EdwardKnoxII 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,1326...00.html?eol.tkr NBC Retiring "Frasier" by Josh Grossberg The Peacock is pulling the plug on one of its "Must See" mainstays. Despite last-ditch attempts to try and keep the Tuesday night therapy sessions going, NBC has announced that Frasier will officially end its run after 11 seasons. Despite the widely-held Industry belief that the show was headed for reruns, the network continued holding talks with Paramount Network Television to eek out one more year of Dr. Crane and the gang the same way NBC did with Friends in December of 2002. Unfortunately, it was finally decided that new episodes of Frasier were ultimately too cost-prohibitive to produce since NBC was already shelling out an estimated $5.2 million for the licensing fee and, in any event, already losing millions on one of its longest-running series. Renewing Frasier would've also required stars Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce to take substantial cuts in their seven-figure salaries (Grammer makes $2 million an episode), not to mention financial sacrifices from the rest of the cast. The folks working on Frasier weren't exactly surprised by NBC's decision, considering Grammer himself told E! News Live last June that he planned to retire his pompous, latte-sipping pop psychologist alter-ego this coming May after playing him for an even 20 years. The Emmy winner already holds the endurance record for playing the same character in primetime for 20 years--11 on Frasier and nine on its predecessor Cheers( tying James Arness of Gunsmoke fame). And in another tube milestone, by the time Frasier calls it quits, the Seattle-based series, which won five straight best comedy Emmys from 1994 to 1998, will also have matched the longevity of Cheers, which ran from 1982 to 1993. Ironically, unbeknownst to NBC, Frasier's producers already invited members of the press to a farewell luncheon for the good doctor in Hollywood today, leaving no doubt what their view of the future was. But unlike Friends, which (grab your hanky) is getting ready for a major send-off at the end of this season, Grammer and company are reportedly opting for a more low-key but dignified finale. Maybe that has something to do with the show not being as big a hit as it used to be. In the latter half of 2002, Frasier was drawing an average of 14.8 million viewers each week with an average rating of 5.9 in the 18-to-49-year-old category highly-coveted by advertisers, according to the Nielsens. During this season, those numbers slipped to 11.1 million viewers and dropped to 4.1 in the ratings, despite the show getting a boost creatively when producers brought back Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan, the writing duo who were responsible for some of Frasier's best laughs early on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted January 13, 2004 The show has been shit for the last 5 seasons. Good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ghettoman Report post Posted January 13, 2004 Pfft, Frasiers dad on herbrownies and Niles thinking he was= Gold. Can't say I'll miss it too much, but next years prime time line up is gonna have a shitload of viewers up for grabs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mole 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 I never really liked the show. The ratings have been up this year though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slingshot Suplex 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 I liked it when I watched it but I haven't watched it but a handful of times since Niles and Daphne got together. It got kinda stale for me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youth N Asia 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 I liked the show better then I thought I would...but I didn't like it enough to make it a habbit to watch it regularly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mole 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 It's no Seinfeld. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youth N Asia 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 Yeah, it's not that overrated Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mecha Mummy 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 Yeah, it's not that overrated Awww hell yeah. Frasier was pretty funny early on, and then it just got really really stale recently. But it's still better than Seinfeld. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slingshot Suplex 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 Oh hell,please don't start THIS mess.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Renegade 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 Guess I'm the only person who likes every season of the show. Shame to see it go but some more dvd releases would be good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Downhome 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 I've never watched an entire episode of this show. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2004 *See's headline* *Think's the character of "Fraiser" is actually retiring from being a radio psychologist* *Whacky series of mishaps ensue* *Ends up reading the full article and realizes how stupid he was* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lil' Bitch 0 Report post Posted January 14, 2004 Goodbye, Frasier. Thanks for the nightly laughs over the years from this dear fan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavishingRickRudo 0 Report post Posted January 14, 2004 Fraiser - the Ric Flair of sitcoms. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. S£im Citrus 0 Report post Posted January 14, 2004 Guess I'm the only person who likes every season of the show. Shame to see it go but some more dvd releases would be good. No, you're not. I've followed this show from the beginning, and I've loved every season. In fact, it's the only sitcom I've watched regularly (other than That 70's Show) since Night Court went off the air. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
