Frasier's David Hyde Pierce Reveals Studio Audience Reaction To Niles And Daphne's First Kiss

In the history of sitcom "will-they-won't-they" relationships, none might have teased audiences more than Niles and Daphne on "Frasier." Over seven seasons of what many consider to be one of the best sitcoms of all time, audiences saw Niles hilariously fall over himself every time Daphne was around and fans began to wonder when — if ever — the two would get together. Even after Niles and Maris got divorced, Daphne would remain just a friend. In Season 7, all hope seemed lost when Daphne got engaged and Niles married someone else. But in the season finale, the audience got the payoff they had waited so long for as the two shared their first kiss.

David Hyde Pierce, who played Niles, revealed in an interview with The Guardian that the timing was perfect. "One thing that the writers did very smartly: They got us together before people were tired of the suspense," he said. "I remember very well, speaking of moments that stick with me, when we kissed in front of the live audience. They lost their minds." That moment helped cement their place as one of the best TV couples of all time.

Jane Leeves, who played Daphne for 11 seasons on "Frasier," told The Guardian that she knew the relationship between Niles and Daphne would need to be resolved sooner or later. "Seven years is a long time," she said. "I think the audience was sort of begging to please bring this to a conclusion." Even after that kiss, however, the writers for the sitcom weren't quite done teasing audiences with the relationship. For the next two seasons, the couple dated, broke away from their respective partners, and finally got engaged and married. 

While some fans rejoiced at seeing Niles and Daphne officially get together, others have pointed to that resolution as the moment when "Frasier" officially jumped the shark. In the same interview with The Guardian, David Hyde Pierce shared that he is thankful that the original show went out on a high note. "The creators ... knew when to end the series; they ended it before any of us were ready," he said. "They didn't want it to dribble off and have the network or the studio say 'Yeah, you're done.' They wanted to be able to craft a final season." 

In that final season, the show ends with the couple welcoming their first child in the series finale. When the show was rebooted in 2023, neither Niles nor Daphne returned, but their son actually did.