An experimental Frasier episode was inspired by an underrated '90s novel

When someone thinks of “experimental, groundbreaking television,” they probably don't jump straight to “Frasier,” a spinoff of the Boston bar workplace comedy “Cheers.” They would be wrong, however, because “Frasier” was far more subversive than today's audiences give it credit for. the writers aim to create the “anti-'Seinfeld'”. The show subverted sitcom tropes at every opportunity, eschewing musical cues and creating shots that have become part of the sitcom's audiovisual language, even toying with the idea of ​​multiple timelines in one particularly adventurous episode.

Although it wouldn't go so far as to introduce the concept of a multiverse à la the “Community” series “Therapy Chaos Theory”, “Frasier” season 8 episode “Sliding Frasiers” showed viewers how the smallest changes can completely change the course of the evening. Frazier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), a mental health professional and radio host, tries to decide whether to wear a suit or a sweater to a speed dating event, suggesting that the decision can have a huge impact, and we get to see how his various decisions might play out. play out There's a sweater timeline and a suit timeline, each of which has its own effect on his love life, and to be honest, it's pretty fun. It was also inspired by an underrated 90s novel starring Gwyneth Paltrow called Sliding Doors.

In this episode, Fraser's night out goes very differently depending on whether he's wearing a sweater or a suit, and we see the results of both, much like the vanity at the heart of Peter Huth's 1998 indie romantic comedy Sliding Doors. In “Sliding Doors,” the deciding factor is whether or not the newly fired Helen (Paltrow) catches the train home, not a fashion decision that changes everything, but it also fits the two-plot format. “Sliding Doors” is one of the best romantic comedies of the 90s and turns rom-com tropes on their head the way “Frasier” subverts the sitcom format. Essentially, it's a match made in subversive comedy heaven, and in both cases the unusual narrative framework is held together by flawless lead performances.

The interesting thing about both Sliding Doors and Sliding Frasiers is that there really aren't any “happy” endings, and both put their characters in pretty dire situations regardless of the timeline. The idea that such wildly different lives could end up in a similar place from small decisions is more than a little nihilistic, but was 90s. Since then, several other shows have done their own riffs on “Sliding Doors,” from “Doctor Who” to “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” each with their own fractured story formula.

In the hilarious fourth season of Comedy Central's Broad City, New York's hottest stars Abby (Abi Jacobson) and Ilana (Ilana Glazer) have their own version of “Sliding Doors” with an episode called “Sliding Doors.” ” The episode shows when the two met while waiting for the subway and how their lives would have changed depending on the course of the day. Like the movie and the episode of “Frasier”, it plays with sitcom stereotypes and is a real story that helps to show important truths about life, but it's less frustrating because we know Abby and Ilana are still close.- inseparable.

Another screening of “Sliding Doors” also includes “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” where we see a version of Kimmy's life where she wasn't kidnapped because she didn't want to miss a screening of “Sliding.” Doors” episode of Doctor Who in which companion Donna (Katherine Tate) must decide whether to continue working with the Doctor or not, and even the incredible “Malcolm in the Middle” episode detailing the strengths and failings of each of Malcolm's parents when their boys go bowling and only one of them can take them on. It seems that no matter how the writers choose to adapt the idea, there are always different and compelling ways to delve into the characters and stories, simply by showing the audience what might have been. “Sliding Doors” rules, and so do all these wildly diverse homages.