FRASIER: THE COMPLETE 7TH SEASON - DVD review

After basking in the Emmy limelight for its first five seasons and winning just a single award its sixth season (David Hyde Pierce, as Best Supporting Actor), it took guest star Jean Smart (Outstanding Guest Actor) to keep the "Frasier" winning streak going. And that's not to say that the show took a nosedive. On the contrary, "Frasier" is one of a select group of shows, like "The Simpsons" and "Friends," that has remained fairly consistent in the quality of writing and performances over the course of a long and successful run. The seventh season may not have as many classic episodes as earlier seasons, but there isn't a stinker in the bunch.

"Frasier," which stars Kelsey Grammer as radio-show psychiatrist Frasier Crane, has been popular ever since the show spun off of "Cheers," where Grammer occupied a barstool for seven years. But given his own show and the freedom to run with the character, he was really able to explore the lovable pomposity of Dr. Crane—especially playing off of a brother who's equally prissy and high-browed (Pierce) and a father who's an ex-cop and as down-to-Ballantine Ale-earth as it gets (John Mahoney).

The show finished #6 in the Nielsens this season, with the main plotlines concerning Niles and Daphne's attraction for one another, the continued dating desperation of Frasier and his producer, Roz (Peri Gilpin), and Daphne's impending romance and marriage to Donny (Saul Rubinek), who helped Niles with his divorce to the never-seen Maris.

1) "Momma Mia"—Frasier's attraction to a woman seems perfectly normal until he introduces her to the family and their jaws drop: she's a dead-ringer for his mother.

2) "Father of the Bride"—The Crane boys get in sticky situations when Niles phones an escort service thinking it's a matchmaking outfit, and Frasier's offer to pay for Daphne's wedding flowers is mistaken for a generous offer to take care of the whole tab.

3) "Radio Wars"—In the tradition of Bulldog taunting, the station's shock jocks taunt Frasier and put a bounty on him . . . or rather, his behind.

4) "Everyone's a Critic"—Niles riles his brother when he gets a gig as an art critic for a highbrow magazine, and Frasier tries to get an art commentary of his own.

5) "The Dog that Rocks the Cradle"—Bulldog, recently fired from the station, ends up babysitting for Roz . . . and threatening all of her potential suitors.

6) "Rivals"—Paranoia strikes the Cranes once more as Frasier and Niles are convinced that the other wants to steal his new love interest.

7) "A Tsar is Born"—It's Antiques Road Show time, and Martin's embarrassing bear with a clock in his belly turns out to be a Romanoff treasure that sets the boys on a hunt to trace the family's royal pedigree.

8) "The Late Dr. Crane"—When he's reported dead and less-than-flattered by the language, Frasier rethinks the choices he's made in life, while Niles dips into his own past by deciding to ask his ex-wife's plastic surgeon out on a date.

9) "The Apparent Trap"—This clever episode finds Frasier's son playing Cupid and trying to get his father and mother back again . . . or does the little deviate have an ulterior motive?

10) "Back Talk"—When Frasier's back goes out and he's overmedicated, he blabs to Daphne that Niles has the hots for her.

11) "The Fight Before Christmas"—Part 2 of "Back Talk" finds Daphne looking at Niles in a completely different way, while Niles is also looking a completely different way . . . at new flame Mel (Jane Addams).

12) "RDWRER"—This vanity plate and the boys' desire to celebrate the millennial New Year's Eve someplace swanky drives the whole Crane bunch off in Dad's Winnebago and a series of mishaps that keeps the evening on a lower key . . . and class.

13) "They're Playing Our Song"—Frasier takes a simple molehill request to come up with a catchy theme song for his show and turns it into an orchestral mountain.

14) "Big Crane on Campus"—While Niles and Daphne continue to wonder about each other, Frasier is wondering if he's started dating his old high school's prom queen just because he can now, or if he really likes her. This is the episode that earned an Emmy for Smart.

15) "Out with Dad"—A night at the opera turns into a farce where Martin is thought to be gay . . . and dad outs Niles to save his own hetero-skin.

16) "Something about Dr. Mary"—Roz goes on vacation and all heck breaks loose when her replacement turns out to be a power-hungry finagler. But the real crack-ups come when Niles takes up kickboxing.

17) "Whine Club"—A whiff of competition between the Cranes is in the air again after Mel convinces Niles to run for "Corkmaster" of the wine club. Martin, meanwhile, starts to feel guilty because he's seeing the widow of an old friend.

18) "Hot Pursuit"—Roz and Frasier contemplate a liaison while stuck in a hotel room at a convention, while Niles plays gumshoe with dad as they try to catch a cheating spouse for one of Donny's clients.

19) "Morning Becomes Entertainment"—Harriet Samsom Harris returns as Frasier's black-widow spider of an agent. This time she's trying to convince him to go for the big bucks in television.

20) "To Thine Old Self Be True"—Frasier jeopardizes his own latest dating hopes when he ends up having to host Donny's bachelor party. Meanwhile, a ballooning Maris starts spreading rumors that it's all because of Mel's botched surgery.

21) "Three Faces of Frasier"—It's not the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but Frasier is elated to get a caricature of himself hung on the wall of a trendy Italian restaurant, until he sees the feature that's exaggerated. Meanwhile, Daphne runs away from her feelings about Niles . . . all the way to Oregon.

22) "Dark Side of the Moon"—Donny's surprise for Daphne sours when the brother he invites for a visit turns out to be a deadbeat she (and everyone else) can't stand, and it takes a shrink to cure her . . . and confront her feelings for Niles.

23) "Something Borrowed, Something Blue"—In this one-hour episode, the wedding that's been building the entire season finally is at hand. Will it be Niles and Mel and Donny and Daphne, or will Mel and Donny be the ones singing the blues?

Video: As with previous seasons, the quality is reasonably good, with just a little graininess, presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio with colors that, if not vibrant, are also far from muted.

Audio: The audio is also consistent with previous seasons, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo soundtrack that sounds natural—no hollowness, no tinniness, and a decent balance between the lines and audience laughter.

Extras: Sorry, "Frasier" fans, there are no extras.

Bottom Line:The romantic will-they-or-won't-they storyline will make this season a favorite for fans of the series. The performances are wonderful, but the real stars of the show are the writers. Snappy writing makes "Frasier" consistently entertaining.