Cheers had more than a few praise-worthy qualities that keep the reruns playing even decades after the show's finale.
Any good sitcom worth its salt has to have at least one solid running gag throughout the series, but the adventures of Dr. Frasier Crane certainly had more than its fair share. From blank-staring dogs to invisible evil ex-wives, the show knew how to get laughs on repeat.
Daphne’s Visions
She might only be a "little bit psychic" but even first-time viewers could predict that this little quirk of Daphne's would become a frequent phenomenon as early as the first or second seasons. While the validity of her ESP might be the subject of debate, as it was in a few episodes, there's no denying that it helped to contribute to some of Daphne's best quotes in Frasier.
The show was never a stranger to characters with eccentric personalities, but Daphne is easily one of the most charming. She might not be 100% clairvoyant, but that doesn't mean she'll stop trying to draw from her beloved psychic energies.
Martin’s Eddie Obsession
They say there's nothing so sweet as a boy and his dog, but Marty Crane takes that statement to a whole new level with his faithful furry friend, Eddie. There are loads of jokes about pets taking after their owners and vice-versa, but it's remarkable just how frequent the pair illustrates the idea.
From dressing him up in goofy outfits to practically treating him like a third child, Marty positively adores his dog and the various displays of that fact are some of his funniest moments. While it might not be the behavior someone would normally associate with a former decorated cop, it does allow Marty to show off his softer side.
Mysterious Maris
One of the most well-known running gags throughout the series has to be the quite literally invisible presence of Niles' wife, later ex-wife, Maris. While the character is never physically seen at any point in the show, viewers already have a strangely good idea of what she's like by description and reputation alone.
The mind's eye is often the best illustrator, and despite never appearing on screen, the endless insults about Maris fill in a lot of blanks. In later seasons, the woman practically becomes a parody of herself with all the ridiculous and extreme lengths she goes to maintain her high-society status.
Battle Of The Brothers
Some of the funniest episodes are the ones where Frasier and Niles lock horns over some petty sibling rivalry. It's fun to see them work together and they do make a great team on their good days, but the truest form of their comedic chops comes out when they have to outdo one another.
Whether that's during one of their dinner parties, in the psychiatric field, or at their snooty wine club, one always has to one-up the other. Their father, Marty, will no doubt attest to the fact that their constant squabbles have been a thing since childhood, and he's always there to help pick up the pieces and take them out for ice cream afterward.
The Eddie Stare
It's mainly directed at the fastidious Frasier, but Eddie has a stare that could melt through steel. It's practically the little dog's default setting, but watching him gaze for extended periods of time while making the subject of his attention progressively uncomfortable is a frequently funny gag throughout the series.
It might be Eddie's way of affection or his way of sizing up different characters before deciding if they're friend or foe, but his thousand-yard stare is easily one of his most recognizable qualities. Either way, it helps him stand out from other sitcom dogs and provides an important plot point for the best Eddie the dog episodes of Frasier.
“Me Grammy Moon Used To Say…”
Daphne comes with plenty of quotes about her family - from her drunken father and shrewish mother to her legion of rowdy brothers - but no one is more often referenced than her Grammy Moon. Like Maris Crane, the character is never actually seen, but she's mentioned so much that the audience can't help but paint a mental picture.
From setting fire to her eyebrows while cooking the Christmas pudding to her nuggets of strange folksy wisdom, she's as colorful and eccentric as any member of Daphne's clan could be. Her reputation certainly makes her real enough, and she helps to form one of the best running jokes in Frasier history.
Bulldog’s Almost Tantrums
"This stinks! This is total BS!" is the line that proceeds an almost violent outburst from KACL's Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe, much to the comedic delight of the viewers. Bulldog is a very charismatic and expressive character and his lack of filter and short fuse continues to reaffirm that every chance it can, especially when he's only minorly inconvenienced.
Although he never follows through with his angry outbursts, it's not hard to imagine what a truly rabid Bulldog might do. Even so, his short outbursts have an angry-terrier-like quality that just can't be anything else but laughable.
Roz’s Love life
One of the easiest subjects made fun of on the show was Roz's frequent romantic escapades, and her promiscuous reputation was one that followed her throughout the series. To her credit, Roz didn't exactly do much to hide it and it certainly wasn't like she didn't take it in her stride.
She was undoubtedly the wildcard of the group with some of her actions turning out to be the worst things Roz ever did in Frasier, but even she made jokes at her own promiscuous nature a time or two. Her reputation and frequent flings might have been a pair of easy targets, but there's no denying that the humor didn't pay off.
Niles’ Obsession With Cleanliness
Sometimes, the simple approach is the best way to go. It's not so much that the act of Niles repeatedly wiping down any public spot he takes is the funny part, but it's the repetitive nature of his germaphobic compulsion that turns it into a running gag.
Some spots can be excused - such as a bus stop or other public spaces- but places like Cafe Nervosa or Frasier's apartment might be taking it a stretch too far. In the end, it's the exaggeration of this action that keeps it as one of the show's most used gags.
Frasier’s Comical Snobbery
If there's one thing fans can count on during every episode with Seattle's favorite shrink, it's his over-the-top snobbish behavior that typically lands him in sitcom-worthy situations. Whether it's a quest to find an extremely rare bottle of wine, land tickets to a highly-reviewed play, or earn access to an exclusive spa, Frasier's appetite for the high-brow things in life is part of what makes him such a fun character.
It's the over-the-top nature of Frasier's expensive and eclectic interests that help cement the show's brand of dry-witted humor. Not every audience member will identify with his opera references or his eloquent waxings, but they can definitely appreciate how even someone as prestigious and propper as Frasier Crane can be taken down a peg or two thanks to his own ego.