As we labour ponderously towards the end of the twelfth and final season - I am almost looking forward to not having to watch it any more.
The spark, the brilliance and the humour itself are now all but fond and distant memories but should we be surprised?
Okay, Frasier somehow managed to buck the trend - but even that gentle piece of genius had its lamentable moments when the esteemed Anthony Lapaglia disgraced himself with a cockney accent all the way from Manchester. ??? Quoi?
If that weren't enough - scripting for him was shocking and the acting worse still.
Frasier , however, recovered and at least 240/264 episodes were simply superb and a dozen or more brought us some of the greatest comedy in all of history.
Generally, all dramas and all comedies which go beyond their sell-by date simply turn into soaps. When main characters start having babies that is often a good clue that the writers have run out of material and ideas.
BBT - I offer you thanks for the dozens of programmes which were simply comedic perfection but - bye bye.
