Two and a half hour long essay on a character from a sitcom older than myself than I've never watched? Yes please, and thank you

You call this a history of Frasier on Cheers, but it feels much more like a history of Cheers through the eyes of Frasier... and I'm all the more here for it.

I had forgotten that Fraiser had told everyone on Cheers that his father had died. Now, that brings more meaning to Freddy, telling his work colleagues that his father was dead on the reboot.

Seeing Nancy Cartwright on Cheers with Kelsey, knowing years later they’d be on screen together as Bart Simpson & Sideshow Bob was Amazing!!!

Watching only Frasier, I didn't understand the "striking resemblance" David Hyde Pierce was supposed to have to his on-screen brother. But seeing what Kelsey Grammer looked like during Cheers made me finally get it.

Fun fact, the actor who played Cliff… John Ratzenberger, actually helped Kelsey out while he was thrown out of his abusive ex wife’s house…. John Ratzenberger actually gave him some furniture of his own to help him, even helped him move out of that house for a short time

“You were never in love _with_ her, you were in love _at_ her.” … god damn this hit me like a sack of bricks. Maybe I should watch Frasier.

Frasier Crane is special, one of the most iconic TV characters of all time he’s like the Saul Goodman of the universe. The fact that we were able to see him Young become middle age and now older is crazy the past 40 years of this character.

A lot of people say that they can talk about their favorite characters for hours, but only B-Mask can nut-up and put it to video. I can only imagine the amount of script left on the cutting room floor with this one. Can't wait to be floored by this thing.

Literally just got done showing my girlfriend Frasier for the first time. It went over great, and when she went home it left me in the mood for more, but without wanting to continue watching without her. And like an angel in a ray of light, b-mask shows up with a 2+ hour video all about it. Hallelujah

Intelligent writers making great entertainment. These shows were magical

"She challenged his chauvinism, he was mad he couldn't spell that" Always love the writing in your videos. Keep up the good work B-Mask!

A 2 1/2 hour video on Fraiser lore is the exact reason I’m subscribed to this channel.

Hey everyone- when this video originally uploaded it was beset by copyright bots that prevented monetisation, with this pinned comment originally explaining the situation, and those have now been officially cleared. I want to thank everyone who donated to support me during that time and for the wonderful comments from everyone who felt the four months of work was worthwhile. Genuinely floored by the response and just hope I can continue to deliver on future projects. 'Cheers' indeed! 🍻 Update: Have also added the video's soundtrack choices in the description, for anyone curious as to what music was used!

Niles crack’s me up. Still watch 2 hours practically every night. Perfectly cast show.

This is without a doubt one of the best essays I've ever seen on youtube. And it's about a sitcom character. Please more like this.

Most men: "Ryan Gosling is literally me" B-Mask: "Have you ever heard of a show called Frasier?"

Frasier is my #1 favourite show yet I’ve never watched a second of Cheers. This video is genuinely brilliant and it only makes me appreciate Frasier so much more. Frasier Crane’s story is one of the greatest in TV history and you portrayed it incredibly well

If I could give you some sort of award for this is would. The way you’ve documented the evolution of this television character is phenomenal.

I cannot hear the theme tune of cheers without being completely overwhelmed with memories of childhood. Damn that show. So good.

As someone who never really watched sitcoms growing up, I applaud you for choosing scenes and moments from both Cheers and Frasier that got me howling despite lacking that connection.

Great video, and you ended on what I think is the central issue. Frasier needed Cheers at that time of his life as much as anyone in the bar. He came there only at Diane's behest, but in the end, he outlasted her, and found a place where he could cut loose and enjoy himself. I love the scenes where his professional mask slips and he just becomes one of the gang: doo-wopping along to "Duke of Earl", dancing along to "Na Na Hey Hey"; getting caught up in all the gossip and little bar dramas...and of course, breaking down when he sees Dave, the stuffed moose head, brought out of storage after a long hiatus! Kelsey Grammer put so much of himself into the role, making you really feel Frasier's insecurity and need for acceptance, but also showing that beneath the pretentious exterior, there was not only "abundant humanity", but genuine warmth as well. Despite the occasional withering put-down, in not one scene in 11 seasons do I get the sense that Frasier truly considers himself superior to anyone at Cheers, not from a social, cultural, or financial standpoint; on the contrary, he desperately wants to be one of them. If that neediness is what makes him relatable, then his desire to help is what makes him loveable, and so different to the other intellectual Diane was involved with, the self-possessed and odious Sumner Sloan. Whenever Sumner appeared in the show, it was to sow discord and get Diane away from the bar; whereas Frasier, on entering the bar's orbit, comes to embrace Cheers, and becomes its staunchest supporter. Eventually of course, he realises he has spent too much time there, as he admits to Lilith, using it as an escape from his marital problems. Leaving Boston to make a fresh start was probably the healthiest thing to do. But I also agree with your conclusion that Cheers was what helped Frasier grow as a person, and was probably the first place where he truly felt he belonged. They were his family for that time, and gave him the experience and insight to later repair the rifts with his own relations in Seattle. Never knew Kelsey was feeling too emotional to get his lines out in the final scene. That's heartbreaking.

As a media junkie, and an older fart, I had the pleasure of going through both series as they aired. And now the pleasure of this video tome. B- Mask, I've never seen anything quite like this and had no idea I'd been waiting for it. Brother, you can compose. Bravo.

Lifelong Frasier fan here. Thank you for doing this

Okay. Hear me out. I have never watched a full episode of Cheers or Frasier. But I realized something just from this video. In that Halloween episode, Frasier says he is in costume as Dante Gabriel Rosetti. Dante Gabriel Rosetti was, of course, a very successful painter and poet. If you look at his work, you cannot deny that he was a master of his craft. No one could possibly criticise him or his skill, unless they happened to be his own flesh and blood. No one knows you better than family after all. His sister was Christina Rosetti, also a very famous and successful poet who wrote such classics as "Goblin Market" and "In an Artist's Studio". The latter, I think, is very relevant to Frasier. "In an Artist's Studio", to put it lightly, is essentially Christina giving her own brother a read. If you really look at all of Dante's paintings, you'll realize they all look like they're of the same woman, because they are. She might be in different clothes, poses, and situations, but she always has this kind, wistful, almost expressionless face. In reality, Dante's muse had died very young, and he spent the rest of his life painting this person as she might have been. In the words of Christina "Not as she is, but as she fills his dream." Since this woman died, he never saw the real person beneath the pretty face, so the pretty face was all he could recreate. Everyone else was always going to fail his expectations. Frasier, based on this video, does the same. None of his lovers tragically died (as far as I know) but he does hold onto this image, this idea, of what each one of them could have been, because the reality will always be less than perfect. He might have had a few intellectual equals in Cheers, but no one can call you out on your own BS quite like a sibling can. That, I think, is what makes Niles so imporant and fascinating for Frasier in his spinoff. So to have him turn around and be his own Christina Rosetti and tell his own brother to appreciate the reality rather than the fantasy, is plain beautiful writing. Maybe they dressed him up as Dante Gabriel Rosetti to joke that he's pretentious, which works just fine. But holy shit if they planned that, I aspire to be that well thought out with my own writing. Well fucking done.

That scene with Frasier sitting there pretending to be an extra is so surreal. I love it. Also it's a shame we didn't get more Coach-Frasier scenes. Also shocked we never got any Nancy Marchand in Frasier, but by the time they did Don Juan in hell she was likely in poor health.

I'm old enough to have grown up watching Cheers first so Frasier's past was no mystery to me while also watching Frasier. I loved both shows for very different reasons which is why I think Frasier worked so well and is one of the most, if not the most, successful spin off shows in TV's history. Between the well rounded character that Grammar and the Cheers writers created in Cheers, and the fact that they didn't just try to rehash more Cheers episodes with Frasier, lead to something really great in the spinoff. By the end of Frasier's run I was kind of growing tired of the sitcom formula and kind of enthralled with the newer long format, narrative series that started popping up in the early 2000s. So regretfully I kind of soured on the series towards its later seasons, not because of the show itself, but because of my tastes changing. However, decades later, I find myself returning to shows like Frasier and Cheers and watching them with great fondness. The more episodic nature, and the focus on solid set ups and punchlines, is now a refreshing change to a TV market saturated with long running narratives that feel impossible to keep up with. The old has become new, and the new old. And I get to revisit some old pals from my more younger days.

As a Hungarian man, I'm not at all familiar with either Cheers, or Frasier. But gosh darn, BMask could talk about a bucket full of bile for all I care, I could watch it for 2 and a half hours.

The Cheers bar was modeled after an actual well known bar in Boston called, “The Bull and Finch”. Eventually it was sold, and the new owner renamed it, “Cheers” and based it on the TV series.

Frasier was literally the ONLY show on Channel 9 Australia I would tune in for during the 90s. It was literally the only reason I had the station tuned to begin with. Cheers was before my time, so it's really cool seeing how those two shows link up.

I really love your editing. It's very inspiring. I think a lot of people assume videos like this are easy to make. You write the script, you record the VO, you put clips in the timeline to match up with it. But, there's more to it than that and I know a lot of thought goes into the pacing and the delivery of the points you make. It's what separates a thoughtless video from a passion project.

This video made me start watching Frasier, I'd never seen it before ever. I stopped it around 40 minutes in and have been on a binge since like 2 days ago. You're doing god's work.

I'll always remember the summer after uni, waking up every morning to Frasier repeats on Channel 4 and turning to my Mum after a few days and saying "I think I lived with that guy for two years."

Man's about to make me cry because of a 2 and a half hour long video about two sitcoms I've never seriously invested time in. Bravo.

Fraser was such a good character that him running with scissors got a line in a bloodhound gang song

While I don't appreciate crying at work as I listen to this video (and the great ending), I do appreciate the upload and the massive effort in creating this. Frasier has become very important to me, even without having watched Cheers. I just assumed he was a minor character and never bothered watching Cheers, but this gives me a rich perspective I didn't have before. Thanks for sharing ❤️

I uh, think I might need to watch Cheers and Frasier after watching this. Had no idea they were genuinely compelling. Awesome video, B-mask!

Absolutely love when someone takes a character I’m indifferent about and shares their love of them! It’s so genuine and infectious!

This is a masterpiece. I watched Frasier twice before i realized I could also watch Cheers. Then went on to watch Frasier another 7 or 8 times and Cheers a couple of times. I greatly enjoyed putting all the pieces together backwards.

Kelsey won us over with his warmth. He seemed pompous but he mixed and mingled with the blue collar characters to provide a nice foil.

I have never watched an episode of Cheers or Frasier before in my life, and having watched the entirety of this video I feel rather strongly compelled to change this.

That was PHENOMENAL! My Ex Adored Frasier, and as such I've seen it twice through. After our separation I started Cheers, but never quite made it to Frasier's bits. The sheer amount of Development for him, Lillith and Nanny - G absolutely take things to another level. I now intend to set forth and finish the remaining 9 seasons taking every Frasier Moment to heart... Though I wish I could have shared these moments with her...

35:38 The dinner party episode with Same & Diane and Lilith & Frasier's apartment is probably one of the Top 10 Sitcom episodes of all time, so perfect, all the jokes land. I honestly thought the night I watched this when it originally aired that they were setting up a spin-off with Frasier & Lilith

I started watching Frasier when I became pregnant with my sun and fell in complete love. I quite literally watched it every single night for about 10 years straight until they took it off Netflix. Some of the clips shown in this visual essay had me in tears from so much laughter. A true testament to how timeless this show will always be. ✨ Great presentation

The Irish actor, Milo O' Shea also appeared in both Cheers and Frasier. He played Niles and Frasier's therapist when they had a falling out but he was also in the wedding episode of Cheers. Woody's wedding.

Damn, that was easily one of your best videos to date. Possibly your all-time best. This video convinced me of one thing crystal clear: I have to watch Cheers and Frasier. Through this 2 1/2 hour essay, I really came to love these characters. I want to experience all of their hilarious highs and sad lows. And, I also kind of realized that, like Frasier, I really have to grow up too. For my own good. Even though it'll be hard. Thank you, B-Mask, for showing me this and for adding two amazing shows onto my watchlist.

I've never watched a second of Cheers nor Frasier, yet I still got thoroughly invested into this. You have an incredible knack for telling the stories of these shows/movies/games/etc, without feeling like you've covered absolutely everything. I can already tell there's tons you never even hinted towards in both of these shows that I still have to discover for myself. It's a real talent. I'm not sure if this is just a "right place at the right time" sort of deal, but this video made me realize things about myself that I'd never quite fully comprehended before, good and bad. Thanks for doing everything you do, B-Mask. Please never stop.

I watch a double shot of Cheers every morning while drinking my coffee early af before getting ready for work. It tickles me just as much now as it did when I was a kid

A video about Frasier by you was never a matter of "if", but "when". Amazing work as always! 💖

Wonderful video. For writers and actors to explore a character, to allow them to grow into a full three dimensional person over such a long period of time is a rare treat in sitcoms. I originally watched Cheers and Frasier in order (must have been wild doing them the other way around). I'm currently rewatching Cheers (it's an all time favorite of mine, Fawlty Towers too, nice to see that brought up) and seeing Frasier as he started, knowing where he's going, and the growth along the way is one of the joys of revisiting it. His development from a foil to Sam to a close friend is always heart warming. You've done an excellent job analyzing the character and the clips and interview segments are fantastic. Thank you!

I'm struck by a line Frasier says in the "Cheerful Goodbyes" episode: these people were there for me when I needed friends most. Excellent overview. Thanks so much for it.

I would have never thought I would ever sit down for 2 and a ½ hours watching something about Frasier and Cheers. I lived every minute of it. So many emotions due to similarities that happened in my life. Very emotional and well done. Hopefully Kelsey Grammer and the execs of those shows, will give you some sort of nod or thumbs up. If KZfaq could give you an Emmy for a documentary, it would be well deserved, CHEERS!

I was watching "Cheers" back in the day and I remember noticing him in the background. I noticed we had a new barfly and he was soon revealed to be a new character by the end of that episode . I've been a fan since.

Props to using "Frontier Psychiatrist," aka the greatest song ever, as your theme for this episode

I could listen to this man talk about anything for hours and never lose interest.

This entire video is INCREDIBLE. This is by far the best character essay video I’ve ever seen. Watching this, it was the first time I thought to myself, I should make other KZfaq accounts just to like this video several times over. I love “Frasier” and have watched the series several times over but could never really get into “Cheers.” This video filled a void I didn’t even know was there. Wow, just wow.

Thank you for making this Video. I love Frasier. I've watched and rewatched the show many times in my life, but I've *still* never watched cheers. It's legitimately cool to see the evolution of the character through this video.

From the guy that made me appreciate a talking dog, 4 superheroes that are only terrible in cinema and a weird 80's glam rock cartoon about a female band, he is now going to make me like Fraiser 🤯

I would watch an extended cut of Frasier: Frontier Psychicatrist on repeat. That is one of the best edited intros I've ever seen. As it stands, I've watched this three times already. Liked, subbed. Keep it up.

2 and a half hours of pure honest, true tribute to a great character, from a true genuine fan :) Funny, that I was such a big Frasier fan, even today in my head I hear both Frasier and Lilith sometimes giving me mental advise in my head.....and I'm sure Lilith and Frasier would have something to say about that.

Floored by your presentation and script writing. I've watched enough youtube and tried enough writing myself to know that it is HARD to keep a salient and sensible train of thought going, so keeping it going for 2 and a half hours AND making it entertaining about a sitcom I've never watched nor been interested in is extremely impressive. I'm absolutely going to give Cheers and Frasier a watch at some point now, but you've condensed the key points and the feelings down so well that I feel like I've already experienced it. Amazing work as always, looking forward to more!

Quick praise to the thumbnail artist, phenomenal job, it looks like a piece by Darwyn Cooke

This was a wonderful video, bravo. I've always adored Cheers despite even myself not being old enough to watch it live. It really really holds up.

i love this vid

BMask videos are always so incredibly written, enjoying a new perspective into a series i've never heard about and getting to see unique and genuinely brilliant things, and when the video ends, much like a great series, I am left hollow and sad that this great adventure has ended. As always, thanks BMask.

Damn I wish I watched Cheers before this. I did not expect that story to go into such interesting directions. Wonderful video as always. Your analysis always makes me appreciate whatever you cover more.

Fantastic analysis. I've had Frasier on rotation for 3 years now... I'll get Cheers again. Fiction that becomes part of life.

That intro was so damn good that I instantly paused and subscribed. Kelsey's such a fantastic actor.

I originally found your channel from your Sly Cooper breakdown. So it is such a pleasant surprise to see you deep dive into one of my favorite shows that is so widely different from video games. This is a really interesting watch, thanks!

And now I need to go watch Frasier again. Thanks, B.

youtube finally understands me. gosh, a two and a half hour video essay about Frasier (on cheers), this is the peak

This is the best. I can't imagine how much work you put into this, absolute masterpiece.

I never expected a frasier video, B-mask, and I couldn't be happier. I'm glad my little bit of patreon support helped do this.

B mask talking about Frasier. Can't get any better.

I grew up watching Cheers as a kid (it started when I was 2 years old, and it was always on in the background because my parents loved it). I watched Fraiser from middle school through college. This brought back great memories! It's very weird to think that Grammer played this character from when I was about 5, through my early 20s.

Wow watching this has made me realize one simple truth...Boy did I miss a lot of episodes! I have rediscovered my love for this character and Cheers I never realized how in-depth these shows were until now

I love Cheers so much. Insane to see someone I’m subscribed to making a multi hour video on the series

I KNEW IT! NILES, BREAK OUT THE SHERRY!

"Damn. I might actually get through one of B-mask's essays without tearing up." "Where everyone kept Coach in the loop." " *Sniff* Damn it"

This is wonderful. My favorite American show, tied with Martin. And only 2nd to my favorite show Keeping up Appearances! With the unseen son!

This video inspired me to do a deep dive into other video essays on both Cheers and Frasier so I could see if other people shared this same reverence for the shows and the character of Frasier himself. The search led me to Jose and his retrospective videos on both shows, which in turn led me to a video by the channel hoots that Jose recommended. I've now seen 3 completely differing opinions on the show, your love for the character of Frasier is clear and well supported, while hoots and her collaborator vehemently despise the character and the show for well-supported and respectable reasons (I can't do their arguments justice, I recommend their video). Jose meanwhile presented a more down the middle interpretation of both Cheers and Frasier, highlighting the good and the bad. After hearing all of these contrasting opinions, I had an epiphany. "The only reason I'm searching for all these video essays is because I don't want to commit to watching 22 seasons of television so I could form my own opinion on both shows." And I've thought about that a lot since it first came to me. I've very much enjoyed the clips that you and Jose sprinkled throughout your videos, both Cheers and Frasier seem like my kind of comedy, but I'll never actually know for sure unless I put in the work and actually watch the shows for myself. I think that's the morale that should be taken from shows that have such a divisive legacy. The only clear answer you can give on the show's quality is your own, so you should put in the work and watch it for yourself instead of copying the opinion of a youtuber you like a lot. But thank you for this video, B-Mask. Right now I feel like I'd be more inclined to agree with you about both shows. But only time will tell, and I'm looking forward to starting Cheers and figuring it out.

Very well done. Cheers is my favorite show and it was such a great overview of the show and the role of the Frasier character.

I absolutely love that bittersweet moment when Lilith and Frasier say goodbye for the very last time. That short moment of silence feels like they both realize how much they mean to each other and there's nothing but love between them. Beautiful.

I'm still amused by Seth McFarlane's joke: "That show stopped being funny after Kirstie Alley ate Shelley Long"

Great Video Man, as someone who never saw Cheers but just recently finished watching Fraiser the few cameos brought out a different side of the character which intrigued me but I just didn't have context for, this helped fill in those missing pieces greatly.

I was only a quarter of the way through this when I wanted to say: This is the most thorough, well-presented, beautifully illustrated essay on a TV character I think I will ever see! Now it has taken me 4 days to finish watching it, and it has been worth every minute. Bravo, and thank you.

Wow 2 1/2 hours about one of my favorite shows and characters ever. This is great! This is great!

Thank you so much for making this. I too am obsessed with Frasier. It’s wonderful to see your analysis and work - it is utterly fantastic.

Absolutely lovely video and personally one of your best works. The way you ended up exploring and making me so invested in Frasier, the other characters and, really, just the whole show which I only vaguely heard about before was just beautifully done

Mentions Faulty Towers. Doesn't mention The War. BMask showing true restraint.

What a thorough, affectionate tribute to one of TV's greatest second bananas who became top dog. Thank you for putting this together! Color me subscribed.

2:15:44 Honestly, there were times I felt my love life was being written by the Frasier writers.

THIS IS WHY YOU ARE THE GOAT!!!!!!!! THE ONLY PERSON TO DROP A 2 HOUR CHEERS VIDEO ESSAY

i like fraiser's face. Was born after the shows time. But, this doc has been an excellent companion in the background while I lay home bound, away from work sick. Dancing on melodies of flem and confusion.

I never really watched Cheers, but Fraiser is my favourite comedy of all time. I miss when shows had good writing, and actors acted really well. Fraiser is king in my book and I rewatch it every so often. It was years before i looked into the backstory on cheers though. This summarizes it nicely.

Thanks for the upload B, had week of adjustments to new things and had a weird scare of something unexpected today (Was dealt with already so that is good) so seeing an extended video about Frasier focused on the era of his I am least familiar with is a great thing to see. Your long videos are a comfort and I am glad you still chipping away at the crazy world of video Essays you odd bandicoot man.

As someone who saw Big Bang Theory long before Cheers, and it looks like Amy was largely modeled after Lilith, and Sheldon seemed to have some inspiration from Frazier. And that isn’t a critique, just interesting to see

This is perfect to watch right before watching the Frasier reboot.😅

This is honestly amazing, for so long I’ve been trying to sync up the Fraiser/Cheers continuity in my head, seeing it laid out and explained so well almost felt surreal. Amazing job with this video!

Wow. That was really well done. Watched the whole thing. Just like I watched all of Cheers and am slowly making my way straight through all the seasons of Frasier. I had originally watched them whenever I could on network TV or in syndication, but it's interesting to see the longer story arcs play out consecutively. It was an incredibly thoughtful video, and I learned a great deal, found the trivia and continuity errors hilarious, and your narrative was so humane. Just like the two shows. Which is exactly why I suppose we both loved them.