Frasier is an American sitcom created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee as a spin-off of Cheers, which follows the misadventures of Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), a psychiatrist who hosts a radio talk show in Seattle, along with his brother Niles, father Martin, producer Roz and housekeeper Daphne Moon.
The series aired in the USA on NBC from 16 September, 1993 to 13 May, 2004. There are 264 half-hour episodes in 11 seasons.
Frasier originally aired in South Africa on SABC3, which inherited the show from the now-defunct TV1 channel in 1996. It later aired on DStv's M-Net Series and Sony Entertainment Television (SONY) channels.
See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 11 premiered on SONY on Friday 16 March 2012, at 20h05. New episodes broadcast daily, on weekdays. There are 24 episodes in the eleventh and final season.
Synopsis
A spin-off of the immensely popular 80's hit show Cheers, Frasier follows the life of Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), a psychiatrist who hosts a radio talk show in Seattle on KACL 780AM. He works the show with his friend and producer, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin).
Frasier's dad Martin Crane (John Mahoney), a retired cop, moves in with him after he gets shot while walking in on a robbery. Martin is looked after by his nurse - the streetwise, smart, English, Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves).
Frasier's brother and close friend, Dr. Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) is also a psychiatrist but he's even more pompous and proper than Frasier. Throughout the series, Niles is in love with Daphne, even though he is married. When his marriage falls apart, he's too scared to admit his feelings for Daphne.
The sibling rivalry and snooty elitism displayed by brothers Frasier and Niles is starkly contrasted by their father's down to earth attitudes on life, with hilarious consequences.
Daphne's foreign anecdotes and the cultural divide between her working class British roots and the Crane brothers' erudite nature is another comedic focal point.
Added to the cast is Eddie, Martin Crane's dog (played for the first eight seasons by Moose, a Jack Russell terrier, before he retired and handed over the role to his son, Enzo), who loves most of the characters but tends to stare unwaveringly at Frasier.
In this first season of the show Frasier embarks on his new life in Seattle after leaving behind his life in Boston as a result of the break-up of his marraige to Lilith.
Throughout its 11-year run, Frasier won 39 Emmy Awards.
Seasons
Note: TV1 was part of the old SABC channels, which were restructured in 1996 to form SABC1, 2 and 3. Frasier was inherited by SABC3.
Season 1 (24 episodes)
Channel: TV1 | Premiere: 19 Apr 1995 | Finale: 27 Sep 1995 | Saturdays, 20h00
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 21 Dec 2000 | Finale: 31 May 2001 | Thursdays, 20h30
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 1 Nov 2010 | Finale: 16 Nov 2010 | Mon-Fri, 18h50 (double bill)
Season 2 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 27 Apr 1996 | Finale: 5 Oct 1996 | Saturdays, 20h00
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 7 Jun 2001 | Finale: 15 Nov 2001 | Thursdays, 20h30
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 3 Dec 2010 | Finale: 20 Dec 2010 | Mon-Fri, 18h50 (double bill)
Season 3 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 12 Apr 1998 | Finale: 20 Sep 1998 | Sundays, 21h00
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 22 Nov 2001 | Finale: 2 May 2002 | Thursdays, 20h30
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 7 Feb 2011 | Finale: 22 Feb 2011 | Mon-Fri, 18h35 (double bill)
Season 4 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 28 Sep 1998 | Finale: 8 Mar 1999 | Mondays, 21h00
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 9 May 2002 | Finale: 17 Oct 2002 | Thursdays, 20h30
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 14 Apr 2011 | Finale: 29 Apr 2011 | Mon-Fri, 19h25 (double bill)
Season 5 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 15 Mar 1999 | Finale: 23 Aug 1999 | Mondays, 21h00
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 24 Oct 2002 | Finale: 3 Apr 2003 | Thursdays, 20h30
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 2 May 2011 | Finale: 17 May 2011 | Mon-Fri, 19h25 (double bill)
Season 6 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 21 Feb 2000 | Finale: 31 Jul 2000 | Mondays, 21h00
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 10 Apr 2003 | Finale: 25 Sep 2003 | Thursdays, 20h30
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 17 May 2011 | Finale: 2 Aug 2011 | Tuesdays, 19h30 (double bill)
Season 7 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 8 Jan 2001 | Finale: 25 Jun 2001 | Mondays, 20h30
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 2 Oct 2003 | Finale: 18 Mar 2004 | Thursdays, 20h30
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 17 Oct 2011 | Finale: 17 Nov 2011 | Weekdays, 20h05
Season 8 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 2 Jul 2001 | Finale: 10 Dec 2001 | Mondays, 20h30
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 6 Aug 2005 | Finale: 14 Jan 2006 | Saturdays, 21h00
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 18 Nov 2011 | Finale: 21 Dec 2011 | Weekdays, 20h05
Season 9 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 20 May 2002 | Finale: 28 Oct 2002 | Mondays, 20h30
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 21 Jan 2006 | Finale: 1 Jul 2006 | Saturdays, 21h00
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 10 Jan 2012 | Finale: 10 Feb 2012 | Weekdays, 20h05
Season 10 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 14 Apr 2003 | Finale: 22 Sep 2003 | Mondays, 20h30
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 8 Jul 2006 | Finale: 16 Dec 2006 | Saturdays, 21h00
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 13 Feb 2012 | Finale: 15 Mar 2012 | Weekdays, 20h05
Season 11 (24 episodes)
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 15 Mar 2004 | Finale: 23 Aug 2004 | Mondays, 20h31
Channel: M-Net Series | Premiere: 23 Dec 2006 | Finale: 2 Jun 2007 | Saturdays, 21h00
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 16 Mar 2012 | Finale: 18 Apr 2012 | Weekdays, 20h05