Frasier (2023) (2 Viewers)

[SamT]

'Frasier' Revival Greenlit at Paramount+​

Dr. Frasier Crane is listening — again.


A revival of classic sitcom Frasier starring Kelsey Grammer is officially a go at ViacomCBS' streaming service Paramount+. The news was announced Wednesday during the company's unveiling of Paramount+.

"Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot, both producing shows and performing in several, I'd like to congratulate Paramount+ on its entry into the streaming world," said Grammer. "I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr. Frasier Crane."

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[Malcolm R]

Not sure who's going to be in this? John Mahoney has passed away and Jane Leeves has said she's not participating.

Will they be moving Frasier to a new city with a new cast of characters?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Frasier moved away in the finale of the original run, so they basically have a clean slate if they want it.

 

[Malcolm R]

Good to know. I don't know that I ever watched the last couple of seasons.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

My wife and I just did a rewatch of the entire show (so this announcement is an especially welcome surprise) and I have to say, those last seasons were great. It’s not the same show as when half the gags were built around everyone except Daphne knowing that Niles liked her, but I really enjoyed the way they shifted gears a little to make the Niles-Daphne-as-couple thing work.

 

[Nelson Au]

Wow, so the revival is official now. That’s great news and I hope they do it right. I imagine like going from Cheers to Frasier, the new show doesn’t have to have all the same characters. Unless this is intended to be a continuation of Frasier. I read that Jane Leaves said she’s committed to another series, so she was not going to leave it to do Frasier. Perhaps by the time they are ready to start making the new Frasier, she can be available. And David Hyde Pierce’s participation seems very important too.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Wow- if the Daphne character isn’t going to be there, what are they going to do with Niles’s character? Maybe just talk about Daphne while she’s offscreen, like they did with Maris. I think it’s kind of important to have Laura Linney on board- she played the woman who Frasier leaves Seattle for in the original series finale.

 

[NorgeRunner]

I love the show, was must see TV. But subscribing to another service isn't want I want to do just to watch it.

 

[Malcolm R]

Well, Jane Leeves didn't say it was out of the question, but she did say her first priority was her current show. If they can coordinate the schedules to accommodate her, there's probably a chance she'd agree to appear.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

With the exception of "Will & Grace", the revivals that simply replicated the formula of the original run haven't worked for the most part. A revival that is as different from the original run as the original run was from "Cheers" wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Frederick would be in his thirties now, so it would be interesting to see what that relationship looks like now -- especially since Kelsey Grammer is over a decade older now than John Mahoney was when they shot the pilot.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It’s also not as likely that in 2021 and beyond, that this would be revived as a 22-episode-per-season show. It might not even be a multi-camera, live studio audience production. What I’m trying to say is that the very form of the show is likely to be different, and trying to make the same show under such different circumstances feels like an exercise in futility. “Frasier” worked so well in many ways because it wasn’t simply “Cheers, the Sequel,” and I would think the same would hold true now.

I like the finale for Frasier because it acknowledges that life goes on but it also changes. Frasier, Niles and Martin were in stages of their lives where they were each the most important people to each other as they all rebounded from major life changing experiences. Each of them grew over the run of the show and that growth organically motivated the finale where everyone moves on, which felt true to both the characters and to life itself. Family and fatherhood gave Niles something more to do than pretentiously bicker with Frasier over all manners of topics. Martin accepted his disability and allowed himself to move past the loss of his late wife, to be able to live in the present and for himself. And after years of seeing his role as being the anchor that held his friends and family together, using that framework to hide within himself, Frasier learned that his life could be more and that it wasn’t his responsibility to be responsible for everyone. They all grew up.

I would be game to see whatever they come up with. If that means just Frasier, I think the slate is clean to start anew. If familiar faces turn up, there are organic ways to do that too.

But I don’t expect season 12 of Frasier as if it was 2005 and the characters and television production hadn’t changed at all. I think that’s easiest way to fail.

Given how CBS/Paramount brought back Jean-Luc Picard without making it Star Trek The Next Generation Part 2, I have hope that they’ll do something nice here.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

But I don’t expect season 12 of Frasier as if it was 2005 and the characters and television production hadn’t changed at all. I think that’s easiest way to fail.

Given how CBS/Paramount brought back Jean-Luc Picard without making it Star Trek The Next Generation Part 2, I have hope that they’ll do something nice here.

Yes, the Picard method... 10 episodes of Frasier being an ineffectual, pitiful old man everyone constantly berates.

We can only hope V/CBS does better than that.

Though I agree, this shouldn't be the same show we got for 11 years, and it would be stupid to try to make it be the same show.

And while I am tired of Revival/Reboot-a-mania, I didn't like the perpetual cliffhanger they left Frasier's story in, so a little closure would be nice.

 

[Nelson Au]

I’ll be the contrarian in that while overall, the finale was well done and everyone does move on as life changes, what I did not feel was right was Frasier pursuing Charlotte. That relationship just didn’t feel right to me. And it was a cliff hanger as I never felt that flight Frasier took at the end was to chase Charlotte. Maybe I remember it wrong.

I also think the difference with the revival should be as different as Cheers was to Frasier. What I’d like to think though is that from the many times I’ve revisited Frasier, it became clear to me that he should have reunited with Lilith. They were so strongly connected through out the series. So I hope that’s what he did in this new show.

As for everyone else, they probably all live in other cities now.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Yes, the Picard method... 10 episodes of Frasier being an ineffectual, pitiful old man everyone constantly berates.

We can only hope V/CBS does better than that.

Though I agree, this shouldn't be the same show we got for 11 years, and it would be stupid to try to make it be the same show.

And while I am tired of Revival/Reboot-a-mania, I didn't like the perpetual cliffhanger they left Frasier's story in, so a little closure would be nice.

It would be nice if the reboot shows Frasier in a solid relationship with Charlotte- we’ve seen 11 seasons of his inability to connect with a woman- both his doing, and not meeting the right person. I wouldn’t be interested in seeing any more of his failings with women, and his sadness due to his failings.

 

[SamT]

Question, is it more expensive to shoot a sitcom inside a studio with live people and multi-camera or a single camera outside like Curb Your Enthusiasm? Maybe they change format drastically but a laughing live crowd is also important.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It really depends on the show and what kind of locations and sets they’re using and a whole bunch of other factors. The most expensive single factor in a long running sitcom ends up being cast salaries. By the end of Frasier’s original run, the main cast was probably the single biggest item on each episode’s budget.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Good to know. I don't know that I ever watched the last couple of seasons.

That's a shame because I thought the last season was pretty great.

 

[Johnny Angell]

he should have reunited with Lilith. They were so strongly connected through out the series. So I hope that’s what he did in this new show.

I agree. I’d like to see the two reunite.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

You don’t think it would be weird to see Frasier and Lilith together after Niles and Lilith had their fling? I actually kinda liked that plot development because it helped both characters move on - Lilith to realize she wasn’t really into Frasier in that way anymore, and Niles to realize it was time to move beyond Maris. To me it feels like it would almost be a step backward to put Frasier and Lilith into a romantic relationship again.

 

[Nelson Au]

Granted there was that event you cite Josh. Niles and Lilith were both damaged by recent events and needed to find some comfort.

I like to recall the episode, The Show Where Lilith Returns where Frasier and Lilith consider reconciliation. But after sleeping on it, they realize it’s not a good idea. It wasn’t a good idea at that stage in their lives. Perhaps after a few years, their perspective has changed. Reconciliation might not be a bad thing. . That’s wishful thinking of course.

It’s a long shot I admit.