Flashback Friday: Frasier (1993 to 2004)

Every decade has its own iconic media.

In the 1990s, one of those television shows was Frasier. A spinoff of Cheers, the show followed Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) as he returned to his hometown of Seattle. Working as a radio host/psychotherapist, he dispensed advice to listeners.

While being the guru for those who called into his show, his personal life was a bit messier. Among those who he dealt with outside of work were his equally neurotic younger brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and their father Martin (the late John Mahoney). Adding a female voice to the mix was his producer Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin) and their housekeeper Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves).

I never really watched it back in the day. On the rare instances when I did watch, I found it mildly appealing. There was an intellectual bent to the comedy that made it more than the average sitcom. Obviously, there was enough of an audience to keep Frasier on the air for 11 years, but I wasn’t among them.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Advertisement

Throwback Thursday: Hot in Cleveland (2010-2015)

According to our cultural beliefs, women of a certain age are disposable. They are no longer young, are past (or nearly past) childbearing age, and can be replaced with a newer model.

The TV Land sitcom, Hot in Cleveland, aired from 2010 to 2015. Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli), Joy (Jane Leeves), and Victoria (Wendie Malick) are three forty-something women who are flying from Los Angeles to Paris. When their plane makes an unexpected stop in Cleveland, they decide to stay and take advantage of the social and romantic opportunities that are not available in California.

Moving in with Elka (the late Betty White), the women are introduced to everything (and everyone) the city has to offer.

I didn’t regularly watch Hot in Cleveland, but when I did, I found myself laughing. It was funny, entertaining, and proved once more that women over 40 are just as vibrant and full of life as their younger counterparts.

If I had to pick a favorite aspect of the show, it was Betty White. Still sharp as a tack, she never failed to make the audience laugh.

Do I recommend it? Yes.