# Which Sitcom was Better? Cheers Or Frasier? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555 "2015-11-14T13:53:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Boone\_Fanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Daniel\_Boone\_Fanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel_Boone_Fanatic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/1 "2015-11-14T13:53:51Z")
I slightly prefer Cheers To Frasier, although I do like both. I like Cheers more because of the characters. Cliff, Norm, Coach,Woody, Frasier, Lilith, Sam, Diane,They were all good characters. The only 2 characters I did NOT care for were Rebecca And Carla. Frasier I like because of comedy. Frasier was a more laugh out loud sitcom. Each episode had some funny scenes and overall was very well written. The show mostly had good characters and most were at least likeable. The only characters I don’t care for are Bulldog and Daphne (her British accent annoys me) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/2 "2015-11-14T14:15:40Z")
Not even close. _Frasier_ over _Cheers_ by a landslide. And don’t knock Bulldog and Daphne. Until the writers ran out of plotlines for her, Daphne was a linchpin of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/3 "2015-11-14T14:58:18Z")
I think Frasier is the greatest sitcom of all time, and David Hyde Pierce gives the greatest ever comic performance, although the whole cast is tremendous. It’s quite a British-style comedy too, a comedy of manners, of broad farce, of sarcasm, of class distinctions. It’s wonderful. Cheers is great too, more American in style to my mind, more wisecracky, if that makes sense. I’ll watch any episode of both. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/4 "2015-11-14T15:12:17Z")
I prefer\* Frazier, \*although _Cheers_ was some fine TV writing, too. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/5 "2015-11-14T15:25:20Z")
Cheers is very good but Frasier is one of my all time favorite shows. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/6 "2015-11-14T15:46:25Z")
The “Ski Lodge” episode of Frasier is one of my favorites ever. It’s like genius-level “Three’s Company”. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/7 "2015-11-14T15:53:19Z")
Guess I’ll be the first odd duck to say that I loved Cheers but never really got into Fraiser. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/8 "2015-11-14T15:55:09Z")
Frasier for me. I can still watch and enjoy episodes of it, but I can’t watch Cheers any more. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/9 "2015-11-14T15:58:21Z")
As much as I like _ **Frasier** _ (I’ve seen every episode at least three times), it has IMHO no episode that compares to the early _ **Cheers!** _ episode where Coach’s daughter comes to visit. That one episode, and Nicholas Colasanto’s character in general, kind of tips the scale in favor of _ **Cheers!** _ for me. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/10 "2015-11-14T17:10:41Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Guess I’ll be the first odd duck to say that I loved Cheers but never really got into Fraiser. Same here. I admire “clever” humour, but it just doesn’t make me laugh as much, and my ultimate measure of a comedy is how much it makes me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/11 "2015-11-14T20:07:56Z")
I enjoyed \*Cheers \*while it was on, but recently tried a few episodes again on Netflix and was disappointed. On the other hand, I’ve been slowly watching my way through \*Frasier \*on Netflix and thoroughly re-enjoying it. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/12 "2015-11-14T20:22:58Z")
Agree with **silenus** , _Frasier_ by a landslide. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/13 "2015-11-14T20:26:17Z")
Neither are my favorite but both were fine Sitcoms. I would place them pretty much even. Cheers was more consistent and the support characters including Frasier were better than the support characters in Frasier. Though I think for the main characters Frasier \> Sam. Frasier had some really good episodes mixed in with some really stupid episodes. Cheers however is not a show that works well for me watching again 30 years later. Not sure why. Frazier is enjoyable at times and I am more likely to watch an old episode now but I watched Cheers regularly in its original run and Frazier only held me a few years. I wish Night Court was on one of the oldie stations or Netflix/Amazon, when I get the Encore freeviews it appears that show has held up very well. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/14 "2015-11-14T20:32:27Z")
Also agree with **silenus**. Daphne was a goddess (Niles agrees). Could not stand Shelley Long, and Kirstie Alley was no better (she’s not even a good Vulcan). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/15 "2015-11-14T20:37:07Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Also agree with **silenus**. Daphne was a goddess (Niles agrees). Could not stand Shelley Long, and Kirstie Alley was no better (she’s not even a good Vulcan). Really? I thought she was the best of the 3 actresses to play female Vulcans in the first 6 movies. I mean Rebecca was a terrible character but I thought Kirstie was quite good as Savik and her replacement was dead wood and Kim Cattrall was not as good as Kirstie. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/16 "2015-11-14T20:52:01Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Really? I thought she was the best of the 3 actresses to play female Vulcans in the first 6 movies. I mean Rebecca was a terrible character but I thought Kirstie was quite good as Savik and her replacement was dead wood and Kim Cattrall was not as good as Kirstie. You’re 100% correct re the Rebecca character and I knew my Vulcan throw-away comment was going to bite me in the butt. I don’t remember Kirstie/Saavik doing much of anything except looking real good. Might re-visit that film some day, I’ll let you know. Bring back Celia Lovsky! ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/17 "2015-11-14T20:59:43Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > And don’t knock Bulldog and Daphne. Until the writers ran out of plotlines for her, Daphne was a linchpin of the show. Speaking of Daphne, I recently stumbled upon reruns of a delightful sitcom called _Hot in Cleveland_. It ran from 2010 to June of last year and stars the incredibly youthful Wendie Malick, Valerie Bertinelli, Betty White and Jane Leeves. Leaves character is basically a lonely horndog and very different from Daphne, although the accent remains. I eventually grew to dislike Leeves’ accent in _Frasier_ but it’s fine in _Hot in Cleveland_. Probably because the character is more cynical and sarcastic than the sweet and borderline cloying character of Daphne. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/18 "2015-11-14T22:11:20Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > The “Ski Lodge” episode of Frasier is one of my favorites ever. It’s like genius-level “Three’s Company”. Exactly. Unsurprised to discover it was the highest rated episode. _Frasier: Wait, wait, wait. Let me see if I’ve got this straight. All the lust coursing through this lodge tonight, all the hormones virtually ricocheting off the walls, and no one… was chasing **me**?_ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/19 "2015-11-14T22:19:48Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > You’re 100% correct re the Rebecca character and I knew my Vulcan throw-away comment was going to bite me in the butt. I don’t remember Kirstie/Saavik doing much of anything except looking real good. Might re-visit that film some day, I’ll let you know. > > Bring back Celia Lovsky! Good point, [T’Pau](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0001668/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_15) was awesome, but Kirstie/Saavik \> [Arlene Martel](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551458/?ref_=tt_cl_t5)/[T’Pring](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0078325/?ref_=tt_cl_t5) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555/20 "2015-11-14T22:24:38Z")
Nitpick: Saavik was half-Vulcan, half-Romulan. And it’s a shame they lost her. (From what I’ve read, Kirstie and Shatner didn’t get along. Robin Curtis was hot on _ **Night Court** _, but made a terrible replacement Saavik, IMHO.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-sitcom-was-better-cheers-or-frasier/737555.md?page=2)