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By
NICK ZEGARAC
When Kelsey Grammer and
"Cheers" parted company no one could have foreseen
that the actor's next television venture,
"Frasier," would be more prolific and satisfying
than his stint as a resident barroom psychiatrist.
Taking a tip from other spin-offs, which have
tried in vane to recapture the essence of their
original's glory, the producers of "Frasier"
assumed the responsibility of concocting an
entirely new setting and cast of characters for
the series, retaining only the name Dr. Frasier
Crane and departing from almost all the other
aspects of "Cheers." The result: a witty, urbane
and sophisticated spin-off with far more polish
and charm than "Cheers," populated by an inspired
cast of veritable scatterbrains and screw ups.
In 1994, "Frasier" debuted with all its magic in
place. We were introduced once more to the
neurotic Dr. Crane (Grammer), his even more
neurotic and insecure younger brother Niles (David
Hyde Pierce), their father Martin (John Mahoney),
and his physical therapist Daphne Moon (Jane
Leeves). The imminent psychiatrist was now a radio
celebrity with a show programmed by a calculating
hard-knock girl with a heart, Roz (Peri Gilpin),
living in eclectic luxury inside a penthouse
apartment overlooking Seattle's breathtaking
skyline. Then the troubles began. Martin moved in
to Frasier's apartment, Daphne began having
psychic premonitions and Frasier's ex-wife Lilith
(Bebe Neuwirth) attempted reconciliation. Inspired
by gifted performances and shoot-from-the-hip
writing, the show was an instant smash hit.
Paramount's DVD, "Frasier - The Complete First
Season" aptly delivers all 24 episodes of this
trendsetting comedy in a deluxe four disc box set.
Highlights include the riotous pilot episode in
which Martin moves in and effectively wreaks havoc
on Frasier's comfortable lifestyle, with his
dilapidated armchair and monstrously playful dog,
Eddie. Then there's the episode in which Niles and
Daphne are forced to spend the night together in
Niles' gothic mansion while his wife is away, the
episode where Frasier contemplates having an
affair with a much younger woman, and, the
hilarious return of Lilith which leads to a night
of distasteful pleasure racked in Freudian guilt.
Paramount has done a nice job with the transfer:
For the most part colors are accurately presented
with a subtle muted palette, good contrast levels.
Blacks are deep and solid. Fine detail is nicely
realized. Unfortunately, some of the episodes
suffer from edge enhancement and shimmering of
fine details that generally distracts. Certain
episodes tend to have a slightly hazy look to
them. Several episodes suffer from color imbalance
in which tonal quality and brightness seem to
shift -- not only from scene to scene but shot to
shot. Overall, these are minor imperfections that
although discernable are nevertheless forgivable.
The audio is stereo and very nicely balanced.
Extras include a brief but succinct featurette on
the creation of the series, a benign "Frasier's
Apart" sort of game that one has to access by
toggling on the remote, short snippets that
illustrate all the guest star cameo voiceovers
used as Dr. Crane's call in guests and audio
commentaries on selected episodes. If you're a fan
of this television series, I highly recommend this
box set. |
