The Good Son

Frasier's long running success can be attributed to two factors. First, the cast was exceptionally well chosen. And second the writing on the series is extremely tight and well considered. Pilots-exceptionally for sit-coms-can be a bore. They often play like a checklist as they exist to largely set-up the dynamics of a show. Pilots for spinoffs are even drier as they are trying to put a familiar character(s) into a new setting. The writers here are full aware of that aspect and lean into for a couple of gags-it still manages to be clever after all these years. More to the point this episode really does a good job of setting the fundamentals of the show effortlessly. Only Niles' unrequited love of Daphne was withheld until the next episode.

I watched Frasier back when it was on TV and it was always a good laugh. I came across the first episode tonight and WOW... what genius TV this show was in comparison to the junk that is on TV today. Cheers & Frasier, two wonderful shows that if they only made more like these.

And so began 'Frasier', the spin-off from 'Cheers' that would not only end up running for as long as that show, but perhaps exceed it in terms of quality. Well, for the first seven years at least.

This is a smart, intelligent Pilot/first episode, that manages to tweak the Frasier Crane character we knew from 'Cheers' just enough to fit his new surroundings and the characters he comes into contact with, while also still being recognisable to the audience who have followed him to Seattle from Boston.

You almost wish the Creators of 'Joey', which would come later, had followed this format more closely, because it is executed soundly here.

Frasier moves to Seattle but he was slightly funnier in cheers

Pilots are so hard to get right. Even when one's written well, it is usually dwarfed by later episodes and, therefor, hard to revisit. This is an example of the contrary; a stunningly well-written pilot which holds its own amongst all the other incredible, legendary episodes.