Kelsey Grammer Reveals How ‘Frasier’ Revival Will Address John Mahoney’s Absence

The long-awaited Frasier revival is finally becoming a reality at Paramount+, but sadly it will not feature original series actor John Mahoney, as he died in 2018. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Frasier star Kelsey Grammer revealed how the new series will address Mahoney’s absence. “His loss is and was devastating and must be given the proper attention in honor of the extraordinary man he was and the contribution he made to the show and to the acting profession,” the actor said.

Grammer went on to say, “We will most certainly be honoring him according to his merit. A man of merit he remains to this day.” He then offered more kind words about his late on-screen father, saying, “John was a kind man, and the world cannot afford to lose a kind man at any time.” Finally, Grammer clarified that the new series “is not a reboot.” He explained, “Frasier, in his third or fourth act, is not a reboot, but a new show centered around the character in a new set of circumstances and a new city.”

Frasier first aired in 1993 as a spinoff of the classic sitcom Cheers. The show went on to air 264 episodes over the course of 11 seasons, eventually taking its final bow in 2004. In addition to Grammer as Frasier Crane, the show also starred David Hyde Pierce as Frasier’s younger brother Niles, and Mahoney as Martin, Frasier and Niles’ father. The series also featured Peri Gilpin as Frasier’s radio show producer Roz Doyle and Jane Leeves as Frasier’s live-in housekeeper Daphne Moon, who later became Niles’ love interest.

News of a Frasier revival first emerged in 2018, when it was reported that Grammer had been taking meetings with writers who were pitching him concepts for where the characters would be now. During a subsequent interview on the TODAY show that same year, Grammer admitted that he had been “talking to some writers about it.” He then added, “We’ve listened to a couple of takes. We have a couple of ideas that might work out. I don’t want to go back to the apartment and pretend I never left Seattle.” Grammer then referenced another recent ’90s sitcom revival, saying, “Hats off to Will & Grace… But I don’t want to do that. So, we’ll see.”

The actor also spoke with Vulture about the revival prospect and implied that new characters and cast members were on the table, though nothing concrete had been hammered out yet. “Certainly, I think everyone that was on the show should be on this show, and then go from there,” he said. “I know that some people have written things that are different than that, but they got a lot of it wrong.” At this time, the Frasier revival does not have an announced premiere date.