Millicent Martin

An elderly widow and a young would-be author strike up an unlikely friendship in this comedy drama. Mrs. Palfrey (Joan Plowright) has been uneasy since the death of her husband, and she decides to move from her long-time home in Scotland to London so she can be closer to her grandson Desmond (Lorcan O'Toole). Mrs. Palfrey settles into the Claremont Hotel, a shabby residential inn for senior citizens that has seen better days. She tries to contact Desmond, but isn't able to get in touch with him, and at first she has a hard time relating to the other folks at the Claremont, especially friendly busybody Mrs. Arbuthnot (Anna Massey). Lonely and out of sorts, Mrs. Palfrey goes out for a walk one day and takes a nasty spill after losing her balance. Ludovic Meyer (Rupert Friend), a struggling writer in his mid-twenties, finds Mrs. Palfrey on the pavement and helps her, taking her back to her room and making sure she's OK. The two strike up a conversation and discover they have a surprisingly amount in common. A friendship grows between them, even though Mrs. Palfrey asks Ludovic to pose as her absent grandson so her neighbors will stop asking questions about him. Mrs. Palfrey even gives her new friend romantic advice, encouraging Ludovic to ask a pretty girl he meets at the video store out on a date. Based on a novel by the British author Elizabeth Taylor, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont was directed by Dan Ireland. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Frasier's industrious co-workers insist that he help them build a house for Habitat for Humanity. They soon regret inviting Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) when he proves to be more hindrance than help -- and once the occupants of the house move in, he insists upon smothering them with unsolicited advice. In other developments, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) is forced to sub for Martin, who was slated to give a safety lecture at an elementary school; and Mrs. Moon (Millicent Martin) tries to punish daughter Daphne (Jane Leeves) for an imagined slight by taking a very public job. ~ All Movie Guide

TV talker "Dr. Phil" McGraw makes his acting debut in this episode. Though mad at Dr. Phil because of an outstanding poker debt, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) agrees to take Roz (Peri Gilpin) to the good doctor's lecture. Upon arrival, Frasier is shocked to discover that Dr. Phil's agent is the redoubtable Bebe Glazer (Harriet Sansom Harris). Frasier is also peeved that Bebe had never been able to make him a huge star in all the time she was representing him. So imagine his surprise when Bebe offers to do for Frasier what she's done for Dr. Phil -- in exchange for certain, er, favors. ~ All Movie Guide

Frasier's mercurial ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) is back in town, and as usual she wants a favor. This time around, Lilith is determined to have another baby -- and she wants Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) to be the father. Although her plan is to rely upon artificial insemination, Frasier will have none of it, forcing Lilith to use a bit of -- yes -- psychology on her former husband. Meanwhile, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) goes ballistic over a "dirty" photo of Daphne (Jane Leeves). ~ All Movie Guide

Daphne (Jane Leeves) is convinced that Frasier's reception to unveil a painting will be as big a disaster as most of his parties. Thus, she suggests to Niles (David Hyde Pierce) that they hold the festivities at their home. As the evening progresses, Daphne proves (much to her dismay) that she can be just as big a social screw-up as any other member of the Crane family. The only person who manages to avoid the chaos is the guest of honor artist Mike Shaw (Harve Presnell) -- who, like Daphne's mother Gertrude (Millicent Martin), would rather watch a televised boxing match than put up with the artistic elite. ~ All Movie Guide

Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) has just about had enough of the practical jokes perpetrated by radio sports guy "Bulldog" Briscoe (Dan Butler). Clearly what is called for is a get-even scheme so elaborate and complicated that Frasier has to bring in "outside help." And on the subject of revenge, Daphne's mother, Gertrude (Millicent Martin), is determined to settle accounts with the youthful trick-or-treater who has "vandalized" Niles' door. ~ All Movie Guide

Hoping to patch up the marriage of Daphne's parents, Niles goes all the way to England to fetch the recalcitrant Mr. Moon (Brian Cox). Alas, not only is Mrs. Moon (Millicent Martin) displeased over this turn of events, but so is Daphne (Jane Leeves) -- and their family quarrel escalates into a public free-for-all. Elsewhere, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Roz (Peri Gilpin) have a heart-to-heart about their brief fling. The cliffhanger ending of this episode is proof enough that season nine of Frasier has come to an end. ~ All Movie Guide

Master chef Wolfgang Puck appears as himself in this episode, wherein Niles (David Hyde Pierce) busily prepares for the big moment when he will propose to Daphne (Jane Leeves). Leaving nothing to chance, Niles has planned an all-out assault on Daphne's heart, complete with a stirring speech, an expensive ring, a string quartet, a trumpet player, and a choir. As a final touch, he has arranged for Daphne's intrusive mom (Millicent Martin) to be far, far away. Unfortunately, he has overlooked one minor item...Daphne herself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Upset over her breakup with her latest beau, Roger, Roz (Peri Gilpin) turns to Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) for consolation. One thing leads to another, and before the night is over, Roz and Frasier end up in bed. This leads to a hilarious denouement in which the guilt-stricken Frasier trails Roz all the way to her family reunion in Wisconsin. And on the subject of long trips, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne (Jane Leeves) are on the verge of taking their long-delayed Hawaiian vacation -- until they get some bad news from Daphne's mom (Millicent Martin). ~ All Movie Guide

In part one of Frasier?s eighth-season opener, the wedding of Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) and attorney Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek) has come to end before the knot has even been tied as Daphne runs off with her true love, Niles Crane (David Pierce). Left standing in the exhaust fumes of the fugitive couple's Winnebago are both Donny and Niles' vengeful bridge Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams). The upshot of all this is an enormous lawsuit brought against Daphne by Donny and an even more sinister revenge cooked up by Mel. Originally telecast as a 60-minute special, this episode has since been reedited as two half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Now that the dust has settled and she has brought her baby home, Murphy (Candice Bergen) returns to work at the "FYI" studio. Unfortunately, her job performance suffers for a number of reasons, not least Murphy's obsessive guilt over leaving her newborn with newly-hired "Nanny Number Four" (played by British actress Millicent Martin, best known for her work as Daphne's mother on Frasier). Clearly, a showdown is in the offing--but will Murphy have to choose between her journalistic duties and her parental obligations? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Michael Caine's first starring role was a foray into dramatic irony, scripted by Bill Naughton from his novel and play. Alfie (Caine) is a charming, rogueish Cockney who cannot get his fill of women. He uses them without shame or malice, jumping from one promiscuous female's bed to another without much thought or feeling. Of course, Alfie's not as carefree as he would have the audience -- to whom he often speaks directly -- think: he treats his pregnant, common-law wife, Gilda (Julia Foster), quite shabbily, and has an affair with a married woman (Vivien Merchant) that leaves her pregnant, for which Alfie arranges an abortion. In the end, Alfie never finds lasting meaning or pleasure but remains an unrepentant, if low-class, Don Juan. Caine was Oscar-nominated for his performance. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide