Frasier Crane

Dr. Frasier Crane
Cheers / Frasier character
First appearance	Rebound: Part 1 (Cheers)
Last appearance	Goodnight, Seattle (Frasier)
Created by	Glen Charles & Les Charles
Portrayed by	Kelsey Grammer Kendall Schmidt (young Frasier)
Information
Nickname(s)	Frase, The Doc, Dr. Crane
Aliases	Alastair Mobery[1]
Gender	Male
Occupation	Psychiatrist[2] 1983-1993 (Private practice) Boston, MA 1993-2004 (On Air Psychotherapy) Seattle, WA, KACL AM RADIO 2003-2004 (On Air and Private Practice) KACL AM RADIO, Seattle, WA 2004-p (On Air Psychotherapy), San Francisco, CA
Family	Martin Crane (father) Hester Crane (mother; deceased) Ronee Lawrence (step-mother) Niles Crane (brother) Maris Crane (sister-in-law) Mel Karnofsky (sister-in-law) Daphne Moon (sister-in-law) David Crane (nephew)
Spouse(s)	Nannette Guzman (divorced) Lilith Sternin (divorced)
Children	Frederick Crane (son by Lilith Sternin)
Nationality	American

Frasier W. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers.^[3] He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon on the show Gunsmoke. Grammer received Emmy Award nominations for portraying Crane on three different NBC shows, including a 1992 guest appearance on Wings. He made 203 appearances on Cheers and all 264 episode appearances on his spin-off show Frasier.^[4]

Biography

Many of the details of his early life are introduced and elaborated on in the Cheers spinoff, Frasier.

Early life

It is established in Frasier that Frasier W. Crane was born in Seattle to Hester Rose Crane (née Palmer) (Nancy Marchand in Cheers, Rita Wilson in Frasier), a psychiatrist, and Martin Crane (John Mahoney), a police detective. The Crane family background is Russian, British, German, and French.

Birth

The details of Frasier's birth are erratic and changing.

• In Cheers episode "It's a Wonderful Wife", the bar celebrates Frasier's birthday in late February.
• In one episode, it is established he was born in March 1952.
• In season 5, episode 8 Desperately Seeking Closure of Frasier, Martin Crane mistakes Frasier's birthday with Eddie's birthday. In response, Frasier states that his birthday is in March.
• In the episode "Back Talk" it is revealed that Frasier's birthday is the day after one of Queen Elizabeth's children. As Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (born March 10, 1964) is the only one of Queen Elizabeth's children born in March, Frasier's birthday would be March 11, 1952. However, the episode "The Fight Before Christmas" takes place a few days after "Back Talk" (according to the storyline) which contradicts a March birthday. Also, this date is established by Daphne reading a newspaper from the day Frasier was born and assuming it was a current newspaper. This would suggest Frasier was born in 1964, but he is clearly older than this (mentioning being in his 40s consistently before this). Other children of Queen Elizabeth include Anne, Princess Royal (born August 15, 1950) and Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born February 19, 1960). Charles, Prince of Wales was born November 14, 1948, but this was before Elizabeth ascended the throne. If Frasier was born prior to 1952, then the "Queen Elizabeth" referred to in the paper could be Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, wife of King George VI and the queen-mother of Elizabeth II (although her last child was born in 1930). Alternatively, a third "Queen Elizabeth" might have been intended, or the joke from "Back Talk" was simply historically inaccurate.
• In the episode "The Late Dr. Crane" a local Seattle news station incorrectly reports that Frasier died of a heart attack. Frasier's picture is shown on the screen with the dates 1952-1999.
• In the episode "Are You Being Served?" it is revealed that he was named after one of his mother's lab rats. In the same episode, a second birthday contradiction appears: His mother's journal indicates that as of April, she was pregnant with Frasier, making a March birthday impossible. Frasier has one younger brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), who, like Frasier, was also named after one of his deceased mother's lab rats.
• The episode "Party, Party" suggests a May birthday.
• In a trailer made for the British television network Channel Four, Frasier says that he was born on the 4th day of the 4th month.

In the episode "The Proposal", it is established that Frasier Crane was conceived out of wedlock.

On Cheers

As a child, Frasier was unusually intelligent and sensitive, and as such was a frequent target for bullies, often the Kriezel siblings. His closest companion when growing up was his even more sensitive brother, with whom he was intensely close yet fiercely competitive. Frasier's interest in human behavior began at the age of eight, when his mother helped him understand why an older boy had bullied him.^[5] He attended a private school, where he earned the unfortunate nickname "The Bryce Academy Crier", and later said that "the only people who knew me debated, recited, or [were] on a six-month visit from Abu Dhabi."^[6] Frasier was also an actor throughout his school years, playing such roles as Conrad Birdie in Bye, Bye Birdie, Dr. Armstrong in Ten Little Indians,^[7] Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. He and Niles also pulled the fire alarm and blamed it on the school bully, John Rajeski, resulting in his expulsion and the start of a life of crime. Frasier graduated as the Salutatorian and was named "Most Likely To Be" by the Existential Club.^[8]

While the rest of the family stayed in Seattle, Frasier settled in Boston, Massachusetts, because of his attendance at Harvard. His first wife, whom he married while a first-year medical student, was Nanette Guzman (Emma Thompson on Cheers; Laurie Metcalf and Dina Spybey on Frasier), a popular children's entertainer.^[9][10] The marriage lasted nine months. (This marriage contradicts Frasier's statement in a fourth-season episode that Diane was his "first love".)

Soon after Frasier debuts on Cheers, he dates Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). They get engaged, but the relationship ends when Diane abandons him at the altar. Frasier nevertheless visits the bar often and eventually marries Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth), a fellow psychiatrist. Together, they have a son, Frederick, but Lilith cheats on Frasier with a colleague. The couple reconciles briefly, but between the end of Cheers and the start of Frasier, they separate permanently and divorce. During his separation with Lilith, Frasier publicly threatens suicide,^[11] to gain Lilith's attention and win her back, but the thought of his son stops him from doing so. Lilith gains custody of Frederick.

Life on Frasier

Frasier's divorce from Lilith and the negative effect his public suicide attempt had upon his practice^[12] led him to seek a new life in his hometown of Seattle. The strained relationship with his father and brother continues on his return. In the episode "You Can Go Home Again", which depicts Frasier's recent arrival in Seattle, his father bitterly comments that his son's visits became remarkably infrequent following his mother's death, and neither Martin nor Niles seem particularly welcoming to him. Frasier gets a job at KACL as a radio psychiatrist; The Dr. Frasier Crane Show debuts on May 21, 1993 (the day after the Cheers finale aired). The show, with its tagline "Wishing you good mental health", becomes popular enough for the mayor to proclaim a "Frasier Crane Day" and award him the key to the city to honor its 1,000th broadcast in 1997, and people often ask Frasier for autographs or tell him that they enjoy the show.

Soon after his return to Seattle, Frasier invites his father, who has become unable to live alone, to live with him in apartment 1901^[13] of the Elliott Bay Towers condominiums, on the Counterbalance.^[14] To help out, he hires his father a physical therapist, Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves). Although they frequently argue and remain drastically different personalities, the two men grow very close over the next 11 years. Frasier also develops a much closer relationship with his brother, as well as with Daphne and with the producer of his radio show, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin).

During this period, although Frasier's radio career, intellectual pursuits and reputation are quite strong, his romantic life is frequently disastrous. The final episode ends with Frasier flying to Chicago to pursue a relationship with Charlotte, forgoing a new career in San Francisco.

Frasier, when driving or in scenes with his vehicle, has had three BMWs - a BMW 540i E34, a later version of the 540i E39 which was black with grey leather interior, and then later in the series a BMW 745i E65 which was dark blue.

Frasier's second ex-wife Lilith maintains contact with him in the second series, with at least one guest appearance per season. Their relationship is tense and uneasy at first, but as the series progresses they grow warmer and more loving. Lilith frequently seeks out Frasier for help and moral support in times of difficulty (divorce from her second husband, her desire for another child), and Frasier reciprocates by seeking advice from her with his chronic relationship troubles. Her drunken one-night stand with Niles leads to fraternal turmoil, which soon passes. In their final appearance together ("Guns N' Neuroses"), the two characters part with silent regret at their marital incompatibility.

Frasier's relationship with his pre-teenage son Frederick, who infrequently visits Seattle, is not well developed in the second series (a conscious decision of the show's creative staff to focus on adult characters). However, Frasier and his Seattle family's relationship with Frederick is portrayed as loving and close, with involvement in Frederick's schooling, youthful romances, and attempts at rebellion. They also participate in his bar mitzvah, and support his "gift" at spelling bee competition.

Personality

Crane is well-to-do, with upper class and intellectual tastes and a "lovably pompous",^[15][16] fairly uptight demeanor. He is something of an epicure, and enjoys the finer things in life, such as wine, good food, and expensive tailoring. He is very well versed in the realm of literature, frequently alluding to literary legends such as Shakespeare, Edmund Burke, Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, O Henry, and Lord Tennyson, among others. He is also an aficionado of the arts, including opera, classical music, theatre, and antiquities, and possesses some esoteric and obscure interests, such as Mongolian throat singing and African artifacts. His favourite colour is "arctic silver", an option for a new model of BMW, which is well-established throughout the series as being his automobile brand of choice, while his brother Niles preferred Mercedes Benz. His large ego, coupled with his Harvard and Oxford education, make him extremely confident in the advice he gives on his radio show (where he comes across as much calmer and more thoughtful than in his personal life). He is also somewhat self-absorbed and narcissistic, a consequence of his lonely childhood. When in a negative mood he is prone to being sarcastic. He is also gullible and very trusting of others, as demonstrated in the Season 7 episode "Radio Wars", when he is the subject of prank phone calls from his KACL colleagues. Despite having endured a similar battle in the Season 3 episode "Leapin' Lizards", it does not occur to him that he is being tricked in the same manner. He is extremely pompous and verbose, prone to making grand, melodramatic declarations regarding his intentions and making the most of every opportunity to make a speech. Frequently, his pomposity and snobbery is undercut and belittled by the other characters he encounters, and is often the cause of many of the misfortunes and crises that occur in his life. Although he shares many traits with Niles, he does not have as many allergies, is more realistic and easy going, and appears somewhat more athletic. Despite his own snobbery, Frasier is often required to play straight man to Niles' own quirks, particularly his obsessive hygiene.

Frasier is passionate about psychiatry. A staunch Freudian, he had a poster of his hero on his bedroom wall as a child,^[17] dresses as Freud for Halloween^[18] and states, "the classic Oedipus complex...Well, well, old friend, we meet again."^[19] As a Freudian, Frasier strongly believes that "there are no accidents"^[20] and that every action (and dream) carries with it a meaningful and unconscious subtext. This frequently leads him to obsessively overanalyze and fret about minor details regarding his life and relationships, which frequently creates problems in his life. When obsessing so, he is frequently prone to ignore the advice given to him by his family and friends and pursue his own course of action, which more often than not leads to disaster. His habit to overanalyze is so severe, that he once spent an entire episode fretting about a dream with homo-erotic implications, only later realizing that the dream did not possess any significant implications regarding his life; it was merely a consequence of his subconscious attempting to give himself a challenging patient (himself) following a dearth of them on his show.

Whilst rarely heeding the advice given to him by others, Frasier himself is full of advice to impart, and offers the benefit of his counsel to the extent that he frequently meddles in the affairs and relationships of others, much to the chagrin of his family and friends. Although this approach can be beneficial (such as his influence in bringing together his brother Niles and Daphne Moon) and forms the basis of his successful career, his advice and plans can frequently backfire on him, and can frequently lead to complicated, tangled, embarrassing scenarios. For example, in the above situation of bringing Niles and Daphne together, he is targeted by Daphne's fiancé for a lawsuit because of his actions. Frasier's meddling - and the adverse consequences it frequently leads to - is not intended maliciously, however; he is extremely well-meaning and eager to please, and desires nothing more than to be liked and popular. On the whole, he genuinely does desire to help people and is a fundamentally good and kindhearted person. Frasier becomes much more grounded and down to earth as the series progresses and he seems to desire little more than happiness for himself and his friends and family.

Education and career

During his school years, Frasier developed interests in - and frequently excelled at - the fine arts, cooking, and other intellectual pursuits. He was keen on and drawn to the theatre, appearing in several amateur school productions, and seems to have considered acting as a future vocation, but inspired by his mother, he developed a fascination for psychiatry. This may also have been partially inspired by his father being a police detective. Frasier stated he became a student of human behavior when at age 8 he was tormented by bullies. His mother explained to him why the children were acting that way, thus leading to his distancing himself from the pain of rejection by analyzing others rather than reacting to them on an emotional level.

Frasier boasts an M.D. and Ph.D.^[21][8] as well completing his medical residency in psychiatry. He earned his undergraduate degree in music from Harvard College^[22] in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was on the men's rowing team.^[23] and also graduated from Oxford University in Oxford, England where he was a Rhodes scholar.^[12][21] He speaks French,^[24] German,^[25] Italian, and Spanish,^[26] though he apparently learned German after the first two seasons; for example, in one early episode, Frasier could not speak German, and had to use Niles' maid Marta to translate. (At the least, his German pronunciation is suspect; he pronounces Das Boot as if Boot were an English word.) An oversight occurs in a later episode when both Frasier and Niles, despite being wine lovers and able to speak French, fail to pronounce the name of Chateau Petrus, often considered the world's best wine, using the common American English pronunciation. However, in an episode of Cheers, in which Eddie LeBec's French Canadian mother visited, he was able to clearly understand her Québécois French, which was full of colloquialisms. In another episode of Cheers, Frasier understands Woody when he uses the Mandarin Chinese word for "doorknob" (though in a later Frasier episode, he struggles with the language, calling a girl "as pretty as a chicken beak".) Frasier uses German as well in Cheers, defending Sam from an angry German whose wife was hitting on Sam. Frasier's hobbies and talents include playing the piano, composing music, singing, gourmet cooking, chess, collecting fine art, antiquing, home decorating, reading, writing short stories and plays, enjoying fine dining, his wine club, and squash.

In Cheers he is sometimes described as a psychologist, but this may have just been a mistake on the part of the characters. Frasier is indeed a psychiatrist.

Frasier's overconfidence in his abilities is often exploited for comedic effect. Examples of this include the episode "They're Playing Our Song", where the theme song Frasier composes for his radio show is mocked by his friends and family, and "Good Grief", where Frasier's cooking is criticized by Niles and Gil, and is spat out by his station manager, Kenny Daly. However, his cooking is most often complimented throughout the series, even with extremely complicated recipes, and this can more likely be attributed to Kenny's simpler tastes. Either way, none of these incidences appear to have tempered Frasier's view of himself, as he remains consistently egomaniacal throughout the series. This self-image is not entirely without justification, however, as he does have legitimate talent in many of the endeavours he pursues, but rarely to the level that he claims.

Politics

Although his political views are not a main focus of the show, Frasier appears to lean more on the liberal side. In the episode "The Candidate", Frasier expresses his distaste for a conservative Congressional candidate named Holden Thorpe, for whom Martin appears in a TV ad. He refers to Thorpe as "Himmler without the whimsy." In response, Frasier supports Thorpe's opponent, Phil Patterson, who is described by Martin as a "bleeding heart".

In Cheers, Frasier appears more neutral, expressing cynicism about the political process. The eleventh season episode "Woody Gets an Election" sees Frasier insisting that politics in general is a superficial popularity contest, full of insincere candidates who only care about re-election, rather than the promises they make to attain their positions. He makes a bet with Sam Malone (Ted Danson) that even bartender Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson), a man completely oblivious of the workings of politics, could receive 10% of the vote in the upcoming Boston City Council election by saying the right slogans. In an unlikely twist, a scandal mars Woody's opponent and Woody's speech to withdraw from the election (which Frasier convinces him to do) backfires and boosts the vote for Woody when his wife Kelly tells Woody she is pregnant on the TV, and leads to a shocking victory for the dark horse candidate, which causes Frasier some anxiety about the consequences of his experiment (as he visualizes Woody giving the go-ahead for full scale nuclear war). The reporter in Woody's interview is played by none other than Peri Gilpin, the future Roz.

In the Cheers episode "Get Your Kicks on Route 666", Frasier receives a cell phone call from the Democratic Party while stranded in the wilderness and replies "I understand the Democratic Party is in trouble, and I'd love to contribute, but I'm in a little trouble myself, right now!" over the phone.

Religion

Throughout all of Frasier Crane's appearances, religion generally doesn't play a large role. However in Cheers, he states that he was raised as an Episcopalian, but this contradicts a previous statement in the series, immediately after his son Frederick's birth, where he shows enthusiasm for Lilith to raise Frederick in her religion, Judaism, because he "was not raised with any particular religious tradition".

This continues in Frasier, where none of the Cranes embrace any theology. They do not pray before eating.^[27] Frasier makes a promise with God, however, not to argue with Niles if his brother is spared through his surgery.^[28] He has also, in one case, referred to "the omnipotence and omnipresence of the Lord". He appears to be familiar with the Bible as well, telling Roz, "Oh, He's God, Roz, have you read the Old Testament? He can be ruthless!"

Frasier on several occasions does mention his love for the writings of Søren Kierkegaard, an early 1800s Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author.

Romance

In both series, Frasier experiences constant difficulties in his relationships with women. In Cheers, he is left at the altar by Diane Chambers. His seven-year marriage to Lilith Sternin-Crane is loving, but tumultuous and characterised by terse battles of wit; Lilith eventually cheats on him with a colleague and leaves him. In Frasier, he endures eleven years of heartbreak on the Seattle dating scene. Frasier's lack of success with romance in the second series was a core plot device, and the closing scene of the final episode left his character hopefully seeking happiness with a new romantic interest.

In the final season of Cheers, it is discovered that Frasier was first married to Nanny G—a children's entertainer—and their marriage was short-lived. Frasier and Nanny G attempt to resume connubial relations but it ends up with Frasier in a diaper on stage. Frasier mentions this marriage in the season 5 episode "The Maris Counselor" during his toast that he is “divorced twice, left at the altar once”.

The first girl Frasier kissed reportedly punched him, as he later told Freddy the kiss was worth it as he was, "smiling all the way to the nurse's office." During high school Frasier had a crush on Lana Gardner, a cheerleader. He reunites with her as adults and they date briefly. Frasier lost his virginity to his piano teacher, Clarisse Warner, whom he left for college. A drinking companion from Cheers writes about the experience, titling his best-selling book Slow Tango in South Seattle. Frasier briefly dates a woman who is identical to his mother,^[29] and in another series of episodes Frasier dates a career woman. In that relationship Frasier takes the less than dominant role, as he is lavished with gifts and pouts when he is not given enough attention. In an extended fantasy sequence Frasier is confronted by all the women with whom he has had relationships, including both his ex-wives, his mother, and Diane. Although the dream-Lilith is convinced that his problems are at least partly caused by his idolatry of his mother, Frasier realizes that he is pushing away women, and decides to commit to a lasting relationship.^[10]

His last girlfriend is a woman named Charlotte, with whom he spent three weeks before her return to Chicago. With the help of his manager Bebe Glazer, Frasier accepts a new job in San Francisco, and tells his family and friends that information. The final scene sees Frasier on a plane, but the pilot welcomes passengers not to San Francisco but to Chicago.^[30]

Crossovers

Outward

In the third season of the TV show Wings, Frasier and Lilith visit Nantucket so Frasier can host a seminar. This appearance earned Kelsey Grammer a nomination for an Emmy as best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Frasier also had a small cameo on The John Larroquette Show that lasted only a few seconds.

In The Simpsons episode "Fear of Flying", Homer enters a bar similar to Cheers with most of the main characters present. While Cheers co-stars Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, Woody Harrelson, George Wendt and John Ratzenberger voice their respective characters, Frasier is depicted silently.^[31] This was due to schedule conflicts making Kelsey Grammer (who voices recurring character Sideshow Bob on the series) unavailable.^[32] A later episode, "Brother from Another Series", features Sideshow Bob's brother, Cecil (voiced by David Hyde Pierce), and a number of references to Frasier. Cecil returns in "Funeral for a Fiend", which introduces the brothers' father (voiced by John Mahoney).

In October 2008, Dr. Frasier Crane appeared in a television commercial for soft drink Dr. Pepper, in a campaign featuring a group of fictitious "doctors". Grammer once again returned to the role and is depicted as still hosting his radio show on KACL-AM.^[33][34][35]

Inward

Dr. Phil appears "as himself" - losing poker to Frasier's agent.

References

1. ^ http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/frasier/episodes/619.html
2. ^ Kolbert, Elizabeth (February 27, 1994). "TELEVISION; A Chip Off The Old Sitcom". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/27/arts/television-a-chip-off-the-old-sitcom.html?scp=11&sq=cheers%20frasier&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-08-16. 
3. ^ "Condo by condo, Seattle has become a lot like 'Frasier'". Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2001927551_frasier13.html. Retrieved 2010-08-15. 
4. ^ Isenberg, Barbara (September 21, 2003). "Cheers to the long run". LA Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2003/sep/21/entertainment/ca-isenberg21/2. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
5. ^ "Frasier's Edge"
6. ^ "Big Crane on Campus"
7. ^ "Give Him the Chair!"
8. ^ ^{a b} "And the Whimper is..."
9. ^ Cheers, "One Hugs, the Other Doesn't"
10. ^ ^{a b} "Don Juan in Hell"
11. ^ "Juvenilia"
12. ^ ^{a b} "The Harassed"
13. ^ "The Fight Before Christmas"
14. ^ "The Babysitter"
15. ^ Season 7, Episode 8, "The Late Dr. Crane"
16. ^ Gates, Anita (April 19, 1998). "TELEVISION; Yes, America Has a Class System. See 'Frasier.'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/19/arts/television-yes-america-has-a-class-system-see-frasier.html?scp=21&sq=frasier&st=cse. Retrieved 2010-08-16. 
17. ^ "Odd Man Out"
18. ^ "Room Full of Heroes"
19. ^ "Kenny on the Couch"
20. ^ "Bla-Z-Boy"
21. ^ ^{a b} "Frasier-Lite"
22. ^ "She's the Boss"
23. ^ "The New Friend"
24. ^ Episode "Motor Skills" of Frasier (towards the end of the episode, Niles and Frasier write notes to each other in French, and both raise their hand when asked if anyone speaks French)
25. ^ "Semi-Decent Proposal"
26. ^ Episode "An Affair To Forget" of "Frasier" (He speaks Spanish to Marta and translates her replies for Niles)
27. ^ "Wheels of Fortune"
28. ^ "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
29. ^ "Mamma Mia"
30. ^ "Goodnight, Seattle"
31. ^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Fear of Flying". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page11.shtml. Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
32. ^ The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Fear of Flying" (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 2005. 
33. ^ [1]
34. ^ Petrecca, Laura (December 8, 2008). "Ad Track: Negative PR in advertising travels fast online". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/adtrack/2008-12-07-negative-advertising-drpepper_N.htm. 
35. ^ [2]

External links

• Frasier Crane at the Internet Movie Database
• Dr. Pepper commercial starring Frasier Crane

Detailed Listing of Frasier Crane Locations in Seattle