If you like Frasier then...

[Hawkspur]

It may be interesting to see the different opinions on this, as various aspects will be stronger for different people:

What other TV series, plays, movies,books etc. do you think have the same appeal as Frasier?
Why? What aspects of them do you think are similar?

[Paraprax]

Totally different kind of television, but the British panel show Q.I.(Quite Interesting). It's hosted by Stephen Fry and features a rotating panel of four comedians, mostly Brits. The object is that Fry asks obscure academic trivia questions to the panelists which are so hard to get right that points are just awarded for giving interesting or thoughtful answers, as opposed to incorrect yet obvious ones. It's hard to do it justice by describing it(kind of a mixture of Jeopardy and Whose Line Is It Anyway?), but it's seriously some of the wittiest, smartest and most hilarious television I've ever seen. I'm the kind of person who rarely laughs out loud when watching something alone, even if I'm enjoying it immensely, but with Q.I. I find myself loudly laughing multiple times per minute. It's sublime.

The entire (ongoing) series is also on YouTube, so here's the first episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1sMTI_dmjU. Enjoy!

[Patrick]

Not exactly similar but of great quality in my opinion is the old series The Avengers the part with Emma Peel and still interesting but to a lesser degree with Tara King. The rest (before and after) is garbage, especially the new avengers which is absolute garbage.

[PistolPoet]

Totally different kind of television, but the British panel show Q.I.(Quite Interesting). It's hosted by Stephen Fry and features a rotating panel of four comedians, mostly Brits. The object is that Fry asks obscure academic trivia questions to the panelists which are so hard to get right that points are just awarded for giving interesting or thoughtful answers, as opposed to incorrect yet obvious ones. It's hard to do it justice by describing it(kind of a mixture of Jeopardy and Whose Line Is It Anyway?), but it's seriously some of the wittiest, smartest and most hilarious television I've ever seen. I'm the kind of person who rarely laughs out loud when watching something alone, even if I'm enjoying it immensely, but with Q.I. I find myself loudly laughing multiple times per minute. It's sublime.

The entire (ongoing) series is also on YouTube, so here's the first episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1sMTI_dmjU. Enjoy!

Yes, I love it!! Alan Davis rules .
Though it's one of those shows I call "dangerous", cos Fry says everything with such authority that you take all the "facts" for granted, when later it turns out that a number of them aren't even true. I remember once they had this so-called scientist on who explained that actually horizontal stripes make you look slimmer. I googled his study and found out it was done on 30-ish people. Not something I'd choose to believe in.
But if you take the show with a pinch of salt, it's wonderful .

[Eddie2012]

(I still like ' Friends', but I'll be tarred and feathered if 'd admit this on this panel But I won't compare them anyway)

And I agree, Q.I. ia fantastic! I came to watch it only lately, I' d always assumed it was 'just another game show' when I saw it in a TV magazine - but it is so witty, smart and funny

And yes, Pistolpoet, Alan Davies is the best asset

[Patrick]

I like Friends too. I think of it as Frasier light. I found it useful in the past when I was assimilating TV American slang which is somewhat different from actual American slang. Now it's just a good distraction.

I am stunned that Friends can even work in French as most of it is based on play on words and American references but I never worked up the courage to watch it entirely in French. The few episodes I saw were simply awful, including the one with Ross singing "I like big butts" to make his daughter (Emma) laugh. I was curious to know how they would manage to dub this one. Well I wasn't disappointed. They couldn't find any French rap song whose lyrics were approaching this one so they made one up. So for someone who doesn't know the English version the result is absolutely incomprehensible, Ross starts saying in French how he likes "les gros culs" and I am guessing that the people must be looking at each other wondering what the hell is wrong with him.
I wonder how the French can even watch it, I am not curious enough to actually find some and ask them though.

[CatNamedRudy]

I like Friends too. There are a lot of people on this forum that like Friends. There are those though that seem to think that if you like Frasier you cannot possibly like something like Friends. I never quite understood that logic.

[welshben23]

I like Friends too. There are a lot of people on this forum that like Friends. There are those though that seem to think that if you like Frasier you cannot possibly like something like Friends. I never quite understood that logic.

Me neither and to be honest (I'll say it quietly ) before I really 'got into' Frasier, Friends was my favourite show.

[Patrick]

I like Friends too. There are a lot of people on this forum that like Friends. There are those though that seem to think that if you like Frasier you cannot possibly like something like Friends. I never quite understood that logic.

Me neither and to be honest (I'll say it quietly ) before I really 'got into' Frasier, Friends was my favourite show.

One thing that I can't stand about friends is the mandatory clip show every season. Thank the three headed monkey that they never did this on Frasier! They did one toward the end but it wasn't really a Frasier episode though.

[Eddie2012]

I hate those clip shows, too. And also the overlong intro a couple of minutes after the show has started...

Does anyone here watch Mike & Molly?

[Hawkspur]

One show that I think would appeal to Frasier audiences is Matinee Idle.Any other NZ forumees here?
For those not from NZ, It is a radio show in NZ on the govt. funded Radio NZ National, that is only on when the usual shows are suspended over holidays. It is extremely irreverent, educated and witty, and plays a huge variety of weird and wonderful music. Alas,there isn't much available online to show others.

[CatNamedRudy]

I hate those clip shows, too. And also the overlong intro a couple of minutes after the show has started...

Does anyone here watch Mike & Molly?

I've seen Mike and Molly a few times but I don't watch it on a regular basis.

[Hawkspur]

I also think Jane Austen books have similarities with Frasier: witty and humorous, especially poking fun at the social climbers and correct behaviours of the day.

[Moon-Crane]

Add me to the Friends fans. Still very watchable when i catch the reruns on Paramount here in the UK. And it looks great when you see the HD remastering job they've done on it. Makes me jealous for a similar Frasier treatment.

Back on topic. PG Wodehouse books, along with the 80s Stephen Fry/Hugh Laurie tv adaptation of his Jeeves and Wooster series. Great writing.

[PistolPoet]

Back on topic. PG Wodehouse books, along with the 80s Stephen Fry/Hugh Laurie tv adaptation of his Jeeves and Wooster series. Great writing.

Oh, yes, please! Probably Noël Coward as well, seeing as Frasier loves him so much. I haven't read any of his plays, I've only seen Easy Virtue based on his play of the same name, and I quite liked it.

[diligohominum80]

I live in the Southeast region of the United States, which is not a region which generally finds "Frasier" as enjoyable as I do; a more recent show that I've come to love is "Big Bang Theory". Like "Frasier", "Big Bang Theory" doesn't lower the comedic writing to the lowest common denominator. I highly recommend it.

[Whisper of cinnamon]

If you enjoy the witty, articulate, polysyllabic dialogue of Frasier then Yes Minister/Prime Minister and Blackadder have this quality too, as do the songs of Neil Hannon, who releases music under the name 'The Divine Comedy'.

[frasier floyd]

I live in the Southeast region of the United States, which is not a region which generally finds "Frasier" as enjoyable as I do; a more recent show that I've come to love is "Big Bang Theory". Like "Frasier", "Big Bang Theory" doesn't lower the comedic writing to the lowest common denominator. I highly recommend it.

I don't understand what people find amusing about the Big Bang Theory! My dad loves it so I've occasionally watched it just to spend some time with him. I actually like nerdy jokes and reading about physics/ quantum mechanics, so it should've been right up my alley. Unfortunately, the Big Bang theory is like nails on a chalkboard to me between the unfunny lines and the bizarre amount of laughter. I love Frasier though, so I'd be hard pressed to find a comparison, not just with your show but with any other. I know comedy can be subjective though, and it's a popular show... just adding my two cents.

[PistolPoet]

If you enjoy the witty, articulate, polysyllabic dialogue of Frasier then Yes Minister/Prime Minister and Blackadder have this quality too, as do the songs of Neil Hannon, who releases music under the name 'The Divine Comedy'.

I've always wanted to watch Yes Minister, but sort of thought it might be a bit old-fashioned now. I've tried Fawlty Towers, cos lots of people told me it was great, and I didn't even last until the end of the first episode. It just looks so old .

I don't understand what people find amusing about the Big Bang Theory! My dad loves it so I've occasionally watched it just to spend some time with him. I actually like nerdy jokes and reading about physics/ quantum mechanics, so it should've been right up my alley. Unfortunately, the Big Bang theory is like nails on a chalkboard to me between the unfunny lines and the bizarre amount of laughter. I love Frasier though, so I'd be hard pressed to find a comparison, not just with your show but with any other. I know comedy can be subjective though, and it's a popular show... just adding my two cents.

I like it well enough, especially since they've made Sheldon a little more human and a little less annoying, but I agree that the amount of canned laughter is ridiculous. Plus, in the last season or two, they've really toned down the science jokes, and I miss that. I mean, I know almost nothing about physics, but it was still fun in a complicated way. These days, they look more like stereotypical geeks, and I have no idea where the writers are going with the show.

[Hawkspur]

If you enjoy the witty, articulate, polysyllabic dialogue of Frasier then Yes Minister/Prime Minister and Blackadder have this quality too, as do the songs of Neil Hannon, who releases music under the name 'The Divine Comedy'.

I've always wanted to watch Yes Minister, but sort of thought it might be a bit old-fashioned now. I've tried Fawlty Towers, cos lots of people told me it was great, and I didn't even last until the end of the first episode. It just looks so old .
...

Hmm, I was going to unreservedly recommend Yes Minister/Prime Minister because I rewatched them recently and it was just as good, and the manipulations of the public service and politicians are still applicable to a scary degree.
But if you found Fawlty Towers "looked" too old, and couldn't get past that, the same would apply to Minister.
May I suggest you just get over that issue and enjoy these classics?

[PistolPoet]

If you enjoy the witty, articulate, polysyllabic dialogue of Frasier then Yes Minister/Prime Minister and Blackadder have this quality too, as do the songs of Neil Hannon, who releases music under the name 'The Divine Comedy'.

I've always wanted to watch Yes Minister, but sort of thought it might be a bit old-fashioned now. I've tried Fawlty Towers, cos lots of people told me it was great, and I didn't even last until the end of the first episode. It just looks so old .
...

Hmm, I was going to unreservedly recommend Yes Minister/Prime Minister because I rewatched them recently and it was just as good, and the manipulations of the public service and politicians are still applicable to a scary degree.
But if you found Fawlty Towers "looked" too old, and couldn't get past that, the same would apply to Minister.
May I suggest you just get over that issue and enjoy these classics?

I'm definitely willing to try again . It's just that, as far as I remember, I didn't really find the first episode of Fawlty Towers funny, either. But then again, I should really watch more than one episode to be able to judge.