Frasier

Frasier went three pages without a joke to make the real jokes land. Steven Levitan, creator of Modern Family, says Frasier was among the first shows to deliberately go three pages without a joke. He says its well-written jokes still hold up.

Levitan's lesson is to cut half jokes that only get a chuckle, because they weaken the real one. Many sitcoms get nervous going pages without a joke. He tells actors to throw jokes away "like a drug dealer dumping drugs from a moving car." His line: "This is a half joke. Let's get rid of it so that the real joke plays better."

How I Write▶ 1:22:45

Frasier's brother Niles is more Frasier than Frasier, driving a rivalry. Levitan calls Niles the better choice of character. Because Niles is more Frasier than Frasier, the brothers end up in a rivalry for their father's love.

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