10 TV Shows That Were Nothing Like You Expected

9. Frasier

Frasier Niles
NBC

Cheers is one of the ultimate hangout sitcoms. It was Friends before Friends was Friends, with the exploits and relationships of the patrons of Sam's Bar delighting fans for 11 years. The premise was relatively simple, with the main crux being a bunch of people hanging out in a bar and talking; with little irony or snark but a lot of heart and charm - it wasn't particularly dumb or low-brow, but it certainly had broad comedic appeal.

Imagine, then, how jarring it is to go from that to Frasier. While fans were familiar with the character after his introduction in the third season, with him becoming a mainstay for over 200 episodes, his spin-off show couldn't really be more different.

Rather than a hangout, this time it's mostly just a band of three players - Frasier, his brother Niles, and their dad Martin (neither of whom featured in Cheers) - and the comedy has a decidedly cerebral bent, offering a mix of intellectual wit and high farce that is every bit as winning as Cheers' humour, but absolutely nothing like it all the same.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.