morning becomes bebe, Jul 01, 2010

Reviewer: justanotherfrasierlover from spaceneedletown usa

most all frasier fans are hip to the well known candidates for 'best ever' episode e.g. the matchmaker, the ski lodge and ham radio
and for sure these scripts&performances are well worthy of their status in classic tv sitcomdom

but as a snobby self proclaimed frasierphile i flatter myself
able to identify under-rated gems in this 'the best sitcom ever'

storylines of frasierness that either equal or even better the
well known series entries mentioned above

and 'morning becomes entertainment' is certainly one that merits inclusion in that group

it's not an entry that offers some keen comedic insight to any of the main characters' psyches or even a maior 'moment' in the series' arc either; just a 'one off' storyline that starts off funny and keeps getting more and more funny all the way thru til

ending with a subtle but (in my opinion) brilliant moment of comedy performed by kelsey grammer

the main story arc is the diabolically delightful bebe's answer to kacl's hardball contract negotiiation tactics - to leverage their marketability bebe has gotten frasier & roz a week long try out gig cohosting a local morning tv show

when roz shows up too under the weather to go on hurricane bebe instantly materializes in the gulf
bebe will step in for roz - what a trooper that gal is!

and whenever bebe is near frasier laughs go into to hyperdrive (at least whenever im watching)

the secondary storyline is marty crane's answer to age related eyesight necessities
and when it comes to generating laughs frasier father's eyewear fashion sense is cover girl quality
john mahoney has more fun with this than a paid actor has a right to he's obviously having so much fun with the part he should be paying for the privilege of playing it

and then we get to the last five minutes of 'morning becomes entertainment' they are just wonderfully funny
it's bebe versus niles in a jalopena battle royale over frasier's true being - is he really just a shallow superficial attention hound? or a substantive contributor to the community's good mental health?

the final shot is reminiscent of a hope/crosby/lamour 'road to ...' finale and for me one of the most wonderful camera shots in the entire run of the series
niles relents and grants a special dispensation and ...
it's bebe and frasier on a burro bound for glory

god i love frasier! via con dios amigos!!!

Rating: 100%

Sparky loves Bebe, Jun 23, 2006

Reviewer: Sparky from UK

I find this episode practically flawless in a comedic respect. The antics of Frasier being tempted by the she-devil and Niles grounding influence ensures the storyline doesn't entangle itself too deep.

The whole episode shines in this season, and I will always remember this episode with the image of Frasier riding off with Bebe on a donkey. Whilst Frasier takes a side-step from his usual character by submitting himself to be a TV personality, he does it in a way that most people would (typically) do and this storyline is a safe and reasonable deviation from his standard aloof-self.

People may think this episode is not one of the classics, but as a late-season surge before season eight, it is certainly one to be treasured.

Rating: 100%

Who wants to see the monkey make eggs?, May 30, 2006

Reviewer: Niko Ruud from Milwaukee, WI USA

A delightful episode of Frasier, definitely contending for my favorite of all times. I believe it is delightful due to the fact of what it really shows. I think in this Frasier episode, everything that Frasier really cares about is very well represented. His family, his job, and his psychiatry. also this episode is very humorous, especially the part when Niles asks, 'If I say I'm sorry will she turn dad back into a man?'. Bebe Glazer is back and just as 'likable' as ever. My favorite episode of season seven and probably my favorite of all.

Rating: 100%

'Morning Becomes Entertainment' review, Aug 09, 2005

Reviewer: Jocelyn from London, UK

After a disappointing absence from the previous season, this episode sees the much welcome return of Harriet Sansom Harris as Bebe Glazer, with Joe Keenan's usual script writing duties for the character more than ably taken over by Rob Hanning and, in his last script for the series, Jay Kogen. A very lively episode, it sees Frasier and Roz agreeing to co-host a morning TV entertainment show, 'AM Seattle', while their radio show is taken off the air for a week, only for Roz to be taken ill and Bebe deciding to co-host herself. Frasier's doomed attempts at introducing a bit of culture giving way to more crowd pleasing antics are good fun to watch, not least the egg-throwing antics of Bobo the cooking chimp, although the episode is worth watching for Kelsey Granmmer's impressive James Mason and Sean Connery impersonations alone. Perhaps the funniest parts of this episode, however, are the scenes which concern a short-sighted Martin and his newly acquired pair of glasses, which he accurately describes as being 'designed with an eye for pleasing the ladies!'. This is also the source of the episode's best joke when, during Bebe's visit, he enters the room wearing the glasses and clutching Daphne's handbag, prompting Niles to wonder when Bebe will turn him back into a man! Niles also has a nice moment right at the end when he confronts his brother about allowing Bebe to debase his profession in such a manner, resulting in the three actors seemingly trying to out-ham each other and bringing a suitable close to this often very silly and always fun episode.

Rating: 82%