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From Amazon.co.uk
After a distinguished run of Emmy-winning seasons, Frasier is, by its ninth season, in something of "a tiny lull" (as Frasier describes the state of his radio talk show career in the episode "Junior Agent") when its guest stars took home more Emmys than the much-decorated ensemble (Anthony LaPlaglia, reprising his role as Daphne's besotted brother, Simon, in the two-parter, "Mother Load"). But Frasier still shows signs of its usual brilliance in balancing farce and sparkling wit. After the hour-long season-opener, in which Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) explores his unhappy love life with the help of subconscious incarnations of Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth), Diane (Shelley Long), and a hippy to whom Frasier was briefly married (who knew?; and where's Nanny G?), the series shakes off the melancholia of the previous season. The world still gets the best of Frasier and assaults his dignity, be it the driver of a Humvee who hems him in his parking space; his neighbour nemesis, Cam Winston (Brian Stokes Mitchell); or Lilith's con-artist brother (Michael Keaton), who, in "Wheel of Fortune," arouses Frasier's worst suspicions when he shows up at his doorstep in a wheelchair. But Frasier at long last emerges triumphant in "Juvenilia," in which he gets the best of three smarmy teen radio hosts subjecting him to a fierce on-air grilling. Character developments this season include Roz (Peri Gilpin) falling in love with a garbage man (Tony Goldwyn), Niles (David Hyde Pierce) at last proposing to Daphne (Jane Leeves), Martin (John Mahoney) taking a job as a security guard, and Frasier and Roz sharing a one night stand. A series milestone, Frasier's 200th episode, features Adam Arkin as Frasier's most devoted (read "obsessive") fan. "Cheerful Goodbyes" reunites Grammer with Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, and Paul Wilson from Cheers on the occasion of Cliff Claven's retirement. Other memorable guest star appearances include Tony-winner Kristin Chenoweth as "The Junior Agent," the inexperienced, but tenacious former assistant to Frasier's pit bull of an agent, Bebe (the always exquisite Harriet Sansom Harris), and Brian Cox as Daphne's father, whom Niles is determined to reunite with his estranged wife. Frasier's ninth, unlike Beethoven's, hits some off-key notes (happily, the character of Kirby, the slacker with the Sideshow Bob hair, is gone after this season), but when everything is in harmony (as in "Bla-Z-Boy," in which Martin's beloved chair is accidentally (?) destroyed), it's still capable of a classic or two. --Donald Liebenson
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By KN
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
Season 9 of Frasier is arguably the weakest of the show so far. I give it only 3 stars, with a heavy heart, but I am judging it against the previous seasons, which have been generally outstanding. There are some very funny moments between Frasier and Niles but you get the feeling Frasier needs to move on.
I enjoyed "Room Full of Heroes", "Bla-Z-Boy", "The Love You Fake" and "Cheerful Goodbyes" but there are no standout episodes of comic farce that would enter the hall-of-fame (like season 4's "Ham Radio" or season 5's "The Ski Lodge"). In fact I don't even remember most of the other episodes. This is due to some weak writing and lack of fresh ideas, which you would expect by the ninth season of any show.
The Niles and Daphne story has now developed to them being an item, but as much as you wanted them to get together they just don't seem right as a couple. Watching Niles in his hopeless yet hilarious pursuit of the oblivious Daphne made for so many great moments in the first six seasons, but that edge to their story has now gone. To compensate, the writers decided to develop sub-plots involving Daphne's strange family. While Daphne's mother (Gertrude Moon) and brother (Simon Moon) were nicely introduced in season 7, we get an unwarranted overdose of Mrs Moon in this season, which makes you wonder why earlier recurring characters like Bulldog were axed.
If you are new to Frasier go to season 1 and work your way up to season 7; you will enjoy comedy of the highest calibre. If you're not, then watch it by all means but don't have high expectations.
I enjoyed "Room Full of Heroes", "Bla-Z-Boy", "The Love You Fake" and "Cheerful Goodbyes" but there are no standout episodes of comic farce that would enter the hall-of-fame (like season 4's "Ham Radio" or season 5's "The Ski Lodge"). In fact I don't even remember most of the other episodes. This is due to some weak writing and lack of fresh ideas, which you would expect by the ninth season of any show.
The Niles and Daphne story has now developed to them being an item, but as much as you wanted them to get together they just don't seem right as a couple. Watching Niles in his hopeless yet hilarious pursuit of the oblivious Daphne made for so many great moments in the first six seasons, but that edge to their story has now gone. To compensate, the writers decided to develop sub-plots involving Daphne's strange family. While Daphne's mother (Gertrude Moon) and brother (Simon Moon) were nicely introduced in season 7, we get an unwarranted overdose of Mrs Moon in this season, which makes you wonder why earlier recurring characters like Bulldog were axed.
If you are new to Frasier go to season 1 and work your way up to season 7; you will enjoy comedy of the highest calibre. If you're not, then watch it by all means but don't have high expectations.
57 of 61 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest sitcoms of all time shows further signs of age...
16 Feb 2008
By Little Cat Voom
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
To put this season in context, the preceding season 8 is not regarded very highly, and rightly so. Whereas seasons 1-7 (particularly the first 4 seasons) are probably as high a standard, and as consistently funny, as any comedy ever made, the loss of the dynamic between Niles and Daphne meant season 8 lacked the spark of previous years.
So, how does Frasier recover it`s first weak season? Definitely, there are some seriously funny episodes in season 9. "Bla-z-boy" is one of the strongest episodes of the entire run, never mind this season. The tension between Martin and Frasier is wonderful, as Frasier can`t accept the fact his longest successful relationship is the one with his father. Similar tensions are showcased in "Room Full Of Heroes", but this time it`s Niles who offends Martin. A personal favourite episode is "Wheels of Fortune", a brilliantly cast Michael Keaton as Lilith`s half-brother Blaine, who plays on Frasier`s good-natured side with the perfect scam. Watching Frasier and Martin catching a cricket that has sneaked into the apartment in "The First Temptation of Daphne" is great; as always, my favourite moments are dialogue between Grammar, Hyde-Pierce and Mahoney.
Low points - I don`t know what others think of Millicent Martin as Daphne`s mother, but I always found her incredibly annoying! And she is in too many episodes! New characters weren`t needed in Frasier, the original half-a-dozen were strong enough to carry things on...one massive exception is the superb Cam Winston! Another development that was definitely not needed was a bizarre development between Frasier and Roz in "The Guilt-Trippers".... Read more ›
So, how does Frasier recover it`s first weak season? Definitely, there are some seriously funny episodes in season 9. "Bla-z-boy" is one of the strongest episodes of the entire run, never mind this season. The tension between Martin and Frasier is wonderful, as Frasier can`t accept the fact his longest successful relationship is the one with his father. Similar tensions are showcased in "Room Full Of Heroes", but this time it`s Niles who offends Martin. A personal favourite episode is "Wheels of Fortune", a brilliantly cast Michael Keaton as Lilith`s half-brother Blaine, who plays on Frasier`s good-natured side with the perfect scam. Watching Frasier and Martin catching a cricket that has sneaked into the apartment in "The First Temptation of Daphne" is great; as always, my favourite moments are dialogue between Grammar, Hyde-Pierce and Mahoney.
Low points - I don`t know what others think of Millicent Martin as Daphne`s mother, but I always found her incredibly annoying! And she is in too many episodes! New characters weren`t needed in Frasier, the original half-a-dozen were strong enough to carry things on...one massive exception is the superb Cam Winston! Another development that was definitely not needed was a bizarre development between Frasier and Roz in "The Guilt-Trippers".... Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Mb Picton
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
First I would like to make clear that I have always been a great fan of Frasier. Some episodes I can watch again and again: Ham Radio, An Affair to forget and anything with the agent from Hell, Bebe.
But season nine is just not funny. I don't know what happened to this once great series but I could barely raise a chuckle when I used to be laughing my head off before. The performances are as spot on as ever, especially with the interplay between Frasier and Niles, but the writing is weak with no stand out episodes at all. In fact, some were so dire I didn't even finish watching them. These seemed to be the ones with Daphne's Mum and brother, characters who are very annoying in the extreme.
Oh, for the days of the lovelorn Niles pining after Daphne, Roz's tangled lovelife and Bulldog's rampant non-pc behaviour with anything in a skirt.
Sigh. At least I can rewatch the other episodes on DVD.
But season nine is just not funny. I don't know what happened to this once great series but I could barely raise a chuckle when I used to be laughing my head off before. The performances are as spot on as ever, especially with the interplay between Frasier and Niles, but the writing is weak with no stand out episodes at all. In fact, some were so dire I didn't even finish watching them. These seemed to be the ones with Daphne's Mum and brother, characters who are very annoying in the extreme.
Oh, for the days of the lovelorn Niles pining after Daphne, Roz's tangled lovelife and Bulldog's rampant non-pc behaviour with anything in a skirt.
Sigh. At least I can rewatch the other episodes on DVD.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A. Moncho
Format:DVD
Even though i agree with those who say that the series at this point are not so fresh like the first ones, i have to say that this season has some great episodes which we wouldn't enjoy so much if we didn't know the characters like we do having reached this point.
I won't review each good episode but i would like to say that i laughed like at the beginning of the series with the dialogues in "Don Juan in Hell", i enjoyed the interaction between niles and daphne in "The first temptation of daphne" even though them being together it's not a novelty at this point and i think that "the proposal" is one of the best episodes of the whole series with not only frasier and niles' witicisms but also some physical comedy (maybe not so great as in "An affair to forget" of season 2, but still).
Summing up: good season, i don't think frasier disappoints. Enjoy it!
I won't review each good episode but i would like to say that i laughed like at the beginning of the series with the dialogues in "Don Juan in Hell", i enjoyed the interaction between niles and daphne in "The first temptation of daphne" even though them being together it's not a novelty at this point and i think that "the proposal" is one of the best episodes of the whole series with not only frasier and niles' witicisms but also some physical comedy (maybe not so great as in "An affair to forget" of season 2, but still).
Summing up: good season, i don't think frasier disappoints. Enjoy it!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Love frasier!!!
I am collecting all the series and never disappointed when I watch them, always make me laugh, good bits of writing and acting, wish it was still being made
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