A lot of groundbreaking sitcoms have come along and irrevocably changed the television industry, yet the accomplishments of Frasier and Cheers are on a whole other level. Many were skeptical that a spin-off that follows Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane would live up to Cheers‘ 11-season run. Remarkably, Frasier would last nearly as long with 264 episodes produced across 11 seasons.
Frasier Crane has been on television for over two decades, including the Frasier sequel series on Paramount+. The series made headway in popular culture despite the stigma often associated with spinoffs. In many ways, Frasier is even better than Cheers, which itself was a cultural icon.
Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on April 15, 2025: The Frasier reboot on Paramount+ has sadly been canceled after two seasons, yet it remains a streaming hit despite its early ending. All hope is not lost for the Kelsey Grammer-led revival, which proves once and for all that Frasier is even more popular than Cheers, the original series in the sweeping television franchise. This list has been updated with new entries and adheres to CBR’s current formatting guidelines.
15 Frasier Provided A Stronger Mix of Work and Home Life
Frasier Explores More of Its Characters' Personal Lives
Sitcoms love to embrace stories that come from the characters’ time spent at work and home. Frasier slyly decides to occupy both of these realms with distinct narratives and characters that correspond to either Frasier‘s life at home alongside Niles, Daphne, and Martin or his time at KACL with Roz.
These characters occasionally overlap, but they give the sitcom a lot of storytelling opportunities that would otherwise be limited by one focus or the other. Alternatively, Cheers offers much less of this balance. Many characters never receive a deeper look into certain aspects of their lives because it doesn’t organically fit with Cheers‘ energy.
14 Frasier Has Better Celebrity Cameos and Guest Appearances
The Spinoff Found Organic Ways to Include Major Celebrity Appearances
Frasier and Cheers rely upon strong writing and performances rather than gratuitous celebrity guest appearances. However, both sitcoms figure out how to get the most out of this tradition, albeit Frasier is a lot more successful and subtle. Frasier facilitates clever opportunities for covert celebrity cameos through its use of callers for Frasier’s radio program. Some of these radio call-in cameos include Helen Mirren, Mel Brooks, Ron Howard, Halle Berry, and even Stephen King.
It’s a smart way to feature celebrities who otherwise wouldn’t be comfortable on camera. Frasier also has plenty of on-screen celebrity appearances, like Michael Keaton, Jean Smart, and Patrick Stewart. Cheers isn’t bereft of celebrity cameos and guest roles, but they’re less frequent and memorable than those on Frasier.
13 The Title Card Interstitials Add a Fun Element
Frasier Sets Up and Pays Off Extra Jokes With Its Title Cards
One of Frasier‘s most distinct staples is the show’s unique use of title card interstitials to transition between scenes. These title cards are versatile in the sense that they lean into Frasier‘s dry sense of humor and can be used as cryptic teases, unexpected punchlines, or smart editing tools. Some of Frasier‘s smartest jokes are when the contents of a title card dictate the opposite of what a character has just said.
This innovative visual gag indicates a style of comedy that’s completely absent in Cheers as the sitcom doesn’t feature any stylistic devices of this nature. It’s a much more conventional series in this respect, while Frasier tries to modernize and innovate the medium. Surprisingly, this gimmick never caught on with other sitcoms, making it a hallmark of Frasier‘s eleven-season run.
12 Frasier Follows a Stronger, Smaller Core Cast
Cheers Had a Wild and Unruly Cast of Characters
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a huge, diverse sitcom cast. However, the challenge becomes how to properly balance these characters so that they all stay sharp and contribute something to the series. Frasier‘s core cast of five is much easier to feature than Cheers‘s upward of eight. The Cheers patrons can be rotating at times, which helps with variety, but it also keeps said characters at a distance.
It’s also worth noting that Cheers goes through two major cast changes from Diane to Rebecca and Coach to Woody. Cheers handles these shifts incredibly gracefully, but it’s still a shame to lose beloved cast members. Frasier retains its core cast through all 11 seasons, and it’s stronger for it.
11 Frasier Has Greater Setting and Setpiece Variety
Cheers Always Gravitates to the Same Iconic Setting
Cheers‘ greatest selling point can also become a deterrent when it’s improperly executed. The majority of Cheers is set within the titular bar, which the sitcom effortlessly handles. This does result in a lack of variety when it comes to the typical Cheers episode. That’s not to say that Cheers never leaves the security blanket of its bar, but it’s certainly rare.
A typical Frasier episode, on the other hand, will visit Fraiser’s apartment, Café Nervosa, and KACL offices at the bare minimum. This gives Frasier another natural advantage over Cheers since it’s not so limited in its locations. Frasier also takes opportunities to explore more exotic locations, as it follows characters on vacations, work trips, and other excursions that help shake up the story’s setting from time to time.
10 Frasier Includes Seasonal Story Arcs
Frasier's Story Has Greater Direction Than Cheers
Frasier and Cheers are largely episodic sitcoms that can be appreciated regardless of which episode audiences first watch. There are certainly prolonged payoffs in Cheers, but Frasier gets much more ambitious when it comes to serialized seasonal story arcs. Frasier‘s storytelling approach feels like a more modern response to Cheers and its era of television. Frasier gains a momentum that can otherwise be lacking in Cheers through engrossing stories that course through the entire season.
The sitcom really comes alive during sagas, like when Frasier grapples with unemployment, Mel manipulates Niles, or Daphne’s engagement to Donny. This structure also provides a grander sense of completion and catharsis by the end of each season that is also absent in Cheers.
9 Frasier's Approach to Romance Is More Realistic
Frasier Features Better Love Stories Than Cheers
Romance can make or break a sitcom. Cheers is often cited for having one of the most successful will-they-won’t-they relationships with Sam and Diane. The sexual tension between Diane and Rebecca in Cheers is undeniable, but it occasionally overpowers the series and doesn’t necessarily extend to the rest of the show’s cast.
Arguably, Niles and Daphne’s love saga is even more successful than that of Sam and Diane, even if it’s not without its faults. However, Frasier also features other healthy, successful relationships, like what Martine eventually finds with Ronee. A crucial detail here is that these romances involve the supporting cast rather than Frasier himself.
8 Characters Experience Greater Change and Arcs
Frasier Tells Stronger Stories With Its Main Characters
A common problem for sitcoms that run for as long as Frasier and Cheers is that characters stop developing or actively regress into broader caricatures. Frasier works hard to push its characters out of their comfort zones, and every main character is in a markedly different place by the end of the series.
This desire for change even acts as the impetus in Frasier‘s finale as he bids his comfortable life in Seattle goodbye for greener pastures. Frasier leaves its cast behind when it feels appropriate to do so and like they’ve reached the end of one chapter of their journeys. Characters learn and grow in Cheers, but there’s a lot more stasis in the sitcom.
7 Frasier Features Strong Exploration of Three Family Generations
Frasier's Multi-Generational Drama Is Central to Its Story
An underrated yet equally compelling dynamic in Frasier is that it’s able to chronicle three diverse generations of father-son relationships between Martin, Frasier and Niles, and Frederick Crane. Many early Frasier stories explore the «odd couple» chemistry between Frasier and Martin as they try to find a balance between their extreme ways.
Frederick is more of a supporting presence in Frasier, but he’s a teenager by the end of the series, and plenty of episodes unpack Frasier’s awkward relationship with his own son. This generational look into legacy between families isn’t necessary for a comedy, but it allows for strong reflection that’s otherwise not possible in Cheers and the more solitary lives of its characters.
6 Frasier Features Fun Callbacks to Cheers
Cheers Characters and Storylines Show Up in Cheers
Some sequel spin-offs can exist in vacuums that rarely reference their source material. Frasier establishes its own voice, but it also gleefully indulges in many Cheers cameos. Frasier has the benefit of being able to build upon several episodes and gags from Cheers to great effect. Frasier also goes one step further and brings back a handful of Cheers characters to provide satisfying epilogues to their stories.
Woody, Diane, Sam, and Lilith all return in significant capacities, but Season 9’s «Cheerful Goodbyes» functions as a reunion that includes Norm, Cliff, Carla, Walt, Paul, and Phil. None of these returns feel gratuitous or do a disservice to their characters. This is a fun opportunity that Cheers itself never had, for obvious reasons.
5 Frasier Is a Stronger Character In His Spinoff
Frasier Explores More of Frasier Crane Than Cheers Did
As is to be expected, Frasier Crane flourishes as a character in his self-titled spinoff series. While Kelsey Grammer’s iconic character is a memorable facet of Cheers, the size of the show’s sweeping ensemble cast meant that he would only ever be developed to a certain point. By appearing in a series of his own, Frasier grows to become a much more rounded and believable character.
Despite his many eccentricities, which are only increased during Frasier‘s eleven-season run, Frasier Crane becomes a much more grounded and believable character in his spinoff series. Audiences become more familiar with his personality, including his strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes. Frasier himself becomes more aware of these things as the show progresses, until he finally ends up a better man than he was at the beginning.
4 Frasier Boasts the Classic "Misunderstanding" Sitcom Trope
Frasier Became Known For This Iconic Sitcom Story Format
If there is one trope that Frasier has become widely known for, it is the classic «misunderstanding» plotline. This story format is common in sitcoms, as it revolves around the hilarity that ensues when two or more characters suffer a breakdown of communications that leads to an ever-increasing series of errors as the episode plays out. Fans sometimes poke fun at Frasier for returning to this type of story over and over again during its run, but the simple truth is that it never gets old.
Frasier took the classic «misunderstanding» trope and perfected it, crafting larger-than-life misunderstandings that put its characters into zany and hilarious situations. No one will ever forget Daphne’s full-blown emotional meltdown when she thinks Martin is dying or when Frasier makes a long speech to his building about Martin’s «little friend» being out (speaking of his dog). Of course, the best of these has to be the entirety of «Ski Lodge,» an episode packed wall-to-wall with misunderstandings that lead to the most embarrassing vacation of all time.
3 Frasier Is More Heartfelt Than Cheers
Frasier's Emotional Themes Are More Wholesome Than Cheers
Cheers gets by on its characters’ witty banter as they poke fun at one another (mostly) good-naturedly. This is a common element of sitcoms that Frasier also replicates during its run. However, Frasier is distinct from Cheers in that its characters are also shown to have emotionally constructive relationships aside from their jabs and jests.
In part because it revolves around a family rather than a group of friends, Frasier‘s cast is shown to have more heartfelt relationships that go beyond poking fun at one another. The characters truly care about one another and can put the jokes away when necessary. While these types of relationships aren’t wholly absent from Cheers, they are fewer and farther between than in the spinoff series.
2 The Personal Aspect Allows Frasier to Have a Dog Fans Can't Help but Love
Eddie Adds a Lot to the Show
One of the simplest advantages that Frasier has over Cheers is the inclusion of Eddie, Martin Crane’s adorable dog and best friend. Played for most of the show’s run by canine actor Moose, Eddie is a fixture of Frasier‘s eleven seasons. Frasier’s abject hatred for Eddie, who now lives with him in his penthouse, is hilarious. Moreover, Frasier achieves many impressive visual gags with its canine character, who is remarkably well-trained.
Perhaps it isn’t fair to claim that Frasier is a better series than Cheers merely because it involves a dog, but the results speak for themselves. Eddie adds a cuteness factor that is mostly absent from the Boston-based sitcom. After all, even the most miserable viewers can’t deny the perfection of featuring a dog in a bowtie.
1 Frasier Is More Relatable to Modern Audiences
Frasier Got a Modern-Day Revival, While Cheers Did Not
A product of the 1980s, Cheers has aged very well but still doesn’t always speak to modern sensibilities. Sitcoms have grown and changed tremendously since Cheers first premiered. Though the show still has a dedicated following today, it doesn’t always grasp the attention of new audiences. Frasier, on the other hand, translates much easier to the modern day.
Frasier is aided by the fact that it premiered in the 90s, giving it an advantage over the earlier series. However, the show is still remarkably ahead of its time, featuring character arcs, stories, and formats that are more recognizable to a modern audience. The show’s more modern sensibilities are why Frasier and not Cheers received a revival in the 2020s, proving once and for all that the spinoff translates better for today’s audiences than the original.
