Frasier

[Slim]

Like most people, or I like to think so anyway - I loved Frasier. As you'll have heard, there's been a revival and the first two episodes have now aired on Paramount. I've just watched the first one.

The premise is that Frasier has moved back to Boston from Seattle, following his father's death.

I was surprised to find that Nicholas Lyndhurst is in this - I wonder how that came about? And I wasn't overly convinced by his performance (as a university lecturer) early on, it felt a bit wooden.

The whole thing felt a bit forced to me for the first 15 minutes or so. It has a very traditional, old-fashioned sitcom feel but it doesn't feel as relaxed or natural as the old Frasier, or Cheers come to that. 

But I did warm to it. No Niles (his son appears as a sort of more nerdy and awkward surrogate), no Frasier's dad, no Daphne but I tried to appreciate it for what it is, and I warmed to it. It's not bad. Kelsey Grammar still has all the old subtlety and timing. Looking forward to the next one.

[The Picnic Wasp]

I'm looking forward to this when I can access it. I might have to bend an unwritten rule and finally subscribe somewhere. I liked the old Frasier being a total Cheers fanatic, but it did seem to depend to a great extent in the old style farce situations which latterly Cheers also suffered from, depending upon which team of writers was involved on a particular episode. Frasier always felt to me that it belonged in the theatre rather than TV. I wonder if it still has that feel.

[pdw1]

The review I read said it takes 4 episodes to get going and for everyone to find their feet and after that its pretty good. But it was The Guardian so you probably wont believe it.

[dom]

I had quite low expectations and quite enjoyed it.

I don't think the writing is up there with the original but I did find myself laughing

[pdw1]

I don't think the writing is up there with the original but I did find myself laughing

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