Dr. Frasier Winslow Crane is a fictional character who is both a supporting character on the American television sitcom
Cheers and the titular protagonist of its spin-off
Frasier, portrayed by Kelsey Grammer. The character debuted in the
Cheers third-season premiere, "Rebound " (1984), as Diane Chambers's love interest, part of the Sam and Diane story arc. Intended to appear for only a few episodes, Grammer's performance for the role was praised by producers, prompting them to expand his role and to increase his prominence. Later in
Cheers, Frasier marries Lilith Sternin and has a son, Frederick. After
Cheers ended, the character moved to a spin-off series,
Frasier, the span of his overall television appearances totaling twenty years. In the spin-off, Frasier moves back to his birthplace Seattle after his divorce from Lilith, who retained custody of Frederick in Boston, and is reunited with a newly-created family: his estranged father Martin and brother Niles.