Many of us remember Kelsey Grammer’s snappy little postlude concluding every “Frazier” show back in the Clinton 1990s through early Bush II in 2004, where Grammer played the tossed-salad-eating snob who invariably ended up “with egg all ovah mah face,” as he puts it in his theme song -- bordering on cultural misappropriation, I might add.
I’m guessing Grammer wants to dispel any lingering misimpressions of himself as hapless in real life as the character he portrays. His eclectic list of credits reveal him as one of the most accomplished actors of his generation. So, he sings “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” to establish his hipster cred with clever, revelatory lyrics; raucous interjections; and melody hitting every blues note, accompanied by mesmerizing vocals and cutting-edge comp and improv piano and marimba solos. Innovation lives, as will, I trust, Frasier 2023 . He may act “a bit confused” but behind the act lies the astute psychoanalyst who’s “got you pegged.”
Egg-on-face was the recurring theme of most Frazier scenes, ramped up by an even more snobbish brother, Niles, in scenes stolen by David Hyde Pierce (who does not return). The formula never failed to get a laugh from a revved-up, supportive audience, while the writers tied themselves in knots figuring out new ways to concoct blackout encounters between eggs and the faces of Frazier and Niles. In fairness, sometimes the boys gave as good as they got, landing snobbish haymakers dispelling the schadenfreude of callous viewers enjoying the elite getting their comeuppance.
And now, nearly two decades after the end of an 11-year run, “Frazier” is back! Now a retired celebrity TV personality, Frazier returns to his Harvard Alma mater as an idealistic pedant trapped by his students in a phony celebrity persona. As always, harsh reality thwarts Frazier’s good intentions to produce petulant Frazier blackouts to add to the formula along with a rapid-fire sitcom cadence of laughter.
Recently, the N.Y. Times chief TV critic, James Poniewozik panned the return of Frazier show, saying it wasn’t very funny, and aging performers ought to know when to leave the stage.
After watching the same early episodes seen by Poniewozik, I disagree. In a turbulent, changing world beset by wars, plagues and politics gone off the rails, I enjoy the guilty pleasure of settling back into the comfortable rhythm of erudite sitcom humor, ably delivered by a consummate pro. Cleverly meted out weekly, rather than an all-at-once, bingeable release, “Frazier 2023” leads viewers seamlessly into the original series, breathing life and profits into reruns. I figure there’s a sizeable boomer audience primed to welcome Dr. Crane’s return, and, perhaps, a whole new generation to be recruited as “Frazier” fans.
Now back to the genius of the theme song:
Intro: Snappy new Take 5/Swingle Singers-type vocals pitching new jazzy harmonic discords, and then Kelsey’s rich baritone joining in:
Hey baby I hear the blues a-callin,’ tossed salads and scrambled eggs.And mebbe I feel a bit confused, yeah maybe, but I’ve got you pegged.
Now a casual reading of the freewheeling first two lines could lead you to believe the song’s a nonsensical, hip, jive jumble. But upon reflection, the genius of it all emerges.
These guys know what they are doing. They not only rhyme the line endings – eggs and pegged, they also rhyme two other pairs of seemingly unrelated words: baby and mebbe, blues and confused. The message: there’s meaning behind the song.
As previously mentioned, the lyrics reveal the essential dynamic of the show: educated-class snob gets egg all over his face. Pretentious elitism exposed with gentle good humor.
The song concludes with:
But I don’t know what to do with those tossed salads and scrambled eggs.They’re callin’ again.Interjects: “Scrambled eggs all ovah mah face.”
These lines again reveal the essence of the show. Not knowing “what to do with those tossed salads and scrambled eggs,” reflects the writers’ state of mind as they face a blank page on Monday morning, and “they’re callin’ again,” tells them what to do next.
BTW: The version they play at the end of the new show changes the last line from “They’re callin’ again,” to “Life’s callin’ again.” I imagine that’s how Grammer, now age 68, experiences his return, letting us know, there’s life in the old boy yet.