Cheers' Funniest Scene Is Why Kelsey Grammer Got A Spinoff
Credit: MovieStillsDB
Published Aug 26, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT
Zach Moser has been writing for ScreenRant since 2022, covering movies, classic TV, and streaming TV. His areas of expertise cover a wide range of genres with a particular interest in horror and drama, and the conversations around the TV and film industry. When he's not covering the latest film releases or chronicling the latest season of a new show, he's writing humor pieces for McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Slackjaw, and Points In Case or working on short stories and his second novel.
The funniest scene in Cheers comes thanks to Kelsey Grammer, who steals the show in season 9, episode 17, "I'm Getting My Act Together and Sticking it in Your Face", and proves why he deserved his own spinoff just a few years later. Frasier may be the most successful spinoff to a successful TV show ever.
Frasier came out in 1993, just a few months after Cheers ended, and ran for 11 seasons, the same number as its parent show. The show stars who else but Frasier Crane (Grammer), a psychiatrist who moves from Boston, where Cheers is set, to Seattle, Washington, at the beginning of the series.
In Cheers, Frasier was involved with Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane (Shelley Long) in a love triangle before being left at the altar, and quickly morphing into one of the regulars at the bar, blending into the tapestry of the show along with Norm (George Wendt), Cliff (John Ratzenberger), and Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth).
One of the smartest people who sits down for a beer at the Cheers bar, Frasier has a bit more class and knowledge than the other barflies. Unlike Cliff, who can be a know-it-all, Frasier doesn't usually feel the need to showcase his knowledge for everyone; instead, he likes to amuse himself, playing pranks only he knows on others.
Season 9, episode 17, "I'm Getting My Act Together and Sticking it in Your Face", is a fantastic example of how when Frasier realizes no one understands him, he'll take the opportunity to give himself a laugh. What results is one of the funniest scenes of the series, and a showcase of why a character like Frasier gets a spinoff when others don't.
The Tale Of Two Cities Scene In Cheers Is A Perfect Example Of Kelsey Grammer's Humor
In the episode, Frasier gets into a conversation with the others at the bar and is appalled to learn that not only have the others never read any book by Charles Dickens, they don't know who Charles Dickens is. Frasier takes it upon himself to educate them and begins to read A Tale of Two Cities.
It doesn't take long for the patrons to turn back to their drinks. Thinking on his feet, Frasier adds in a few lines of his own, including a reference to It with a bloodthirsty clown. Cut to the next day when Frasier is reading his version of Two Cities, complete with Apache attack helicopters and butt-kicking action.
Frasier is both ashamed that he's had to resort to lying to get the bar to listen to him, but also proud that he's held their attention for so long. This hilarious self-loathing is a great example of Grammer's kind of humor on the show, a sense of humor that never seems to get old.
Scenes Like This From Cheers Prove Grammer's Character Could Lead A Network Sitcom
MovieStillsDBNot only is the scene a showcase of Grammer's humor, but it's also a great depiction of how well Grammer can hold the screen. It's a scene like this one that must have proved to some producers and studio executives that Frasier could be the star of his own show after Cheers.
He feels like the main character in this scene, both as the straight man, at first ignored by the bar patrons, and the source of the comedy, with his hilarious addendums, clearly thought of off the cuff. It's this quality, where people want to listen to Frasier, even if what he's saying isn't true, that helped make Frasier such a beloved series.
Release Date 1982 - 1993-00-00
Showrunner James Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles, Ken Estin, Sam Simon, David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee, Bill Steinkellner, Cheri Steinkellner, Phoef Sutton, Tom Anderson, Dan O'Shannon
Writers David Lloyd, Kathy Ann Stumpe, Jonathan Stark, Tracy Newman, Andy Cowan, Janet Leahy, Sue Herring, Tom Leopold, Chris Cluess, David Pollock, Elias Davis, Elliot Shoenman, Jeff Abugov, Daniel Palladino, Katherine Green, Jeffrey Duteil, Michael J. Weithorn, Joanne Pagliaro, Eugene B. Stein, Kimberly Hill
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Billie Bird
Lillian Miller
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Kirstie Alley
Rebecca Howe
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