A Frasier episode has sparked controversy after it was unexpectedly taken off the air for years. The episode titled “Dr Nora”, which aired as part of the series’ sixth season in 1999, featured Christine Baranski as a parody of controversial radio and TV host Dr Laura Schlessinger and was nominated for an Emmy for his performance.

However, unlike any other episode of that season, “Dr. Nora’ was not rebroadcast that year, raising questions from the show’s executives and writers about the reasoning behind its absence.

While syndicated shows sometimes air irregularly, this is usually tied to certain themes or holidays, which was not the case here, he 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 Paramount played a role in the decision to pull it.

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

However, it was later reported that Laura was upset by the portrayal of her mother, feeling that she crossed a line as her mother was not a public figure.

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

Frasier executive producer David Lee expressed his frustration at the episode’s removal, stating, “Obviously, someone did this. This is no accident.”

He continued: “To me, it’s clear what they’ve done (pulled the series out of rotation) and I wish they would come forward and explain it to us. As an executive producer, I would like to know why it was made and who made it.”

The decision to pull the episode raised even more eyebrows among the show’s creators. Joe Keenan, the episode’s former producer and writer, expressed his disbelief, saying, “I find it curious that Paramount would yank the Dr. Nora episode, because that’s the only Dr. Laura show that Paramount has made that people want watch it. “

In 2010, after sparking controversy with racial 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 First Amendment rights back, which I can’t have on the radio without the threat of attacks on advertisers and my stations.”