Only Kelsey Grammer has been confirmed to return to the rebooted Frasier on Paramount+. It might be better if the show was revived without him.
A Frasier reboot is on the way, and while Kelsey Grammer is returning as the titular psychiatrist, at this point it might be better if a revival took place without him. Grammer will not only be returning as the iconic Dr. Frasier Crane but he’s also producing the reboot for Paramount+. The critically acclaimed show will be back nearly two decades after the last episode aired, and it’ll be interesting to see what happened to Frasier after he chose to pursue his “new beginning” at the show’s climax. Despite this, only Grammer has been confirmed to be returning as a full-time cast member.
While several actors from the original series have said they would tentatively return to Frasier – Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith Frasier) being one – none have confirmed anything beyond a speculative cameo. After revealing that David Hyde Pierce’s Niles Crane would not return, Grammer said the “Frasier third act” would not only take place in a new city but include an entirely new cast (via People). Grammer seems to have made peace with the fact that Frasier’s story will continue beyond Seattle and potentially involve all new characters. But at this point, it would be better if it didn’t involve Frasier at all:
Kelsey Grammer Wasn’t What Made Frasier Great
While Frasier is inarguably the star of the show, he was supported by those around him, and it was his interactions with these people that made the show great. His brother, the fellow psychiatrist Niles Crane, provided a sardonic sounding board for all of Frasier’s quibbles with the world, and it’s almost impossible to imagine a Frasier reboot without Niles. Their gruff father, Martin (John Mahoney), gave the two brothers an anchor point, but sadly Mahoney has since passed away and his influence will be gone from the revival. And who is Frasier without Roz Doyle (Peri Gilphin) taking him down a peg or two?
These are the people whom audiences would want to see if they want to see any at all. In Frasier season 11, episode 23, “Goodnight, Seattle,” the show gives fans of Frasier an almost perfect ending. Daphne (Jane Leeves) and Niles have a newborn, Roz has gotten the job of station manager at KACL, and Charlotte (Laura Linney) has moved to Chicago. While it might be interesting to see if Frasier successfully managed to rekindle his connection with Charlotte, without Linney there’s not much for him to chase. His connection to others is what worked about Frasier, and without them, there’s not really anything to return to.
How Frasier Could Work Without Frasier
It wouldn’t be too unusual to have a Frasier revival without Frasier — the precedent has been set before. After the in-universe death of Roseanne‘s title character, The Conners was launched. The popular show continued without its star, carving out new material focusing on characters now free of the shadow of Roseanne Barr. Frasier itself is a spinoff from Cheers, proving that there is mileage in exploring a universe through the eyes of another character. Moving the spotlight from the show’s central figure to a supporting character would allow audiences to spend more time in the Frasier universe, just not with Frasier Crane.
