Frasier: Season 9 – DVD Review

Archive

Available at Amazon.com

Creators

David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee

Cast

Kelsey Grammer Dr. Frasier Crane
David Hyde Pierce Dr. Niles Crane
John Mahoney Martin Crane
Peri Gilpin Roz Doyle
Jane Leeves Daphne Moon

DVD Release Date: May 15, 2007
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 527 Minutes on 4 discs

The Show

Dr. Frasier Crane didn’t come a long way as many people usually say he did from when he used to frequent a small bar named Cheers. Even back then he was the witty and humorous doctor that was very successful in his own life. Only, we didn’t see any of that because not only did the action rarely take place outside of the bar, but he wasn’t one of the main characters.

But nine years after Frasier left the bar, he was still going strong running his own talk radio show in Seattle with his producer Roz; using his psychiatric knowledge to help those who just can’t seem to help themselves. And of course, not all the calls are simple as some of the do take even his head for a spin. But that keeps things interesting.

Throw in the fact that Frasier lives with his father Martin Crane and housekeeper Daphne Moon, and things get even intriguing. Martin is getting up in years and mostly sits in his favorite chair spending the day with the family dog Eddie watching TV. Daphne takes care of the household chores, but has been around so long that she is just as much a member of the family as Frasier’s brother Niles.

Yes, Dr. Niles Crane is where things start to get a tad crazy. Always bickering with his brother and always obsessing over Daphne. Niles is the calm man’s lunatic, and that’s putting it nicely. They all interact with one another on a daily basis and tend to make each other’s life wonderful, but also a living hell. Many things have been building over the past eight years, and there were still three more to go. But it’s this ninth season that started to slowly piece everything together towards the big finish.

Niles finally finds enough courage in himself to realize that there are a lot of women out in the world, but only one that will ever steal his heart. And he takes that final step needed, brings his affection to the forefront, and proposes to the love of his life Daphne in “The Proposal.” We all knew it was coming, but it really is a great feeling to see him finally do it.

Another great episode from this season is “Bla-Z-Boy” in which Frasier accidentally breaks his father’s favorite chair. One of the things he loves the most in the world and where he spends most of his time, Martin would not be happy finding out his beloved possession was destroyed. It starts with a stain on Frasier’s carpet and just escalades from there in one of those you can’t help but stop laughing as one thing after another keeps happening.

Many people say that by the seventh or eighth season, Frasier began to lose steam. I don’t see how they can say that when here is the ninth season and every single episode is one to enjoy; and those you remember distinctly somehow ended up being even better then the rest. The writing is still phenomenal, especially during interactions between Frasier and Niles. Martin’s little quips always add that little something extra that each scene may have been lacking. Roz is becoming more and more endearing over time she has grown to be more of the group and not just in the production booth at the studio. Then of course there’s Daphne as bland as she is sometimes, putting her together with Niles was gold because it makes him even funnier then he already is.

This season really keeps the show moving at a fantastic pace and starts to pull all loose ends together. I know there were still two more seasons to come, but this is where everything began and it made for a remarkable final years for Frasier. You just can’t go wrong with everything you get in this season and it even has a milestone in the 200th episode. And trust me, that one is fantastic as Frasier hopes to complete his collection of tapes of his shows, but has to go through his obsessed number one fan to get it back. That is just one of the many great moments that will have you cracking up. And then there are those that will make your heart melt, so just do yourself a favor and try to keep up with the Cranes.

Episodes

Disc One:

Don Juan In Hell:
The First Temptation Of Daphne:
The Return Of Martin Crane:
Love Stinks:
Room Full Of Heroes:

Disc Two:

Bla-Z-Boy:
The Two Hundredth Episode:
Sharing Kirby:
Junior Agent:
Bully For Martin:
Mother Load (Part 1):

Disc Three:

Mother Load (Part 2):
Juvenilia:
The Proposal:
Wheels Of Fortune:
Three Blind Dates:
War Of The Words:

Disc Four:

Deathtrap:
The Love You Fake:
Cheerful Goodbyes:
Fraiser Has Spokane:
The Guilt Trippers:
Moons Over Seattle:

The Video

The episodes are shown in 1.33:1 Full Screen format and look perfectly fine. Frasier is one of those shows where you aren’t going to get bright and colorful scenes except for every few episodes, if that. They take place mostly indoors and are full of grays, blacks, and blues. But the pictures is sharp and not all dark colors look purple as they do in poor transitions, so it’s a good look for the show.

The Audio

The episodes are presented with Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround sound and the mix is great. Mostly dialogue as with all sitcoms, but Frasier has the added bonus of the little jazz musical interludes in between scenes or during the beginning of the show. They keep the pace of the show at a slow movement as it should be, even when things get hectic.

Special Features

None – I know that a lot of TV sets don’t come with many or any special features, but there was one at least that could have been included. I remember there being a special Bob Costas interview with the five main members of the cast after the “200th Episode.” They gave their thoughts on the time they had spent together, showcased some of their favorite scenes, and there were even outtakes. Yet sadly, none of that ends up here.

The Inside Pulse

Sure, there are no special features, but who really cares? There are 23 episodes of funny-as-hell lines and some logic that is sure to spin your head that can entertain you for days. Fan or not, there’s no reason not to grab this set because even if you hadn’t been following along, you can still catch up on what’s going on. Frasier is a timeless sitcom that sits right up there at the top with the other great hits of the nineties like Seinfeld and Friends, but does something that those shows never could. It makes you smarter while it entertains you.

The DVD Lounge’s Ratings for Frasier: Season 9
CATEGORY
RATING
(OUT OF 10)
THE SHOW

9
THE VIDEO

7.5
THE AUDIO

8
THE EXTRAS

0
REPLAY VALUE

7
OVERALL
8
(NOT AN AVERAGE)