Frasier - Frasier's Story So Far - Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Frasier Crane) and James Burrows, legendary TV director and co-creator of Cheers, reflect on how Frasier wound up walking through the doors of Cheers, his journey to becoming a leading man, and where the future might take him next. This video was previously recorded.
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00:00 I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're here and how grateful we are that we have a chance to do this for you again.
00:06 Our love for this character is very sweet.
00:13 [Applause]
00:15 People used to say, "How long can you play at Prager Crane?"
00:19 This is when we were going on season 11.
00:21 You can play the character as long as you can live.
00:24 It's your family. You just don't turn your back on them.
00:28 I don't know what it is. There's never been anything like it.
00:31 This funny character that came to me through these extraordinary people.
00:35 I remember when we were looking for an actor to play Frazier.
00:38 We went through a lot of tape. We saw a lot of people.
00:41 We got this videotape from New York. We fast-forwarded it and his face appeared.
00:46 We looked at that face and it just made you laugh.
00:49 Thanks, Jim.
00:50 At the end of the second season of Cheers, Diane goes off and leaves Sam.
00:55 We determined that she went into a mental hospital.
00:59 In the mental hospital, she met a Dr. Frazier Crane who helped her and said,
01:05 "Don't run away. Go back and confront your demons."
01:08 Hello, Sam.
01:12 She came back to the bar. Sam had gone off the wagon and was in disrepair.
01:19 Diane shows up in the first episode.
01:22 I came here to help.
01:25 What are you going to do? Help me out of all my happiness?
01:29 No. All I really want you to do is see a friend of mine.
01:33 Dr. Frazier Crane is sitting at the bar.
01:35 We don't introduce him until halfway through the first scene.
01:38 Tell him to drop by. I'll try to fit him in between dames.
01:41 Why don't you say hello to him right now?
01:43 Hello, Sam.
01:47 I'm Dr. Frazier Crane.
01:48 Frazier's a fascinating character because in Cheers he's kind of a doofus,
01:53 although he's a psychiatrist.
01:54 There's no such thing as a former patient.
01:56 I think you'll find that once you've been a patient of mine, I'm always there when you--
02:00 [crickets chirping]
02:01 Oh, great.
02:03 I'll bet this is important.
02:08 He's hoodwinked in the snipe hunt in that show where they take him out in the woods
02:13 and leave him there.
02:17 So you're here.
02:18 Well, I'm furious with all of you for what you did to me.
02:21 Uh, Frazier, I can explain.
02:23 Why did you introduce me to that intoxicating sport?
02:26 I'm positively hooked on it.
02:28 [imitates car horn]
02:30 David Angel, David Lee, and Peter Casey,
02:33 they had the faith and the foresight to see that they could take this character of Frazier
02:40 and make him a leading man.
02:46 What the hell is that?
02:48 The windows are rattling, the walls are shaking, and I am talking to no one!
02:53 It's a tribute to his ability because a lot of actors could not have done that.
02:57 People of Seattle, listen to me!
03:02 We are not barbarians!
03:04 We are not Neanderthals!
03:06 And we are not French!
03:08 Do you hear that, you?
03:12 We've crafted a world where he shines again, but in a new way.
03:15 Yeah, he's 20 years older, and he's still got the same sort of immutable spirit.
03:19 Frazier!
03:21 Corny!
03:22 Welcome back to Boston!
03:25 My God, you haven't aged a day.
03:27 And you!
03:29 Well, thanks for coming to pick me up, get me?
03:31 It's as simple as a dream.
03:32 I woke up and said, "Oh, Frazier has to go back to Boston."
03:35 Frazier has unfinished business there, and of course his son lives there,
03:39 so it all kind of pointed toward Boston again,
03:42 which has been pretty rewarding, I think, in a fun way.
03:45 There's a line in the first show, which I love, that the writers wrote about
03:50 when Frazier expresses his feelings about being back in Boston.
03:54 He says, "I'm not sure I was ever my best self here.
03:58 I may have spent a little too much time at a certain bar."
04:02 A certain bar.
04:05 I speak for the Charles brothers.
04:07 We're honored that they made that attribution.
04:10 I'd like to say it's been great having this character in my life.
04:16 In another actor's shoes, this character could be detestable,
04:20 and Mr. Grammar makes him lovable.
04:25 [music]