The Frasier Scripts (Paperback)

~ David Angell (Author), Peter Casey (Author), David Lee (Author), The Writing Staff of "Frasier" (Author), Christopher Lloyd (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

[A]n elegantly crafted comedy like Frasier...translates superbly to book form. -- Entertainment Weekly, Kristen Baldwin, 5 November 1999

Product Description

First-time publication of 15 full scripts, including all the Emmy Award winners, of the sensational TV show, starring Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin, Dan Butler, and Moose, that has won the Emmy Award for best comedy for an unprecedented consecutive five years. Of the one hundred and fifty scripts written for Frasier over the last five years, executive producer Christopher Lloyd says that the 15 chosen for this book are those "that were just right...something about each one--whether it was the particular story we were telling, or the way we were telling it--just struck a nerve with everyone." Starting with The Good Son, the pilot script for the show, "they all deliver on the promise to be funny first," says Lloyd, "but also to be true to the characters, to explore their wants and needs in ways that occasionally achieve something like poignancy. The scripts in this volume represent various approaches to that end." Among them are:

flat-out farce (The Matchmaker, The Ski Lodge)
old-fashioned romantic comedy (Mixed Doubles)
swashbuckling (An Affair to Forget)
dancing (Moon Dance)
parody (Slow Tango in South Seattle)
silent-movie-like (Will You Be Mine?)

Ideal for the millions of Frasier fans, admirers of accomplished humor writing, as well as for students and professionals in the TV and film industries, this book, with background information and photos on the stars and characters, marks the first time that a Frasier script collection has been published in the U.S.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Newmarket Press (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557044031
• ISBN-13: 978-1557044037
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #285,693 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is an original!, July 4, 2001

By	Malte Kirchner (Wilhelmshaven) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is great because it is an original! You have the original storylines and no additions from other authors. You learn how such a series is made and how important the actors are to bring the action to live.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Collection of Classic Moments, March 16, 2001

By	Timothy Harris (Padstow, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This book is a perfect mechanism for catching up on the early years of Frasier or to relive those wonderful moments. I started watching Frasier in season 6 and this book has been a constant companion to fill the gaps and relive the moments I loved from the episodes I have caught up on. Having this book WILL lift your IQ!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for fans, January 11, 2008

By	Blake Petit "Novelist, Comixtreme.com columni... (Ama, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Frasier was long one of my favorite television shows, and purely from a writing standpoint, I enjoy reading screenplays and scripts to see just how different writers structure their stories. This book collects 15 scripts from the show's first six seasons, and having seen most of the episodes, I can concur that they have chosen 15 of the best episodes.

From a storytelling standpoint, these are just great tales. The pilot episode, in which Frasier and his father try to adjust to living together, is touching and funny in all the right proportions. Stories like The Matchmaker and Ham Radio lose almost nothing in their pure script form, and The Ski Lodge is just as funny as it was on television. Even moments of pure slapstick, like the classic "silent movie" opening scene from Three Valentines, is delivered very well here.

From a writer's standpoint, the book is also entertaining. We can see how the many wonderful writers crafted their stories. Those segments that don't work as well in the script fall a little flat only because the performances on the program were so wonderful. For that, the actors and writers both deserve credit -- the actors for having that talent and the writers for knowing how to use it. There are a lot of things that don't quite work if you don't know how it was delivered, and the fact that it made it into the show proves that the the writers knew what they had and how to use it. If you aren't familiar with the episodes presented here, some of the scripts may not read as well, but if you're a fan of the show, this really is a wonderful collection.