Frasier's back

Frasier fans will be delighted that a revival of the series is imminent.  However, there will be significant changes.  Yes, Kelsey Grammer will star as Frasier Cane, but this will be different from the original Emmy award-winning NBC sitcom that ran from 1993 to 2004, and was a spinoff of Cheers.  Cheers, of course, was set in Boston.  The premise of the original series was that Frasier, a psychiatrist, had left Boston and returned to his home town of Seattle.  He reconnected with his equally pompous brother, Niles, also a psychiatrist, and his father, Martin Crane, a former police officer who had been wounded.in the line of duty.

For one thing, this series will not be set in Seattle and Frasier will not be hosting a radio program.  Nor will he work as a therapist.  In the series revival, Frasier returns to his old stomping grounds in Boston.  He accepts a position as a faculty member at Harvard University after reconnecting with an old friend who teaches there, and is the chair of the psychology department.

If you are expecting to see many of the original cast members, you will be disappointed.  John Mahoney, the actor who played Martin Crane, passed away at a Chicago hospice on February 4, 2018.  He died of complications from throat cancer at the age of 77.

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that David Hyde Pierce, who played Niles, will appear in the new series.  According to a recent article on Yahoo News, Hyde Pierce will not be returning for the reboot.  Kelsey Grammar stated that David is not interested in reprising the role of Niles.  Also, Jane Leeves will not be returning as Daphne Moon, the Crane's English housekeeper who eventually marries Niles in first episode of Season 11.  However, it was recently announced that Peri Gilpin, who played Frasier's radio producer and friend, Roz Doyle, will guest star in the reboot, as well as Bebe Neuwirth as Frasier's ex-wife, Lilith.

In a segment on Today last spring, Kelsey Grammer was asked about David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves.  He replied, "If there is a spot for a one[off appearance, and their interested.  I'm sure we would do something like that.  But it's a new world.  It's a new life.  Frasier's going back to Boston to put himself back in a place where he didn't fell he quite made it." 

The new cast includes Jack Cutmore Scott, who portrays Frasier's now grown son, Freddy, a firefighter, Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier's old Harvard pal Alan Cornwall; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia Finch, Harvard's psychology department head, and Jess Salquerioas as Eve,, who shares a connection with both Frasier and Freddy,  Anders Keith portrays Frasier's nephew David Crane, a Harvard freshman, and the son of Niles and Daphne.

The new Frasier will will premiere exclusively tomorrow, October 12th, on Paramount Plus.  The show is available on Paramount Plus Essential and Paramount with Showtime.  You can access Paramount Plus through Apple TV Plus , Amazon Prime Video and Roku.  Ten episodes of the series will air on Thursdays.

- Joanne