David Hyde Pierce’s Favorite Episode Of Frasier

Here’s Frasier star David Hyde Pierce’s favorite episode of the beloved sitcom. The character of Frasier Crane was created for Cheers with John Lithgow in mind and was only supposed to be a guest character. Kelsey Grammer eventually landed the role and proved so charming that Frasier became part of the main cast. When Cheers ended in 1993, Frasier was spun off into his own show, though some additional backstory had to be created for the urbane psychiatrist.

In Cheers, Frasier claimed his father Martin was dead, and no mention was made of having a brother. When the spinoff arrived, it was revealed a family rift led to Frasier claiming Marty had died, while his brother Niles proved to be even more of a social snob. Frasier itself would go on to become an acclaimed sitcom, with the ensemble cast and razor-sharp comedy proving an irresistible combination to viewers. The sitcom came to a close in 2004 after 11 seasons.

Grammer is currently in development on a Frasier reboot, though it’s unknown whether any of the original cast will be joining him. Also, some fans of the show have taken Grammer’s Frasier reboots comments to be a bad sign about progress on the revival, which has big expectations to live up to considering how beloved the series is. It would feel strange if David Hyde Pierce’s Niles didn’t return for Frasier’s revival, but considering the actor has largely stepped away from movie and TV work since the show ended, that might be the case. In 1999 TV special My Favorite ‘Frasier,‘ David Hyde Pierce’s favorite episode of Frasier was revealed to be season 5’s “First Date.”

Frasier’s “First Date” opens with Niles deciding, after years of having an unrequited love for his father’s carer Daphne (Jane Leeves), that he was going to ask her on a date. However, in typical Frasier style, he can’t quite work up the nerve, and awkwardly fumbles, claiming to be in love with his neighbor instead. David Hyde Pierce’s – who has done a lot since Frasier – Niles keeps digging himself into a deeper hole supporting the lie, and Daphne, being a good friend, helps out and comes to his home to cook dinner for this phantom date.

David Hyde Pierce’s favorite episode of Frasier is filled with both the verbal and physical comedy the show is famed for, but it’s also a sweet episode at its core. Niles is still recovering from the trauma of his split from Maris and an oblivious Daphne is just trying to help her friend move on. Frasier dragged out the “will they/won’t they” romance between Daphne and Niles – including Niles drama with the never-seen Maris –  for as long as possible, but “First Date” quietly marked a milestone in that relationship. In the end, Niles does get to take Daphne for dinner after endless comic shenanigans, and while not exactly a date, it’s a step in the right direction.

About The Author

Padraig Cotter
(3486 Articles Published)

It’s pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. Now that’s out of the way, a brief introduction. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he’d like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site.

A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games – he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. He has written words for Den of Geek, Collider, The Irish Times and Screen Rant over the years, and can discuss anything from the MCU – where Hawkeye is clearly the best character – to the most obscure cult b-movie gem, and his hot takes often require heat resistant gloves to handle.

See also  All References To The Incredible Hulk In Later MCU Movies (That Prove It's Canon)

He’s super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. He can be found as i_Padds on Twitter making bad puns.

More From Padraig Cotter