Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 8 -> Episode 8.11

The Show Must Go Off

Frasier drags Roz to a Sci-Fi convention to buy some comics for Frederick, and happens to spy Jackson Hedley signing memorabilia for fans. Jackson did a performance of his one-man show at Frasier and Niles' school and introduced both of them to the world of Shakespeare, so Frasier goes ove to speak to him. He finds out he plays a character in a sci-fi show on TV, leaving Frasier appalled that the man's talents are being wasted. Discussing the situation with Niles, they come to the conclusion that they can be the one's to save Jackson's career by mounting a production of his one-man show at a Seattle theatre. Hugely excited by having the chance to be theatrical producers, Frasier and Niles are horrified when they finally get a chance to see Jackson perform after all these years - he's an untalented disaster.

With only seven days till opening night, and tickets selling fast, Frasier and Niles despair over what to do - apparently, the stagehands now wear earplugs during rehearsals. Frasier has an idea - he believes that having worked on TV, he has lost the skill he once had when Frasier and Niles saw them many years ago, so he has managed to get a copy of his one-man show from some years ago and hopefully when Jackson watches it, he will see how good he used to be. Unfortunately, the video just shows that Jackson has been an awful actor for a long time, leaving Frasier and Niles no choice but to close the show and fire the director. However, Jackson then arrives and informs them he has fired the director, leaving Frasier and Niles trying to do everything in their power to stop Jackson going on in order to save their reputations.....

- A Sci-Fi fan can't believe Frasier doesn't know Jackson Hedley was in a TV show:
Fan: Where have you been, man?
Frasier: I don't know ...... Reading, attending theatre, getting a hair cut (!)

- Noel is amazed to find Roz at the Sci-Fi convention:
Noel: That explains the heat between us.
Roz: There's heat all right - because I'm in hell!

- Niles and Frasier watch the video of Jackson's one-man show:
Niles: He's awful!
Frasier: The man has no instincts - just stinks!

- Jackson senses Niles and Frasier have worries over his show:
Jackson: Do you know, I've never worked with producers who haven't wanted to pull the plug before opening night!

- The Fire Marshall recognises Jackson from his TV show:
Fire Marshall: I've even got the 'Playboy' with Princess Alexandra.
Jackson: The one on the lava rocks? Yes, I've got that one too!

In pre-publicity, a lot was made of the guest star appearances of Derek Jacobi and Patrick MacNee, but I was left feeling underwhelmed by an episode that is a re-run of every Frasier/Niles collaboration - in other words, disasterous. Derek Jacobi proved good value as Jackson Hedley but it's disappointing that Patrick MacNee gets a very brief one scene cameo as Jackson's father, and wastes John Mahoney as the writers struggled to find something amusing for him to say in his one scene. There is some amusement from the lengths Frasier and Niles go to to try and get opening night postponed, but I felt this episode could have been a much better one than it was.

Rating

73 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 88.0%
Total Number of Reviews: 5