Frasier Online
home About The Show Episode Guide Merchandise Forum Reviews Gallery Contact

Weird mythology surrounding "Docu.Drama"

Discussion of all things 'Frasier' - the episodes, the actors and other 'Frasier'-related topics.

Weird mythology surrounding "Docu.Drama"

Postby hansenkd » Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:18 am

So as I said in the alphabetic episodes thread, I just watched "Docu.Drama." This is considered an unremarkable episode during the unfortunate "Daphne-less" stretch of Season 8, a "filler" episode done at a time when everybody was wrapped up in N&D. On top of that, it was the first instance of the show "pandering" by including a non-actor appearing as himself (would later happen with Bill Gates and Dr. Phil). OK. What's all the more weird in hindsight is the almost incredible mythology (including conspiracy theories) that have grown up around this episode. Have any of you SEEN any of this stuff? It's pretty wild. The idea is that Glenn approached the Frasier people about appearing, and they obliged by writing this episode. I don't buy much of it, but for conspiracy theorists, it's catnip. This is some strange stuff about a run-of-the-mill Season 8 episode--an episode that has developed its own mythology well outside the realms of us "oblivious" Frasier fans. In other words, we fans who ignore what was REALLY going on in the episode are like Frasier and Roz arguing in the booth, completely oblivious to Mr. Glenn's incredible statement in the studio.

Fascinating indeed...read all the strangeness here...

http://www.enterprisemission.com/glenn.htm

Central to this whole thing is the notion that Glenn's monologue was NOT WRITTEN by the Frasier writers, as proved by its strangely unfunny (audience laughter notwithstanding) nature.

Now I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid or anything, but I thought it was kind of bizarre that this forgettable Daphne-less episode would have generated such a lively out-of-universe, out-of-fandom mythos.
hansenkd
 
Posts: 412
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:47 pm

Re: Weird mythology surrounding "Docu.Drama"

Postby Patrick » Thu Sep 20, 2012 7:32 am

For starters, what's N&D?

I didn't think much of Glenn appearing as himself in the episode as this kind of thing happened a few times in Cheers, usually during the pre-credit sequence (I am counting at least four, all politicians). Speaking of Dr. Phil, what a bad actor that is. I mean, even in the end when he had that intimate conversation with Bebe he was still speaking as if he was talking in a mike to a large audience. Did anyone else notice that?

As for the joke about Glenn, blurting out about extraterrestrial life and then wanting to get the tape back, it wasn't the first time they poked fun at UFO believers/star-trek fans or that a similar joke was ever made on television. On another show, I believe it was "Just shoot me", an astronaut comes to prove that the moon landing did happen to an unbeliever at the urge of another character and once he's done that he starts saying things that prove that he's a loon himself.
Remember that politician that Frasier endorsed and then inadvertently betrayed that believed he had been abducted by aliens?

So you see jokes about UFOs and such are rather common fare.
Frasier: You started us down that path of insanity. Golda Meir.
Golda My-ass!
User avatar
Patrick
 
Posts: 1531
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:43 am
Location: France

Re: Weird mythology surrounding "Docu.Drama"

Postby hansenkd » Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:46 am

N&D=Niles and Daphne

Did you read the conspiracy theory? It's kind of amusing, and this is not the only site (although it seems to have inspired many of the others--and many of these are very recent).

What they are saying is that Glenn never would have agreed to the monologue unless... A little different from "The Candidate," as Glenn was a real person playing himself--and a person of great historical significance. I'd like to see the evidence that he approached the show rather than the other way around. That is really odd.

Very strange.
hansenkd
 
Posts: 412
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:47 pm

Re: Weird mythology surrounding "Docu.Drama"

Postby Patrick » Thu Sep 20, 2012 10:30 am

hansenkd wrote:N&D=Niles and Daphne

Did you read the conspiracy theory? It's kind of amusing, and this is not the only site (although it seems to have inspired many of the others--and many of these are very recent).

What they are saying is that Glenn never would have agreed to the monologue unless... A little different from "The Candidate," as Glenn was a real person playing himself--and a person of great historical significance. I'd like to see the evidence that he approached the show rather than the other way around. That is really odd.

Very strange.

Well, in The Right Stuff, they show him see things as well (remember those lights?) , that apparently nobody explained. I am talking about the movie, I don't know what really happened. So this is hardly a first or a surprise. That really does sound like some kind of a joke to me.
Frasier: You started us down that path of insanity. Golda Meir.
Golda My-ass!
User avatar
Patrick
 
Posts: 1531
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:43 am
Location: France

Re: Weird mythology surrounding "Docu.Drama"

Postby Forever Jung » Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:31 pm

:twisted: Here is the website of a man who writes fan fiction about wrapping Roy Orbison up in clingfilm

The lesson - The internet is full or cranks, nitwits, and loose screws. :albino: :alien: :bounce:

It said that on the show John Glenn looks right into the camera and addresses it as if it is the audience.
Was I watching the same show?
Because that would have looked weird.

If it were true, and this were John Glenn's sneaky way of getting the truth out, i'm sure the security office concerned could have put a stop to the episode under some rule or regulation.

If John Glenn was filled with a burning desire to tell the truth to the world, i'm sure he could have found a more creadable platform than a sitcom, no?

I don't know who approached who about John Glenn being on the show, and i've not seen any evedence.
Somneone saying on a website it was John Glenn that approached the Frasier team means nothing at all.
A few options...........

KG, one of the brass on the show, or even one of the writters, meets John Glenn (perhaps at a dinner). In conversation John Glenn mentions that he's a big fan of the show. The person from Frasier says that they'd love it if he would make a cameo. John Glenn agrees, they write the script. Job done.

The writters decide to turn the tables a little on Roz by giving her control of a show. They decide space would be a good theme. It's just a good a subject as any for a one off show, and perhaps one of the writters has an interest in space.
They decide they need someone to upstage Frasier, ask a few guys. Buzz Aldren is busy, Neil Armstrong is contracted to appear on Will & Grace, finally they get a yes from John Glenn.
Job done.

The producers of the show tell the writters that they feel the show could benefit from a cameo appearance from a heavyweight well known name. See who is a fan and would want to do it, or if you have to throw a shed load of cash at them, do that.
Job done.


That's three theories off the top of my head that (IMHO) are much more plauseable than saying John Glenn in defiance of NASA, Homeland security, and god knows how many more secret and shadowy orginizations that exist to keep a lid on "the truth", chooses a sitcom to try and communicate with the world that we are all going to die by alien holocaust.

OR............ am I a member of one of these shadowy secret organizations, and i've joined this site to make sure nobody works this shit out? :mrgreen:

There is a history of alien/phycic related humour.
Daphne being phycic and Frasier telling her he'd be in touch through the toaster.
The candidate who believed he was kidnapped by aliens.
Noel's obsession with Star Treck.
Daphne telling the mayor that she was an alien.


And if nothing else in this post makes sense, consider this..............
Frasier is witty and inteligent, but it's also very quirky at times.
Look at the list of guest callers, and you'll see some pretty respectable names. Names who say the most ridiculous things on the show. You really wouldn't expect some of these people to touch a sitcom (never mind say those lines), but they line up to guest on Frasier because it has a reputation as a good show, and many of these people are fans.

So John Glenn was not the first big name to guest on Frasier and say something silly in the name of comedy. He was just the first one to do it on screen.
Others followed.
As far as i'm aware, it's not Elvis Costello's wish to go into banking :lol:


So, in closing, John Glenn going on Frasier to expose the truth?
I think i'll go with the Roy Orbison clingfilm dude :D
The Cranes of Maine have got my Living Brain
User avatar
Forever Jung
 
Posts: 2214
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere with scrambled egg all over my face

Re: Weird mythology surrounding "Docu.Drama"

Postby hansenkd » Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:15 pm

The whole thing is hilarious, really. The main reason I posted this is because I was so bemused that an episode I had always considered forgettable, coming from the darkest Daphne-less days of Season 8, could have had such a bizarre sort of conspiracy theory/mythology sprout up around it.

Elvis Costello, forgot about him. I guess that's four non-actors doing cameos in the later seasons (plus Glenn, Gates, and Dr. Phil). I guess Leslie Stahl might count too, but her appearance was so brief, and she is a news anchor (a type of stage performer/actor, really) that I don't really count it.

Of all of them, I really thought Glenn was the best actor and delivered his lines (whatever their ulterior motive, LOL) most convincingly.
hansenkd
 
Posts: 412
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:47 pm

Re: Weird mythology surrounding "Docu.Drama"

Postby Patrick » Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:54 pm

hansenkd wrote:The whole thing is hilarious, really. The main reason I posted this is because I was so bemused that an episode I had always considered forgettable, coming from the darkest Daphne-less days of Season 8, could have had such a bizarre sort of conspiracy theory/mythology sprout up around it.

Elvis Costello, forgot about him. I guess that's four non-actors doing cameos in the later seasons (plus Glenn, Gates, and Dr. Phil). I guess Leslie Stahl might count too, but her appearance was so brief, and she is a news anchor (a type of stage performer/actor, really) that I don't really count it.

Of all of them, I really thought Glenn was the best actor and delivered his lines (whatever their ulterior motive, LOL) most convincingly.

In that case you should also mention Larry King as himself.
Frasier: You started us down that path of insanity. Golda Meir.
Golda My-ass!
User avatar
Patrick
 
Posts: 1531
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:43 am
Location: France


Return to Frasier Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests

cron

© Site contents are copyright Stuart Lee 1999 - 2024. This is a Frasier fan site and is not affiliated in any way with the program, Grub St Productions, Paramount or NBC.