The idea of Frasier was a man coming to terms with his father later in life.
That was always the heart of the show.
lt was the relationship that we wanted to build the show around.
But Niles also emerged as an interesting part of that mix.
The three of them were an interesting dynamic to explore together.
l would say in the second season... maybe we did a bit in the first season,
of the brother relationship.
That was always going to be a side issue.
We found that the audience really responded to that.
They also responded to the father-son issues, so we didn't drop those.
But we started using the relationship between Niles and Frasier a little more.
There you go. Triple espresso and my mocha latte.
- Do those shavings look different? - No.
They do to me. l think they've switched to an inferior domestic brand.
Waxy.
l think Frasier has calmed down a lot.
l think he's more comfortable with himself.
Sorry, Eddie. He's still alive. You won't get your own room after all.
- How are you feeling? - How do l look?
Last time l saw a guy like you he'd been in the trunk of a car for a month.
l think he's more comfortable with his father.
That isn't to say there aren't times they can't push each other's buttons.
lf they didn't, l don't know if we'd have a show.
l think he's matured and mellowed a lot.
- What were you guys laughing at? - Oh, nothing.
Don't leave your old man out!
All right.
l was just explaining to Niles that the reason l came...
was because l was hoping l'd hear you say the words ''l love you''.
Oh, Jeez! l leave you for two minutes and you have to start thinking!
lsn't it enough that we're here having a good time?
Dad!
Every year, thousands of guys go fishing and love never enters into it.
- OK. - Thank you.
- Can we just go on fishing? - Sure!
By the second season they were pushing each other's buttons,
but it wasn't a visceral antagonism
like they had in the early part of the series.
Nothing will happen. Even if it does, l was a cop. lt's a waste of money.
There's a difference between police and bodyguards.
They are trained to plan escape routes and get shot, if necessary.
- l can take a bullet. - Just what your personality needs:
another bullet!
The thing l remember most about the second season...
is that l don't remember specific things, but as a whole.
But when you have a great first season,
which we did, on ''Frasier''...
it's hard to reach that level again in your second season.
There tends to be a natural dip in the quality.
ln my opinion the absolute opposite happened with ''Frasier''.
l thought we stepped it up in the second season.
The episodes were even better.
ln my 24 years in this business
l've never experienced a better season.
That's not to take away from the seasons that have followed.
l'm just telling you that for 24 episodes, from start to finish,
l thought those were the best.
Usually, writers or producers figure that you'll have a few clunkers.
There's no way of avoiding it.
Even on the best of shows, there'll be shows that you're disappointed in.
l remember coming away from that season and going,
''This was a great year.''
- Niles, you can't fight this man! - l've been fencing since Prep school!
He was born with a sword in his hand.
He probably performed his own caesarean.
That was also the year we discovered the show's ability to support farce.
Partly it was because the writer Joe Keenan joined the show.
The second season was his first full year doing it.
He said, ''l'm really good at doing these. Do you mind if l try one?''
The first one he did was ''Matchmaker'',
with Frasier's gay boss.
- He seems like a nice guy. - He's OK.
l hope he's more than OK, he just asked me out on a date.
Frasier asked you out on a date?
He asked me to dinner at his place. ls there any particular wine he likes?
- There's something you need to know. - What?
- He's nuts about Chardonnay. - Thanks!
lt's hard for me to pick one specific episode in the second season
because there were four or five which were brilliant episodes.
That's very self-congratulatory, but it truthfully is.
The first episode, featuring Frasier and his piano teacher, l thought was great.
We had ''The Matchmaker''. Many consider that a great classic episode.
We had the sword-fighting episode, which won the Emmy for writing.
There were a lot of good episodes that season.