Frasier Crane's Day Off

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“Frasier Crane's Day Off”
Frasier episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 23
Written by	Anne Flett-Giordano Chuck Ranberg
Directed by	James Burrows
Production no.	40571-022
Original airdate	May 12, 1994 (US)
Episode chronology
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"Author, Author"	"My Coffee with Niles"
List of Frasier episodes (Season 1)

"Frasier Crane's Day Off" is the twenty-third episode of the first season of the American television sitcom Frasier. Being sick at home, Frasier asks Niles to take over his show. Niles soon becomes quite a success at the radio show.

1 Cast and characters
2 Plot
3 Quotes
4 Trivia
5 See also
6 Source

[edit] Cast and characters

[edit] Main

[edit] Recurring

Edward Hibbert - Gil Chesterton

[edit] Guest callers

Steve Young as Blake
Garry Trudeau as Louis
Steve Lawrence as Howard
Eydie Gorme as Lois
Tommy Hilfiger as Robert
Patricia Hearst as Janice
Mary Tyler Moore as Marjorie

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Frasier is feeling ill with an oncoming dose of the flu. Co-worker Gil Chesterton, having heard Frasier sneezing on the air during his radio show, proceeds to make a fuss over Frasier's health, bringing him some 'lovingly prepared' chicken soup and suggesting that he get some rest. Frasier is suspicious of Gil's kindness. While Roz thinks that Gil is simply being generous, Frasier wonders whether Gil is hoping to take advantage of his illness in order to steal the Frasier Crane Show's time slot. At this point, it becomes apparent that Gil has also been buttering up the station manager. Frasier, determined not to let his illness derail him, pointedly tells Roz that he'll 'see her tomorrow'.

However, the next morning Frasier feels worse, and despite some blustering about his fitness he soon succumbs to Daphne's persuasion that he stay home. Soon Frasier is lying in bed feeling sorry for himself, running Daphne ragged with his constant requests for cooler drinks, better toast and softer tissues while Martin entertains him with hair-raising tales of his own past illnesses. Meanwhile, Gil fills in for Frasier at the radio station, proving so popular with the listeners that an increasingly feverish and paranoid Frasier thinks that he may have lost his job for good.

Niles comes to visit, bringing Frasier a herbal poultice prepared by his Guatemalan maid, Marta. (Frasier believes that he's finally found a use for Eddie when the dog takes the foul-smelling thing away - only to bring it back again a few minutes later.) While Niles, in-between disinfecting his hands, is giving Frasier a pep-talk, Roz phones from the station. Roz says that Frasier was right about Gil; he is after their time slot. Desperate to get Gil off the air, Frasier asks Niles to take over his show instead.

Frasier imagines that Niles will perform so badly on the radio that the station will beg for him (Frasier) to return. However, although he initially adopts an inappropriate dry, academic tone, Niles soon warms to his task and becomes quite a success. He even proves better than Gil, triumphantly saving the relationship of a couple who were unable to say 'I love you' to one another. Once again, Frasier sees his own career going down the pan.

Plagued by feverish nightmares (in which he returns to the station only to be assassinated by Niles and Gil) and believing everyone to be plotting against him, Frasier writes himself a prescription for some very strong pick-me-ups and makes Daphne fetch the medication for him. Daphne does so, although not before telling Frasier what she thinks of his whining; apparently, she's had patients on their death-beds who were more pleasant to look after than him.

High as a kite, Frasier weaves his way into KACL and commits the following:

Calls Gil 'Pie man';
Sees trails when Roz moves her hands;
Locks Roz and Niles out of the booth;
Hangs up on his first caller because the caller said his name twice;
Hangs up on his second caller because her problem is 'boring';
Role-plays with his third caller as though he and she were in a drama class;
Gets taken away by the station security, who were summoned by Roz.

Back on air, Niles tries to cover by claiming that Frasier's bizarre behaviour was actually a playlet about 'the dangers of over-medication'. Back at the apartment, Frasier wakes up in his bed and thinks that the episode at the station was another of his fever dreams. Daphne pretends to agree with him; she'll tell him the truth when he's a bit more lucid.