At this point, the Frasier reboot might be better off without Kelsey Grammer

Movie News

29 Dec, 2022

Only Kelsey Grammer has been confirmed to return to the rebooted Frasier on Paramount+. It might be better if the show resumed without him.

A Frasier reboot is underway, and while Kelsey Grammer will return as the titular psychiatrist, at this point the revival might be better off without him. Not only will Grammer return as the iconic Dr. Frasier Crane, but he's also rebooting for Paramount+. The critically acclaimed show will return nearly two decades after its last episode, and it will be interesting to see what happens after Fraser chooses to pursue his "fresh start" at the show's climax. Still, only Grammer was confirmed to be returning as a full-time cast member.

While several actors from the original series have indicated that they will return to Fraser for a while - Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith Frasier) being one of them - no one has confirmed anything other than a speculative cameo. After revealing that David Hyde Pierce's Niles Crane won't be returning, Grammer said that "Frasier Act III" will not only be set in a new city, but will also feature an all-new cast (from People). Grammer seems comfortable with the fact that Frasier's story will continue outside of Seattle and potentially involve all new characters. But at this point, if It doesn't involve Frasier at all :^ While Frasier is undeniably the star of the show, he has the support of those around him, and it's his interactions with those people that make the show great. His brother, fellow psychiatrist Niels Crane, provides an ironic sounding board for all of Fraser's quibbles about the world, and it's almost impossible to imagine a Fraser reboot without Niles. An anchor is given to the brothers by their brusque father Martin (John Mahoney), but sadly Mahoney is dead and his influence will fade from the revival. Who would Frasier be without Roz Doyle (Peri Gilphin) knocking him down a peg or two?

Kelsey Grammer Wasn't What Made Frasier Great

These are the people viewers want to see. In Frasier's season 11, episode 23, "Good Night, Seattle," the show gave Frasier fans a near-perfect ending. Daphne (Jane Reeves) and Niles have a new baby, Rhodes gets the KACL stationmaster job, and Charlotte (Laura Linney) moves to Chicago. While it might be interesting to see if Frasier succeeds in rekindling his connection with Charlotte, he doesn't have much to do without Linney catch up. His connections to others work for Frasier, and without them there is nothing to return to.

Without Frasier, a Frasier revival would not be too unusual - the precedent is already established. The Conners launches after Roseanne's lead character dies in-universe. The popular show continued without its star, opening up new material and focusing on characters who are now out of the shadow of Roseanne Barr. Frasier itself is a spinoff of Cheers, proving that exploring the universe through the eyes of another character has its miles. Shifting the spotlight from the show's central characters to supporting characters allows viewers to spend more time in the Frasier universe than Frasier Crane.