Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 5 -> Episode 5.05

The 1000th Show

It's Frasier's 1000th radio broadcast on KACL - something that a lot of people thought he's never reach - and he is dreading what sort of celebration the station manager is planning for him to mark the occassion, as Frasier feels that the work is it's own reward. It seems that Roz has already told the station manager exactly that, so the station aren't planning on doing anything! A little taken aback, Frasier starts to drop hints that he wouldn't mind a low-key public rally, though he says it's more to raise Roz's profile than his own (!). The station manager takes on board Frasier's hints and organises a rally at the foot of the Space Needle - an event that becomes far more important when the Mayor of Seattle decides to award Frasier the key to the city and proclaim the day of the rally 'Frasier Crane Day'! Niles, briefly elated at being mentioned in a respected psychiatric journal, is obviously insanely jealous but come the day itself Frasier is somewhat nervous so manages to convince his brother to walk with him to the rally at the Space Needle to calm his nerves.

However, the pair are beset by a series of disasters: firstly, Niles spills coffee on Frasier's shoes which ruins them, forcing Frasier to spend an age buying a new pair that it leaves them precious time to get the rally, so they take a shortcut down a back alley - where they get mugged leaving the pair without a phone or any money! Forced to take desperate measures, Frasier distracts a blind busker while Niles steals a quarter to phone Roz - but they are spotted by a gang of kids who chase them down the street. The Crane brothers lose them after a while and end up even further away than they were before but as luck would have it, they end up by a monorail station which would take them straight to the Space Needle. While initially promising, the train turns around mid-journey as it develops a fault leaving Frasier even more exasperated than before. As Niles goes off to phone Roz, a taxi pulls up and speeds Frasier to the final stages of his rally, but Frasier seems more interested in solving his driver's problems than his rally......

- After Frasier happily signs a photo for a fan who holds him in the highest regard during a conversation with Niles:
Frasier: Where was I?
Niles: You were last seen hiking up Mount Ego (!)

- Frasier excitedly tells his father and Daphne he is about to celebrate his 1000th show:
Frasier: Who'd have thought?
Martin: Not me that's for damn sure!

- Daphne is on the phone to the authorities trying to get her passport renewed but keeps being put on hold:
Daphne: I'm a resident alien here from England - you know, the country that ised to own you people!
Martin: You'll go straight to the head of the line now (!)

- It's the day of Frasier's rally, and Niles joins Frasier in Cafe Nervosa:
Niles: Happy Frasier Crane Day (!) Or is it Merry Frasier Crane Day - I can never remember (?)

- Niles' jealousy about Frasier's day soon bubbles up again:
Niles: I tried to join in on the '12 Days Of Frasier' but I got lost around day seven - how does it go again (?)
Frasier: I believe it's seven snobs a sniping (!)

- Frasier and Niles are walking through a busy market on the way to the rally:
Frasier: You know what I think when I see all these people bustling about?
Niles: Low turnout over at Frasier Crane Day (?)

- Daphne decides to collar the Mayor of Seattle to try and get her passport problem solved:
Daphne: My friend Xena and I - she's an alien too - are trying to get down to Mazatland to rendezvous with her mother's ship.
The Mayor: Her mothership?

- On board the turned around monorail, the conductor apologises to Frasier:
Conductor: I guess it just isn't your day.
Frasier: But it is my day!

A milestone of any show, this 100th episode of 'Frasier' is written by 2 of the best 'Frasier' writers - Joe Keenan and Christopher Lloyd - and features the actors in footage shot in and around Seattle as opposed to the studios where the show is usually shot. It is, therefore, rather disappointing to report that this episode is rather a weak affair. Niles gets all the best lines, in my opinion, as his jealousy over 'Frasier Crane day' manifests itself in a series of wonderfully tart comments - his line about the 12 days of Frasier was terrific - but once the episode moves on to the scenes filmed in Seattle, while a nice change from the usual sets and places, doesn't add much but the biggest problem lies with the script. It basically descends into a stream of obstacles that prevent Frasier and Niles from getting to the rally that end up being a bit tiresome and not particularly funny, and the rather heavy handed ending didn't help much either. Daphne's scenes about her being an alien should have been a lot funnier than they were but I just felt they didn't work very well - indeed, it is sympotomatic of the episode as a whole which, while not a complete disaster - could have and should have been a lot better.

Rating

77 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 75.8%
Total Number of Reviews: 10