Seat of Power
Frasier's toilet breaks, and initially Frasier wants to show his Dad that he is able to do things with his hands. Disaster ensues after the two Crane brothers make the 'repairs'. The plumbers are called and turn out to be a couple of bullies who abused the Crane brothers in high school. Niles, taking the advice of his older brother, handles the confrontation with his one time attacker well, eliciting a very funny 'emotional' apology. Frasier, always one to offer advice but never one to heed his own, tries a different method of confrontation that leaves, among other things, the toilet still unfixed.

Roz in the Doghouse
Roz, tired of being unappreciated by her boss Frasier quits in a huff and agrees (amazingly) to take a job producing Bulldog's (Dan Butler) sports show. Frasier insults her further by implying Bulldog only wants her to work for him in an effort to sleep with her. However, it seems that on occasion the Doctor may be right...

Disc Three

Retirement is Murder
Martin is haunted by the murder he never solved and the episode begins with him sifting through old clues. Frasier, in an attempt to win his father's approval, offers his own solution to the case, and once again makes the wrong assumptions when it seems his father has solved it too. Frasier is awarded some credit for Martin's success until it is revealed that their culprits are not the same (species).

Fool Me Once, Shame on You, Fool Me Twice...
Yet another episode that devotes some time to the fantastic antagonism between Niles and Roz with some fantastically witty barbs. Frasier, the good-hearted liberal who believes that people are basically good blah blah blah... as his father tells him with some derision, is a victim of thievery. A succession of good-hearted but wrong-headed mistakes leaves Frasier without a suit, briefcase, car and then his freedom. This episode features the remarkable Nathan Lane as the self-proclaimed lazy con man.

You Scratch My Book...
Frasier decries the hack psychiatry of the author of a series of self-help books, until he meets her and finds out she's a gorgeous blonde named Dr. Honey Snow (Shannon Tweed) and, amongst many hugs and special 'moments', she asks him to write a foreword for her next book. Different heads compete until Frasier ultimately decides, very reluctantly, that he needs his professional integrity more than the stunning Dr. Snow.

The Show Where Sam Shows Up
Frasier's Cheers friend Sam Malone (Ted Danson, now in the hit show, be it completely infuriating to me, Becker) shows up in Seattle, but he isn't there for a visit—he's running away from his wedding. Tea Leoni plays his fiancée who happens to know Frasier better than most...

Daphne’s Room
One of the best of the season - Frasier promises not to invade Daphne's privacy again after she catches him in her bedroom, looking for some tedious book, but for one reason or another, he can't seem to stay out of there. We finally explore that corner of the Crane residence which is interesting, and the final scene is one of the funniest I've ever seen. Brilliant comedy all round.

The Club
We begin this episode with a very funny call (read) in from Gary Sinise who begins his call by saying that he has a great fear of speaking to people he doesn't know on the telephone.... The episode continues with Frasier and Niles competing for membership in an elite Seattle gentlemen's club, known as the Empire Club. Mistaken identity, one of the great tools of comedy, plays an important role as the competition heats up, resolves, and in true Crane style, ends with neither of the brothers getting what they want. Siblings will appreciate the intense (and intensely funny) rivalry between Niles and Frasier.

Disc Four:

Someone to Watch Over Me
Frasier overreacts by hiring a (female - which provides some laughs) bodyguard after he becomes convinced that he is being stalked by an obsessed fan. She tells him that she will be wearing a red dress at the Seattle radio awards, and thus panic ensues when many a woman clad in red is in attendance.

Breaking the Ice
Frasier and Niles accompany their father on an ice-fishing trip in a misguided attempt at bonding with him. This episode is a little more reflective in parts than some but there is still a lot of laughs to be found, especially considering that the Crane brothers are about as comfortable with fly-fishing as Martin would be at the opera...

An Affair to Forget
Niles defends his honour when he suspects Maris is having an affair with her fencing instructor, a Bavarian whose seemingly estranged wife calls Frasier seeking advice (which, not uncommonly, Roz chooses to provide). Niles, the athlete that he is, challenges this wife stealer to a duel and some fantastic physical comedy results. Any students of a language will also enjoy the scene in which the fencing instructor who speaks only German, the maid who speaks German and Spanish, and Frasier, who speaks Spanish and English set about uncovering the fencer's infidelity. Translations aren't always as smooth as the heated situation requires.

Agents in America, Part III
Frasier's agent, Bebe Glazer (Harriet Samson Harris), in a maddening, off the wall, crazy and sometimes annoying performance uses some crazy tactics (including a fake suicide attempt, climbing out onto the ledge of the radio station's high rise building) in her efforts to renegotiate his contract. Frasier doesn't know whether to condemn or be thankful for Bebe's outlandish negotiation skills, and for a while believes his career in radio is over.

The Innkeepers
Frasier and Niles, the great connoisseurs of food and wine, learn that a favourite restaurant of theirs is about to close. Things, as always, don't exactly go to plan and there are some hilarious moments, particularly when both Daphne, Roz and Martin are called upon to fill recently (very recently) vacated positions in the kitchen, behind the bar and on the floor. Witty writing and some brilliant physical comedy involving some eels and Jane Leeves make this episode a keeper.

Dark Victory
This episode is unusually dark (no pun intended - it takes place during a power failure). Tensions are high in Frasier's apartment after a blackout keeps everyone indoors and together. Frasier tries vainly to keep things cordial but all he really wants is some alone time to stew over his own problems. Not very high on humour and a little flat this is certainly not an episode in the normal Frasier vein, but we do get to see a different side to the characters.

Video

    These episodes are presented in their correct aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (as are all Frasier episodes, unlike E.R. which was always shot in widescreen, or The West Wing which changed between seasons). Obviously there is no 16x9 enhancement.

    What I will say is this - all the episodes have a very consistent look and very consistent deficiencies, if one wants to label them as such. These transfers are not particularly sharp, but nor are they blurry or indistinct to look at. There has been some mild edge enhancement done, particularly to characters' outlines, which occasionally gives that halo look, but it is never tremendously distracting. Grain is not a real problem except in some of the night time scenes (particularly the last episode, during the blackout) where some low level noise is noticeable. Generally though, the transfer is clean and clear with a softened edge to it.

    Colours are, as expected for a show about respectable psychiatrists and social climbers such as the Crane brothers, fairly muted and conservative, with only the sometimes gaudy clothes of Roz providing some stark contrast. There is no colour bleeding or oversaturation, and skin tones are always realistically rendered.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    We get a choice of three tracks - English, French or Spanish 2.0 Dolby Stereo. All are well handled although I must confess that I only listened to the English throughout every episode. The accompanying subtitles are also well done, if necessarily a little simplified. Audio sync and the clarity of the dialogue is fantastic, without any noticeable flaws.

    There are very few audio distortions to take note of.

    The centre speaker gets the majority of the dialogue whilst the two front speakers handle the bulk of the music and effects. The rear speakers and subwoofer get very little to do, but in reality, what could they do? Most of the episodes occur indoors and high above any sounds of city traffic so there is very little for them to do anyway

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Marching on to Season 2 (5:57): The executive producers discuss Season 2, emphasising the developing relationship between Niles and Frasier and the slight shift away from the emphasis on the father-son relationship formed in Season 1. They talk about the introduction of farce into the episodes, developing the story lines, which won them several Emmy awards and how happy they were with the season as a whole - their best ever they believe.
 
The Mystery of Maris Continues (3:05): Maris has been hidden all the time, to great effect. This includes some funny scenes and references to this elusive wife of Niles.
 
Roz's Dating Tips (2:49): A few scenes of the gregarious, unlucky in love, tough talking Roz Doyle.
 
The Niles and Daphne Attraction (4:03): These are hilarious little scenes from Season 2, depicting the many ways Niles interacts with Daphne, given his undeniable love for her.
 
And Then There Was Eddie (4:51): A tribute to the best Eddie (Moose the dog) moments.
 
Celebrity Voices (on each disc): Various famous voices are heard on Frasier's call in radio show. Stars include Lily Tomlin, Alfre Woodard, Sydney Pollack, Kevin Bacon (another potential victim for Roz), Carly Simon, Rosie Perez, Mary Steenburgen, Gary Sinise (hilarious), John Lithgow (madcap as ever, playing a car salesman looking for free advertising on Frasier's show) and Shelley Duvall.
 
Episode Commentary (Disc 1): 'The Matchmaker'. Director David Lee and writer Joe Keenan both talk about this episode, arguably the best of the season, and on how the story was created, and also some insights into the background to the series as a whole. They talk articulately and obviously are very pleased with the success and quality of the show.

    It seems that we've got exactly the same content so with a superior PAL transfer I declare Region 4 a winner.

Summary

    Frasier is one of the great comedy series, and deserves and warrants repeated viewing. Funny, charming, witty and often quite poignant, these are truly memorable characters on a remarkable show. Its end in the US recently will be bittersweet for many devoted viewers.

    The video and audio quality befit a TV show of the vintage Frasier Season 2 is and, whilst not perfect, are certainly not anything to complain about.

    The extras package is not particularly comprehensive, but what is there is fun to explore.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Scott Murray (Dont read my bio - it's terrible.)
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Review Equipment
DVD	Yamaha DVR-S100, using Component output
Display	Sony 76cm Widescreen Trinitron TV. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio Decoder	Built in to DVD Player, Dolby Digital and DTS. Calibrated with THX Optimizer.
Amplification	Yamaha DVR-S100 (built in)
Speakers	Yamaha NX-S100S 5 speakers, Yamaha SW-S100 160W subwoofer

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