Kelsey Grammer: America Needs to Remember Its History | Planet Tyrus

Summary

Planet Tyrus – Episode Summary
Episode: Kelsey Grammer: America Needs to Remember Its History | Planet Tyrus
Date: July 21, 2026
Host: Tyrus
Guest: Kelsey Grammer

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Overview

This episode features legendary actor Kelsey Grammer in a high-energy, deeply engaging conversation with host Tyrus. The main theme centers around the importance of American history, national identity, and the enduring relevance of the country's founding ideals. Grammer discusses his new Fox Nation docuseries "The Patriot War," sharing insights on the American Revolution and the character of its leaders, while both he and Tyrus infuse the discussion with humor, cultural commentary, and personal anecdotes about entertainment, patriotism, and societal change.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kelsey Grammer’s Multifaceted Career (00:42)

• Tyrus introduces Grammer as not just a beloved actor (Frasier in Cheers/Marvel’s Beast), but also a producer, director, and Fox Nation host.
• Tyrus praises Grammer’s portrayal of "Beast," noting he embodies "the ambassador" of the mutant community.
• Grammer shares his deep connection to the character:
  “To me it's like he's Frederick Douglass, he's Martin Luther King. He's all the giants of the mutant community.” (01:37)

2. The Patriot War Docuseries (03:06)

• Promo of Grammer’s Fox Nation series "The Patriot War," exploring America’s founding.
• Highlights focus on figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Martha Washington, and Benedict Arnold.
• Grammer calls this “the best one we’ve done,” emphasizing its high production values and deep exploration:
  “It's such an interesting look into all these people ... the production values were enhanced, even just a little bit more, I guess, because in honor of the 250th and all that.” (03:06)

3. The Importance of Learning America’s History (03:32, 07:30, 14:38)

• Both lament the decline of substantive history education in schools.
• Grammer stresses:
  “If you don't know where you come from, you don't know who you are. If you don't know who you are, you can be controlled.” (00:27, repeated 07:30)
• The series intends to remedy the lack of relatable, compelling historical storytelling.

4. America’s Founders as Young, Flawed, Complex Humans (09:09)

• Tyrus and Grammer aim to humanize the founders, countering stereotypes ("old white guys in wigs").
• Kelsey:
  “Thomas Jefferson was 33 when he wrote what is arguably the most important political document in the history of man. 33.” (09:34)
• They highlight the youth and personal struggles of Jefferson, Hamilton, and others.

5. The Real Costs of Independence (15:18)

• Grammer drives home the sacrifices of the signers of the Declaration of Independence:
  “Of the 56 people who signed the Declaration of Independence, most of them ended in ruin. … Some … their children were murdered. Some of their wives were raped ...” (15:18)
• Their sacrifice was for the next generation, not just for themselves.

6. America’s Founding on Ideals, Not Identity (16:01, 26:04)

• Both reiterate: America was founded on principles—liberty, equality, self-governance—not on race, ethnicity, or religion.
• Tyrus:
  “The country wasn't founded because of a race. It was founded of an ideal, of an idea … the way that it was founded on ideals and freedoms, it opened the door for change.” (15:38)
• Grammer adds:
  “That's America. That's all America.” (27:08)

7. Resilience, Leadership, and American Identity (12:03, 19:23, 19:35)

• Washington’s personal dilemmas and the fragility of victory are examined.
• Kelsey:
  “I think the pulse of freedom that lives in that guy's heart still lives in ours. And that's—we do not quit.” (10:56)
• Both note that America's promise is perpetual improvement:
  “It's always going to fall a little short, but that's just it. And it's the world of becoming. We're becoming a more perfect union always, rather than we just are one.” (19:23)

8. History as Entertainment and the Art of Storytelling (08:52, 08:59)

• The conversation turns to the importance of strong narrators in making history compelling—for example, Grammer, James Earl Jones, David Attenborough, Laurence Fishburne, and Morgan Freeman.

9. Women’s Critical Role in America’s Founding (20:39, 23:05)

• Grammer describes Martha Washington’s overlooked contributions:
  “She offered herself as a sort of inspiration to a lot of the men during a time when … they really needed it.” (23:05)
• Both agree another series could be dedicated to the founding women.

10. American Self-Correction and Generational Change (27:09, 28:34)

• Tyrus observes that America’s openness to self-correction—learning from mistakes—is a fundamental strength:
  “We self correct ... I never get too rattled when they're, you know, you know, in the nowadays, you know, it's the woke, it's this, it's that.” (27:09)
• They reflect on "the adults in the room" always emerging to steer the country back on course.

11. Comedy, Culture, and Social Commentary (16:21, 21:20, 34:08)

• Tyrus jokes about social trends, sartorial choices, and the influence of the feminine (“No great man ... without a mother”), tying social commentary back to history.
• Nostalgic discussion of Cheers and the unique dynamic of Frasier – Grammer recalls how the Frasier spinoff came about and the unique character design behind it.

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “If you don't know where you come from, you don't know who you are. If you don't know who you are, you can be controlled.” – Grammer (00:27, 07:30)
• “Thomas Jefferson was 33 when he wrote what is arguably the most important political document in the history of man. 33.” – Grammer (09:34)
• “Of the 56 people who signed the Declaration of Independence, most of them ended in ruin. ... They paid the ultimate sacrifice. And they would probably do it again.” – Grammer (15:18)
• “The country wasn't founded because of a race. It was founded of an ideal, of an idea … and because it was founded on ideals … it opened the door for change.” – Tyrus (15:38)
• “It's always going to fall a little short, but that's just it. And it's the world of becoming. We're becoming a more perfect union always, rather than we just are one.” – Grammer (19:35)
• “That's America. That's all America.” – Grammer (27:08)
• “We self-correct ... I never get too rattled when ... it's the woke, it's this, it's that ... it's the same argument.” – Tyrus (27:09)
• On Benedict Arnold:
  “I just saw him as petty ... He was only looking for what makes me look good, what makes me feel good ... none of the things he did made him powerful or stronger.” – Grammer (25:16)
• On Martha Washington:
  “She offered herself as a sort of inspiration to a lot of the men during a time when ... they really needed it.” – Grammer (23:05)
• On playing Frasier:
  “It was John Pike who said, play Frasier ... And I said, OK, I see what you're saying. Built an audience. I am kind of funny in the character ... So we had to accomplish a separation without making you a deadbeat dad.” – Grammer (35:58–36:54)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Grammer on Playing “Beast,” Mutant Symbolism: 01:37
• Introduction of Fox Nation & “Patriot War” Docuseries: 03:06
• Critique of History Education & Identity: 07:30, 14:38
• Founders as Young, Flawed Humans: 09:09–10:07
• Sacrifice of Declaration Signers: 15:18
• America’s Founding Ideals: 15:38, 26:04, 27:08
• The Role of Women in the Revolution: 20:39, 23:05
• Benedict Arnold’s Character: 25:16
• America’s Self-Correction: 27:09
• Cheers and “Frasier” Origins: 34:08–37:01

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Tone, Language & Style

• Lively, humorous, yet earnest.
• Both speakers mix comedic sensibility with deep respect for history and cultural legacy.
• Grammer speaks in grand, evocative language; Tyrus is direct, witty, and conversational.

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Takeaways

• The American Revolution’s stories are not dry facts but living lessons in courage, leadership, and self-correction.
• Understanding America’s roots fosters a sense of shared identity, gratitude, and patriotism—necessary for addressing contemporary divisions.
• History gains power when storytelling is personal and compelling.
• Sacrifice, imperfection, and perpetual striving define the American journey.
• Both men agree: “America is always in the process of becoming—a more perfect union.”

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For listeners or readers seeking to reconnect with American history, this episode provides both inspiration and a roadmap for engagement—urging everyone to learn, appreciate, and help tell the nuanced story of America.

Transcript

[A]

It was just such a great character. And for you to play this dignified psychiatrist who's drinking with a mailman and we're not really sure what Norm did.

[B]

So he said this, what you guys have come up with. I don't like it. I think you should play Frazier.

[A]

You know, you talk about America being founded not on a common race, ethnicity or religion, but on ideas like liberty, equality, and self governance. I feel now more than ever, that's just a really important message.

[B]

If you don't know where you come from, you don't know who you are. If you don't know who you are, you can be controlled. There's a whole, whole bunch of things that just have got to stop with our education system.

[A]

For those of you who live under a rock and have absolutely no idea who I'm talking to, I'm talking to a legendary actor, one of my all time favorites. I, I. Not to date myself, but sneaking up at night to watch. Cheers. Great character, Frasier, but the, the one and only Kelsey Grammer. You're. But you, you wear a lot of hats. You know, you're a producer, a director, you're a Fox Nation host, and you play one of the coolest Marvel characters of all time. And when I got a chance to meet you, it was one of my beefs because Beast was like, if there was one is Beast in the Marvel universe and Gorilla Grog in dc. But I don't think they could have picked a better character because a lot of times when they, they make characters from the comic books and the cartoon, there's a little bit of a disconnect. But like, in my head, that's how Beast would sound.

[B]

Yeah, I really appreciate that. I, I love that character. I love him. I mean, to me it's like he's Frederick Douglass, he's Martin Luther King. He's all the giants of, of like sort of the mutant community, you know? Yes.

[A]

He's the ambassador.

[B]

Came up from somewhere. Yeah. And have other, other things doing yet. You know, he strives for this, this a value driven life and a sense of purpose. I, I love this character. I mean, to get a chance to play him again 20 years later is a presumptive joy for me. It's, it's fantastic. I mean, I hope I get to do him again after that, but you never know.

[A]

Well, and I will. There'll be no spoiler alerts and I will not put you on the thing because I cannot wait to watch. I'm a big fan of the Avengers anyway, so I will not I will not put you in that position. And you're always busy. You've got a Fox Nation history special coming out and I, I love the historic battles of America. And I'm just gonna list off of some of the stuff you got coming on here. You got the historic battles for America. George, Rise of a Revolutionary, Legends and Lies. And now the Patriot War. Hosted by yours truly, the Patriot War is a six episode Fox Nation docu series about the American Revolution following George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Martha Washington, Benedict Arnold, that son of a bit.

[B]

That son of a gun. Yeah.

[A]

And the final campaign that leads to American independence.

[B]

Yeah, I think it's. I think it's the best one we've done, actually. I really like this latest series. When we shot it, I was impressed with all the backgrounds, everything they did, the production values were enhanced, even just a little bit more, I guess, because in honor of the 250th and all that. But it's such a great piece. It's such an interesting look into all these people. And with the Benedict Arnold one, for instance, I thought to myself, as I was reading through it, I thought this guy must have had some incredible father issues. And then of course, it turns out,

[A]

Lindsay, he was very, very Iagoian, you know.

[B]

You bet he was. Yeah. Absolutely smart. And overlooked.

[A]

Yeah, I still. And again, I still think, oh, as I said, Iago, he's. He was the villainous character for those again, who didn't pay attention in English in the great Shakespearean play Othello, which is my all time favorite and.

[B]

Well, you know what? You should maybe think about playing Othello.

[A]

Oh, I would in a heartbeat. I was in Othello play once in college, but I played, for some reason, I was cast as a soldier. I was like, you know, I can do that, you know, but. And I won Roderico. Yes, yes. But he had no.

[B]

It's something you should do. I would consider directing that. I think that'd be.

[A]

I'm in. That would be great.

[B]

I did Cassio with James Earl Jones and Christopher Palmo was Iago.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

It was a great, great experience for me. I was a young man. I was 27 years old. But Iago, you know, Iago is the most intelligent character in all of Shakespeare. Every foot he had, every line of iambic pentameter he has, is actually five and a half feet long. He has one extra syllable in every line. His poetry is that dense and artful and also just wicked. It's just rich with this evil. It's an Extraordinary character. But Othello is the ultimate hero, the true champion who makes one horrible, horrible decision.

[A]

He found his one weakness.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

Was his heart, his one insecurity.

[B]

Yeah, right, Absolutely.

[A]

And the best finish a villain has ever had.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

When they're, they're bleeding out. You know, in every movie that the villain always tells his plan and he has the greatest line ever. You know what? You know what? You know, and I will speak no more.

[B]

Oh, it's amazing.

[A]

And then you just like you what? You know, and it's just the best. It's just absolute.

[B]

You got it. You're, you're there.

[A]

Absolutely phenomenal.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But do you think with not just the two, the, the anniversary history's become sexy again?

[B]

I think you're right. I think you're right. You know, if we tell a story right, it is sexy. I mean, we just finished doing this film. It just came out this weekend. The young George Washington. The young George Washington is one of the most heroic human beings who ever lived. He made some mistakes. He was flawed, but his bravery and his courage and his tenacity and his loyalty to.

[A]

Loyalty to a fault.

[B]

Amazing. Just, just amazing. And I always say, now, I say to people, I say, you see that, that, that obelisk in the National Mall, it's not big enough.

[A]

Yeah. Because a lot of, like I said, in doing a lot of research and stuff, he was very loyal to the crown.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, he served, you know, and it wasn't until the, the actions, the unloyal actions of the crown that forced him to change. So it had to be egregious.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

For him, for him to say no more.

[B]

I'm done. Yeah.

[A]

And then you fast forward. Here he is. He's basically. He could have easily been the new king of America. He could have had, you know, 15 year terms and he literally gave. And the reason why he's the greatest president of all time, because he gave away power. But I don't think any other president would.

[B]

Yeah, it's not a common gesture from guys in power. It's not a. They get pretty wrapped up in it,

[A]

you know, and it's just for, like I said, unfortunately, I, I don't think, and I don't want to get into a political thing about schools and education, but I, I don't think they're getting the proper information or the in depth information of our founding fathers.

[B]

Yeah, we're doing what we can to fix it. Yeah, we're gonna do some stuff. There's no question, because. Yeah, it's Important. And yeah, yeah, it does start with our education system. And there's all sorts of things. If you don't know where you come from, you don't know who you are. If you don't know who you are, you can be controlled. There's a whole bunch of things that just have got to education system and we got to retool it. There's no question.

[A]

But yeah, I think these.

[B]

Aside from politics.

[A]

Yeah. I think specials like this. And again, Fox Nation spares no expense in terms of. I mean, this easily could have been a movie in the theaters. Easily. Yeah. You know, and I think that's one thing that kind of put people off because when it was an After School Special or BBC program, you know, it just didn't. The information was there. But it's just kind of like you're like, what? And when you're competing with Sci Fi and everything else today, it needs to have the ability to. To catch people. And I, I was. I forget what. I was doing something and the commercial came on from one of your other specials and I was like, is that Kelsey? Oh, I. I'm okay.

[B]

You.

[A]

You now have my attention, you know, because there's some great voices. There's James Earl Jones, yourself. I talked about David Attenborough. Laurence Fishburne was another one who has a strong. But there's just certain voices that are.

[B]

Morgan Freeman. Yeah, Morgan Freeman as well. Yeah. It's like the voice of God thing.

[A]

And I think that is an important component when you're. If you're a great storyteller. Yeah. They'll show up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, I agree.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you have some. There's some great. There's some great topics in here. One of the things I wanted to touch on founders as human beings. You know, Jefferson writing the Declaration, Hamilton trying to prove himself. Martha Washington sustaining Valley Forge. And also something that a lot of people won't know is these were young men.

[B]

Yeah, I'm pretty tired of the old white guy in wig thing. I mean, Thomas Jefferson was 33 when he wrote what is arguably the most important political document in the history of man. 33.

[A]

Yeah, he was.

[B]

Jesus number.

[A]

And I'm trying to remember who was 21. Was it Hamilton who was 21 years old?

[B]

Hamilton was 21.

[A]

21 years old.

[B]

Yeah. It just end up a firebrand. And Washington had to tell him, calm down, you're going to get your chance. I need you behind the desk for a while. You know, pretty fascinating.

[A]

And. Yeah, because we always see them, you know, we see the finish is always towards the end. And I think it's cool because I don't. I don't think when it comes to George Washington, I think we just kind of. The history lesson starts when he's president.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's a real disservice because that's the crescendo. That's. That's the end.

[B]

Yeah. That was. That was like the. Yeah. The denouement that he was. He was out of it. Out of it. At one point, he said, I fought it. I want it. You guys, this is your country. Boom, boom, boom. Articles in the confederation, then bam, it's not working. We need a president now.

[A]

You know, and also, they were losing.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

And it looked bleached, you know, and he was not very optimistic at one point.

[B]

No, absolutely. But he wasn't going to quit. That's. That's what I think. I think. I think the pulse of freedom that lives in that guy's heart still lives in ours. And that's. We do not quit. That's.

[A]

No. And I. I'm. I can't wait to watch this. It's a six thing, so it's going to take me probably half the evening. I'll get. I'll knock it out because I'll binge watch this.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And, you know, they can check it out on Fox Nation. But he dealt with. And it's something I think is a great lesson, is to do great things under immense pressure.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and he held together a fragile army, you know, leadership. The one thing he does prove, his leadership is not glamorous. And I think a lot of Americans misunderstood him as seeing the war from Boston to Valley Forge. I think they. They don't understand the level of. First of all, the English army was unbelievably cruel. Their tactics, I think we kind of get a little taste of it. And Mel Gibson's film, the Patriot.

[B]

Yeah, you do. Yeah.

[A]

You get a little taste of it. But that was more the norm than the rare.

[B]

Like, it was pretty awful. Yeah. And they. Yeah, well, they, you know, give no quarter and expect none, you know, and

[A]

also the crown, the king. They didn't take America seriously.

[B]

No. Well, you know, Ben Franklin wanted to originally just sort of stay with the king.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And he went over there and became an ambassador, and he said, I'm going to try to sue our case in parliament and everything else. And they just laughed at him. So that when he got back, he was a rabid, you know, separatist and wanted to get out. He said, absolutely. Freedom is our Only our only path. He's a fascinating guy.

[A]

And this is the type of stuff that I think when you look at today in modern politics, this. We have our division. I think it's more social media driven and attention driven than actually substance. They were divided over loyalty to the Crown, and standing up against the Crown was an act of treason or death. You didn't. You didn't get blocked. You got hung, you know, and your family with you, you know, it was like everybody died. Yeah. Yeah. And to stand up, I think I'm trying to. I think it was. Lee was the man who was the first one to cry for independence and to revolt. When you said those words, it was a death sentence. And quite. And your neighbors could have been loyal to the Crown, you know, because for certain. For certain individuals, it was very profitable to be in line with the crown. So they were giving up a lot for an unknown.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, can we sustain. And I think especially great leaders like George Washington to know all that. That every decision, every defiant stance you take, there's no going back, you know, and I don't think a lot of people understand the level. I think they just kind of think like one day we said he chopped down a cherry tree. We dumped some tea in the. In the harbor, and then we were. We had a little fight, and then we were free, you know, And I think this will kind of encapture all of that.

[B]

Yeah, I think so.

[A]

And the. And the full season of the Patriot War is now available on Fox Nation. What would you say? What would be the biggest thing you'd want people to take away from it when they. When they sit down and watch this series? Yeah.

[B]

You know, it's always about the human connection that. That you understand and recognize the. The heart that's in them. The same heart that you have is the heart that's in them. That's. That's what I always believe you were. If you were put into extraordinary circumstances and you had the same kind of content and character that these people have, you would do exactly what they did, because you are as heroic. You are their children. We are their children. They. They did this for us, and now we owe it to them. I mean, that's the way I see it. I mean, I always feel grateful to them for the things they did. Men, women, and children, every one of them that sacrificed what they did. Of the 56 people who signed the Declaration of Independence, most of them ended in ruin.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's what pledged. Most of some of their children were murdered. Some of their Wives were raped some and it's not a pleasant thing. They paid the u. Ultimate sacrifice. The ultimate one. And they would probably do it again. And I think that sort of character is what still is most of us. I believe in America that way.

[A]

And I think people need to understand that, especially in this day and age of. Of people getting weird stories like, you know, the country wasn't founded because of a race. It wasn't. It was founded of an ideal, of an idea, you know, and because the way that it was founded on ideals and freedoms, it opened the door for change.

[B]

Absolutely. And it always will.

[A]

And it always will. You know, we. And that's the one thing that I think is missed by a lot of the first worlders who are. And I call them first world people who let. Who. The benefits of this country allow you to criticize. And you can twist things and you can have your own truth with. I don't even want to. It's.

[B]

I don't know how that's humanly possible. Me and my truth.

[A]

That's like you and me talking about our uterus is sore. It's just not going to happen. But the idea. But we live in a country where we can say those things.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's the beauty of it. But it came from this group of. Of young men who knew that their lives would forever be changed. And in a lot of cases, that it wasn't for them, it was for us. It was the next generation. And I think that type of sacrifice is something that. Or the education of that kind of side might change some of the extreme ideas that we have or the lazy ideas that we have. Take the time. Even when you watch. After you watch this series, that's your perfect. Go get some books, get some information, educate yourself and start telling the story of how this country was founded in. In real terms, you know, and it's a rich world.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And, you know, this was another thing. He took command of an army he didn't know.

[B]

You're right. I know he's a road up.

[A]

Met him like, hey, guys, what are you doing? I don't know what you want to do. Stormed the castle. I'm in. You know?

[B]

Yeah. It was a little fly by the seat of his pants there. When he walked up to that Long island battle, it's like, holy crap, what do we got?

[A]

Three muskets, a cannon. And this guy's really good on the drums.

[B]

Yeah, right. Let's get out of here.

[A]

I mean, think about that, would you? It'd be like, hey, Kelsey, I Want you to direct this movie. Okay. What? I don't know, just show up and see what happens, you know, and most of us would be like, no, I'm not, I don't. I'm not going to risk, you know, I don't know what this is. And this wasn't a production. This was a war. People were gonna die. And the other side knew, had training and the traditional way of fighting. That was another thing that. Did you guys do you guys go into that a little bit because you couldn't fight like England, you know, and most Americans were trained to fight like England because they were in the England.

[B]

A lot of them were in the England army before. Yeah, yeah. No, it definitely comes up about the sort of improvisational nature of what they had to, you know, adapt to. And then, yeah, the Brits were. The Brits were outmatched in time by strategy. You know, it became a strategic thing. There was certainly some elements of absolute luck and providence, as George Washington himself says, has said. But, yeah, their tactics were not going to work in America. And that's. That was one of the things that helped us. Even though, you know, a third of the people wanted to just stay an

[A]

English colony, because there was a real divide.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, really was.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And once, you know, once independence is. Is achieved. Well, I think we're always working on that. I think that's. That's never a fit. That's the beautiful thing about America is, is it's never a finished product.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

But it's the best product out there.

[B]

The land of the possible. Yeah, absolutely. It's always going to fall a little short, but that's just it. And it's the world of becoming. We're becoming a more perfect union always, rather than we just are one.

[A]

Right. And, you know, you have said that you want Americans to fall in love with the country again.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What do you think that teaching the American people about the patriot work can bring back?

[B]

Yeah, I think what it does.

[A]

Ownership.

[B]

I think what happens is it's a sense of identity. Yeah. You can call it ownership, but it's a sense of self identifying with the same situation. To say, wait a minute, I know what that's like, or I feel that way. And I mean, you can relate it to a simple thing, as if you feel out of sorts with a group of people you don't know very well or any number of things that are facing you and your personal struggle today. You can connect to the people that fought this war, who fought this war 250 years ago. Who said, wait a minute. We. We need better. Yeah, we're gonna. We're gonna make sure that happens. I mean, that's. That's extraordinary. And I think, you know, it's fun to kind of. It's great that we focused on Martha at one point because it. It pulls in the. The. The. The value of the female. Of course, we're. We're nowhere without the feminine. Everything came through the feminine in the first place. You know, it's like.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Why people think we dismiss the feminine as nuts. You know, it's a. We wouldn't have the. The wife, I think, was. I think it was Samuel Adams wife who said, well, you guys are going to have to wear something if you're going to go down there and throw that tea in the water.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I think she put together a bunch of costumes.

[A]

Well, here's the thing. There. No, there is no great man without a mother there. And there's no. And there's no great man idea without a woman letting him know, you know, just doesn't happen.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

You know, most of my ideas came from bouncing the wife putting. Hey, I don't know how you gonna tell the joke, but here's the idea.

[B]

You know, I look at some kids walking around these days. I'll see a guy, for instance, dressed in a certain way, and I think to myself, okay, what girl is telling you that's sexy?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Who's in charge of making you think that looks good? Because there's some girl somewhere who says, you just hug the moon with your pants down by your ankles.

[A]

You know what I think, unfortunately, that was horrible rap videos, you know, and there was a. There's so many aspects to this. Like the French, which for some reason never on time, you know, talk a big game, you know, I think more recently, they waited till the Greenland situation was six months dead, and they're like, oh, we would have brought rifles if America.

[B]

No.

[A]

But, yeah, you know, and their support was, I guess you could best characterize as moving slowly.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

During this time. Yeah. They got stuck in traffic on the ocean, you know, what are you gonna do?

[B]

Well, it's funny, you know, the whole. The first. The first thing. French Indian war. I mean, they kind of lay that at George Washington's feet in the movie. I just did, like, he was kind of responsible for this incident that happened in the Ohio Territories where some French guys died. And then, of course, they got all pissed off. Then it was a whole war. Six, seven years. That was. But then, yeah, when they finally decided maybe we were a force to be reckoned with. We did well in one of our battles and they thought, hey, you know, this American thing, maybe we show those British finally get a W. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

When, when you finish a project like this, what was the most surprising thing to you? What was the one thing like I, you know what, I didn't realize that or like wow, that is just amazing. Or I understood it but there was, wow, there was so much more to it.

[B]

The most interesting thing for me is always the Martha Washington input was really great for me. I didn't really have an understanding of that, even though I sort of had some familiarity with it because it's been something I've thought about for a long time that she was down in the trenches, I didn't quite appreciate that. But that she offered herself as a sort of inspiration to a lot of the men during a time when it was when they really needed it. That was pretty impressive to me. That was a nice lesson to get added into this mix. The other thing was always Alexander Hamilton. I still have questions about national banks and national treasury and all that kind of stuff. I keep thinking, I don't know why we need a Fed when we've got a Treasury. I'm an old fashioned guy that way. But he certainly had some great ideas and I don't know if I would have aligned with him politically on a lot of stuff, but he did the world a lot of good and he brilliantly, he wrote some great stuff. And I have to, my hat's off to the guys, you know, that hatched and turned and turned out the musical Hamilton. I mean, I think they made a couple of missteps in terms of history, but you know, it's. At least they identified an heroic character in the past that they brought into life today. And that to me was a huge accomplishment. You know, he, he was all for the Anti Sedition act, which meant you couldn't criticize the government or you'd go to jail. That's not my story, that's not part of my deal. But. And I didn't think Thomas Jefferson was just a kind of a guy was flirting around in France without, you know, having any kind of real focus on the issues. But I really enjoyed that piece and I loved when they did the piece about when George Winston said we're going to teach him how to say goodbye. I thought that was, there was, you

[A]

know, there was some, I know Arnold Swartz credit for all the one liners, but there was some, there's some good lines, you know, and we talked about Benedict Arnold, you know, briefly. But what do you. What did you take away? Because I. I think he's one of the most fascinating villains in. In American history. If not. Maybe. But overall, did you just see him as weak, resentful, overly ambitious, or was a little bit of everything petty?

[B]

I just saw him as petty.

[A]

Petty, which is a dangerous word.

[B]

Yeah, it's not. He's not a. He's not a good guy. In his heart, he wasn't a good guy. Now, maybe he wasn't. Whatever life he'd had, maybe it was impossible for him to really become a good guy. I don't know. But he was only looking for what makes me look good, what makes me feel good. Is this going to work? Is it going to make me better? Is it make me more powerful? Is it make me stronger? And of course, that being his goal, none of the things he did made him powerful or stronger.

[A]

It's funny how that works out.

[B]

Yeah, it is a truth. There's a truth to that. And it's. I think it may be a God thing, but, you know, still. Yeah, or maybe we were just damn lucky, but I think somebody was batting for our team and, you know, it's bigger than Benedict Arnold was.

[A]

Yeah. And I think you have one of the best outros. You know, I got a chance to look it over, doing a little research, and I just, I was. I was really touched by it, you know. You know, you talk about America being founded not on a common race, ethnicity or religion, but on ideas like liberty, equality and self governance. I feel now more than ever, that's just a really important message.

[B]

Yeah, I stand with you on that. Always will. That's. It never had anything to do with the way you looked. It just has to do with the size of your dreams and the size of, you know, the fight in the dog. You know, it's. You know, you've been in that world. You are, you know, personally involved in a world of fighting and training and all the things that actually you'd have to be if you were going to be doing this kind of a life, if you were to dedicate your life to this kind of a cause. But these guys did it. They put everything they had on the line. And it had nothing to do with the way you looked. It had everything to do with the way you thought and the way you dreamed. And that's.

[A]

That's America.

[B]

That's all America.

[A]

Yeah. And America has been the great experiment. And we. You don't shy away from the ugly moments. You Know, and, and I think that's part of the learning process. It's also, you don't. We should never focus on the ugly moment because it is in history. And you know, it's so easy to bring back certain convenient parts of, of the ugly side of the process to get where you're at. But then you're realizing you're able to point out those ugly moments because you have those freedoms and you have those things that the mistake, we learn from the mistakes. And that's the one thing I think that makes America different is that we self correct, you know, and I never get too rattled when they're, you know, you know, in the nowadays, you know, it's the woke, it's this, it's that. And I was like, you know what, it's funny. I always look at comedy as kind of a sundial. And I said, if you go back and I said to a lot of people who are like, I don't know what we're gonna do with this. I said, watch Archie bunker in the 70s. Yeah, it's the same argument.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Him and me, they come out and it's the same argument. It's the same environment, racing, it's, you know, the young guy with no job is telling the guy with the job. Of course the guy with the job is the bad guy. But you know, but it's. And it self corrected.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and I think we're seeing that correction in real time. You know, this newest generation that's coming up, they're all about trade schools. They're very conservative, they're back in church, you know, and it's like, it's just, it kind of like one group sees the other one and goes, I'm not going to be like them, I'm not doing it. You know, and it's. And then now they're doing it, you know, and it's like there was this old, I remember there's this old saying where a man was saying like he started his grandfather walked to work and then he drove an old truck to work and then his son drove a Benz to work, but his son walks, ends up walking to work. Like it's a, it's this America kind of. I think that's a good depiction of how it works here. So I don't get too rattled about the craziness. I don't either because I think we have enough adults in the room and we have the DNA to stand, stay the course, you know, and, and fight the good fight and the adults have to show up you know, once while

[B]

they don't, you go like, okay, now when the noise gets loud enough, then they'll start to get up, say, okay, that's enough of this.

[A]

Yeah. And that's kind of what it's happening now. It's like, hey, turn that damn noise down. You know? You know, I think the two. I think the. The 250 couldn't have came at a better time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, it really regenerated everyone and patriotism again. I saw some polls, right, and they were. They were trying to show, like, do you love your. Like, which group loves their country more? And during the Obama administration, 72% of Democrats said they loved America. And during the Trump administration, I think it was like 27% of Democrats said they loved America.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And the Republicans. During the Trump administration, 97% said they loved America. During the Obama administration, 92% of Republicans said they loved America.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, I know. That's it.

[A]

And I think that's the difference. I think true patriotism isn't when things are going your way. I think true patriotism is when you don't have your guy in and things aren't going your way, but it's your belief and love in our country to know that in four years you can change. You can change your mind. But also during.

[B]

We'll see through it. Yeah.

[A]

You can also improve your state, your station during that time. I'm gonna go back to school. I'm gonna get a better job. I'm gonna do. You know, there's. That's the. When the belief system matters. Things aren't going great right now, but I know that I'm. My country is going to be better. It might not be my way now, and this series, I think, echoes that. When it was not your way and making a decision and it was not going your way, but you stay the course. And so I look at it to, like, one side is patriotic and the other side is kind of like being with a narcissistic woman. She. She only loves you when you're in service to her.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know. You know, and I think Dyrus, that's.

[B]

That's why.

[A]

Not that I've ever been there, but I'm just.

[B]

I've never been there. No, no.

[A]

No idea. No clue. But that's a whole other podcast. But I think we're seeing the love of our country again. And this series, I think, really is going to capture that. And I've seen some. I've seen some sneak previews, and I've got a Little bit, you know, a little taste. But I'm looking forward to it. I'll be watching it. And you know, and then finally, again, we've talked about Washington and Martha, and that's one thing. I didn't know how much of a role she played.

[B]

I didn't either.

[A]

And maybe that's the next series where you're talking about the women who helped shape this country. Because there's a. I'd like to. There's a long list of it.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

You know, and so. But patriotism is. Is for everyone. And, you know, I think Valley Forge and this. And this goes in depth about Valley Forge, you know, and I think that is. Is one thing in history that we all need to be a little bit. Pay a little more attention to.

[B]

Yeah. When we understand what actually happened.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You value it. You want. You get a sense of appreciation for what they did. It boggles the imagination, the kind of hardships they actually went through and still fought. It's really impressive.

[A]

And the saying chips are down is not accurate. But what is accurate is I think this is going to be a phenomenal series and I can't wait to watch it. And for everyone, like I said, it's going to be on Fox. It's on Fox Nation. Do we have a release date?

[B]

I think they started already. I think maybe the next three drop now.

[A]

No, the next three drop now. So it start. Okay, cool. So I will get on top of that. Oh, man. Thank you so much. I know your time is valuable. You're a busy man doing amazing things. And again, I can't wait for Avengers and to see you there. And if they have any brains. There was only one blade. There's only one blade, and there should only be one beast. I know they had a younger version and that's fine. But, but, but, you know, and again, I have to. Cheers is one of the most iconic sitcoms ever. Every character on there was a main character.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Do you take some solace of all the spinoffs that could possibly have came from that, that Frasier became the character with some. I mean, there was not a bad. Every actor on there was a heavyweight. You know, like. And maybe that's why it was so great. But you and Lilith's dynamic was something that was one of the. It was like she was autism before. Autism was cool. You know, it was like, you know, it was just such a great. Such a great character. And for you to play this dignified psychiatrist who's drinking with a mailman and we're not really sure What Norm did. Word had it he was an accountant, but I don't know if that's accurate. And it was such a misfit.

[B]

Really good. That's really good. You know, was cleaning the toilets for a while at that bar. It was really, you know, great character,

[A]

and it was such a powerful character. Was it? I mean, during that process, in time. And of course, when Cheers was kind of coming to the end, did you have a feeling that the Frasier character had legs to the point where it would then become its own iconic series?

[B]

What's funny? I had visions. I'd been offered another show. They said, we're gonna do. We wanna do a show with you when, well, Cheers is over. They said, we think you could actually carry a show on your own. I said, great. So we actually started doing with the same writers that ended up on Fraser. We broke a completely different story, and they wrote a script, and I thought it was kind of funny. And I went out for dinner with John pike, who was the president of Paramount at the time, and he said, get a drink, blah, blah, blah, blah. Ordered a drink. We talked about what was good on the menu. And then about five minutes more, and I said, have you read the script? He said, yeah. And I think a sitcom should be funny.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So he said, this what you guys have come up with. I don't like it. I think you should play Frasier. So it was actually him. It was John pike who said, play Frasier. And I said, okay, I see what you're saying. Built an audience. I am kind of funny in the character. He can't be married anymore and he can't have kids. He did have a son. So the whole idea was, my thinking about sitcoms is if there's a child on it, the child growing up every year becomes the most interesting thing about the show.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So because adolescents, you know, becoming a young woman or becoming a young man is the only really interesting thing that's going on in front of you. So I got rid of that. Have him come in once in a while.

[A]

Was that why you went from Boston to Seattle? Because there was a lot here. Brilliant.

[B]

That was it. Yeah. So we had to accomplish a separation

[A]

without making you a deadbeat dad.

[B]

Exactly. And be a deadbeat dad. Just had to be a man trying to find his way.

[A]

Yep. Whose support payments were on time.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

Well, again, man, thank you so much. I hope to talk to you again soon.

[B]

But I hope to see you again soon, Tyrus. I'm a big fan, you know that.

[A]

Yeah. And thank you very much, and thank you for all your support and kind words. They. They go a long way. And we're going to get that Othello thing done, okay? By hell or high wide. It might have to be. It might have to be in a community theater. Damn it.

[B]

I've got a farm upstate. It's got a big barn.

[A]

We just do it. I'm in. You know, thank you very much, sir.

[B]

Thanks, man. All right.

[A]

Always.