"Frasier" Coots and Ladders (2004)

Director:

Kelsey Grammer

Writers:

David Angell (creator) and
Peter Casey (creator) ...
(more)

TV Series:

"Frasier" (1993)

Original Air Date:

16 March 2004 (Season 11, Episode 17)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Through a series of unnecessarily detailed flashbacks, Frasier confesses to Niles that, bored with his job and jealous of his family's happiness...

Plot Keywords:

Flashback | Party | Neighbor | Boredom | Camera Focus On Female Butt

Cast

Kelsey Grammer	...	Dr. Frasier Crane
Jane Leeves	...	Daphne Crane
David Hyde Pierce	...	Dr. Niles Crane
Peri Gilpin	...	Roz Doyle
John Mahoney	...	Martin Crane
Wendie Malick	...	Ronee Lawrence
Estelle Parsons	...	Opal
Gabrielle Miller	...	Willa
Jack Laufer	...	Roland
Linda Gehringer	...	Sarah
Bernadette Birkett	...	Janelle
Phyllis Flax	...	Florence
Helen Mirren	...	Babette the Caller (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Enzo the Dog	...	Eddie (uncredited)

Directed by
Kelsey Grammer

Writing credits
David Angell		(creator) and
Peter Casey		(creator) and
David Lee		(creator)
Heide Perlman		(written by)
Glen Charles		(character Frasier Crane) &
Les Charles		(character Frasier Crane)

Produced by
Maggie Blanc	....	producer
Peter Casey	....	executive producer
Bob Daily	....	co-executive producer
Kelsey Grammer	....	executive producer
Tony Hicks	....	co-producer
Sam Johnson	....	executive producer
Joe Keenan	....	executive producer
Lori Kirkland Baker	....	executive producer
David Lee	....	executive producer
Christopher Lloyd	....	executive producer
Brian Mallut	....	associate producer
Chris Marcil	....	executive producer
Dan O'Shannon	....	consulting producer
Heide Perlman	....	co-executive producer
Jeffrey Richman	....	executive producer
Jon Sherman	....	executive producer
Ron Volk	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Bruce Miller

Cinematography by
Ken Lamkin		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ron Volk

Casting by
Jeff Greenberg

Production Design by
Roy Christopher

Art Direction by
Amy Skjonsby-Winslow

Set Decoration by
Ron Olsen

Costume Design by
Audrey M. Bansmer		(as Audrey Bansmer)

Makeup Department
Bruce Hutchinson	....	makeup artist
Marilyn Patricia Phillips	....	hair stylist
Cydney Cornell	....	hair stylist: Ms. Jane Leeves (uncredited)

Production Management
Steven Pomeroy	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marc Stirdivant	....	first assistant director
Rosemarie Unite	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Mark L. Brown	....	leadman
Larry Clark	....	general foreman
Steven J. Monroe	....	construction coordinator
Frank Galvan III	....	head paint foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Andre Caporaso	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Douglass	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bob Douglass)
Thomas J. Huth	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Tommy Huth)
Dana Mark McClure	....	production sound mixer
Randal S. Thomas	....	supervising sound editor (as Randy Thomas)
Greg Miller	....	post-production audio (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sheila Guthrie	....	casting executive

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marissa Borsetto	....	costume supervisor
Danielle Feller	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Michael Halberg	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Darryl Phinnessee	....	composer: theme song
Chips Swanson	....	music editor

Other crew
Alan R. Baxter	....	assistant to producers
Patricia Breen	....	story editor
Collin Daniel	....	assistant to producers
Rosie Dean	....	production coordinator (as Rosie French)
Peter Ferland	....	assistant to producers
Geralyn Flood	....	assistant to producers
Rob Greenberg	....	creative consultant
Alison Gross	....	assistant to producers (as Alison M. Gross)
Justine Hempe	....	assistant to producers
Cathy Huling	....	production accountant
Gabrielle James	....	script supervisor
David Lloyd	....	creative consultant
Clint McCray	....	assistant to producers
David Nahmod	....	assistant to producers
Xochitl L. Olivas	....	assistant to producers
Jeffrey Pfefferle	....	assistant to producers
Siri Pinter	....	assistant to producers
Rachel Pollon	....	assistant to producers
Tom Reeder	....	creative consultant
Jim Rose	....	associate director
Jim Rose	....	technical coordinator
Melissa Sadoff Oren	....	assistant to producers (as Melissa Sadoff)
Jason Schemmel	....	assistant to producers
Katy Schlesinger	....	assistant to producers
Andrew Schwartz	....	assistant to producers

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Angell		creator
Peter Casey		creator
David Lee		creator

Produced by
Tony Hicks	....	co-producer (1993-2004)
Suzanne Martin	....	producer (1995-1997)

Makeup Department
Nanci Cascio	....	hair stylist
Adruitha Lee	....	daily hair stylist
Michele Payne	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Steven Pomeroy	....	unit production manager (2000-2004)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bea Ellen Cameron	....	second second assistant director
Katy Garretson	....	first assistant director: 1993-2000
Brendalyn Richard	....	dga trainee (finale episode 2004)
Jodie Thomas	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Chris Casny	....	propmaker
Don Cinderella	....	set dresser
Kevin Morrissey	....	set designer (2002)
Charlotte Raybourn	....	art department coordinator

Sound Department
Sean Keegan	....	foley mixer
Craig M. Otte	....	sound re-recording mixer (1996-1997)
Timothy Pearson	....	foley artist
Noel Vought	....	foley artist
David M. Weishaar	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Mark Rappaport	....	animatronic effects
Martin Simon	....	standby special effects: Paramount
Robert Cole	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Steve Kullback	....	visual effects supervisor (episode "Daphne's Back")
Marlon Quintero	....	digital rotoscoping assistant (episode 100)

Stunts
Jon Braver	....	stunt actor
Mark Chadwick	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Nick Brown	....	gaffer
Lance Dickinson	....	electrician
David French	....	grip (season 1)
Dan Greer	....	camera operator
Justin M. Lubin	....	still photographer
Bob Myers	....	grip
Mark Pickens	....	daily dolly grip
Norbert F. Quiban	....	lamp operator
Bruce Sears	....	assistant camera
James Tavella	....	second assistant camera
Mark Watson	....	gaffer: Seattle

Casting Department
Collin Daniel	....	casting associate
Ron Digman	....	casting assistant
Justine Hempe	....	casting associate
Stacey Tenenbaum	....	casting assistant

Editorial Department
Sam Dlugach	....	final colorist (seasons 9-10)
Jeff Wright	....	assistant editor (1 episode)

Music Department
Andrew M. Chukerman	....	composer: additional music
Andrew M. Chukerman	....	musician: piano and keyboards

Transportation Department
Gary Edelman	....	transportation captain
Kathryn Moll	....	driver

Other crew
Allen Fogderude	....	promotion manager (2004)
Harry Jiorjian	....	assistant to producer
Tammy Strange	....	location manager (pilot episode)

Production Companies

• Grub Street Productions
• Paramount Network Television

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (2004) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Television (2004-) (worldwide) (all media)
• Sat.1 (2004-) (Germany) (TV)

Other Companies

• Castle/Bryant/Johnsen  main title graphics
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Steinway & Sons  piano furnished by
• Sunset Digital  electronic post-production

Runtime:

Germany:21 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Stage 25, Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Grub Street Productions

Trivia:

The title comes from the childhood game Chutes and Ladders.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: (at around 1 min) When Frasier is carrying Niles on his back and Niles hits his head into the pillar, you can see the pillar trembling too lightly. Concrete block doesn't tremble like that, so it's probably light studio prop.

Quotes:

[while looking at some old family photos]
Daphne Crane:Why are you all hunched over in this one?
Dr. Niles Crane:Uh...
Daphne Crane:You were looking at my bum, weren't you?
Dr. Niles Crane:Oh, heavens, no!
Daphne Crane:Oh, it's all right, Niles, we're married now.
Dr. Niles Crane:All right, yes. I might, once, in a moment of weakness have permitted myself a fleeting glance.
[She hands him another photo]
Dr. Niles Crane:Or twice.
[Another photo]
[...]

One of the worst Frasier episodes

I love Frasier, I find it so incredibly funny. I would like to say that the show was funny throughout it's entire run but unfortunately that isn't true. The last season was frankly abysmal and had none of the qualities of the previous seasons. I found the last season not only to be unfunny but I found it to be poorly written.

The worst offender has to be Coots and Ladders. In this episode Frasier stuck in a rut decides to steal something of sentimental value from a neighbour. Through a series of flashbacks Frasier describes to Niles what he has done. The episode gets progressively and reaches abysmal heights when they decide to return the item. What follows is just plain juvenile that wouldn't look out of place in a sitcom like Friends for instance but looks completely out of place in Frasier. In my opinion Frasier should have finished after the 2003 season. I have a feeling that the producers let it run for one more season to compete with it's predecessor Cheers, in which the character Frasier Crane first appeared. I feel that the last season was not only an insult to the show but also an insult to the fans who would watch it on a regular basis and made the show as popular as it was. Despite an appalling bad season the season finale I thought was terrific.