A Frasier sequel series has officially been picked up by Paramount+. The original Frasier ran from 1993 to 2004. It was a spinoff of the hit series Cheers and followed psychiatrist Frasier Crane after he moved back to his hometown of Seattle, Washington to reconnect with his family and become a radio personality. The show ran for 11 seasons and starred Kelsey Grammer as Frasier, David Hyde Pierce as Frasier’s brother, Niles, and John Mahoney as Frasier’s father.
Frasier’s initial run was a fan favorite and wildly successful, winning multiple Emmys throughout its time on air. A revival has been in talks for a few years now. In 2018, Grammer first spoke of the potential of a new storyline for his character – the same formula, but in a new city – produced by CBS TV Studios. Then, Paramount+ announced that a Frasier reboot was in development at the streaming platform’s launch event in February 2021. A handful of updates would emerge over the next year, but outwardly the project appeared to make little progress.
Deadline reports that Paramount+ has officially picked up the Frasier reboot as a series. A specific number of episodes has not yet been released, but it is likely it will be around 10. The streaming service confirmed that Grammer will reprise his titular role, but in a new location (which has not yet been announced). No other original Frasier cast members are slated to return as series regulars, but they could make guest appearances.
Can A Spin-Off Survive A Reboot, Too?
The original Frasier was created by the late David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee. Both Casey and Lee came to the show from Cheers. The Frasier reboot features a new team, including Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Christalli (Life in Pieces) as writers, and Grammer himself, along with Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon as executive producers. A lot of the fun of Frasier came from mixing his world from Cheers with his new one in Seattle with his family. This will be possible, but difficult with a creative team so new to the series. The lack of returning stars outside of Grammer could also hinder Frasier's return, though there is still a chance for cameos.
The success of the original Frasier was refreshing and unexpected. Though Cheers was a great show, most spinoffs fail to emulate the success of their originals. However, Frasier may have even surpassed its predecessor. Its approach of completely upheaving Frasier as a character and relocating him, combined with the series’ intelligent humor, made the show an instant hit. Frasier was so successful that it’s still regularly watched and relevant– even today. This raises the question of whether a reboot is necessary. In the last several years, audiences have seen revivals of classics like Sex and the City and Rosanne receive some success, but not quite as much as their original counterparts. Frasier itself as a spinoff of Cheers reached anomalous success that would be hard to replicate with a reboot. Still, it’ll have original Frasier fans to fall back on, and there are certainly plenty of them.
Source: Deadline