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Reviews
Frasier (2023)
A Glimmer of Hope?
It took until the sixth episode of this reboot for a glimmer of the old Frasier to flicker in the darkness. Without giving too much away, both Frasier and his son have blind dates scheduled for the same day and time. When the first woman arrives at their apartment, it's unclear who she is there to see, and each man believes himself to be the intended target. Thus, they begin competing with one another before attempting to sabotage each other.
Mistaken identity was a recurring theme in the original series and it's a welcome return here, even if the writing isn't as sharp as it could be. The final line is reminiscent of the final line in "The Ski Lodge," one of the better episodes in the original run.
This episode also brought into sharp relief what's been wrong with the series thus far -- namely, Frasier isn't Frasier. In the earlier series, much of the humor centered around the lovable but pompous character being taken down a notch. Niles, Martin, Daphne, Roz and even Bulldog each had their own unique -- and hilarious -- ways of bursting Frasier's bubble. It worked because all of the characters were on equal footing.
The same can't be said of the new cast (at least not yet). They are all far too deferential to Frasier and he is far too deferential to them. He has no one to spar with, and the verbal thrust and parry was what made the original series so memorable.
Part of the problem is that Frasier doesn't really have any peers, with the possible exception of the criminally underutilized Nicholas Lyndhurst. Everyone else is half his age or younger and they are as bland as bland can be (as opposed to the original series, where every regular character had a strong personality).
My suggested solution: A cameo appearance by Harriet Samson Harris, who played Frasier's agent-from-hell Bebe Glazer. She convinces him that he deserves a much wider audience than a Harvard classroom can provide and offers to help him relaunch the Jerry Springer-style talk show that made him such a success in Chicago (the reboot jokes virtually write themselves!). First guest: Lana Gardner (Jean Smart), who needs help with anger management.
Newhart: Murder at the Stratley (1989)
Quite possibly the single best episode of a classic sitcom
Every character on this show is hilarious, and almost all of them make an appearance in this zanier-than-usual episode. The townspeople believe that Bob has murdered his wife and decide to re-enact the crime that they think happened. Among the best lines -and there are many - "you could hear a pig drop" and "blow out the match - your hair looks like hell!" Twenty-two minutes of pure comic perfection. I've watched this entire series multiple times but this episode can still make me laugh out loud. I love the much-celebrated series finale - sheer brilliance- but it didn't have anywhere near as many laughs as "Murder at the Stratley." Check it out.