To Kill a Talking Bird (Frasier episode)

Infobox Television episode | Title = To Kill a Talking Bird
Series = Frasier
Season = 4
Episode = 14
Airdate = 25 February 1997
Production = 40571-085
Writer = Jeffrey Richman
Director = David Lee
Producer = Kelsey Grammer
Guests = Patricia Wettig (Stephanie Garrett)
Rosemary Murphy (Carol Larkin)

Nancy Linari (Elaine Hensley)
Jack Sydow (Alfred Larkin)
Wayne Alexander (Peter Soutendeck)
Prev = Four for the Seesaw
Next = Roz's Krantz & Gouldenstein are Dead
Episode list = List of Frasier episodes (Season 4)

"To Kill a Talking Bird" is the fourteenth episode in season 4 of American sitcom "Frasier", and the eighty-fifth overall. This episode also won David Lee his second Emmy for Directing.

Cast and characters

Main cast and characters

*Kelsey Grammer – Dr. Frasier Crane
*David Hyde Pierce – Dr. Niles Crane
*John Mahoney – Martin Crane
*Jane Leeves – Daphne Moon
*Peri Gilpin – Roz Doyle

Plot outline

Niles is moving into an exclusive new apartment building: The Montana. Anxious to make a good impression, he plans to throw a dinner party for his new neighbours, one of whom is a young woman (Stephanie) who has taken a shine to Frasier. After being forced to part with his whippet, who he finally realises was essentially a canine substitute for his ex-wife Maris, Niles acquires a cockatoo called Baby, who is capable of some speech. She manages to say "I love you" a few times (although on one occasion she offers "I love you Grandma", seemingly pining for her former owner), and also memorises Martin's description of her as "cute but stupid". She is also easily startled by sharp noises, such as the doorbell. This starts to cause problems on the evening of the dinner party, when she is traumatised by Frasier lighting the fire, and digs her claws into Niles' scalp. She subsequently refuses to let go, and grips tighter every time the doorbell sounds as the guests arrive. Frasier is compelled to play host, leaving little time to talk to Stephanie, but Niles cannot hide in the kitchen all night.

Episode title cards

*"Just call me Stinky"
*"Get a grip"

Memorable Quotations

"Daphne looks at Martin, who is seated in his favourite chair"
Daphne: Oh, dear. Your chair's got another big rip in the bottom!
Martin: Oh! Hand me my re-upholstery kit, would you?
"Daphne pulls a roll of duct tape from a nearby drawer and tosses it to him"
Martin: Thanks!

"Frasier guesses that Niles is trying to offload his dog onto Martin, because The Montana does not accept pets"
Niles: On the contrary, they welcome them. Just not cats or dogs.
Martin: Well, then, you're in luck, ’cos I don’t know what the hell this thing is.

"Niles has just completed giving Daphne and Martin a guided tour of his new apartment"
Martin: Hey, Niles, why the bed in the living room?
Niles: It's not a bed, Dad; it's an antique fainting couch!
Daphne: My goodness! They had furniture for everything back then, didn't they?

"Frasier is surprised that the doorman at The Montana just let him in, despite the exclusivity of the building"
Niles: Oh, that's because he knows you.
Frasier: Oh, fan of my show?
Niles: No, he lives in "your" building.

Trivia

The title of the episode refers to the American 1962 screenplay "To Kill a Mockingbird", based on the 1960 Harper Lee novel of the same name. This episode bears no resemblance the the novel or the screenplay.

Rosemary Murphy, who guests in this episode, played the part of Maudie Atkinson in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird

References

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0582570/ IMDb homepage]