Frasier episode pulled off-air for years as bosses refused to show re-runs

The Frasier episode Dr Nora was pulled off air for one reason (Image: NBC)

A Frasier episode sparked controversy after it was unexpectedly taken off air for years. The episode titled "Dr Nora," which aired as part of the show's sixth season in 1999, guest-starred Christine Baranski as a parody of the controversial radio and TV host Dr Laura Schlessinger and was nominated for an Emmy due to her performance. 

However, unlike every other episode from that season, "Dr. Nora" did not re-air that year, raising questions from the show's executives and writers about the reasoning behind its absence.

While shows in syndication sometimes air out of order, this is usually tied to specific themes or holidays, which was not the case here, reported Variety in 2000.

The episode mysteriously disappeared from syndication around the same time Dr Laura Schlessinger’s TV show debuted, leading many to suspect that pressure from her camp or from within Paramount played a role in the decision to pull it.

Though no official reason was given, the episode’s removal sparked controversy. Frasier creators and others in the industry believed it might have been an attempt to protect Dr. Laura’s new show from any negative publicity.

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Laura Schlessinger hit out at the episode (Image: Getty)

However, it was later reported that Laura was upset by the portrayal of her mother, feeling it crossed a line since her mother wasn’t a public figure.

As a result, Paramount pulled the episode from syndication, though it later aired on other networks, according to IMDB.

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Frasier executive producer David Lee expressed frustration over the episode’s removal, stating: “Obviously, someone has done this. This is not accidental.”

He continued: “To me, it’s clear what they’ve done (taken the show out of rotation), and I wish they’d cop to it and explain to us. As executive producer, I would like to know why it was done and who did it.”

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The decision to pull the episode raised further eyebrows among the show's creators. Joe Keenan, the former producer and writer of the episode, expressed his disbelief, saying: “I find it curious that Paramount would yank the Dr. Nora episode because this is the only Dr. Laura show Paramount has done that people want to watch.”

In 2010, after sparking controversy with racially charged remarks on her nationally syndicated radio show, Laura Schlessinger revealed that she had decided to leave the show.

She said at the time: “I want my 1st Amendment rights back, which I can’t have on radio without the threat of attack on my advertisers and stations.” 

Frasier episode pulled off-air for years as bosses refused to show re-runs

Frasier episode pulled off-air for years as bosses refused to show re-runs

Frasier episode pulled off-air for years as bosses refused to show re-runs

Frasier episode pulled off-air for years as bosses refused to show re-runs

Frasier episode pulled off-air for years as bosses refused to show re-runs