Nineteen years ago, after 11 seasons and37 Emmy Awards,Frasierleft NBC. While it’s lived on in syndication, we never got a spinoff to continue the story of the Cranes, like we did whenFrasierspun off ofCheers. Instead, two decades later,Frasieris coming back, in a new 10-episode series debuting on October 12 on Paramount+.
Seattle will no longer be the backdrop, as Frasier is headed back to hisCheersstomping grounds of Boston. Almost all theFrasiercast will be not be coming back either, but even so, the updated series will honor the past, while also showing how his family back in Seattle has shaped him into the man he is now.
Frasier’s Family Found Happiness
The series may have been calledFrasier, butit was an ensemble, where Frasier Crane’s family and friends were just as integral to the plot and loved by fans as much as Frasier himself.Kelsey Grammerrevealed toPeoplethat originally he wanted the entire cast back, butDavid Hyde Piercedecided against it. “David basically decided he wasn’t really interested in repeating the performance of Niles,” Grammer said. With Niles out, the series had to change drastically. That meant you couldn’t have Niles' wife, Daphne (Jane Leeves), involved either, and sadly,John Mahoney, who played Frasier and Niles' father, Martin, had passed away in 2018.Peri Gilpin, who played Roz Doyle, Frasier’s radio show producer, and who later became the station manager in the series finale,is the only original member coming back, and in a guest role, not as a series regular. While these characters won’t play a big part in Frasier Crane’s future, where he left them in Seattle hugely shaped who he is now.
Frasier Crane struggled to keep a relationship going throughout 11 seasons of the original series. He had divorced his wife, Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth,who will be returning too), who was with him during theCheersyears, but couldn’t find the love of his life. Around him, however, everyone else was finding love. His high-strung brother, Niles, was married to the seemingly evil andnever seen Maris, but fell head over heels in love with his father’s caretaker, Daphne. The two ended up married, and the series finale revolves around the hijinks of Daphne pregnant and going into labor, and delivering their child in a veterinarian’s office. And just how did they up in this predicament to begin with? They had been at the wedding for the Crane patriarch, Martin, a widower who had found his second soulmate in a good woman named Ronee (Wendie Malick). When Martin’s dog, Eddie, swallowed the rings, it was off to the vet. The day wasn’t ruined, however, as Martin and Ronee decided to get married right there in the vet’s office. Everyone was seemingly happy, except for Frasier. His family’s happiness reminded him how lonely and empty his life was.
Frasier Found Happiness Too, but It Apparently Didn’t Last
Frasier’s marriage to Lilith was a disaster. Over the years in Seattle, Frasier met and fell love with many women, some who were wrong for him, and others who seemed like maybe, just maybe, they could be the one. None of them were his destiny until he met Charlotte (Laura Linney). Adding such a talented actress like Linney to a smart show likeFrasierwas a great choice. The twist with Charlotte is that she’s a professional matchmaker. Frasier is so lonesome that he hires her to help him find love, but instead they fall for each other. It’s sweet, but fate draws Charlotte away from Frasier and Seattle, as her business takes her across the country to Chicago. Frasier decides to take a new job in San Francisco since everyone else is either leaving or no longer needs them. The last we see of him, however, he’s off to Chicago for Charlotte instead, and perhaps his happily ever after.
Frasier Crane didn’t get that happily ever after with Charlotte it turns out. The reboot ofFrasierdoesn’t see him in Chicago with Charlotte but back in Boston.One clip from the trailereven shows him being way too excited by the prospect of being set up on a date. As for why Charlotte and Laura Linney aren’t around, we don’t have that answer just yet. Linney was asked about it herself, withMetrowanting to know if Charlotte would return. She said, “Not that I know of! I love that whole group of people, so I’d be… I have no idea what their plans are. They’re keeping it close to the vest.” It looks likeFrasier’s comeback will see him once again looking for love.
‘Frasier’ Ending Explained: A Happy Ending for All
‘Frasier’ was not only one of the best sitcoms ever made, but it had a perfectly sweet series finale.
Frasier’s Relationship With His Son
The most interesting angle the new version ofFrasieris tackling his relationship with his now adult son, Frederick. We first met him as a baby inCheers, then again here and there onFrasier. Played then byTrevor Einhorn, Frasier and Freddy don’t have a great relationship. It’s understandable. Freddy’s father did move all the way to the other side of the country, leaving him behind. They had a distant father-son relationship, and didn’t grow closer whenever Freddy was in Seattle. Freddy actually gets along with Niles more, even though as a little boy he may have taken it too far for Niles by falling for Daphne as well. There was an interesting clash between Frasier and Freddy whenever they were around each other, especially as the latter got older and hit puberty. One episode even found him going through a goth phase. ByFrasier’s end, their relationship was a little better. Freddy didn’t show up in the finale, but a short scene had Frasier talking to Lilith on the phone about Freddy’s love life.
The reboot ofFrasiersees a lonely elder Crane moving back to Boston, where he surprises his son (now played byJack Cutmore-Scott), a firefighter who isn’t so happy to see him. It should hopefully fix one of the few errors ofFrasier. Their relationship was never explored much, and Frasier always seemed like a bad father for abandoning his only child and moving so far away from him. Now that will be explored. John Mahoney’s Martin has passed away in the series, but he will still be honored, as the clash of opposites we used to see between Frasier and Martin will now be between Frasier and Freddy. Series directorJames BurrowtoldEntertainment Weekly, “There’s a lot of Martin in Freddy. [Creators]Joe[Cristalli] andChris[Harris] specifically wanted Frasier to deal with his son… because the relationship with Kelsey and Mahoney was wonderful. So, they tried to tap into that, and I think they succeeded.”
We know where Frasier has been and where we left his family. The question now is where Frasier goes next as he heads back to where it all began.
