Our take
A Christmas party war between two snobbish neighbours, set against the most tangled stretch of the show's long will-they-won't-they romance. The feud is the comic engine, and the rival party gag pays off nicely. The romantic plot is more awkward than festive, as CBR noted, with Daphne and Niles both attached to other people. Still, the Victorian party and the battle for guests give it plenty of seasonal sparkle.
What happens
Frasier is planning a Victorian Christmas party at home for his fellow residents, and keeping it quiet at the radio station, where only Roz is invited. He has even invited his upstairs neighbour and old enemy Cam Winston, calling a truce for the season. Daphne is having an awkward time: Frasier cannot remember what he said to her under the influence of painkillers, and Niles does not yet realise that she knows his feelings for her. Niles has to offer his condolences in person to Maris after her old gardener Yoshi dies, and when his girlfriend Mel finds out she is furious. Frasier's party is a disaster, and he soon learns why: Cam Winston is throwing a rival party upstairs and poaching his guests, so Frasier strikes back. Daphne panics when she learns that Niles and Mel have split up, and more so when she overhears Frasier urging Niles to make his feelings clear, not knowing that he means Maris.
Can the kids watch it?
Rated PG by the BBFC for mild language; fine for families with older children.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane
- John Mahoney as Martin Crane
- Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon
- David Hyde Pierce as Dr. Niles Crane
- Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle
Guest stars
- Saul Rubinek as Donny
- Jane Adams as Mel
- Tom McGowan as Kenny
- Edward Hibbert as Gil
Writer
- Jon Sherman
Director
- Pamela Fryman