Side Characters Who Stole the Show from the Lead

Cheers (1982) was set in a Boston bar run by Sam Malone, a former Red Sox pitcher whose romantic misadventures and friendships powered the series. Sam, played by Ted Danson, was the charming lead at the heart of the show’s success for much of its run.

Introduced in season three, Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane gradually became indispensable. The uptight psychiatrist added a sophisticated contrast to the bar’s laid-back atmosphere, mixing pomposity with vulnerability. His dry wit and complicated relationships resonated so strongly that he spun off into Frasier, a series that eclipsed even the success of Cheers.