I was really chuffed to see this episode today and even managed to record it David Hyde-Pearce is fantastic at physical comedy as is David Schwimmer. I love Frasier, it is my morning staple and this little gem with Niles is so clever, I love it.
TOTALLY agree, I always think him and David Schwimmer too have brilliant comic timing.
Very Chaplinesque.
DHP is such a good actor, they all are on Frasier. I love the greek tragedy episodes best. series Went off the rails once Niles married Daphne IMO, but up till then, 1st class.
Never been a massive fan of Frasier but I am of Raymond, so Frasier just comes on afterwards - I stick channel 4 on in the mornings when I'm away in hotels for work.
But this episode came on the other morning after I had been pacing my hotel room in frantic ugly tears, mourning the loss of my dog at the weekend. And OMG, I was very quickly howling with laughter, tears drying. It was very, very funny - I sort of realised I was laughing at old fashioned slapstick, but my God is he good.
Frasier is one of my favourite ever shows. Niles is a great character. I couldn't stand Daphne's brother though-his accent was completely different to hers
There's something about the old fashioned misogyny and awfulness of the parents that makes Raymond so amusing.
That, and that Ray's dreadful laziness and self-absorption reminds me of DH's best friend; Deborah's subtle bitchiness and death stares remind me of DH's friends wife; and the horrible mother's poisonous manipulative skills are matched only by DH's ex. It just tickles me.
Oh I love Frasier. It's very good and I notice extra bits every time I see the same episode - references to flims and events of the time, the clever little between scene captions. They are all brilliant but David Hyde pierce just tips it for me because he can do all types of comedy and is borderline genius at the physical stuff.
Agree that Daphne's family are weak but, well, it wasn't written for a British audience. I'm sure I couldn't tell you the many nuances of the USA accent just as most people from there wouldn't know about ours.
I caught my favourite episode a few weeks ago - the one where Daphne's ex (again, terrible accent) shows up and they all end up, one by one and with a kind of insane logic, being other people. Which Martin sends over the edge with his announcement that he's a retired astronaut!
It's pure farce, the script is a delight and there's one glorious bit in particular. Daphne's ex turns out to have done well for himself and she's stuck with pretending to be married to Niles. She realises she's made a mistake and says who'd have thought that Clive would end up being so successful, and still so good looking as well. Niles: Well, send in the clowns. Roz and Frasier tumble in from the balcony where he's been explaining to her why she's now Maris. Niles: Don't bother, they're here.
David Hyde-Pearce is fantastic at physical comedy as is David Schwimmer. I love Frasier, it is my morning staple and this little gem with Niles is so clever, I love it.
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