Nineteen months after Paramount announced the early development of a Frasier revival, the studio has officially given a series order. David Stapf, President of CBS Studios, raved about the revival prospects to Deadline, saying:
"Frasier is one of the most acclaimed comedies in modern television history and truly defines premium storytelling. There has long been a call from fans for its return, and that call is now answered thanks to the amazing Kelsey Grammer reprising his iconic role of Dr. Frasier Crane and a brilliant creative plan from Joe, Chris, and Kelsey. We can't wait to reveal its next chapter on Paramount+."
The television sitcom hit Frasier was created as a spin-off from the 1980s hit Cheers. Frasier had a two-hundred sixty-three episode run from 1993-2004, earning thirty-seven Emmys during its run -- five of those best comedy series awards. Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce each won four Emmys for their roles as Frasier and Niles Crane, respectively. It became one of the most celebrated comedy series of the 1990s, alongside Friends, Seinfeld, Married... With Children, and Everybody Loves Raymond.
The Paramount+ announcement comes after several years of hesitant development, false starts, extensive planning, and no official ground broken. Grammer and CBS Studios collaborated over a possible revival in 2018 that ultimately dwindled. Now, with the official series order, here's everything to expect.
Frasier: The Plot
The original series followed Frasier Crane, a member of the Cheers ensemble cast, departing from Boston to his hometown of Seattle in order to begin his solo ventures. While it was technically a separate Cheers spin-off, one helmed by and starring Kelsey Grammer, Frasier featured the occasional Cheers alumni in guest roles and cameos.
In a similar storytelling technique, the new series will be a departure from the original Frasier while still leaving the door open for the occasional guest star from the original show. The revival follows the notorious psychiatrist-turned-radio host Frasier Crane beginning the next phase of his life in a new city. The finale of the original series showed Frasier turning down a job in San Francisco in order to move to Chicago, where his girlfriend Charlotte (Laura Linney) was living at the time.
Regardless of his relationship status with Charlotte or if he chooses to remain in Chicago, the new show will feature Frasier in a new city surrounded by a wealth of new people, much like when he arrived in Seattle decades before. Kelsey Grammer explained the direction of his character to WNBC New York by saying:
"He thinks he's gonna go off and do one thing, and sure enough, his life takes him in another direction. And he ends up rich beyond his dreams."
Despite there being no major details regarding the plot, Grammer has proposed many possible directions for the show's story. When speaking about the potential of the new show to ITV, Grammer proposed that in the revival, Frasier could be a professor or could have returned to private practice. He also implied that the story would be "something that puts him at odds with his brother again."
Frasier: The Cast
Kelsey Grammer is reprising his role as the series lead, Frasier Crane. The surviving members of the original cast aren't expected to be regulars, but there is a strong possibility that they will make guest appearances. This includes David Hyde Pierce as Niles, Jane Leeves as Daphne, and Peri Gilpin as Roz. Pierce clarified the extent to which he is involved at this point in an interview with The Guardian in April 2022, stating:
"It's happening, but I don't know in what form, and I don't know when, so I don't know where I'll be and what I'll be doing. I'm certainly interested to see what they come up with."
John Mahoney, who played Niles and Frasier's father, died in 2018. When asked about possible returning stars and the notable absence of Mahoney's character, Grammer clarified that the studio had a plan in place. He told Deadline, "We intend to deal with that some in the first episode."
The series is written by Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Acapulco) and Joe Cristalli (Life in Pieces, Hulu's Maggie). The series is executive produced by Harris, Cristalli, Grammer, Tom Russo, and Jordan McMahon,
Release Date
In July 2022, Kelsey Grammer confirmed that the creators were "in the final stages of the final script for the first episode," continuing to say, "I've had a couple of runs through it, and I cried, so you know, I'm happy." He later revealed on CBS' The Talk that the revival is expected to begin filming in October 2022. No release date for the revival is known.