If Dr. Frasier Crane were to return to television in a reboot of “Frasier,” Kelsey Grammer wants Niles, Daphne and Roz along for the ride.
“I let them know if there were to be such a thing, I would want them all to still be in there,” Grammer told TheWrap. Sadly, any potential reboot would not include John Mahoney, who played gruff family patriarch Martin Crane, who died in February at age 77. That fact alone caused an outcry among “Frasier” fans.
Last week, TheWrap reported that Grammer was exploring a potential reboot of “Frasier.” The end of the series in 2004 saw Dr. Crane board a plane leaving Seattle for Chicago, so the character already had one foot out the door of The Great Northwest. “I don’t want to go back to Seattle,” Grammer said, confirming any potential reboot would be set in a new location.
Talks about a potential reboot actually started a few years ago, around the same time revivals of classic TV shows were starting to pop up. “Conversations were had with NBC, some conversations were had with CBS,” said Grammer, adding that those early talks were “exploratory.” The business end of the show (it aired on NBC but is owned by CBS TV Studios) also poses obstacles, he said. “The only thing going for it is that he was a great, memorable character. It was a great show.”
The past few years have seen revivals of classic TV sitcoms including “Roseanne,” “Will & Grace” and “Murphy Brown” — which returns to CBS this fall. And Grammer said he knows why TV networks are turning back the clock.
“Because TV sucks,” he said. “There are not comparable comedies to what there were in the golden age.”
Though it appears that the classic TV format is making a comeback, don’t order that tossed salad and scrambled eggs just yet.
“We’ve talked to a couple of writers who are working on an idea,” he said. “If the writing for the revival becomes what it was previously, that would it make it interesting enough to think about it. We’re not at the stage yet.”
“Frasier” aired on NBC for 11 seasons from 1993-2004 as part of NBC’s “Must See Thursday” comedy block. It was itself a spinoff of “Cheers,” which saw Dr. Frasier Crane move from Boston to Seattle. Grammer has played the character for 20 years between the two shows.
Due to CBS’ ownership of the sitcom, any comeback could see the show switch broadcast networks. Speaking with reporters after his TCA panel for Fox’s “Proven Innocent,” Grammer hinted that NBC would not be interested.