Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Frasier reboot pilot.
Frasier Crane’s new life in the Frasier reboot means it loses the best thing about the original series. Almost a decade since he bade Seattle farewell, Kelsey Grammer’s snobbish but beloved therapist returns in the Paramount+ revival. This time, however, he finds himself needing to move again in the hopes of reconnecting with his grown-up son, Freddy. This new endeavor unexpectedly brings him back to his old Cheers city: Boston. Frasier’s biggest quirks have remained, but it has also been clear that he has mellowed down in some aspects of his life.
Considering the legacy of the original show, rebooting Frasier poses some big risks. The fact that none of the Seattle-based characters will be back as regulars in the new show has been a cause for concern for many since the series’ ensemble was definitely a big part of its success. The Frasier reboot pilot has somehow eased some concerns; at the very least, Paramount+’s endeavor has the potential to be good. However, it will be difficult to compete with its predecessor, considering that the revival does not have the best elements of its predecessor — his call-in advice show at KACL.
Frasier’s Reboot Job Explained
Frasier’s move to Boston in the reboot means a brand-new job for him. When he left Seattle, he was supposed to relocate to San Francisco to host a TV show, but he opted to follow his heart at the last minute to follow Charlotte in Chicago instead. The original series left his fate hanging, but “The Good Son” confirmed that things did work out between him and Charlotte, although they ultimately broke up. On the bright side, however, Frasier landed a similar job in the Midwest, also becoming a top-notch TV show in Chicago. An urge to change his life, however, resulted in him leaving the gig.
After Martin Crane’s funeral in Seattle, Frasier was only supposed to make a pit stop in Boston to visit his son and also deliver a guest lecture at his old pal, Alan Cornwall’s class. However, after realizing his desire to mend his relationship with his son, he was convinced to take on the teaching job offered by Olivia Finch — Harvard’s psychology department’s head. The Frasier reboot’s two-episode pilot has yet to show how Frasier handles himself as an educator, but considering his tendency to make a fool out of himself, it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that he hits some snags while getting used to his new job.
Frasier’s KACL Job Was More Important Than You Think
Considering Frasier’s penchant for preaching, being a teacher seems to be a great fit for him. Despite not having prior experience, he has always been an intellectual. Couple that with his desire to educate others, then taking on this role may not be as difficult as initially perceived. In any case, students at Harvard appear to already be enthralled by him. While being a teacher offers a prestigious job for Frasier, this is actually a bad thing for the Frasier reboot’s storytelling because it means that there are no more call lines for him to attend to.
Despite Niles’ brutal criticism of his work in Seattle as a radiotherapist, it was actually the best element of the original show for a few reasons. Firstly, taking in calls from troubled people he didn’t know and giving them advice highlighted Frasier’s best quality, which was his eagerness to help. As someone who could be snooty and self-centered, his desire to provide guidance and enlightenment to his listeners made him somewhat likable. While some of the calls were simply for comedic purposes, others were genuinely emotional, including Martin thanking Frasier on the air in the pilot and Roz vulnerably talking about her heartbreak in season 9.
Secondly, Frasier’s KACL show also allowed the series to feature countless celebrities in a voice cameo capacity. Over the years, Frasier featured notable stars, from Christopher Reeve to Helen Mirren. What made this so much more interesting is that the show never named any of the guest stars until the end of the seasons. Even then, it wouldn’t reveal which caller they voiced. This excited viewers, and added a layer of fun to its storytelling, as the public attempted to recognize the weekly guest stars only by their voices.
Finally, the hotline made Frasier accessible to those who didn’t exactly care for its highbrow references. A sitcom featuring two uppity and condescending core characters admittedly doesn’t sound enticing. Despite this, Frasier was able to endear itself to the public by using various ways to ground Frasier and Niles. Most of the callers’ problems were very much grounded, albeit some of them could be ridiculous. For the serious ones, however, Frasier actually gave actionable advice, which could be useful for anyone who was experiencing similar issues in their lives.
How The Frasier Reboot Can Replicate His KACL Job
Understandably, however, it makes sense that Frasier doesn’t maintain his job as a radiotherapist. Two decades have passed since he left the job, and moved on to bigger and better things; it would have been far more disappointing if he never progressed in his career. In addition to that, radiotherapy isn’t exactly a thing anymore. Granted that he can adapt other forms of media to do some semblance of his old job such as starting a podcast, it’s unlikely that it would earn him enough to sustain his lifestyle.
That being said, just because Frasier is no longer a radiotherapist doesn’t mean that he can no longer dole out advice to people in need. Even during his days in Cheers, he would offer his two cents to people, which was his effort in helping them navigate their lives. In the Frasier reboot, he could offer guidance and words of wisdom to his students. As he says in the pilot, he appears to have the ability to connect with the younger generation, except with his son. Regardless, aside from being their teacher, Frasier can help his Harvard contemporaries get through their college days.
Otherwise, Frasier can also set up an advice booth at Mahoney — the brand new bar in the reboot, which effectively replaces Cheers. Aside from people at Harvard, like his colleagues and students, it also seems to be the hang-out place for Freddy and his firefighter friends. Eve works in the establishment as a bartender as well. This means that it will be the primary social spot for the Frasier reboot, making it the perfect venue for Frasier’s advice-giving endeavor.
The Frasier reboot airs new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+.
