Before The ‘Frasier’ We All Know And Love, Fox Premiered A Bizarre ‘Frasier’-Like Series Starring Richard Lewis And Don Rickles

Ten days before Frasier debuted on NBC, Fox released a similar sitcom titled Daddy Dearest. The late Don Rickles played the father of late Richard Lewis’s Frasier character. Like his character in Frasier, Lewis was a divorced psychiatrist who had to take in his cynical dad.

Sadly, Fox’s show only lasted 11 episodes while NBC’s ran for 11 seasons, earning tens of awards during and after its lifespan and sticking as a fan favorite many years later. Daddy Dearest was reviewed in The New York Daily News as “terrible,” while Frasier was deemed “terrific.”

‘Frasier’ starring Richard Lewis and Don Rickles…?

There have been cases in Hollywood whereby multiple creators will have similar ideas for different projects, evident in films like Volcano and Dante’s Peak, Armageddon and Deep Impact, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and 30 Rock. Daddy Dearest and Frasier was arguably just another case of parallel thinking.

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Both sitcoms were not without their differences; unlike Frasier Crane, who abandoned his son Frederick in Boston, Lewis’ Dr. Steven Mitchell lives with his and does not have a radio show. Al was also previously married. The most undeniable contrast between the series, however, was that Frasier was more welcomed by audiences, leading to its success.

Why was ‘Daddy Dearest’ canceled?

Daddy Dearest was reportedly not well received upon release, with many viewers describing it as “lame” and “utterly unredeemable.” There was allegedly a tinge of sexism, bigotry, and racism as well in some scenes, such as the scene with one of Steven’s Asian patients, who is asked to “feel at home” on “Table 27. No MSG.”

In the sitcom’s defense, it has a good theme song featuring Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing.” It also had a similar plot point to Friends, whereby Al’s reason for divorce was discovering that his wife is gay— just like Ross’; however, Fox turned down the idea for fear of losing sponsors like Coca-Cola.