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Rating:  -
I have been a fan of "Frasier" since the pilot episode and for the first seven seasons it was the finest sitcom on television. But time and new writers have taken their toll and it shows in the eighth season.
Although the development of the Niles/Daphne relationship gave "Frasier" a new direction to explore, this season lacks the oomph of previous ones. There is no stand-out episode, just several nice moments spread out over 22 shows.
We start off with the follow-up to last season's climactic "Something Borrowed, Something Blue". And while the presence of Simon (a wonderful Anthony LaPaglia) is very welcome, the episode lacks the zing and fire needed to make it memorable. Follow up episodes get better with great guest stars like in "The Great Crane Robbery" featuring an impressionable Alan Tudyk (best known perhaps as "Steve the Pirate" from "Dodgeball") who copies Frasier's dwelling a bit too much. Or "Taking Liberties" with Victor Garber (of "Alias" fame) being letter perfect as the butler Ferguson. And I'm sure Rene Auberjonois was happy to act without tons of makeup from his Star Trek:DS9 days in "Frasier's Edge"
Jane Leeves' pregnancy forced the writers to come up with a "fat Daphne" storyline to cover her condition. Which leads to the strange episode "Hungry Heart" which Daphne is forced to face her expanding waistline. Unfortunately the tone runs counter to the attempted farce of the situation and is more uncomfortible to watch rather than funny.
This season also marks trips to experimental fare like "Sliding Cranes" which carries two seperate "what if" storylines without being confusing...or sadly, not being rather funny. And more location filming with episodes like "Hooping Cranes" or "A Day in May". "Daphne Returns" starts of being cringe-worthy when flashback scenes are introduced (usually the sure sign of creative bankrupcy) when we see the current Frasier and Niles put into each scene, a very nice touch.
Bright moments include Martin's priceless reaction to Roz's secret in "Semi-Decent Proposal". Or Frasier's desperate attempt to keep his new love from reading a less than respectful email in "Legal Tender, Love and Care".
Overall, the Eighth season is also how I'd rank it compared to the previous seven. And while it's entertaining enough to keep "Frasier" from "jumping the couch" so to speak, it also has too many "dramady" moments of unnecessary seriousness (like Martin facing his shooter in "A Day in May") that reminds me of the latter, sadder days of "M*A*S*H".
Tidbits:
- Frasier's comment about the hairlength of a sci-fi nut in "The Show Must Go Off" seems rather out of character considering his hair was almost as long during the first two seasons.
- Jane Leeves missed five episodes because of her maternity leave. She would become pregnant during the final season of "Frasier".
- Where's Bebe? Where's Bulldog? And why does Lilith literally "phone in" her performance in the final episode "Crane go Carribean"?
Rating:  -
I'm a HUGE Frasier fan, and have avidly been awaiting the release of the Eighth Season. Not one episode has ever been a disappointment. I look forward to more clever reparte` and the witticisms of the entire cast.
This is a MUST buy for any Frasier fan. Especially when we can look forward to more steamy scenes with Niles and Daphne!
Rating:  -
Season 8 marked a pivotal moment in the history of TV's most acclaimed sitcom. Following the sensational ratings glory of season 7 finale `Something Borrowed, Someone Blue (when Niles and Daphne finally got together) expectations were understandably high. There was unprecedented anticipation for this season, but that soon became an albatross weighing around the neck of season 8. The departure of two of the series' longest serving and most influential writers (showrunners Joe Keenan and Christopher Lloyd) added to the considerable pressure the production team faced this year. Jane Leeves (Daphne) also dropped a bombshell pre-production by announcing her pregnancy which forced some hasty re-writing. Many considered Daphne's weight gain storyline in poor taste but it's difficult to imagine how else the writers could have dealt with this without introducing a baby into Niles and Daphne's fledgling relationship. New showrunners Mark Reisman and Dan O'Shannon (whose previous work included `Cheers') certainly had their work cut out. On top of that the show's star Kelsey Grammer also requested that the show become more `Frasier' centred, the previous season having focused mainly on Niles and Daphne's characters. It was a reasonable request, but sadly it led to some extremely dull character-based episodes like `Frasier's Edge', which had one wondering if this was the same show responsible for the fast-paced high quality episodes of yore.
It's not all bad news. There are some genuinely entertaining episodes this year, including the hugely anticipated season opener `And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon'. `Taking Liberties' saw the introduction of a butler to Frasier's apartment, `Cranes Unplugged' has some nice father and son moments for Frasier with both his father Martin and his son Frederick, and `The Show Must Go Off' sees a welcome return to the Frasier/Niles centred farces in which they try and stop an aging Shakespearean actor from making an ill-advised return to stage (guest starring an Emmy award winning Derek Jacobi).
Die hard fans will not want to be without this important and pivotal season, and there's plenty to keep the casual fan entertained too. For newcomers though, I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction to Frasier. Season 1 is the best place to start for any newcomer as unlike many comedies this show really hit the ground running. Season 4 would also offer a good starting point as it's crammed full of so many classic episodes it's almost a `best of' compilation in itself.
Rating: -
After ending season seven with a fan-pleasing twist, Frasier returned in its eighth iteration to fulfill it. This is the season that Niles and Daphne begin to date, and even though this development did take a lot of tension out of the series, it is possible that the writers felt they had nowhere else to go. Frasier proved an oddity while on the air: most sitcoms peak in their first two seasons and go steadily downhill after that, but while Frasier certainly had a strong opening, it had several renaissances during its run. This season was one of them, as it brought several surprises: Frasier having an existential crisis, Niles becoming a sports celebrity, as well as some others. In short, this was hardly a weak season and has more than its share of laughs.
Frasier's crisis manifests itself in "Frasier's Edge", which has Frasier reuniting with his old mentor (Rene Auberjonois of Boston Legal and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and coming to grips with a feeling of emptiness. Funnier still is the subplot in which food critic Gil is primarily happy about being nominated for an award so as to avoid going to the annual awards show his wife throws when he's not nominated. The episode also starts off the joke about Daphne growing fatter in order to disguise Jane Leeves' real-life pregnancy. In "Hooping Cranes", Niles (almost magically) sinks a half-court charity shot at a basketball game and becomes a local hero, which, of course, causes Frasier to become jealous. The final showdown takes place over an arcade-style basketball machine and unfolds much as would be expected. Perhaps the best episode of the season is "The Show Must Go Off", in which Niles and Frasier are reacquainted with an aging Shakespearean actor (Derek Jacobi) who inspired them in their childhoods to delve into the Bard. In hopes of allowing their childhood idol to get over the heavy typecasting that came with being on a successful science-fiction show and get meatier parts, the two decide to put on a play and have him star in it. It doesn't take long to discover that the actor is horribly untalented, and then Niles and Frasier have to do everything in their power to sabotage their own production.
These are only a few of the highlights, but if you've enjoyed the show so far, chances are you'll like this. Enjoy.
Rating: -
This is a great group for this tv series. You Got Frasier : the serious Dr. Frasier Craine. Then you Got Frasiers Brother : Niles Craine the all time funniest character he seems to always getting into trouble. Then there's Frasier Cranes Father Martin : the retired cop that was shot in the hip, but always seem to make fun of both of his sons and also friends. Then you got Daphine: the housekeeper I guess thats what you call her ( a care keeper for Frasier's Father. Then there's is Ros Always trying to find the perfect man for her. There is also Gill : The Food Announcer on K.A.C.L. ( The Radio Station). Then You also have my favorite character in all the bunch "BullDog Brisco" The Sports Maniac Announcer ( in a good way). Finally, you got EDDIE: Martin/the Father's wonderful companion the dog. All in All, this is a GREAT T.V. Show. Buy this and I Garentee that you would love to get all the Seasons on dvd. Times a Waistin'. P.S. - I've been Waiting to add this to my collection. I Have all But the last season and season # 7 , but I will soon have them all. They Are Addicting. Well, Gotta go Thank You for your time. Laters!!!!!!!
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