The return of “Frasier” feminist icon Roz isn’t just a revival cast

What would “Frasier” be without Roz?

Of course, the satirically snobbish Seattle spin-off “Cheers” centered on radio psychologist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and his strained relationships with his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and father Martin (John Mahoney) as he self-sabotaged his own life. . hopeless romantic preoccupations. However, the core of the series, the most necessary foil, came from Frasier’s radio producer, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin), who did not hesitate to mock Frasier’s remote privilege and many misfires.

The announcement that Peri Gilpin will reprise her role as Roz in an episode of the Paramount+ revival of “Frasier” raises hopes for a spinoff that is otherwise without much of the original cast.

The best parts of “Frasier” are the women, and that has to be acknowledged even today, especially since it actually was when it first aired. While current shows like “The Idol” are rumored to shy away from a “female perspective,” “Frasier” embraced the hilarity of gender politics and satirical sexual encounters with an attitude ahead of its time. Roz’s presence is crucial to both the gender representation of the series and its dynamics. He is the audience’s deposit, the kindred voice of reason that holds the series as its own moral compass.

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Niles’ estranged wife, Marist, is never seen, her elusive physical ailments only increasing with each season. Frasier’s ice queen ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) is an underused gem of the series in her own right; However, her appearance on the show hinges on Frasier’s love life and their son Frederick. (Neuwirth also reprises the character in the revival.)

Martin’s physical therapist, Daphne (Jane Leeves), is the object of Niles’ desire, while her role in the Crane family dynamic comes from working with Martin as his in-home caregiver.

Roz is the only female protagonist who stands on her own plot, and for good reason. Roz who wants a sex-positive career doesn’t need to employ or date a crane man. Sure, he joins Frasier in a later episode, but he’s practically his boss, and he’s even promoted to station manager in the series finale.

Roz doesn’t shy away from mocking Frasier’s failed attempts to find love, and under the guise of her “street smarts,” she constantly outplays both Frasier and Niles, undermining her idealized ivory tower image of the world. And while Niles gets plenty of insight into her own sex life, it provides a timeless commentary on female autonomy and empowerment.

So, what makes Roz one of the icons of ’90s feminist TV?

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Throughout the series, in addition to her scene-stealing tricks, Roz’s fully realized character talks about heartbreak, socio-economic dating, class struggles, and even becoming a single parent after considering not having a baby. Roz is the daughter of Wisconsin’s attorney general and hints at an uneasy relationship with her own family. He often uses sarcasm to undermine his own insecurities or belittle himself. His own search for love, though in a different approach than Frasier’s, yields the same results: Both are educated singles trying to find someone who matches their level. Frasier understands this about Roz, and it’s time the audience does too.

Roz’s role in the TV landscape at the time was the NBC network’s equivalent of HBO’s complicated heroines like Carrie Bradshaw, where “Sex and the City” overlapped with “Frasier” from 1998-2004. can be found in Roz’s sensibility as a fast-talking, no-nonsense radio host.

The trope of the female producer dates back to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1970), and the rom-coms “Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001) and “Someone Like You” (2001) take up the mantle. As one of the few women in radio, Roz is the iconic voice of feminist politics and perspectives in the workplace, and better yet, Frasier’s equal in many ways.

Roz’s return to “Frasier” marks what will hopefully be a resurgence of fandom for the iconic character, and is a reminder of the character’s impact on TV. Here’s hoping that Roz isn’t a prop for the revival, as TV has backed off decades later as a tagline on the legacy of an acclaimed, clever series.

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