Kelsey Grammer Says ‘Frasier’ Reboot Must Be ‘Great’ in Order to Move Forward

Kelsey Grammer provided an update on the Frasier revival buzz, confirming that a comeback for Dr. Frasier Crane is “in the early stages,” while also playing noncommittal.

While talking with reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour Thursday, Grammer said he is talking with writers and hearing pitches for a new series about Frasier’s life in a different city, reports Deadline. But Grammer is pushing for a high-quality show and would pull the plug if it is anything less than great.

“We just have to make sure it’s going to be a great show,” Grammer told reporters. “If it’s not a great show and we don’t hear a pitch that really hits it out of the park, it probably won’t happen.”

Grammer also has not really committed to the idea, telling Vulture, “Honestly, I’m not sure it’s something I really want to do.”

Frasier ended in 2004 with 264 episodes. At the end, Frasier ditched Seattle and opportunities on the West Coast for Chicago to be with Charlotte (Laura Linney).

“We have no idea what happened to him after that. He was a wonderful character to play,” Grammer said Thursday.

Grammer also said he is not sure where the new series would air. Frasier is owned by CBS Television Distribution, so it likely wouldn’t find a home at NBC, where it originally aired. So, CBS would be the likely home.

As for a Cheers revival, Grammer said he has no control of that.

“I’m not in charge of that,” Grammer said Thursday.

Talk of a Frasier revival started gaining steam late last month, after Deadline first reported that Grammer was taking meetings.

The new show could have Frasier in Chicago with a new cast, since the other characters were based in Seattle. David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s younger brother Niles, is an accomplished stage actor and director, most recently starring in a revival of Hello, Dolly!. Jane Leeves played Niles’ eventual wife, Daphne Moon, and Peri Gilpin starred as Frasier’s radio producer, Roz Doyle. John Mahoney, who starred as Frasier’s father Martin, died in February at age 77.

Another idea would have Frasier raising his son Frederick, who would be about 30 now, to create a new Frasier-Martin dynamic.

No matter what the plot is though, Grammer said he would keep the original show’s single-camera format.

“It’s a great way to live, it’s a great way to work,” Grammer told Vulture. “I would never walk away from that. I think it’s the best — the best fun, the most entertaining style of TV show. Its fall from grace for 20 years was basically due to reality television, and I think people have maybe played that card enough.”

Frasier debuted in the third season of Cheers in 1984 and remained on the show until it ended in 1993. Frasier picked up right where Cheers left off, with Frasier deciding to move to Seattle to start a new life.
Grammer won two Golden Globes for Fraiser and four Emmys.

While we wait on word for new Frasier episodes, we can watch Grammer in Fox’s new legal drama, Proven Innocent with Rachelle Lefevre, Russell Hornsby and Vincent Kartheiser.

Photo credit: CBS via Getty Images