The Frasier episode 'banned' in the UK that Channel 4 refuses to air

First scene of Episode 1 of Frasier

Despite being a mainstay on UK television, fans of the sitcom Frasier have recently realised that Channel 4 consistently omits one specific episode from its reruns.

Fans of the acclaimed American sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer as the titular radio psychiatrist, have pointed out that Channel 4 routinely skips one particular episode from its broadcasting schedule—the "High Holidays" episode from the show's eleventh season.

This episode is noteworthy because it features Niles Crane, played by David Hyde Pierce, attempting to rebel in his adulthood by buying a marijuana-laced brownie, which is unwittingly consumed by his father, Martin Crane, portrayed by John Mahoney.

This leads to a series of comedic events centred around the mix-up.

The exclusion of this episode by Channel 4 has never been officially explained, leading to speculation that it might be due to its depiction of drug use.

This absence has not gone unnoticed by the show's fans, who have taken to social media and forums to express their confusion and frustration.

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The episode doesn’t air regularly in the UK on TV (Image: NBC)

On the show’s Reddit page, one voiced their disbelief, saying, “I would have never imagined that Frasier of all shows would be censored.”

Another user remarked on the rarity of the episode's airing: “They never show the pot brownies one. Not seen that one for a long time.”

Adding to the discussion, a third fan speculated about the timing of the episode's broadcast, suggesting that its content might be inappropriate for its morning time slot: “They don’t usually show High Holidays – the one where Freddie is a goth. Probably not allowed with the drug references at that time in the morning.”

Despite the episode's absence from live television, it remains accessible through Channel 4's on-demand service, All4.

This was confirmed by another viewer, who shared their experience on Reddit: “I saw the episode this week for the first time. It did surprise me that I’d found a rare unwatched episode but now I wonder if it just wasn’t there and available before.”

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In the episode in question, Niles rebels and buys a weed brownie (Image: NBC) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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Martin got stoned without knowing (Image: NBC)

Amidst these fan reactions, Kelsey Grammer has remained in the spotlight, particularly with the recent revival of Frasier.

Despite receiving mixed reviews, the show was renewed for a second season, which Grammer discussed in an interview with People Magazine.

"It feels great, it feels great. There was a sense of, I’m trying to think of the right word, vindication. In my heart, I thought, 'I know we can do this and I know we can do it really well.' And I didn’t want to do what some of the other shows had done, sort of come back and be the same show.

“I thought this all played exactly how it was meant to be. And Frasier’s still alive, and he has a new story to tell and a new series of people to do it with, and it’s been fantastic."

The Frasier episode 'banned' in the UK that Channel 4 refuses to air

The Frasier episode 'banned' in the UK that Channel 4 refuses to air

The Frasier episode 'banned' in the UK that Channel 4 refuses to air

The Frasier episode 'banned' in the UK that Channel 4 refuses to air

The Frasier episode 'banned' in the UK that Channel 4 refuses to air