Paramount+ is reviving the iconic sitcom Frasier with Kelsey Grammer. As exciting as this is, doing so risks ruining the legacy of the original series
As exciting as it is seeing Kelsey Grammer back as the snobby psychiatrist, the Frasier reboot actually risks ruining the original show’s legacy. Two decades since ending his stint as Frasier Crane in the Seattle-based series, Grammer is set to return to the small screen as his iconic sitcom character. This time, however, instead of network television, Frasier’s third outing will be on a streaming service via Paramount+. Aside from starring in the project, Grammer is also producing the show and is creatively involved behind the scenes.
Despite the success of the original Frasier show, it wasn’t easy getting the revival off the ground. Grammer said that it took him years to actually find a platform that would host the project. Even after Paramount+ officially announced the show, the endeavor continued to face issues, particularly when it came to cracking the show’s premise. Couple that with the coronavirus pandemic that shut down Hollywood, the Frasier revival has already been significantly delayed. While Grammer sounds really confident about the series, there’s understandably still skepticism around it, especially since it could tarnish its parent series’ stellar legacy.
8. Frasier’s Reboot Is Missing Major Original Characters
One of, if not the biggest issue many fans have with the Frasier reboot is the lack of the original cast members. Aside from Grammer, no one else from the Seattle-based show will be series regulars in the Paramount+ endeavor. John Mahoney has sadly passed away, and there are no plans of recasting Martin Crane. Meanwhile, both David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves decided to pass on the project, not wanting to revisit the sitcom.
Peri Gilpin will be back as Roz, but only in a guest capacity. The same goes for Bebe Neuwirth’s Lilith. Considering how integral the ensemble was in the success of the original Frasier, there are doubts that the revival can live up to what its predecessor was able to do without many of those beloved characters.
7. Frasier’s Reboot Doesn’t Understand What Made Frasier Work
Grammer made the bold claim that the Frasier revival is even funnier than its parent show. While that is inspiring since no one wants to watch a boring sitcom, being hilarious isn’t the only factor that will spell the reboot’s success. As previously mentioned, the lack of the original cast members will play a role in that, especially since the ensemble’s chemistry was a big reason for the Cheers spin-off’s success. Aside from that, the original Frasier show was also able to brilliantly balance funny and heartwarming moments, which is not an easy feat.
Grammer made the bold claim that the Frasier revival is even funnier than its parent show. While that is inspiring since no one wants to watch a boring sitcom, being hilarious isn’t the only factor that will spell the reboot’s success. As previously mentioned, the lack of the original cast members will play a role in that, especially since the ensemble’s chemistry was a big reason for the Cheers spin-off’s success. Aside from that, the original Frasier show was also able to brilliantly balance funny and heartwarming moments, which is not an easy feat.
6. Does Frasier Actually Work In The 2020s?
Unlike other sitcoms, the original Frasier limited its references to real-life events. Aside from the turn of the millennium, it mostly focused on its own stories, helping it to age better than many of the shows during the era. Despite that, Frasier was still a product of its time, with certain elements of it arguably difficult to pull off in this day and age. As a character, Frasier is timeless, but being a radiotherapist is no longer a sustainable career. Seeing Frasier with a modern lens can ultimately make the original series feel outdated.
5. Frasier’s Ending Was Actually Good
After 11 years in Seattle, Frasier decided that it was time for him to move on with his life. With both Niles and Martin starting fresh arcs with their respective love interests, Frasier decided to seize the moment and follow Charlotte in Chicago — but not without wrapping up his affairs in the Pacific Northwest. Interestingly, Frasier ended on a cliffhanger; there was no indication of what happened to him and Charlotte, leaving fans hopeful that they ended up together. Unfortunately, the Frasier revival would need to come up with a definitive fate for their romance, and it may not be as great as fans thought it to be.
4. The Frasier Reboot Could Make Frasier’s Life A Tragedy
Despite having a titular character, the Seattle-based Frasier series was an ensemble. Each main character was given their respective arcs, and by the end of the show, it’s clear that everyone had grown, except for Frasier. Granted that he was in pursuit of Charlotte in the finale, but Frasier’s move to Boston in the Frasier revival heavily hints that things didn’t work out for them. This leaves him still alone four decades since he first debuted. If he remains as pompous as ever in the reboot, then it means that he isn’t growing as a person.
3. The Frasier Reboot Could Ruin Frasier’s Seattle Relationships
Because the original Frasier ensemble won’t be in the revival, Paramount+ needs to introduce several new characters to surround the Grammer’s headliner. One of the newest players is Nicholas Lyndhurst’s Alan Cornwall, who is billed as Frasier’s first friend. This risks undermining Roz’s importance in the original show. Despite what Grammer claims, Frasier’s KACL producer eventually became more than a co-worker during their decade-long professional partnership. They went through a lot together and developed a dynamic deeper than just being peers in the industry.
Aside from Roz, the Frasier revival can also ruin Frasier’s relationship with Niles. Throughout the show’s run, the brothers’ dynamic was at the center of its storytelling. While the physical distance would make catching up trickier, there is no way that Niles couldn’t be bothered to visit Frasier in Boston. The fact that his and Daphne’s son, David, is also in North England makes this worse.
2. Frasier’s Reboot Could Undermine Frasier’s Boston Origins
One of the first details confirmed about the Frasier reboot is its setting. In his fourth and final act, Frasier is returning to Boston to supposedly tie loose ends that he left there when he moved to Seattle in the early ’90s. Grammer has been coy about where his old Cheers pals will appear in his new project. That being said, if some of them can visit Frasier when he lived in Seattle, there shouldn’t be a reason why they can’t make brief cameos in the new show.
1. What If Paramount+ Cancels Frasier’s Reboot Without A Proper Ending?
Paramount+ has only greenlit the first 10 episodes of the Frasier revival. While there’s always a chance that the series gets picked up for a sophomore year, there’s also a risk that it gets unceremoniously canceled. Depending on how Grammer and his team laid out the opening chapter of the new series, season 1 could end with a massive cliffhanger, which may never be resolved in Paramount+ decides to pull the plug on the project. As previously mentioned, the original series had a great ending, despite its cliffhanger. So dropping the ball in this regard in the revival will be a massive disappointment.
