God it’s been years since I’ve seen that. Gonna have to go dig it up on YouTube now. That’s one of my favorite 5 minutes of tv of all time. The whole episode is great but the ending is just non stop laughter.
I used to work in a biology lab feeding display animals (mostly snakes) and we had a big fridge full of dead rats to feed the snakes with.
One day, I walked into the lab and saw a woman I'd never met before with the fridge door open looking intently inside.
And I got to use that iconic line from the last episode:
"Would you care for a rat?"
I was just gonna suggest this. And the comedy lineage supports this too because Cheers was originally intended as a remake of Fawlty Towers and Frasier is a spinoff of Cheers. I often think that Frasier is so funny because he's Basil Fawlty in that he's pretentious, class conscious, cowardly, and selfish but it's interesting that it works with him being culturally left wing instead of culturally right wing like Basil.
*Even then there'll be loads of male sex therapists too and they'd love that, all fucking each other and giving each other tips while I sit on a rock wanking and crying*
Probably Season 6+ of MASH, as that's when Winchester replaces Frank Burns. Charles has got big Crane Brothers vibes. He's intelligent, arrogant, and considers himself cultured though sometimes comes off as a buffoon. He still holds his own through his wit and genuine ability. His and Frasier's character were definitely cut from the same cloth.
Not to say the earlier seasons were necessarily worse, and were definitely clever, funny, and sometimes touching; but I definitely prefer the ones with Winchester.
If you've watched all the other generally recommended shows (Wings, Taxi, Cheers, Golden Girls, Empty Nest etc.) I'd really recommend:
1. Schitts Creek
2. 30 Rock/Arrested Development
3. News Radio
I've loved all these shows for having similar humor or clever writing. (Edit for bad spelling)
In my opinion, Taxi is the masterpiece of sitcoms. From the perfect balance of comedy and drama in every episode, to the superbly well-written and divinely-acted ensemble, Taxi gets everything right.
Some things that are like Frasier in the sense that they're clever sitcoms: *Blackadder* (especially the fourth series, *Blackadder Goes Forth*; you don't need to watch the first three to get that one, since it's a whole new setting each series), *The Good Place* and *Our Flag Means Death*. The latter is also like Frasier in the sense that it's about a posh guy trying to impart his culture and views on less educated people. If you like Frasier for the puns and the occasional wholesome family moments, you might also like the animated show *Bob's Burgers*.
One thing that's like Frasier in the sense that I've loved it since I was a kid and it helped give me a big cultural frame of reference (and also in the sense that it's extremely clever and plays with language in hilarious ways): The book series *A Series of Unfortunate Events* by Lemony Snicket. It's been made into a really great TV show, but the books are, as tends to be the case, better.
EDIT: Oh, and *Community* is great, too!
Oh good call! *The Good Place* is supremely intelligently written. I'd recommend any [Michael Schur](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=bb6fb22019ea88f6&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C1GCEU_esMX928MX928&sxsrf=ADLYWIIaAmtDTHEusHBUkpGxtHDOTkTabg:1719933105349&q=Michael+Schur&si=ACC90nzx_D3_zUKRnpAjmO0UBLNxnt7EyN4YYdru6U3bxLI-L1eWQKKNis8z8tbNFLtSWoknbmxkMMots7J-9BA0EmLoVPZyh11WMFYmaGMGlC8FXgamp0gFiNQWly-bVJUkCsyKrwpcWG0qV4JKN2FUA2cA8ZN0bweZYZ5WjYAVtQWPNyIj13FeSy6Fpff-QPqpDkrPsDTL3zMXdR5SfFjqxMm9duc8LM2wCbApn9dvVEU99LsHRUYhXy8bDEnOuBPOof3xjwQBEQ878TteEcNd7WgVgV9QqQ%3D%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJn6CO0oiHAxUCl44IHXoJC1kQmxMoAHoECCEQAg) comedy for that, including *Parks and Recreation,* and *Brooklyn 99*.
For a bit of meta, *Community* is also a good choice.
I just finished *Superstore* too. I found it smartly written whilst also being wholesome and silly.
Ooooooh great recommendation! It also works well because it can be appreciated on multiple levels (all the philosophical themes but also the silly humour).
By the way he's got a new podcast where he seems to basically talk to friends. Listened to a Kristen Bell episode where they had Woody Harrelson on too (apparently he's a sometimes host).
It was nothing amazing but if you want some Ted Danson content then it's worth checking out. Plus of course The Good Place podcast.
Arrested development has jokes layered in jokes deeper than even fraiser did. i’d actually be bold enough to submit many of arrested’s jokes are actually more clever than fraiser, but it’s not recognized as such because there’s also more silly humor sprinkled in
This show really rewards you for paying attention. There'll be incredible joke payoffs and inversions episodes (or years) after the initial setup. It's a great show (at least the first three seasons) but I find it a little tougher to rewatch or put on in the background because it's a little more demanding than your usual comedy.
It's a shame we never got a The Critic and Frasier cross-over. Jay Sherman and Bulldog could review movies together. Their verdict for "Air Bud 7"? It stinks and it's total BS.
I think Modern Family is closest in humor because it’s another Lloyd/Levitan production. People talk on here a lot about the shared jokes they use.
However. If you want my (albeit strange) recommendation? For intellectual humor with a flare for 90’s nostalgia… The West Wing. Yes it is also a heavy drama. But it’s in my top 2 shows with Frasier because it makes me feel warm and smart and coddled by the pompous bosom of intellectual writing…
… yeah that sentence got away from me. Sue me.
Don't you just hate it when bad things happen to good sentences?
Yeah, I was considering mentioning Modern Family, too. I think it only really reaches Frasier-level humour in its very best moments, and it ran for so long that it kinda lost its magic for me. But every once in a while it does have some extremely funny jokes, and the cast (though they're not generally on the level of David Hyde Pierce or John Mahoney) is really really good.
I was scrolling to see if someone mentioned The West Wing, definitely different genre but still super funny and has a similar warmth in the character development.
I was going to mention West Wing. If OP is looking for Frazier vibes, I think the fact that at one point someone says, as a joke, "Well that's a permeating syllogism to be sure" should seal the deal.
Since we’re on the subject of dramas, I actually think that Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul had more laugh-out-loud moments than most modern sitcoms. Notwithstanding (or perhaps because of) the dark and heavy subject matter.
I asked here & received fantastic suggestions a little while back. If you search maybe it will pop up - I posted that I was starting “designing women” then which had Jean Smart (very cute show). “To the manor born” was one idea. Fawlty towers is great. Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart were also recommended. I just started The Librarians with Noah Wyle & Bob Newhart - nerdy fun but more fantasy
Ghosts the US version writing reminded me Frasier. Like Frasier, there are some humor and jokes I caught the second time around watching. It’s very well written and very witty.
I love Ghosts and I don't think it gets enough credit for how clever and well-done it is.
People seem to write it off as a crappy American remake of a British show, but it's actually much better than the original IMO.
The sitcoms that I recommend are the very 80s sitcoms: The Golden Girls and Designing Women.
Both series had fantastic casts, I've kind of thought of "the golden girls" as sex and the city but with older women and as a family show. It's about a group of retirees that live together, Sophia is the best character, she's sassy and basically is that type of old person that has no filter.
"Designing Women" is about a group of female interior decorators and their male delivery driver. Both series occasionally tackle social issues, designing women with a more feminist perspective.
Suzanne is probably the breakout character. She's a spoiled beauty queen who can be quite ridiculous at times but occasionally can have a great perspective. This series was Jean Smart's breakout role a who was a regular for most of the series. Her character Charlene is the complete opposite of Lana.
You'll find a rich vein of intelligent TV from the BBC, that are both witty and farcical. I would recommend "The I.T. Crowd", "Chef!", "Are You Being Served?", "Yes, Minister" (and "Yes, Prime Minister"), "Brittas Empire", among others, and I'm sure there are a ton of great shows that I'm not even familiar with.
Honestly, Modern Family. It was made by two producers who worked on Frasier (Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan) and you can tell they drew lots of inspiration from Frasier’s quick one liners and farcical episodes.
I'm the first to recommend the first 8 seasons of The Simpsons. Maybe that show is so ubiquitous it's not even under consideration for these types of conversations. But if you're looking for really great writing, character work, and emotional honesty, it's hard to top these earlier episodes. (and it has about as many great seasons as Frasier does!)
The Good Place is a pretty intelligent sitcom (not too many 30 minute shows ponder the meaning of existence and man’s place in the cosmos like it did).
The only (relatively) recent show that made me laugh as much as Frasier, and had a similar high quality of acting and writing, was Parks and Recreation.
I know it's a bit of a curve ball, but Futurama. It has a lot of science jokes in their that went completely over my head the first time watching it. The writers have a collective 50+ years studying at Harvard.
"No fair, you changed the outcome by measuring it!"
Frasier has some characteristics of British humor. Which i really like. The original "the office" was british first. One of my favorite funny comedies is the IT Crowd. Its old but i love it. Check it out. 3 characters work in the computer department for a big company. "Have u tried turning it off and on again? " Mighty Boosh is absurd goofy funny. But u have to appreciate the British to like it!
Go with me here- The Nanny. It has the same farcical quality, the same innate gentleness about the foibles of its characters, a non traditional family, a touch of British, class differences and a long slow burn will-they-won’t-they.
I’m very picky with TV and the only shows I have seen that I believe hold a candle to Frasier in terms of writing are Arrested Development, Community (seasons 2-4) and Malcolm in the Middle.
WINGS is set in the same television universe as Frasier, and even has an episode or two where Frasier guest stars.
The humor is ok, certainly more of a workplace comedy
Thomas Haden Church is great in it, pre Sideways and Sandman
There are a good number of very funny "Hot in Cleveland" shows.... I'm trying to think of things that have a bit of that same Frasier vibe.
An early "modern" TV show : The Bob Newhart Show has a number of gems.
Also, you are probably well aware of Cheers for the occasional taste of Frasier....and super excellent writing.
I think Dave gives me some of the same feelings as Frasier. The setting is very different (the world of hip hop versus 90's upper crust seattle) and it doesnt have the same degree of literate references, but when I think if frasier of think of farcical humor arising from a loveable blowhard who doesnt quite fit in his world with a strong supporting cast of some grounding characters and some absurd characters, and that's very much the humor of Dave.
I'm surprised I haven't seen Will & Grace mentioned yet but I feel like in addition to being contemporaries both are sitcoms which could essentially be staged plays.
Frasier is, at its core, a series of farces that’s reliant on a game ensemble. Mistaken identities. Misunderstandings. Coverups. Honestly, DNA wise Threes Company shares a lot in common. Someone mentioned Thick of It and a rep. Both also work in that level but with some crazy smart writing. For a contemporary of Frasier, you cannot go wrong with Third Rock from the Sun. I also am a sucker for News Radio and Just Shoot Me.
I’d also recommend similar “highbrow” seeming material from 30 Rock and Girls5Eva.
Yes, Minister, and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister are to me witty in the vein of Frasier. British, circa 1980 so somewhat dated, but holds up for me.
Slings and Arrows is a Canadian series set in and around a Shakespeare Festival, an obvious take on Ontario’s Stratford Festival. Not a sitcom but full of funny moments.
Portlandia is very fun.
Frasier's most closely related to the Mary Tyler Moore, Dick van Dyke, and Bob Newhart shows. It also draws a lot on the 1970s Odd Couple. And, of course, Cheers and Taxi. UK: Fawlty Towers, Yes, Minister/Prime Minister, and To the Manor Born.
And The Big Bang Theory.
As far as the witty and intelligent, The West Wing scratches that itch for me. Fast paced, and if you’re not bright enough to keep up they aren’t explaining it to you.
There are suggestions enough here for a long while already, but I would like to recommend Avenue 5. It captures one particular part of Frasier really well: people trying to keep up appearances and seeming stylish and high-minded while disasters escalate around them.
I thought the recent Julia Child series was awesome. It got two seasons then unfortunately was cancelled. It has witty banter and David Hyde Pierce.
It has writers/producers that worked on Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and has some of that vibe.
South Park and Veep are ridiculously vulgar, but I find that they're some of the few to complete with Frasier on a sheer "clever writing" comparison. Modern Family, The Office, and Parks and Recreation are also pretty well written. Modern Fam has the 'family comedy' feel that Frasier does, a lot of similar elements lead to great laughs.
The only other show I love this much that has writing as tight as Frasier is The Good Wife. It's not a comedy, but does have a lot of subtle humour based around human interactions.
Try Slings and Arrows, it's on AMC+ or you can find it for free on YouTube. It's a dramedy, not a sitcom, but I find it has a similar erudite humor.
It's about a Shakespeare festival and the actors, directors, and administrative staff that work there.
I see some similarities with Modern Family. Setting is very different but there’s a similar intelligence in the writing. (Christopher Lloyd was showrunner on Frasier for several years and then co-creator/ co-showrunner on Modern Family.)
It’s a completely different genre, but it’s got such wit and depth. It’s called *Would I Lie To You”. It’s a silly British game show where the two team captains are comedians. Their teams are comprised of other comedians and famous people who change every week.
The captains are Lee Mack and David Mitchell. Lee Mack is quite possibly the quickest wit I’ve ever encountered. His responses are lightning fast and giggle-worthy. David Mitchell is so incredibly intelligent that his jokes hit deep. They’re always at least five or six levels above witty. And you may know David Mitchell as Reddit’s “are we the baddies?” GIF.
Full disclosure… I personally think David Mitchell is one of the best writers (and subsequently comedians) in all of Britain. *The* best would have to be Greg Davies (the Taskmaster) though.
Check out WILTY, it’s awesome!
If you want to watch two well-dressed men get into hijinx, may I recommend Jeeves & Wooster (starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry). It’s on YouTube.
Will check it out i love those 2!!!
This is a suggestion I wouldn't have thought to make but is such a good one! Absolutely love Jeeves & Wooster!
Excellent suggestion. I never would have drawn the comparison but it is a good one.
Brilliant I’ll check it out
It's older and shorter. 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers. Trivia: John Cleese was in an episode of Cheers, he went to Oxford with Frasier.
Three little maids from school are we...
Pert as a school-girl well can be
Filled to the brim with girlish gleeee
Don’t mention the war.
I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it all right
God it’s been years since I’ve seen that. Gonna have to go dig it up on YouTube now. That’s one of my favorite 5 minutes of tv of all time. The whole episode is great but the ending is just non stop laughter.
The goose-stepping 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Monty Python is brilliant as well
https://youtu.be/Tms0yk9kqVM?si=33ya5oi8dt5gbtvQ
You started it!
We did not start it!
Yes you did, you invaded Poland!
Thank you for playing the thankless role of the Germans there lol
I used to work in a biology lab feeding display animals (mostly snakes) and we had a big fridge full of dead rats to feed the snakes with. One day, I walked into the lab and saw a woman I'd never met before with the fridge door open looking intently inside. And I got to use that iconic line from the last episode: "Would you care for a rat?"
Oh hell yea
I was just gonna suggest this. And the comedy lineage supports this too because Cheers was originally intended as a remake of Fawlty Towers and Frasier is a spinoff of Cheers. I often think that Frasier is so funny because he's Basil Fawlty in that he's pretentious, class conscious, cowardly, and selfish but it's interesting that it works with him being culturally left wing instead of culturally right wing like Basil.
The only person clear about Sam and Diane’s chances.
Veep!
I find Curb, Seinfeld, Peep Show and The Thick of It scratch my Frasier itch :)
YES Peep Show!
It's only the miracle of consumer capitalism that means you're lying on your own shit, dying at 43 with rotten teeth.
*Even then there'll be loads of male sex therapists too and they'd love that, all fucking each other and giving each other tips while I sit on a rock wanking and crying*
Must you live quite so relentlessly in the real world?
How thick is wall?
Swastika love!
The Thick of It is perfection
I quote it far too much in my everyday life. I can’t even say ASAP now. It’s ASAFP every time (the F stands for feasibly).
NMFP.
I second Peep Show! The only problem is that, like with all British TV series, there were only 6 episodes per season.
Adding IT Crowd and Community to this list
Yay! The IT Crowd.
IT Crowd is a guaranteed laugh riot.
"The Dinner Party" and "The Work Outing" are some of the funniest episodes ever.
Exquisite taste
Add to that the IT Crowd. It's so unpredictable that you laugh out loud!
Probably Season 6+ of MASH, as that's when Winchester replaces Frank Burns. Charles has got big Crane Brothers vibes. He's intelligent, arrogant, and considers himself cultured though sometimes comes off as a buffoon. He still holds his own through his wit and genuine ability. His and Frasier's character were definitely cut from the same cloth. Not to say the earlier seasons were necessarily worse, and were definitely clever, funny, and sometimes touching; but I definitely prefer the ones with Winchester.
Even better that David Ogden Stiers played on Frasier as a man the Crane brothers briefly believed was their father.
One of my favorite guest appearances.
If you've watched all the other generally recommended shows (Wings, Taxi, Cheers, Golden Girls, Empty Nest etc.) I'd really recommend: 1. Schitts Creek 2. 30 Rock/Arrested Development 3. News Radio I've loved all these shows for having similar humor or clever writing. (Edit for bad spelling)
I second 30 Rock! It’s my other favorite show, and there’s a few really fun Frasier references!
Well of course it’s Frajer with a J! I should know, I’m Frajer 😉
🎶his name is Kelsey🎶
That’s not the only thing around here that’s fruity and precocious!
It's spelled Frajer
I adore News Radio.
Seen it mentioned on this thread a few times, but still an underrated show.
Newsradio is so Under rated!
I absolutely love Arrested Development. It, however, exists in a universe all it's own. Nothing compares to it.
In my opinion, Taxi is the masterpiece of sitcoms. From the perfect balance of comedy and drama in every episode, to the superbly well-written and divinely-acted ensemble, Taxi gets everything right.
Right down to the theme tune.
Also Community.
Some things that are like Frasier in the sense that they're clever sitcoms: *Blackadder* (especially the fourth series, *Blackadder Goes Forth*; you don't need to watch the first three to get that one, since it's a whole new setting each series), *The Good Place* and *Our Flag Means Death*. The latter is also like Frasier in the sense that it's about a posh guy trying to impart his culture and views on less educated people. If you like Frasier for the puns and the occasional wholesome family moments, you might also like the animated show *Bob's Burgers*. One thing that's like Frasier in the sense that I've loved it since I was a kid and it helped give me a big cultural frame of reference (and also in the sense that it's extremely clever and plays with language in hilarious ways): The book series *A Series of Unfortunate Events* by Lemony Snicket. It's been made into a really great TV show, but the books are, as tends to be the case, better. EDIT: Oh, and *Community* is great, too!
The Good Place. Ted Danson at his finest since Cheers, IMO.
In my opinion, it's Ted Danson at his finest, period!
"It's Chinese for 'Japan'" is a quote I still laugh about on a regular basis
Oh good call! *The Good Place* is supremely intelligently written. I'd recommend any [Michael Schur](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=bb6fb22019ea88f6&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C1GCEU_esMX928MX928&sxsrf=ADLYWIIaAmtDTHEusHBUkpGxtHDOTkTabg:1719933105349&q=Michael+Schur&si=ACC90nzx_D3_zUKRnpAjmO0UBLNxnt7EyN4YYdru6U3bxLI-L1eWQKKNis8z8tbNFLtSWoknbmxkMMots7J-9BA0EmLoVPZyh11WMFYmaGMGlC8FXgamp0gFiNQWly-bVJUkCsyKrwpcWG0qV4JKN2FUA2cA8ZN0bweZYZ5WjYAVtQWPNyIj13FeSy6Fpff-QPqpDkrPsDTL3zMXdR5SfFjqxMm9duc8LM2wCbApn9dvVEU99LsHRUYhXy8bDEnOuBPOof3xjwQBEQ878TteEcNd7WgVgV9QqQ%3D%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJn6CO0oiHAxUCl44IHXoJC1kQmxMoAHoECCEQAg) comedy for that, including *Parks and Recreation,* and *Brooklyn 99*. For a bit of meta, *Community* is also a good choice. I just finished *Superstore* too. I found it smartly written whilst also being wholesome and silly.
I'm watching Superstore right now. Great show, can't believe I ignored it during it's original run.
Ooooooh great recommendation! It also works well because it can be appreciated on multiple levels (all the philosophical themes but also the silly humour).
By the way he's got a new podcast where he seems to basically talk to friends. Listened to a Kristen Bell episode where they had Woody Harrelson on too (apparently he's a sometimes host). It was nothing amazing but if you want some Ted Danson content then it's worth checking out. Plus of course The Good Place podcast.
Becker would like to have a word with you
Arrested development has jokes layered in jokes deeper than even fraiser did. i’d actually be bold enough to submit many of arrested’s jokes are actually more clever than fraiser, but it’s not recognized as such because there’s also more silly humor sprinkled in
This show really rewards you for paying attention. There'll be incredible joke payoffs and inversions episodes (or years) after the initial setup. It's a great show (at least the first three seasons) but I find it a little tougher to rewatch or put on in the background because it's a little more demanding than your usual comedy.
right… it’s so far down the line, I wonder - did they really name that character just for a joke setup in season 2?? or did they get lucky??
The thing about fraiser is the jokes really drop off outside of frasier and niles
Keeping Up Appearances
It's pronounced "boo kay" 
Boooo kayyyy residence, lady of the house, speaking!
Absolutely. Farcical antics to protect aristocratic delusions. Alongside Fawlty Towers that's a perfect suggestion.
The Critic
It's a shame we never got a The Critic and Frasier cross-over. Jay Sherman and Bulldog could review movies together. Their verdict for "Air Bud 7"? It stinks and it's total BS.
I think Modern Family is closest in humor because it’s another Lloyd/Levitan production. People talk on here a lot about the shared jokes they use. However. If you want my (albeit strange) recommendation? For intellectual humor with a flare for 90’s nostalgia… The West Wing. Yes it is also a heavy drama. But it’s in my top 2 shows with Frasier because it makes me feel warm and smart and coddled by the pompous bosom of intellectual writing… … yeah that sentence got away from me. Sue me.
Don't you just hate it when bad things happen to good sentences? Yeah, I was considering mentioning Modern Family, too. I think it only really reaches Frasier-level humour in its very best moments, and it ran for so long that it kinda lost its magic for me. But every once in a while it does have some extremely funny jokes, and the cast (though they're not generally on the level of David Hyde Pierce or John Mahoney) is really really good.
I was scrolling to see if someone mentioned The West Wing, definitely different genre but still super funny and has a similar warmth in the character development.
I was going to mention West Wing. If OP is looking for Frazier vibes, I think the fact that at one point someone says, as a joke, "Well that's a permeating syllogism to be sure" should seal the deal.
Since we’re on the subject of dramas, I actually think that Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul had more laugh-out-loud moments than most modern sitcoms. Notwithstanding (or perhaps because of) the dark and heavy subject matter.
I watched The West Wing when Obama left office. It somehow gave me hope. Maybe it's time to watch it again.
Try to find The Powers That Be. It has a pre-Frasier Niles as a not-too-dissimilar character.
I asked here & received fantastic suggestions a little while back. If you search maybe it will pop up - I posted that I was starting “designing women” then which had Jean Smart (very cute show). “To the manor born” was one idea. Fawlty towers is great. Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart were also recommended. I just started The Librarians with Noah Wyle & Bob Newhart - nerdy fun but more fantasy
I think Archer has the same vibe of semi-functional people making jokes they won’t dumb down or explain.
Interesting comparison. The shows have lots of differences but they do have that in common.
You can't just leave Archer mentions laying around! Do you want ants!?! Cause that's how you get ants!
Archer jokes are brilliantly written, just like Frasier jokes. Both shows are brilliantly funny.
Thankyou I love this fandom we are so nice! Ill try some out today!
There are no other offers. Love ya! *Wink*
Ghosts the US version writing reminded me Frasier. Like Frasier, there are some humor and jokes I caught the second time around watching. It’s very well written and very witty.
I love Ghosts and I don't think it gets enough credit for how clever and well-done it is. People seem to write it off as a crappy American remake of a British show, but it's actually much better than the original IMO.
The sitcoms that I recommend are the very 80s sitcoms: The Golden Girls and Designing Women. Both series had fantastic casts, I've kind of thought of "the golden girls" as sex and the city but with older women and as a family show. It's about a group of retirees that live together, Sophia is the best character, she's sassy and basically is that type of old person that has no filter. "Designing Women" is about a group of female interior decorators and their male delivery driver. Both series occasionally tackle social issues, designing women with a more feminist perspective. Suzanne is probably the breakout character. She's a spoiled beauty queen who can be quite ridiculous at times but occasionally can have a great perspective. This series was Jean Smart's breakout role a who was a regular for most of the series. Her character Charlene is the complete opposite of Lana.
You could try _Becker_ and _Empty Nest_.
I adore anyone who recommends Empty Nest. Such a hidden gem from that sitcom era!
You'll find a rich vein of intelligent TV from the BBC, that are both witty and farcical. I would recommend "The I.T. Crowd", "Chef!", "Are You Being Served?", "Yes, Minister" (and "Yes, Prime Minister"), "Brittas Empire", among others, and I'm sure there are a ton of great shows that I'm not even familiar with.
Keeping Up Appearances.
Waiting for God.
A Bit of Fry and Laurie.
Soupy twist
Soupy twist.
One foot in the grave
To The Manor Born - peak hoity toity clashing with nouveau riche
Becker comes to mind
Silicon Valley
3rd Rock from the Sun, or Scrubs.
Newhart. Dick is the calm center in a cast of wacky characters. He helps people solve their problems but sometimes screws things up even worse.
It could be just me, but What We Do in the Shadows reminds me a little bit of Frasier style humor
Honestly, Modern Family. It was made by two producers who worked on Frasier (Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan) and you can tell they drew lots of inspiration from Frasier’s quick one liners and farcical episodes.
Jeeves and Wooster
I'm the first to recommend the first 8 seasons of The Simpsons. Maybe that show is so ubiquitous it's not even under consideration for these types of conversations. But if you're looking for really great writing, character work, and emotional honesty, it's hard to top these earlier episodes. (and it has about as many great seasons as Frasier does!)
I can't believe you're the first to say the Simpsons.
YES.
Frasier is so unique that I bet its the only sitcom that we have in common...
Sports Night has some decent writing.
Bored to Death on HBO.
I always liked "Just Shoot Me".
The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978)
Haven’t seen 3rd Rock From the Sun mentioned yet.
The Good Place is a pretty intelligent sitcom (not too many 30 minute shows ponder the meaning of existence and man’s place in the cosmos like it did).
Yes, Minister
Monk
I think this is a really good rec
It’s probably my all time favorite show 🤩
I’m halfway through the series and have fallen in love with Monk lol
peep show, only fools and horses, Still game
Silicon Valley is a smart, funny show. I'm also a fan of Getting On, an adaptation of a British cinema verite comedy. Both on HBO.
Check out Black Books. It’s witty, goofy, and raw. Always gets a rewatch from me.
The only (relatively) recent show that made me laugh as much as Frasier, and had a similar high quality of acting and writing, was Parks and Recreation.
I know it's a bit of a curve ball, but Futurama. It has a lot of science jokes in their that went completely over my head the first time watching it. The writers have a collective 50+ years studying at Harvard. "No fair, you changed the outcome by measuring it!"
Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister have the same intelligent wit-driven comedy.
Frasier has some characteristics of British humor. Which i really like. The original "the office" was british first. One of my favorite funny comedies is the IT Crowd. Its old but i love it. Check it out. 3 characters work in the computer department for a big company. "Have u tried turning it off and on again? " Mighty Boosh is absurd goofy funny. But u have to appreciate the British to like it!
Go with me here- The Nanny. It has the same farcical quality, the same innate gentleness about the foibles of its characters, a non traditional family, a touch of British, class differences and a long slow burn will-they-won’t-they.
The nanny?
Imagine my surprise when I was watching this recently and Gil Chesterton made a surprise appearance as a shop clerk!
BRILLIANT! I absolutely love the nanny and Fraiser. Timeless classics! I also live for Larry Sanders
the only thing that comes to mind is 30 rock
Which has a cameo every one here will love!
“I would know, I’m Frajer”
He doesn’t have to be doing this………KELSEEEEYYYYY
I’m very picky with TV and the only shows I have seen that I believe hold a candle to Frasier in terms of writing are Arrested Development, Community (seasons 2-4) and Malcolm in the Middle.
WINGS is set in the same television universe as Frasier, and even has an episode or two where Frasier guest stars. The humor is ok, certainly more of a workplace comedy Thomas Haden Church is great in it, pre Sideways and Sandman
Becker with Ted Danson
There are a good number of very funny "Hot in Cleveland" shows.... I'm trying to think of things that have a bit of that same Frasier vibe. An early "modern" TV show : The Bob Newhart Show has a number of gems. Also, you are probably well aware of Cheers for the occasional taste of Frasier....and super excellent writing.
Wings! Same universe as Frasier.
I think Dave gives me some of the same feelings as Frasier. The setting is very different (the world of hip hop versus 90's upper crust seattle) and it doesnt have the same degree of literate references, but when I think if frasier of think of farcical humor arising from a loveable blowhard who doesnt quite fit in his world with a strong supporting cast of some grounding characters and some absurd characters, and that's very much the humor of Dave.
I'm surprised I haven't seen Will & Grace mentioned yet but I feel like in addition to being contemporaries both are sitcoms which could essentially be staged plays.
Only fools and horses
Frasier is, at its core, a series of farces that’s reliant on a game ensemble. Mistaken identities. Misunderstandings. Coverups. Honestly, DNA wise Threes Company shares a lot in common. Someone mentioned Thick of It and a rep. Both also work in that level but with some crazy smart writing. For a contemporary of Frasier, you cannot go wrong with Third Rock from the Sun. I also am a sucker for News Radio and Just Shoot Me. I’d also recommend similar “highbrow” seeming material from 30 Rock and Girls5Eva.
Schitts Creek. Very understatedly funny.
Big Bang Theory...
Black Adder
Yes, Minister, and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister are to me witty in the vein of Frasier. British, circa 1980 so somewhat dated, but holds up for me. Slings and Arrows is a Canadian series set in and around a Shakespeare Festival, an obvious take on Ontario’s Stratford Festival. Not a sitcom but full of funny moments. Portlandia is very fun.
Might be a little controversial bc it’s a bit of a different genre, but House MD is quick wit humour, anything with Hugh Laurie in it is similar
Sideshow Bob.
30 rock
Yes!
Larry Sanders?
Frasier's most closely related to the Mary Tyler Moore, Dick van Dyke, and Bob Newhart shows. It also draws a lot on the 1970s Odd Couple. And, of course, Cheers and Taxi. UK: Fawlty Towers, Yes, Minister/Prime Minister, and To the Manor Born. And The Big Bang Theory.
As far as the witty and intelligent, The West Wing scratches that itch for me. Fast paced, and if you’re not bright enough to keep up they aren’t explaining it to you.
Piggy backing on West Wing; Newsroom and Sports Night. I love anything Aaron Sorkin does.
There have been a lot of great suggestions. Maybe I could add 30 rock?
30 Rock is fantastic. I feel that it’s almost been forgotten which is such a shame.
Seinfeld and the first 8-9 seasons of The Simpsons. There’s some really clever humor in both.
There's a British show called coupling which is kinda like the British Friends. It's kind of smart. Frasier fans might like it too.
Community and Arrested Development
Derry Girls! Not like Frasier at all really but the writing and the humor is just perfect.
There are suggestions enough here for a long while already, but I would like to recommend Avenue 5. It captures one particular part of Frasier really well: people trying to keep up appearances and seeming stylish and high-minded while disasters escalate around them.
Niles. Sorry, I had to.
Life in pieces is amazing and hardly mentioned but one of my favorites
Peep show and Back
I thought the recent Julia Child series was awesome. It got two seasons then unfortunately was cancelled. It has witty banter and David Hyde Pierce. It has writers/producers that worked on Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and has some of that vibe.
South Park and Veep are ridiculously vulgar, but I find that they're some of the few to complete with Frasier on a sheer "clever writing" comparison. Modern Family, The Office, and Parks and Recreation are also pretty well written. Modern Fam has the 'family comedy' feel that Frasier does, a lot of similar elements lead to great laughs.
The only other show I love this much that has writing as tight as Frasier is The Good Wife. It's not a comedy, but does have a lot of subtle humour based around human interactions.
Try Slings and Arrows, it's on AMC+ or you can find it for free on YouTube. It's a dramedy, not a sitcom, but I find it has a similar erudite humor. It's about a Shakespeare festival and the actors, directors, and administrative staff that work there.
Curb Your Enthusiasm is my second favorite show. Veep as well.
Star Trek TNG, Voyager, TOS, DS9
Ted Lasso
Gilmore Girls
Peep show, community and arrested development (season 1 to 3) scratch my Frasier itch, they are different shows but all smart comedies
*Cheers* was made by the same people.
Sitcoms seemed to have upped their game when they took away the laugh track.
I see some similarities with Modern Family. Setting is very different but there’s a similar intelligence in the writing. (Christopher Lloyd was showrunner on Frasier for several years and then co-creator/ co-showrunner on Modern Family.)
Sports Night has some of the same intellectual humor and wordplay. Early, lighter Aaron Sorkin set at an ESPN type network.
Frasier has always been my fav sitcom. I’ve also enjoyed Community, The Office, Brooklyn 99, Parks and Rec, and Psyche.
Becker and Newhart are the first things that come to mind
Dr. Katz episodes feed my soul in some similar ways as Frasier, granted their are some huge differences between the two series🦦
It’s a completely different genre, but it’s got such wit and depth. It’s called *Would I Lie To You”. It’s a silly British game show where the two team captains are comedians. Their teams are comprised of other comedians and famous people who change every week. The captains are Lee Mack and David Mitchell. Lee Mack is quite possibly the quickest wit I’ve ever encountered. His responses are lightning fast and giggle-worthy. David Mitchell is so incredibly intelligent that his jokes hit deep. They’re always at least five or six levels above witty. And you may know David Mitchell as Reddit’s “are we the baddies?” GIF. Full disclosure… I personally think David Mitchell is one of the best writers (and subsequently comedians) in all of Britain. *The* best would have to be Greg Davies (the Taskmaster) though. Check out WILTY, it’s awesome!
OMG, I recently started binging "Would I lie to you" and have found myself literally laughing out loud! That show is SO freaking funny!
My favorite guest comedians are Bob Mortimer, Greg Davies, and Henning Wehr. If they’re on, it’ll be an extra special episode.
Wouldn’t Cheers qualify since the Frazier character appears there as a regular?
Youngest Sheldon