Kelsey Grammer makes shock confession about Cheers

Kelsey Grammer has made a shocking confession about the show that launched his career - by branding it "terrible".

The 69-year-old comedy legend is known to millions for his role as Dr Frasier Crane - the character who first appeared on the iconic sitcom Cheers in 1984.

While Grammer arguably owes his success to the bar-based comedy, he has admitted he didn't think it was good enough when he was first approached to appear on it.

Recalling when casting director Gretchen Rennell first contacted him about playing Frasier, Metro quoted the actor stating at a screening event, "She said, 'There's a new character coming on to Cheers.' I thought, what the hell is Cheers?

"She said, 'It's a television show that's very popular right now. Sam and Diane are the characters.' Maybe I saw this show? I think I might have seen the pilot when I was tending bar at O'Neill's on 57th and 6th Avenue.

"I remember thinking, 'What a terrible show. I would never want to be on something like that'."

He did go on to land the role, however, and first appeared on the show in the season three premiere, Rebound (Part I).

His character proved to be so popular, he expanded into the spin-off show Frasier which ran for 11 seasons and 264 episodes from 1993 until 2004.

The series was revived by Paramount+ in 2023 and follows Frasier after moving from Seattle back to Boston, where Cheers was based - with the series returning for a second season this month.