TEXT: ACT ONE Scene One - Frasier's Apartment. Martin is reading the newspaper as Daphne is wandering about the living room when the doorbell sounds. She shouts "coming" then opens the door to find Niles on his mobile phone. Daphne: Oh, Dr. Crane. Niles: [into phone:] My God, after all our years together - all the good times, all the bad times - you can't loan me a meager four thousand dollars? You must appreciate how hard it is for me to approach you about this. I thought I meant more to you than this, but apparently I don't. [hangs up] And they call themselves "the friendly bank!" Daphne goes back to the table to clip coupons. Martin: What do you need to borrow money for? Niles: I saw the most exquisite Biedermeier footstool. Martin: For four thousand bucks? Niles, your mother and I didn't pay that much for our first house. Niles: I know, dad. I lived there. Martin: Well, I keep telling you, you don't have Maris's money to throw around anymore. You're going to have to start cutting back a little. Niles: I have cut back. Last month I told my masseur I could only see him once a week. Martin: [sarcastic:] Oh, I remember that scene in "Grapes Of Wrath" when Ma Joad did that. Daphne: You know, if you need to save a bit, you should do what I do and cut out coupons. Niles: [interested:] Coupons. Well, what a wonderful way to economize. Well, I could clip them and give them to my personal shopper. Daphne and Martin share a look. Frasier enters from his room. Frasier: Oh, Niles, good morning. Niles: Hey. Frasier: Daphne, has Bebe Glazer called back yet? Daphne: 'Fraid not. Niles: You're still consorting with that barracuda? Frasier: Well, a barracuda is what you want in an agent,
SUMMARY:
KACL has a new owner: an eighty-five-year-old Texas millionaire Wilford S. Boone, who likes to be called Big Willy. Frasier learns that he owns 30 stations across the US, and could put Frasier's show into national syndication, so he begins a charm offensive . The millionaire is about to marry his younger mistress, but dislikes that she smokes. He says that if Frasier can cure her of her habit, the marriage can go ahead. The fiancée turns out to be Frasier's agent, Bebe Glazer. He manages to persuade her that she should give up unless she wants to lose out on Big Willy's inheritance. Three weeks later is the wedding, but Big Willy has a fatal heart attack at the altar. Frasier later consoles her at his house by saying she may yet find another Big Willy.