They're Playing Our Song (Frasier episode)

Infobox Television episode | Title = They're Playing Our Song
Series = Frasier
Season = 7
Episode = 13
Airdate = 13 January 2000
Writer = David Lloyd
Director = David Lee
Production =
Guests = Christine Kludjian (Tiffany)
David Thompson (Leon)
Tom Brooks (timpanist)
Tom Beyer (singer)
Prev = RDWRER
Next = Big Crane on Campus

"They're Playing Our Song" is the thirteenth episode in season 7 of American sitcom "Frasier".

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

Recurring cast

*Tom McGowan – Kenny Daly
*Edward Hibbert – Gil Chesterton

Plot outline

When the owner of KACL decides that each show requires a special theme jingle, Frasier struggles to think of one. Still trying harder, Frasier cancels dinner with Niles, and when he reveals why, Niles is interested and offers to help. Making the tune extremely complex, Frasier enrols Niles as the announcer for a dramatic monologue. Meanwhile, when brushing his teeth, Martin invents a catchy little tune for Frasier, who dismisses it instantly.

Still thinking something is missing from his tune, Frasier hires an orchestra and choir to perform in it. He has also promised Roz's new boyfriend Leon a role, eventually giving him the part of lead triangle (the regular player has tinnitus). Daphne, Kenny and Martin arrive and join Roz to listen to Frasier's long-awaited song. At the end of the two-minute piece (which combines a Broadway musical-style chorus with an incongruous film-score background for Niles' monologue), Kenny is momentarily awestruck. He then explains he did not want something so elaborate. Daphne talks Martin into singing his ditty. Kenny loves it and tells Frasier to come up with something more like that.

Starting again, Frasier hears Martin's jingle for the second time. He adds extra words to it, from Martin's advice of "saying what you do". He comes up with another catchy jingle which Frasier hates at first, but he eventually relents and adds his own words to it.

Episode title cards

*"A bridge too far"
*"It's why Gershwin's teeth were immaculate"

Cultural references

*Niles reminds Frasier how he once wrote a musical at school, and lifted the music from Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9", notably the setting of "Ode to Joy" in the final movement.
*Before performing the orchestral jingle for Kenny, Frasier offers his thanks to Calliope, the Classical Greek Muse of epic poetry whose name means "beautiful-voiced".

Memorable Quotations

"Daphne has a new and very powerful vacuum cleaner, but when she tries using it on Martin's chair it breaks down, with a small explosion"
Frasier: Well, apparently the "Dirt Scourge 2000" is no match for the "Dirt "Pile" 1957."

"Niles questions whether Frasier needs as many musicians as he has"
Niles: Whatever happened to the concept of "less is more"?
Frasier: Ah, but if less is more, then just think of how much more "more" will be!

"Kenny is taken with Martin's jingle, and demonstrates how memorable he found it. Some of the choir clearly agree with him"
Kenny: "(sings)" What's new? I'm listenin'…
Singers: "(joining in)" Feelin' blue? I'm listenin'. Feelin' sad, feelin' mad, feelin' bad, feelin' glad? I'm listenin'!
Frasier: You're off the clock!