The Advent Calendar House has awoken early from its long winter’s nap to take the Leap Year challenge as prescribed by Dr. Frasier Crane on one unseasonably warm February morning in 1996. On the way we look up the “Frasier” cast’s Christmas connections, explore the world of complicated opera solos and bad Western ballads, and call in to a PBS pledge drive to try and talk to Big Bird.  

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🎙 Guests:  

Erin Evans (@mserinevans).  

Joey O. (Y-Not Radio, @imgonnadj24).  

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💬 Topics & Tangents:  

1. Kelsey Grammer in “Mr. St. Nick” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve.”  

2. Our adventures on the mid-1990s internet, when it was All About the Pentiums.  

3. “Frasier” episodes ranked on Variety, Frasier Online, and Thrillist.  

4. “When You Had Left Our Pirate Fold” from “The Pirates of Penzance,” in which Leap Day becomes a plot point.  

5. Oleg Cassini and the worst title card gag.   

6. KACL is a real radio station, but not in Seattle.  

7. “Rigoletto” and the aria “Ella mi fu rapita / Parmi veder le lagrime.”  

8. Kelsey Grammer sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Philadelphia.   

9. “Buttons and Bows,” as sung by Bob Hope in “The Paleface” and by Leap Day baby Dinah Shore.  

10. Adam “Edge” Copeland talks “Money Plane” on Hey! (EW).  

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📼 Commercial Break:  

McDonald’s “Morning Break” Commercial starring Kelsey Grammer, 1995.  

Remember That Show?, a podcast journey to explore obscure and forgotten TV series.  

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“Frasier” and “Look Before You Leap” © 1996 Paramount Productions.  

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  
Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.