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Frasier Season 6 Episode 20

Dr. Nora

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8.8

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 4/29/99

A new radio psychiatrist infuriates Frasier with her no-nonsense conservative style.

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

This episode is an obvious lampoon of Dr. Laura's radio show. Dr. Nora is the polar opposite of Frasier as a radio psychiatrist. She believes in a tough-love approach, as opposed to Frasier's belief that everything can be solved by talking it out.moreless

8.0

By TedsMom, Jun 01, 2011

This was the first Frasier episode I ever watched from beginning to end. When I watched it the first time, I would have agreed with the reviewer who said it was too much of a personal attack on the real-life Dr. Laura. However, after watching it a second time and being more familiar with the series, I can take a more balanced view.

The irony is that in reality the episode itself proves that Dr. Nora's brand of advice is more realistic than Frasier's. Dr. Nora advises a caller to cut a difficult person out of their lives like a tumor. Frasier thinks Dr. Nora's problems could be resolved by a visit from her mother, the relationship from which her lifeview stems. When we meet the mother, however, we realize that she is too unreasonable for Frasier's type of therapy. Not everything can be analyzed into a satisfying resolution. Some things just have to be accepted or ignored. The episode ends up demonstrating that Dr. Nora's approach is the more effective one in terms of dealing with toxic relatives. As usual, Frasier's meddling leads to disastrous results.moreless
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It is too bad that the writers of the Dr. Nora episode did not put more effort into the third act.

4.0

By televisiondr, May 21, 2011

I have heard Dr. Laura on the radio and I read about the contraversy surrounding this episode so I was curious about it. I dialed it up on youtube and Iaughed out loud during the first two parts. "Dr. Nora" skewered Dr. Laura, but in good fun. And then I watched part three. I stopped laughing. It was mean. The secret to good comedy is to demonstrate the absurdity in a truth, not to make the truth absurd. The producers of this episode squandered the opportunity to make a point. And although Frasier is a darling of the Emmys, it is inconcievable that Piper Laurie should recieve a nomination for such a ridiculous role.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Kelsey Grammer	Dr. Frasier Crane
Jane Leeves	Daphne Moon Crane
David Hyde Pierce	Dr. Niles Crane
Peri Gilpin	Roz Doyle
Dan Butler	Robert "Bulldog" Briscoe (seasons 4 - 6, recurring otherwise)
John Mahoney	Martin Crane

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Christine Baranski	Dr. Nora Fairchild	Guest Star
Piper Laurie	Mrs. Mulhern	Guest Star
Douglas Owen McDonald	George	Guest Star
Tom McGowan	Kenny Daly	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (5)
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- Frasier: Obviously, the station is so pleased with my show that they're looking for more of the same. They could hardly ask me to do another three hours. Imagine how exhausting that would be.
  Niles: And for you as well.
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- Nora: Is everyone around here as friendly as you two?
  Frasier: Well...
  Roz: (beelines for Nora's attractive assistant) Well, hello there!
  Frasier: Some are even friendlier. This is my producer, Roz Doyle.
  Nora: Doctor Nora. This is my producer, George.
  Roz: Nice to meet you. Follow me, I'll give you the lay of the land.
  Frasier: Let's just hope that's just a figure of speech and not a sales pitch.
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- Niles: I thought to bolster my self esteem, I would adopt this lavish new look.
  Frasier: Well, it suits you. Dashing and yet understated and uh - oh, I give up. What are we talking about?
  Niles: My mustache. (displays his upper lip with no visible hair whatsoever) I grant you, it's at an early stage.
  Frasier: What stage? Research and development?
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- Frasier: This is a woman who thinks the Spanish Inquisition was just tough love for heretics!
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- Dr Nora: (To an unheard caller) Listen to me, you should be shunning this woman, not rewarding her with gifts! God bless, honey! (Diconnects the caller and asides to George) A baby shower for an unwed mother -- now I've heard it all.
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NOTES (2)
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- For their work in this episode, both Christine Baranski and Piper Laurie received 1999 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. In addition, Katy Garretson was nominated for a 1999 Directors Guild of America Award.
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- Dr. Nora is a clear satire on real life right-wing talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Frasier: (Speaking of Dr. Nora to Kenny) Putting that woman behind a microphone full time is like putting Typhoid Mary in a kissing booth!
  
  Typhoid Mary's real name was Mary Mallon. She worked as a cook in New York in the early 1900's. She was given the name "Typhoid Mary" because she was said to have infected everyone she came near, recklessly spreading the desease all over New York. In truth only 50 cases of typhoid can be attributed to her and only three deaths. She, herself, although a carrier of the disease, was never symptomatic.
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