Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane (Kelsey Grammer), erstwhile psychiatrist and graduate of Oxford and Harvard, was not an original Cheers character, but became a regular in the third season as Diane Chambers's (Shelley Long) psychiatrist and love interest. Chambers sought psychiatric assistance after one of many clashes with her lover, bar owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Chambers later left Frasier at the altar, but he continued frequenting the bar. He later married (1988), and subsequently divorced (1992), fellow psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth), nicknamed "Dr. Sigmund Frost" by Cheers regulars. Their son, Freder­ ick, was born in November 1989. He lives in Boston with his mother and occasionally visits Frasier in Seattle. Unbeknownst to Lilith, Frasier was previously married to children's entertainer Nanny Gee.

On Frasier, the divorced Dr. Crane moved back to his hometown of Seattle, trading his bar stool and psychiatric practice for talk radio. As on Cheers, Frasier encountered a cast of characters who frequently attacked his pomposity. Frasier revolves around his social life, apartment, and job at KACL 780-AM. Instead of a bar, Frasier relaxes at Cafe Nervosa, a coffee shop where he meets his brother, coworkers, and friends.

Frasier's producers faced some dilemmas at the outset. Frasier variously told Cheers regulars he was an only child and his parents were research scientists and/or were dead. Yet, Dr. Hester Crane (Nancy Mar­ chand), Frasier's mother, was featured in Cheers episode 52, which aired November 22, 1984, although she never again appeared on the show. In Seattle, we discover Frasier's mother was indeed dead, but he had a living father, Martin Crane (John Mahoney), and a younger brother, Dr. Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce), also a psychiatrist. Martin, a down-to-earth retired cop, came to live with Frasier in his magnificent, trendy apartment with a panoramic view of Seat­ tle's skyline. Martin enjoys drinking beer and watching sports at the neighborhood bar or on television, from his beloved recliner (which is held together with duct tape). He also enjoys walking Eddie (Moose), his Jack Russell terrier. Martin, whose hip was disabled when he was shot on the job, stands in direct contrast to his prissy sons, with their intellectual pretensions. Martin brought along England native Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves), his live-in, semi psychic physical therapist.

The character of snobby, competitive Niles was modeled on an idea of what Frasier would be like if he had not moved to Boston and hung out at Cheers. To prepare for his part, Pierce studied early Cheers episodes. As with Norm's wife on Cheers, Niles was married for several years to Maris, whom viewers hear about, but never see. Niles spent six years secretly in love with Daphne. After numerous twists involving other relationships, marriages, and engagements, including his quickie marriage to Dr. Melinda "Mel" Karnofsky (Jane Adams), Niles finally revealed his true feelings to Daphne at her foiled wedding to divorce lawyer Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek). At the end of the ninth season, Niles and Daphne married.

     At KACL-AM, Frasier's primary foils are his producer, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin), and characters that either manage the station, host their own program, or call the Frasier Crane Show. Roz is more than Frasier's coworker; she is a friend who has grown progressively closer to him over the years. She enjoys her relationships with men and does not shy away from talking about them. She had a baby by one of her younger lovers, which forced her to become more mature, responsible, and reliable. Early on, one of Frasier's coworkers and chief tormentors was Robert "Bulldog" Briscoe (Dan Butler), macho and aggressive host of KACL's Gonzo Sports Show. After the first few seasons, Bulldog lost his job and the character was phased out. Other KACL hosts include food critic Gil Chesterton, traffic reporter Chopper Dave, green grocer Ray, and auto lady Bonnie Weems.

     Callers to KACL's Frasier Crane Show are actually celebrities who are paid scale to call their lines into the studio from all over the world. It is fun for both the celebrities and viewers, who anxiously look for callers' names in the credits. Each Frasier episode begins with an animated view of Seattle's skyline featuring a small twist, such as lights, fireworks, an aircraft, or a rising moon. The show ends with a theme song, which features a different closing line each time.

     Frasier is the first comedy series to win five consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, one more than four-time winners The Dick Van Dyke Show, All in the Family, and Cheers. Frasier, its actors, writers, and producers have won 21 Emmys overall, a Peabody Award, the Humanitas Prize, People's Choice Awards, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, Television Critics Association Awards, and others. Grammer has been Emmy-nominated 12 times for his portrayal of Frasier Crane on Cheers and Frasier. David Hyde Pierce holds the record for the most SAG award nominations at 15, followed closely by Grammer's 14 nominations. Producer David Angell died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, but Frasier continued, as perhaps television’s most intelligent situation comedy.