12 Shows That Would Be Better If They Were "Frasier"

    "Hey baby I hear the blues a-callin'..."

    Arianna Rebolini
    by Arianna Rebolini

    BuzzFeed Staff

    HBO / NBC / BuzzFeed

    1. Modern Family

    ABC

    Modern Family— the mockumentary-style sitcom following the shenanigans of the Pritchett clan— has long been a critical darling, amassing Emmys and Golden Globes since it launched in 2009. But what if, instead of the Pritchetts, it was the Cranes, and instead of all its established story arcs, it was Frasier?

    2. True Detective

    HBO / Via deadline.com

    Detectives Rust Cohle and Martin Hart were a formidable crime-fighting duo in this dark and suspenseful drama, but picture a show that, instead, is about sort of wimpy men amusing themselves with high-brow jokes, and it's clear which would be better.

    3. The Walking Dead

    AMC / Via s3.amazonaws.com

    Obviously, everyone loves The Walking Dead, AMC's thrilling adaptation of the zombie apocalypse comic book series. The only thing that would make it better is if it were actually about two psychiatrist brothers who discuss their neuroses over coffee in Seattle.

    4. Girls

    HBO

    One is about four twenty-something girls figuring out their lives and themselves in Brooklyn. The other is about a middle-aged therapist who hosts a call-in advice show. The second one is better!

    5. Live! With Kelly and Michael

    Disney-ABC Domestic Television

    It's not that this morning talk show isn't delightful; it's just that it would be more so if it were a sitcom from the '90s that managed to be both broadly funny and nuanced.

    6. Law and Order: Criminal Intent

    USA

    Let's not get carried away: Most of the Law and Order franchise is on par with Frasier, and are more than fine as they are. But not Criminal Intent.

    7. The Office (U.S.)

    NBC

    NBC's The Office, which chronicled the lives of employees at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, was arguably the most successful U.S. adaptation of a British hit. Imagine if it were about two brothers who, despite their advanced degrees, were seemingly incapable of keeping their lives together!

    8. Lost

    ABC

    Lost is notorious for angering its audience by ending on millions of unanswered questions. But there's no mystery about Frasier: It was just great.

    9. Even Stevens

    Disney

    90s kids will remember this Disney classic about two hilariously head-butting siblings fondly, but don't let the bias of nostalgia fool you. It would've been better if, instead of being in school, they were adults in the middle of highly successful careers in Seattle.

    10. Cake Boss

    TLC

    Cake Boss offers an inside look at a thriving bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. What it doesn't do is tell the story of a retired cop who struggles to connect with his sons, despite their lack of shared interests or sensibilities. Which is a shame, because that would be better.

    11. Dharma & Greg

    ABC

    A lot of people forget about Dharma & Greg, the sitcom about an impossibly mismatched couple who marry on their first date. Contrastively, Frasier is alive and well both in syndication and in viewers' hearts.

    12. Friends

    NBC

    Controversial opinion alert!!!! Friends is basically universally adored, but a little known fact is it would've been better if it were Frasier.