Grammer Is Hot, And So Is His Emmy-Winning `Frasier'

Kelsey Grammer is "hot." So is "Frasier."

Not only did both Grammer and "Frasier" walk off with Emmys for last season, but the show ended the season in the No. 1 spot in the Nielsens, remarkable for the program's debut season.

Grammer got his first starring TV movie, "Silent Witness," which NBC aired last month, and he's now in demand for hosting other shows, such as NBC's "Comedy Hall of Fame" last Saturday and Fox's "The 1994 Clio Awards: World's Greatest Commercials" at 9 tonight on KCPQ-TV.

And to prove he's really arrived, Barbara Walters will interview him, along with Brett Butler and Heather Locklear, on her next special at 10 p.m. Nov. 9 on KOMO-TV.

That is also the week NBC will air an extra episode of "Frasier" in his old time slot, 9:30 p.m. Thursday, right after "Seinfeld." NBC will be watching the ratings closely that night because thus far there has been an exodus of viewers fleeing "Madman of the People" at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, yet returning for "ER" at 10 p.m., making that this season's most successful new series. If NBC brought "Frasier" back to its old slot, it would have a ratings powerhouse on Thursday nights to equal its lineup a few years ago when Bill Cosby was at his peak.

Even in its new time slot, against ABC's "Home Improvement," "Frasier" has managed to stay in the Top 20 Nielsen listing, but it's obvious a lot of viewers are torn between the two shows since "Home Improvement's" ratings have dropped a bit, too, which pushed "Grace Under Fire" into the top spot last week.

All in all, not too bad for a character who first appeared 10 years ago on "Cheers" as Diane's new boyfriend. Out of all the characters on "Cheers," who'd have guessed Dr. Frasier Crane, psychiatrist, would have the longest shelf life? Carla, Norm, Cliff, Diane, Rebecca, Sam, Woody - they've receded into history and reruns.

Considering the popularity of "Forrest Gump," perhaps someone should have had the foresight to spin Woody off onto his own series. But the team of David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee have done such a good job of using the character of Crane, yet surrounding him with new but believable situations, that it never seems to be a spinoff but rather a logical continuation.

It's also helped that the other characters have been so well-written and cleverly cast: David Hyde Pierce as Frasier's brother, Niles; John Mahoney as their father; Peri Gilpin, a delight as Frasier's no-nonsense producer; and Jane Leeves as Daphne, the English housekeeper. They've also managed to bring in convincing Seattle references - tomorrow night's show at 9 on KING-TV is built around Seattle's reputation for rain.

But it is Frasier's character, as interpreted by Grammer, that holds it together. Grammer is able to make the man both amusingly pompous and winningly self-deprecating.

It's the same quality he brings to a show like tonight's Clio Awards. Basically, it's just a collection of TV commercials (many are very clever, however), but it helps to have someone like Grammer on hand to remind us not to take the whole thing too seriously.

Video notes

While TV is full of spooks tonight, the spookiest program of all will probably be NBC's "Roseanne & Tom: Behind the Scenes," at 9 on KING-TV, a TV movie not available for previewing . . . In the spirit of the night, KCTS-TV repeats the entertaining "American Experience" episode called "Telegrams from the Dead" at 10 tonight . . . CBS airs an episode of "The Five Mrs. Buchanans," ordinarily seen on Saturday nights, at 9:30 tonight on KIRO-TV . . . Fox, which is preempting "Party of Five" tonight, will air an episode of the show at 9 p.m. Wednesday on KCPQ-TV . . . KCTS-TV presents the entertaining and informative documentary, "Running Out of Time," some scenes of which were shot at The Seattle Times, tonight at 9 . . . HBO's "Tales From the Crypt" begins a new season at 10 tonight with three new episodes, all of which are scary but only one of which, "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime," starring Catherine O'Hara, is any good. The program will be repeated at 11 p.m. Wednesday . . . C-SPAN airs a National Press Club roast of Charles Kuralt at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow . . . David Caruso makes his final appearance on ABC's "NYPD Blue" at 10 p.m. tomorrow on KOMO-TV.