Overview: Eminent Boston Psychiatrist, Frasier Crane, last seen gracing the bars of Cheers has left his life there to start afresh in Seattle. He now has a spot as a popular radio Psychiatrist, giving him the chance to spread words of wit and wisdom to the masses. He shares his apartment with his retired cop father, Martin, and his father's physical care assistant, Daphne Moon. Add in brother Niles, Eddie the dog, some bizarre situations and plenty of humour and you've got all the ingredients for an excellent show and worthy successor to Cheers.

DVD Verdict: Let me just preface this with (IMHO) the thought that 'Frasier' was one of the all-time great shows. However, Season 9 of 'Frasier' saw Dan O'Shannon become the sole `Showrunner' following Mark Reisman's departure from the staff; and it could hardly have been in more tragic circumstances. David Angell, the co-creator of the show and a major creative force died, as so many did, in the September 11th atrocities of 2001. It's difficult to assess how this tragedy affected the show creatively, as the series was already in a period of re-adjustment following the Season 7 finale and the whole dynamic of the show had changed. Taken as a whole, the season is a marginal improvement on the more serious and thoughtful season 8.

During this ninth season, Frasier, on a getaway at a rustic cabin, has a hallucination of his three previous girlfriends/wives. He also manages to accidentally destroy the arm chair of Martin. The reconstructed arm chair ironically is the most expensive item in his exquisitely assembled drawing room - oh the irony! Niles and Daphne plans to move in together and their plans are thwarted by the arrival of Daphne's mother. Frasier tries to un-mask Lilith's (his ex-wife) brother, a con-artist.

In one memorable episode, Cliff's (a character from Cheers) farewell party introduces Niles to Frasier's past exploits at Cheers. During the season finale, Roz and Frasier sleep together, forever immortalized by the comment from Martin ("Big story about how Roz's purse spent the night on the coffee table"). And Niles is off to England to try and convince the alcoholic father of Daphne to reunite with his family.

A strongly recommended season and those of you not familiar with the characters, I have added a small summary of the main characters of the show.

Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer): The lead character. He holds degrees in psychology from Harvard University and lives in Seattle. His list of selective hobbies include playing the piano, attending the opera and expensive charity events, collecting expensive art and participating in wine tasting events. Of course his main past time is unsuccessfully trying to curb his competitive nature - especially when it comes to his brother Niles.

Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce): The undoubted star of the show IMHO. Frasier's brother and practicing psychiatrist. Niles shares similar interests and educational background to Frasier (he was however educated at Yale University) and is probably even more finicky than his brother. Niles has an aversion to bugs and has several weird characteristics (extreme ethical standards, strong food allergies, dusting the chair before sitting and so on).

Martin Crane (John Mahoney): Frasier and Niles' father. He was in the police force for long until he was shot in the hip during an armed robbery. Martin moves in with Frasier (bringing his dog and a battered armchair into the life of Frasier and Daphne into the life of Niles). Martin's no-nonsense attitude and straightforward outlook on life often lead to confrontations with Frasier and Niles, who aspire to greater levels of sophistication.

Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves): An immigrant from Manchester, England. Daphne was hired by Frasier to be Martin's physiotherapist. Daphne often relates bizarre tales involving her family.

Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin): Roz is the producer of Frasier's radio show. Roz is known for her relaxed attitude (especially when it comes to men) and quick-witted remarks, and enjoys deflating Frasier's ego - a favor often reciprocated by Frasier.

This 4-disc set contains all 24 episodes from the 1993-1994 season. This is a Full Screen Presentation (1.33:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs, but does not come with any Special Features.