Although hailed as one of TV’s greatest sitcoms, Frasier’s suggested pilot change would have completely ruined the show. Spinning off from the influential Cheers, the Kelsey Grammer-led series went on to win 37 Emmys, with considerable praise for the show’s quirky ensemble. However, when making the Frasier pilot, a network note suggested removing the group’s most relatable character.
Dr. Frasier Crane may lead the show, but it’s his father, Martin (John Mahoney), who has the strongest character arc. An ex-cop who begrudgingly lives with his son due to his hip injury, Martin was a key driving force behind the entire show. Much of Frasier revolves around its title character and his brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), mending their strained relationship with their father. However, if one network executive had their way, this all could have changed.
Speaking to Vanity Fair for their oral history of Frasier, writer Ken Levine recalled, “One of the NBC executives suggested after the run-through that they should ‘get rid of the dad’”. This change would have entirely undermined Frasier’s core premise and robbed the show of its most grounded character, who often provides the best advice. It appears Marty Crane’s initial storyline might have been too depressing for the network, but his development needed to come from a dark place.
Frasier’s Marty Change Would Have Ruined The Show
When the spinoff was pitched, the network seemed fully on board with Martin, and especially John Mahoney. Frasier’s creators were granted pre-approval on Mahoney before they had even asked him if he wanted to join the sitcom. The pilot wasn’t without its setbacks, like Peri Gilpin replacing Lisa Kudrow as Roz. However, network feedback on Marty’s role could have drastically changed the spinoff’s tone. Cutting Marty Crane sounds unthinkable, and, according to Levine, the executive who made this decision “now takes credit for being one of the people who ‘developed’ the show”. Thankfully, Frasier’s creators ignored the feedback and continued with Mahoney, who was pivotal to the story. Marty provides the pilot’s best and most emotional scene when he argues with Frasier over their new living arrangement. Peter Casey revealed to Vanity Fair that he discussed with his co-creators “if we should put a joke or two in. The feeling was our actors had the chops to do it straight, so let’s go for it”.
It might have been this scene that prompted the terrible request to change Frasier’s pilot. However, the father-son confrontations helped elevate the show, providing a somber authenticity to the comical, pompous antics of Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier. The cast and crew acknowledged the darkness in Martin Crane’s story and how it evolved into a wonderfully optimistic character arc. Discussing the pilot, writer/producer Joe Keenan affirmed, “The guy’s lost everything he loved – his wife, job, independence. He has nothing left but his dog, chair and two sons he feels look down on him.” There had to be friction between Marty and his sons, and his no-nonsense attitude regularly put them in their place. Over Frasier’s 11 seasons, the characters all softened and grew to respect and appreciate one another infinitely more than they had done in the past. Commenting on how Frasier and Niles could be their father’s sons, Kelsey Grammer stated, “Martin’s in public service, into knowing what’s right and wrong… On the simplest level, he was a good man, and their hope was to become the same thing.”
John Mahoney wasn’t just a reliable comic presence, his plain-speaking performance punctured Frasier and Niles’ elitist worldview. Marty is responsible for his sons’ strong ethics and frequently gives the simplest yet most profound advice to all the characters. Without him, the ensemble would have had no reason to come together, and Frasier wouldn’t be nearly as likable without his father’s wisdom. For these reasons, Mahoney’s Martin Crane can be seen as Frasier’s real main character – which means his character being cut from the show would have been a massive loss.
