Cheers co-creator James Burrows’s stance on a revival couldn’t be clearer, but the show’s characters can still appear in the Frasier reboot.
Based on comments made by Cheers co-creator James Burrows, the upcoming Frasier reboot is the only way fans will see the original show’s characters again. Frasier, which follows Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) as a radio show host in Seattle, is a spinoff of the beloved Boston-based ’80s sitcom Cheers. Frasier was one of the regulars at the titular bar until he moved to Seattle, and his eponymous series is one of the few spinoffs that became as popular as its predecessor. Now, Frasier is getting a revival on Paramount+ with Grammer returning, and it picks up almost 20 years after the first version ended in 2004.
The Frasier revival series isn’t set in Seattle, as it takes the character back to his professional roots in Boston. What the character is doing there and how many of his old drinking buddies he’ll meet is unclear, but the Boston setting certainly hints at a huge Cheers reunion. Nevertheless, while there’s a demand for a Cheers reboot series as well, the characters’ guest spots in the Frasier revival will have to suffice. Returning to the franchise to direct two Frasier reboot episodes, co-creator James Burrows responded to the Cheers reboot possibility rather bluntly, and he is totally right.
Frasier’s Reboot Is The Final Chance For Your Favorite Cheers Characters
When James Burrows discussed the chances, or lack thereof, of a Cheers reunion, the filmmaker said, “No. No, you’re not going to touch that. We talked about going on after Ted [Danson] left and we said, “No, this is it. Wrap it up, put it out there on a satellite TV and [syndication], and let people enjoy it.” While it isn’t always up to the creator on whether things get rebooted because the studio or network usually owns the rights, in this case, Burrows owns 3 Sisters, a joint venture with NBC that holds the rights to Cheers. Therefore, Burrows’s comments are pretty definitive that a Cheers revival can’t happen.
That doesn’t mean the beloved Cheers characters won’t return in the Frasier revival. While no one has been confirmed, Grammer hinted at several Cheers cameos in the new Frasier. Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, and Ted Danson are all still regularly working in huge movie and TV projects, so any one of them would turn heads. Unfortunately, Danson hasn’t ever seemed interested in reprising his role as Sam Malone, and his departure from Cheers is what led to the show’s end in the first place. Either way, a number of the original sitcom’s characters will feature in the Frasier reboot, and that’s actually much better than Cheers’ own revival series.
Why It’s Good Cheers Won’t Be Getting A Reboot
Cheers ended rather definitively, and every character’s arc was wrapped up. However, audiences have been following Frasier Crane through every step of his adult life and his professional career, and revisiting him once again feels totally natural. A Cheers reboot wouldn’t feel natural at all, and if anything, it’d seem a little painfull. Cheers ended nearly 30 years ago, so a forced reboot where Woody Boyd (Harrelson) is still working behind the same bar decades later and the same locals, now in their 70s and 80s, are sitting at the same spot would simply be depressing. A cameo on Frasier that depicts how they’ve moved on would be more fitting.
