Frasier: All 11 Seasons, Ranked

For eleven long, critically acclaimed, highly watched, and intensely beloved seasons, Frasier was one of the best series on all of television, sitcom or otherwise. Even two decades after its original airing, the series continues to stand the test of time as one of the best there ever was, and one of the best sitcoms, most of all.

It’s hard, honestly, to pinpoint any seasons or episodes of Frasier that are all bad. Even the worst episodes of the series contain hidden gems – it’s just that some of those gems are far more hidden than others. Somehow, we’ve managed to take a look at the series as a whole and offer a ranking of the seasons. So, how do the series’ many storied seasons compare to each other? Which season will come out on top? Read on to find out.

11 Season 8

It’s hard to find much good in Frasier‘s eighth season. To be sure, there are a few diamonds within the rough. Niles and Daphne finally get their acts together and get together after seven long seasons of back and forth. Frasier hires a butler, brilliantly played by Victor Garber. Niles somehow becomes a basketball star. And, of course, “Cranes Go Caribbean.”

But the season on the whole is, fittingly and unfortunately, weighed down by the truly distasteful “fat Daphne” storyline, which was the series’ solution to allowing Jane Leeves time off for maternity leave.

10 Season 10

Season 10 of Frasier definitely fares better than the eighth season does overall. It also contains many more memorable episodes, and far less distasteful storylines. But it also represents the most prominent featuring of one of the series’ worst characters – Daphne’s abusive, insufferable mother, who never seems to learn when she’s long outstayed her welcome.

On the bright side, the season includes Niles and Daphne’s many weddings, a hilarious Halloween prank war, and Niles and Frasier trying to learn to ride bikes. The season also includes some of the series’ most emotional material, as Niles undergoes open heart surgery.

9 Season 9

For better or worse (but usually worse), Frasier‘s ninth season is when the series starts to truly explore Daphne’s expansive, obnoxious, stereotypical family, most prominently in the form of her overbearing mother. But even looking past that poorly thought out storyline, the ninth season contains some true gems in the series’ run.

Major highlights include Frasier’s war against a cricket, the introduction of Cam Winston, Roz developing a relationship with Roger, “Room Full of Heroes,” Frasier’s 2000th radio show, Niles proposing to Daphne, the arrival of Lilith’s scheming half-brother Blaine Sternin, the spelling bee, a Crane brothers mystery, and Frasier’s return to Boston.

8 Season 1

First seasons of sitcoms are often much broader than they need to be, and tend to flow less smoothly than later seasons when characters and relationships are well-established and audiences are invested. But for the most part, Frasier‘s first season is a true gem, reintroducing fans to the already beloved Frasier Crane, and expanding his world with richly developed characters from the get go.

Highlights of the first season include the Crane boys visiting Martin’s favorite steakhouse, Frasier and Niles learning a shocking truth about their parents’ marriage,  the first appearance of Lilith, the first annual SeaBea awards, and Frasier and Niles’ failed attempts at writing a book together.

7 Season 11

It’s rare that a sitcom’s final season manages to be just as good as some of its earlier ones. But as it often does, Frasier manages to do the seemingly impossible, turning in a truly stellar final run filled with some of the series’ most hilarious and most heartwarming episodes.

Significant highlights include Patrick Stewart’s guest appearance in “The Doctor Is Out,” the introduction of Ronee, Maris being accused of murder and Niles’ subsequent breakdown, Martin getting high on a pot brownie, the introduction of Laura Linney’s Charlotte, and the truly perfect series finale, “Goodnight, Seattle.”

6 Season 6

After a dramatic change to its universe at the end of the previous season, it wouldn’t have been surprising for Frasier on the whole to flounder in its sixth season. But on the contrary, the series continues to show its true strengths and many gifts as it finally reaches its midway point.

Some of the season’s highlights include Frasier’s identity crisis following his firing from KACL, Niles moving into the bachelor pad at the Shangri-La, the bizarre seal adventure, the entire episode “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz,” Niles and Frasier’s feud over their IQs, and the game-changing episode “Visions of Daphne.”

5 Season 3

In truth, season three of Frasier is a perfectly middling season. There are many storylines in the season that would earn this season a much lower spot on this list, if the many other incredible plots within the third season weren’t so damn good they actually counterbalance the poor decisions. The introduction of Kate Costas, in particular, weighs down many of the season’s key episodes.

But other installments of the season stand out as some of the series’ best overall. True highlights from the season include Niles and Maris’s separation, Niles and Daphne’s famous date and dance at an elite event, the return of Diane Chambers, the infamous Leap Day adventures, and Frasier and Roz exploring the true nature of their feelings for each other.

4 Season 7

It would be unthinkable for most series, but somehow, Frasier gets a true new start in its seventh season. From the get go, the stakes are raised, with Daphne’s impending wedding, and the looming reveal of Niles’ true feelings – and Daphne’s own, as well.

But even with the couple’s inevitable, much welcomed union at the end of the season, the seventh season is one of the series’ best for many other reasons, including the Crane boys watching Antiques Roadshow, Frasier inadvertently revealing Niles’ feelings to Daphne, “RDWRER,” and Martin posing as a gay man to help Frasier.

3 Season 5

Nowadays, five seasons is considered a decent length for a sitcom’s run – which makes it all the more impressive that, five seasons in and not even at its halfway point, Frasier continued to show why it’s one of the best sitcoms of all time, rarely losing steam in the process.

Highlights of the fifth season include a hilarious and emotional Halloween, Roz learning that she’s pregnant, Frasier Crane Day, a cruise ship mystery, Frasier’s zoo humiliation, the chaotic saga of “The Ski Lodge,” Niles and Daphne’s unofficial “First Date,” and the shocking firing of all broadcasters on KACL.

2 Season 2

When it comes to sitcom seasons, they almost don’t get any better than this. From the very first episode, Frasier‘s second season is firing on all cylinders, with episodes both riotously hilarious and profoundly emotional. The relationships between characters truly begin to shine in this season, with the long game of Niles and Daphne’s will they, won’t they now fully in swing, and the deep relationship between father and sons serving as a major plotline.

Some of the second season’s many, many highlights include the Crane boys searching for a lost Eddie, Frasier being mistaken for a gay man by his own boss, the arrival of Frasier’s old friend Sam Malone, Niles engaging in a duel over Maris, the Crane boys going ice fishing, and Niles and Frasier investing in a restaurant.

1 Season 4

Season two might be a pretty damn perfect season of Frasier. But season four takes the very concept of perfection to an entirely new level. It’s practically impossible to find a single episode in the season that isn’t perfectly crafted and masterfully written and acted. The perfect balance of comedy and emotion in this season represents the series at its true best.

The highlight list for this season could, therefore, very well be the entire season itself. But somehow, we’ve managed to narrow it down a little to a list that includes the uproarious season premiere “The Two Mrs. Cranes,” Frasier’s struggle to psychoanalyze his own dreams, Frasier and Niles meeting a beloved author, Niles and Daphne’s growing closeness, Niles getting a dog and a bird, the KACL radio drama, and Maris filing for divorce.

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