Frasier

Answer: It's a joke that relies on the stereotype that British people drink warm beer (i.e., the pub is so authentically British, they don't have any means to cool a drink). In reality, this isn't the case; lagers and most beers are refrigerated, while cask ales (a.k.a. "real ales") are served at "cellar temperature", which is usually colder than room temperature but not as cold as being in the fridge. For Americans used to "chilled" or "ice cold" beers, this comes across as warm and gave rise to the idea that Britons drink warm/tepid/room temperature beer...whence the joke.

And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon (1) - S8-E1

Question: When Frasier is in Donny's office, Donny says that he will sue Daphne for "breach of contract." How is this possible unless he and Daphne, at some point, created a verbal or written contract, in which Daphne specifically promised to marry him? Is accepting a marriage proposal the same as creating a verbal contract?

Answer: There are U.S. states that still have "breach of promise" tort laws, However, these are generally designed for one party to recoup any financial losses they may have incurred during the engagement (cost of the ring, engagement parties, pre-wedding costs, honeymoon expenses, etc). A party cannot sue for emotional damage, and any claims have to be within a certain time period after the engagement is ended. Donny is just upset, and he is mostly making an idle threat out of anger.

raywest

Answer: It fleshes out her character as being previously married, divorced, and having a child – typical for someone her age. It gave her a backstory.

raywest

Niles sees the photo of the adult son and guesses that Mel was young when her son was born. One of her employees scoffs at the comment. The joke is that Mel is probably older than Niles thinks and may have had cosmetic surgery, being in the business herself. Maris was also a few years older than Niles, so it's another way in which Mel is similar to Maris. Frasier later says that she is "Maris all over again".

Answer: It's just one of Frasier's little arcane witticisms. Roz is acting over-the-top surprised (hands on her heart, wide-mouthed gasp, etc.), the way theatre actors and actresses would back in the early 20th century. Tallulah Bankhead was a successful American stage actress of that era, so Frasier is comparing Roz to her after seeing her "performance." He (or, more accurately, whoever wrote the episode) probably chose to reference Bankhead out of all possible actresses because it's an unusual name, unlikely to be confused with some other, non-theatre Tallulah.

Answer: This is a reference to Tallulah Bankhead, a prominent stage and movie actress in the mid-20th century. She mostly played somewhat over-the-top, strong-willed, opinionated characters. Frasier appears to be comparing Roz's melodramatic behavior to her.

raywest

Answer: When Roz comes into the scene, she's complaining about Christmas shopping because she says that she never knows what to give the men in her life. Frasier replies, "Since when?", making a sly comment on Roz's sex life. Roz was often teased about having many men in her life (it was a different time back then). When Roz overacts in response to Niles' statement about getting back together with Maris, Frasier says, "That's enough, Tallulah." The reference is to Tallulah Bankhead, a stage and screen actress from the '30s and '40s who was also known for her sexual appetite.

just visiting

Show generally

Question: What happened to Julia? They spend time building up a character and then she dated Frasier and they broke up, and in the next episode there is no mention of her leaving the station - no one talked about her?

Dan23

Chosen answer: TV shows frequently have short-term characters who never appear again. Maybe Julia got another job. Maybe Julia still works at KACL, even if she is never shown or mentioned.

Answer: She became victim to "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome." Which is described as: "when a character in a television mysteriously vanishes from the show. No write-off, no death, not even a passing explanation of what happened to the character."

Ssiscool

It's annoying when they introduce the character build it up and then get rid of it with none of the characters mentioning it.

Dan23

Show generally

Question: Why does Roz have to screen people's calls before Frasier talks to them? We see in some episodes that he can answer calls directly if he chooses, so why doesn't he do it all the time?

Answer: Most, if not all, radio call-in shows like Frasier's have someone (usually a producer) who screens calls. Sometimes it's to maintain a queue, sometimes it's to filter out the boring/crazy/uninteresting ones (it is radio, after all...the problems have to have entertainment value). Mostly, though, it's so that Roz can get some basic information from them (i.e. their name and the general nature of their problem) before putting them on the air. It's basically quality control. Yes, Frasier can take calls directly, but like most radio hosts, he relies on his call screener to make a decision about which ones he addresses.

Show generally

Question: Why does Maris keep Niles' last name after they divorce? She has more wealth and social connections than him, so she doesn't seem to have anything to gain.

Answer: One could say force of habit and all the years, but also because she is clingy and incapable, and may be hanging on to her whipping-boy/servant if only psychologically (furthermore, she gets into legal trouble and may wish to spread the stain and disgrace onto the Cranes out of vengeance).

dizzyd

I think she always wanted Niles to "come crawling back."

Answer: Niles did love Maris, but he was very much a pushover who let Maris control his life. He accepted that because of Maris' money and connections, which gave him a very good life.

LorgSkyegon

Answer: I forget exactly, but I believe it's along the lines that Niles enjoyed the social status that being married to her brought him, despite her flaws; it's somewhat akin to someone staying in a bad relationship because the sex is good. As for the second part of your question, the producers were planning to cast someone, but as the show wore on, the writers found they enjoyed writing Maris as an unseen character, and as the descriptions of her became more outlandish and contradictory, it was felt that finding the right actress for the part would next to impossible.

Cubs Fan

Answer: The other answers accurately explain Niles and Maris' relationship. As to her never being seen, Maris is a version of Norm's wife Vera in "Cheers." Vera remained unseen throughout the entire series, but was often talked about and incorporated into various episodes. It was left to viewers' imagination regarding what she looked like and guessing if she'd ever appear. Vera sort of appeared in one Cheers episode when she was hit by a pie that entirely covered her face. Her voice was also occasionally heard. This same plot device was used in "Frasier."

raywest

Answer: The cheating occurred during "Cheers." Not much was discussed about the reason, but she cheated on him with a colleague of hers, Dr. Pascal (whom she also went to live with in an underground eco-pod). Working closely with someone, especially if the two have similar likes, ideology, etc, can result in romantic feelings being developed. With the burden of marriage and a child, she may have given into her urges. She does obviously feel bad because she asks Frasier to forgive her and take her back. There was also a running gag on "Cheers" that Lilith had a strong libido that she had to work hard to suppress, which may have been a factor if true.

Bishop73

Answer: Caitlin was a free-spirited artist with an unconventional personality and lifestyle. Some conservative people, like Martin, tend to consider artistic people to be quirky, eccentric, and annoying, which can also be referred to as "flakey."

raywest

Answer: Yes they did hint at it, but her religion was down played because they didn't want that to define her character. But besides the "Cheers" episode mentioned, s10e06 of "Frasier", "Star Mitzvah", is about their son Fredrick's bar mitzvah. Typically under Jewish law, a child is considered Jewish if his or her mother is Jewish (and we know Frasier isn't Jewish). It should also be noted that Lilith is a figure in Jewish mythology and considered to be the first wife of Adam.

Bishop73

Answer: Yes. The 'Cheers' episode 'For Real Men Only,' deals with infant Frederick's bris (ritual circumcision).

Brian Katcher

The Harassed - S10-E12

Question: There is a laugh track sound about the mention of Julia's book, "Day-Trade Your Way Out of Debt." I've heard of day-trading but don't really understand it. What is funny about the book title?

Answer: Day trading is a risky form of speculation where one can lose a lot of money, and is not a good plan to get out of debt.

Brian Katcher

Enemy at the Gate - S10-E2

Visible crew/equipment: When Frasier is standing through his sunroof to speak with the drivers stuck behind him in the parking garage, one shot shows Frasier's body and much of the rear window which features a very clear reflection of the boom mic.

More mistakes in Frasier

Frasier: Niles, I would shave my head for you.
Niles: A gesture which becomes less significant with each passing year.

More quotes from Frasier

Caught in the Act - S11-E15

Trivia: When Nanette tells Frasier she's tired of playing her children's show character, she asks him if he knows what it's like to play the same character for twenty years. By this point, Kelsey Grammer had been playing Frasier for twenty years: eleven on 'Frasier' and nine on 'Cheers'.

Cubs Fan

More trivia for Frasier

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