Entertainment For Lively Minds
Let's hear it for Jane Leeves!
Frasier is one of the greatest sitcoms ever. This much seems beyond dispute. Certainly, there's been a lot of praise on this blog; most of it is directed at David Hyde Pierce, Kelsey Grammer and Peri Gilpin, roughly in that order, for their superb characterisations and nano-second perfect comic timing (and in the case of Hyde Pierce, his sublime physical comedy). All this is right and proper. John Mahoney seems to be slightly behind those three. And Jane Leeves, as Daphne, lags somewhat behind him.
Now, I don't want to setting up a straw man here, but I think it would be fair to say that when most people talk about Daphne, they talk about her allegedly ropy Manchester accent. As someone who gets a nosebleed when I get farther north than Friern Barnet, I'm not qualified to comment on that. She certainly gets damned with faint praise, and seems to be generally regarded as something of a weak link in the main cast of five.
Why am I banging on about this now? Well, Mrs R and I are working our way through Series One at the moment, and most recently watched episode 14, Can't Buy Me Love. The whole episode is a peach, and for me the peak scene is "Driving Miss Daphne". Daphne is on a date with Bulldog, having put in a pity bid at a charity auction, only for hers to be the only bid. As we join them in the limo, Daphne is already three sheets to the wind. I don't think I've ever seen a funnier, more convincing drunk scene in any comedy. The writing is sublime, of course, but Jane Leeves is simply magnificent. Watching this scene has actually made me focus more on what she's doing elsewhere, and it's often very funny.
To my absolute chagrin, I can't find this scene on youtube - if anyone can, PLEASE post it in the comments. The best I could find was the script, which I'll add in the comments. Try to imagine her saying it, or better still, dig out the episode and watch it. Go Daphne!
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That scene
DRIVING MISS DAPHNE
Scene B: Back of Bulldog's stretch limo.
He and Daphne are leaving the game. Daphne is a little tipsy.
Daphne:
I must confess, I was a little apprehensive about going out with you tonight. But I'm actually having a jolly time. Unless of course it's the champagne getting to me. I have had quite a bit, haven't I? Oh, who cares? That's the beauty of being in a limo. Unless of course the driver's drinking. [into intercom] You're not drinking, are you? [to Bulldog] He's not drinking. Let's drink to the driver not drinking.
Bulldog:
Man, you're really looped, this is great.
Outside, someone leans on their horn.
Daphne:
Well, that's annoying, isn't it? Certainly is taking a long
time getting out of this parking lot. Did I mention this was my first basketball game? Yes, of course I did, three or four times. I still can't get over those players. They are positively gigantic. Not that being tall is the only measure of a man... but it's a bloody good one. [bursts out laughing] Oh dear, I just insulted you, didn't I? Sorry. Oh well, you can take it, you're a tough little nut.
[Even Bulldog cannot help but be turned off by her drunkenness.]
Daphne:
Oh, dear. This is not good. Not good at all.
Bulldog:
What, you don't like the champagne?
Daphne:
No, I can see the bottom of me glass.
Bulldog: [refilling Daphne's glass] Well, bottoms up!
Daphne:
Oh, you are a naughty boy. Now don't go getting any ideas. Oh, look who I'm saying this to. You don't have an idea in your head! [laughs] Did it again. I insulted you. Let's drink to that. Boom!
She knocks her glass on Bulldog's forehead. Outside, the car horns
start up again.
Daphne:
Now that is downright rude. [lowers window and yells through a speaker-cone] Hey, you there! You in the Firebird! Yes, you! Stop that honking! Now, now, just because you look stupid doesn't mean you have to act stupid!
Bulldog:
Hey! Don't aggravate him, we're kinda pinned in here.
Daphne:
Oh, pish! Civilization's not going to progress one iota unless someone points out when people's manners are remiss. [from outside we hear someone shouting, “Move it!”] OH, SHUT YOUR BLOODY CAKEHOLE!
Bulldog:
Don't do that! [looks out] Great, now he's getting out of his car!
Daphne: Ooh, he's a tall one too.
Bulldog: Quick, roll up your window, lock the door.
Daphne: Don't be stupid, he's not going to hurt a woman.
Bulldog: Just roll it up, roll it up!
[Bulldog's door opens and he starts getting pulled out of the limo.]
Daphne: Get your bloody claws off him! Let him go, you big ugly oaf!
Bulldog: SHUT UP!!!
[He gets pulled out of the car while Daphne waves her fists, shadow-
boxing. As his door slams, the limo starts to roll.]
Daphne: Oh. Well, we're moving. [through the speaker-cone, to Bulldog outside] Thank you, Pitbull! I had a lovely time!
She falls over while attempting to finish the champagne.
Spot on
It's a marvellous episode, and kudos to Bulldog whose reactions support her brilliantly.
I'm afraid the accent does grate, but only a little. Along with the slightly skewed reminisences of her English upbringing. But again, only a little. It is quality televsion. And there's so much of it!
My favourite Daphne moment is a brief scene played over the end credits of one episode, I forget which. Niles is slightly unwell and is spending the night on Frasier's sofa. He's taken a little medication and is dreaming. In his dream (which takes place for us on screen)he's still lying on the sofa but very awake. Daphne enters in a wedding veil, a white bra top, silver hot pants and silver thigh length boots. Without a word she leaps up onto the coffee table and starts go-go dancing for him. All the classic 60's moves; the hitchhike and a bump and grind. Niles faints with desire.
As I say, just a few short seconds but brilliantly done.
The Frasier hierarchy
as any fule kno, is topped by Moose as Eddie:
Ha!
You know what Carl, you may be right there. Eddie is always good value. Was it the same dog "playing" him all the way through? He'd have been a ripe old age by the time it ended.
Incidentally, among the many pleasures to be had from watching Beginners (that wonderful film about Christopher Plummer coming out in his 70s after his wife dies] is a delightful performance from Cosmo the Jack Russell as "Arthur", sweetly done without being mawkish, and even having his thoughts subtitled!
I never really had a problem with Daphne's accent
its was in later years when her extended family tuned up. Not just her terrible brother Simon's strange cockerney thing.
Eddie
retired in about Season 7 or 8, and was replaced by his real-life son.
I interviewed her once
About 10 years ago, she was pregnant at the time.
I was horrified to find she had no sense of humour whatsoever, had clearly been in the US too long and was a bitter disappointment. No fun at all.
Shame.
However, I agree that Frasier is one of the best sitcoms of all time. Currently halfway through series 9. Don't care much for the post-got-it-together-with-Daph Niles though.
Having Niles and Daph get together
was a big mistake. Acres of comedic tension laid waste. Difficult not to I suppose once the number of series gets to double digits but it was but a shadow of itself after this.
He's a different person
So clearly gay really, that the new Niles just doesn't ring true.
Which reminds me of
the great episode in either season 1 or 2 when Frasier invites his gay boss to dinner. On leaving, having been spurned by Frasier, he cannot believe that Niles isn't.
I never get bored with Frasier.
If memory serves...
Frasier doesn't know he's gay and has invited him with a view to setting him up with Roz. Or maybe even Daphne. Such is the brilliance of the plotting and writing that the poor man ends up thinking that not only are Frasier and Niles gay, but Martin too. When the situation is finally explained to him, he says "So, this Maris, she's a woman?" Frasier: "Well, the jury's still out on that one..."
It's one of the greatest episodes.
Oddly enough
I'm sure I read somewhere that Dan Butler who plays Bulldog is openly gay. There also an episode (maybe more than one) where people presume Frasier and Niles are a couple. It's a huge part of the humour. Fantastic series. It's quite astounding how Kelsey Grammar is so unlike FC. Or is he?
Right on time
ok, a little late.
Being in the US 'too long' makes a funny person 'no fun at all'.
Ok, nickle.
Up arrows for MAM everyone!
It's not really what I meant, but I actually can't be arsed to explain.
One of the writers, Ken Levine
has a blog which he updates daily.
http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/
Well worth a visit.
You mean this one?
Thar she blows
That's the one. As I said above, the whole episode is a joy; for Driving Miss Daphne, spool forward to about 14:55 and enjoy the fun.
Moondance.
THE classic Frasier episode. Jane Leeves at her finest in it as well. And, of course, directed by KG himself.
Jane Leeves was also
one of the dancers in the Christmas In Heaven sequence from Monty Python's Meaning Of Life. Respect.
To wit:
Apparently she's on the left, coming down the stairs at around 1.45.
I'd like to point out that I'm not as tragic as this post might suggest.
There's another interpretation
Of what this post suggests?!
She was also
one of Hill's Angels
I think this why
she had a sense of humour failure with me. She coldly insisted she was never a Hill's Angel.
So don't mention it.
Maybe if you hadn't slapped
her rapidly on the top of her head before the interview things would have gone more smoothly?
Jane Leeves
She had no choice about the accent. The studio insisted on her doing a hokey, cartoon British (Northern, in this case) accent.
And people always insidiously drag up her Benny Hill Show, Hills Angel's past.
She is probably, the most successful British comedy actress that we've exported to the U.S. since Tracey Ullman. Leeves stars in one of the greatest U.S TV sit-coms in recent history but this has never been truly acknowledged in Britain.
So whatever you think of her, it's no wonder she has a right cob on in UK interviews.
Dapne's brother
When her brother turned up in Frasier he was a cockney but no-one seemed at all concerned.
Jane Leeves was for at least a couple of years the highest paid British actress.
Just watched this episode on Netflix
You're right about Daphne's drunk, Rosbif - believable and hilarious. Of course now I've had a taste I'll probably end up watching the whole bloomin' lot.
Incidentally this is the picture they use on Netflix to ident the show:
Nice pic of Daphers and Roz even more so. But where's Eddie?
Not so much where's Eddie
as what has happened to Martin's head?
It's like those football cards where you'd get the odd picture where a head was stuck on a different player's body.
Frasier Fun fact
John Mahoney (Martin Crane) unlike Daphne, is actually from Manchester. Born in Blackpool during the war whilst his mum was evacuated there