Frasier writer reveals the one plot from 90s sitcom viewers really ‘didn’t like’
Really?!
Frasier might be one of the most beloved sitcoms in history but a writer has revealed there was one particular plot that fans really couldn’t get on board with.
The acclaimed comedy starred Kelsey Grammer as the titular radio psychiatrist, who returned to his hometown of Seattle to reconnect with his stuffy brother, Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) and their dad, Martin (John Mahoney).
The series ran for 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004, and began shortly after he landed his own call-in show on KACL, produced by Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin).
In a previous interview with Metro, writer and executive producer Joe Keenan revealed that a storyline from season six regarding his coveted radio program really didn’t sit well with those watching from home.
When asked if there were any plots over the 11-year run that didn’t end up working, he recalled: ‘I mean, when Frasier lost his job for a period in season six, I know some fans didn’t like that he was out of work at the station, and then that he was depressed and went through a rough patch.
‘We always knew that was going to last for seven or eight episodes. It was planned right from the get-go that by episode seven or eight, they’ll be back at the station.
‘I remember going online and [seeing], “See, we told them we hated it and they changed it!”
‘No, that was written a couple of months ago.’
The batch of episodes in question aired in 1998 and saw Frasier struggling to come to terms with his unemployment after KACL introduced a new format and got rid of their on-air talent.
He left his family concerned as he went through the stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – before eventually getting his job back in the ninth instalment, titled Roz, a Loan.
Frasier landed his very own radio show on KACL (Picture: NBC)This isn’t the only plot that social media users have taken aim at in recent years, with many sharing that they had avoided a controversial season two episode focusing on the psychiatrist’s teenage fling with an older woman.
Others had also suggested that the ongoing love story between Daphne (Jane) and Niles (David) was ‘too controversial’ for modern times.
Discussing whether any particular jokes have aged poorly in the years since they first aired, Joe insisted that there was nothing that came to mind – but conceded that he hadn’t gone back to watch the series as much.
‘Nothing stands out to me. I’m sure if you go on a [forum], you’ll find people who find that moment didn’t age well…,’ he continued.
Another storyline concerning Niles and Daphne also didn’t go down well (Picture: NBC)‘If there are, I don’t think it’s more than a couple of things that we might not have done if we’d been doing the show today.
‘But in all honestly, I don’t go back and watch it that much. You’re focused on the next thing all the time, I don’t know if I have to go back and relive my glory days, I have to figure out what I’m writing next.
‘With actors as well, the focus is on – do the work and hope that people still enjoy it, and then focus on what’s next – so I don’t know, if I watched it more often, I might find things.
The writer addressed Frasier’s interesting efforts with women (Picture: NBC)‘Frasier’s insane flirtiness was as much a function of how little time you have to tell a story. You’ve got 20-22 minutes to tell the stories so you find yourself cutting a lot of corners with meet cutes and people seeing somebody at a party and immediately going up.
‘If there’s something that we always laughed at in the room, it’s how rapidly women are charmed by Frasier, who wouldn’t be charmed in real life by the coordinate by the corny, flirtatious things he’ll say and the compliments he’ll say.
‘That whole highfalutin chivalrous thing he’ll play when he’s trying to get a woman interested. I don’t know if people would be offended by that as much as they find it ham fisted.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
