I hear the blues a-callin'...

I'm suffering from separation anxiety.

For Christmas, I bought my wife the complete Frasier on DVD. All eleven seasons. We've just finished watching the lot.

Amazingly, every disc was correct. No duplicates, none missing. 44 perfectly intact, correct and present shiny discs. At this point, I do have to say "fuck you, Amazon" for botching the gift wrap, which looked like it was scrabbled together by a disgruntled work experience lackey with missing fingers.

But I digress.

So, after watching all 264 episodes, I'm missing it immensely, strong emotions for a show that hasn't been in production for six years. I loved Cheers, but Frasier's on a different level altogether, standing atop a pedestal of perfection that it shares with so few other shows. It never once jumped the shark, remaining consistent in its format, tone and quality, and had the greatest ensemble cast from any sitcom ever. High praise from a person who's seen as many sitcoms as I have.

What do I love so much about it? Everything from the pilot episode "The Good Son" onwards was a master stroke. Kelsey Grammer is superb in the role, and going against the sitcom cliché of having a sibling who is the polar opposite for comedy effect, David Hyde Pierce playing his eerily similar brother Niles. The polar opposite comes in the form of John Mahoney playing their father Martin, his down-to-earth retired cop bursting the bubble of their pomposity. Normally, I hate 'comedy' animals in shows, but Martin's dog Eddie is brilliant. He has a far greater comedy skill than one Patrick Kielty could ever dream of.

The device of Frasier's radio show remains throughout (aside from a brief period where he lost his job, showing an accurate portrayal of a depressed man in denial), presided over by his producer, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin), filling the role of Frasier's best friend. KACL is home to a great supporting cast, from Dan Butler's sexist sports host Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe, to Ed Hibbert's gourmet Gil Chesterton, a man so far in the closet he can see Mr Tumnus.

The absolute best thing about Frasier? Niles's obsession with Martin's health worker, Daphne Moon (played by former Hill's Angel Jane Leeves affecting a Mancunian accent, unlike her screen brothers), unrequited for most of the show's run. It was beautifully played out, Daphne being completely unaware of his feelings until a medication-addled Frasier lets slip. Niles, in the meantime, was married to Maris, a vile, vicious socialite that we never see, much like Norm's wife Vera in Cheers. After everything we hear about Maris, it would have been impossible to cast her; they would have had to use CGI. When they finally divorce, you can feel the downtrodden Niles's relief, but they don't rush him into a relationship with the woman of his dreams. The pacing is impeccable. Niles's tic of dusting a seat before he sits is finally explained in a throwaway comment by Martin's fiancée Ronee in one of the final episodes. Every single loose end is tied up eventually.

In a nutshell, Frasier's wonderful. The characters develop realistically, and nothing's rushed. The production team were comfortable and confident enough to let things evolve at their own pace, but it never feels dragged out. It's extremely clever, but not afraid to delve into farce. You end up caring deeply about these characters, cringing when things go disastrously wrong, deliriously happy when things work out. There's no magic reset button at the end of episodes, continuity being a strong staple. Every available cast member of Cheers makes an appearance each in Frasier (aside from Kirsty Alley), and one thing becomes obvious; Frasier is the only character that would ever have worked in a spin-off. If you don't own Frasier, buy it. It's an utterly perfect show that went out on a dizzying high.

Now if only they could release Cheers past season 6 in the UK...