Kelsey Grammer finally settles the fate of the Cheers bar in the Frasier reboot. Before starring in his own show, Grammer got his start as Frasier Crane in NBC’s Cheers. Introduced as Diane’s rebound boyfriend in season 3, he stayed and became a main character even after Shelley Long left Cheers after season 5. Sam’s underground pub became the snooty therapist’s go-to nightly spot in Boston. As he returned to Beantown 30 years after Cheers wrapped up and moved to Seattle to start a new life, there were understandably questions about the chances of him revisiting his old haunt.
The Frasier reboot season 1 didn’t explicitly acknowledge Cheers, let alone visit it, raising questions about its status, and now, Grammer clarifies it in an interview with USA Today. Apparently, Sam’s pub is already closed during the events of the reboot, effectively ruling out the possibility of Frasier stepping back into the bar and finding his old drinking buddies there. Cheers co-creator James Burrow made this decision, and Grammer is committed to honoring that. Read his full quote below:
“There’s a sense of respect that we owe him and the idea (“Frasier”) exists in another world. It’s gone, the bar is gone.”
Why It’s Better That Cheers Is Closed In The Frasier Reboot
Frasier stepping back into the bar and getting welcomed by the same people is sad.
It’s worth noting that while Burrows has maintained his stance that Cheers is closed, the sitcom’s writer, Ken Levine, previously shared that he believes it remains open, with its old owner and patrons still there. He also strongly suggested that it would be best for the Frasier reboot to revisit it because not doing so is detrimental to the sitcom’s legacy. Admittedly, it would be a great source of nostalgia to see Frasier come back to Sam’s pub and mingle again with the likes of Norm, Cliff, and Carla. Maybe he could even bring Lilith with him.
However, featuring the bar the same way it was several decades ago doesn’t really make sense from a narrative standpoint. Frasier stepping back into the bar and getting welcomed by the same people is sad. It means that after all these years, they have remained stagnant in their ways, spending their nights drinking and engaging in childish shenanigans. They were fun during their younger days, but not when Sam and were already in their twilight years. With the Cheers bar closed, at least there’s hope that all were able to move on and have better lives.
In any case, the Frasier reboot has effectively replaced Cheers with Mahoney’s, which is a tribute to the late John Mahoney who played the Crane patriarch in the Seattle show. Having a place for Frasier and his new ensemble characters to gather somehow diminishes the need for Sam’s bar to make an appearance. Despite its fate, however, hopefully, Paramount+ can still honor the role Cheers played in Frasier’s story on-screen.
How The Frasier Reboot Can Still Honor Cheers Without The Bar
While Grammer’s comment effectively closes the door on the possibility of the Frasier reboot featuring the famed Boston pub, it doesn’t mean that the revival no longer tries to acknowledge Cheers in its storytelling. Aside from being the starting point for the radio therapist-turned-Harvard educator, some of his most important moments happened in Sam’s pub. As he continues to re-establish his relationship with his grown-up son, Freddy, perhaps the pair can go down memory lane and reminisce on how Frasier would bring him to the bar, which made for some very fun moments.
Grammer has expressed his desire to see Ted Danson’s Sam Malone and Long’s Diane Chambers reunite with his character.
Beyond that, the Frasier reboot could also bring in some familiar faces from Cheers to the revival. Grammer has expressed his desire to see Ted Danson’s Sam Malone and Long’s Diane Chambers reunite with his character. However, if that isn’t viable at this point, he can also bring back other characters, such as Cliff, Norm, and Woody. Assuming that they are all still based in Boston three decades after Cheers wrapped up, coming up with a narrative for their comeback shouldn’t be difficult. Frasier could always just invite them over, either to Mahoney’s or his apartment.
Why A Cheers Revival Is Unlikely To Happen Despite Frasier’s Comeback
As a co-creator of Cheers, Burrows’ comment about the bar closing is now definitive. Aside from that, however, the producer and legendary director has also gone on the record to say that there will never be a Cheers revival. They would not allow anyone to touch it because they are protective of its legacy. Danson shares the same sentiment about the show never coming back, although his reasoning is quite different. He previously cited that it cannot be done with a “bunch of older folks” who are not all on the same page.
This doesn’t mean, however, that the ensemble doesn’t keep in touch. They have done so many special reunions in the past, not as their characters but as members of the cast reminiscing on their time on the show. Recently, Danson and Woody Harrelson even launched a podcast together. However, if fans really want to see the old Cheers gang share the small screen again, their best bet is Grammer coming up with a way to recruit some of them to the Frasier reboot.
