Word: grammers
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...Frasier and his twittering brother, while Martin, an ex-cop, is intended to provide an earthy contrast to them. But viewers are still supposed to find the Crane boys sophisticated and lovable and ever ready with the withering riposte. Au contraire, they are often insufferable. Too frequently Grammer and Pierce adopt the mannerisms and voices of two actors in a provincial production of Noel Coward, working themselves to death. The other members of the cast, including Dan Butler as sportscaster "Bulldog" Briscoe, are likable enough, but the brothers dominate...
...even someone who resists Frasier's charm can find attributes that make it distinct and admirable. First of all, unlike Roseanne or Seinfeld or Home Improvement or Mad About You or so many other sitcoms of recent years, it does not star a stand-up comedian. Grammer is an actor playing a part, not a comic who has had a show built around him. As a result, Frasier has a presence as a character that is rare on TV today. He is not just a comic's alter ego, but a creation who seems to have a life...
...best Frasier episodes seem like little 22-min. plays whose scripts have words that actually matter, and whose scenes build as they would onstage. Indeed, that's where most of the ensemble started out. "Maybe because of our theater training we are conditioned to listen to each other," says Grammer...
...different mood from that of most sitcoms. Instead of the usual Buddy and Sally rat-a-tat-tat of joke pitching, there are often 15 minutes of silence, as a new idea is considered. The writers feel their words are given an unusual amount of respect, by Grammer especially. "He will try every possible way to make something work before he questions it," says writer Jeffrey Richman...
...having got the spot he wanted, Grammer must deliver. "I'm feeling some pressure," he admits. "Certainly because of what others expect of the show now, and my own sense of pressure is so insane I don't need any additional help. I am completely capable of self-annihilation at any moment." (That's almost literally true--Grammer has had terrible struggles with drugs and alcohol, and in 1996 he entered a rehab after flipping over his Viper while intoxicated.) No one expects Frasier to match Seinfeld's ratings. Still, millions of new viewers will sample the show...