Kelsey Grammer’s snobbish psychiatrist is coming back to the small screen after almost two decades, and here’s everything to remember before the Frasier reboot starts. In the new Paramount+ show, Frasier begins his fourth act in a familiar city. After spending some time away from Boston, Frasier returns to New England with a new goal — to fix his fractured relationship with his grown-up son, Freddy, all while also embarking on a personal journey.
Although the Paramount+ Frasier reboot features a mostly all-new cast and a fresh environment, the original show remains its foundation. For 11 seasons, Frasier lived in Seattle, where he was subjected to countless circumstances that forced him out of his comfort zone. Those experiences significantly played a part in shaping the man that he currently is. Now in potentially his final act, Frasier must look for guidance in his past life in the Emerald City, as seen in the original show, to be able to properly move forward to a better future.
10 Frasier Lived In Boston For 15 Years Before His Show
Before starring in his own series, Frasier was introduced on Cheers as Diane’s rebound boyfriend from her split with Sam. After studying at Harvard, he opted to settle in Boston and start his private practice. He had been in New England for several years before he set foot on Sam’s pub. What started as a guesting stint turned out to be a permanent gig when Grammer was promoted to a regular. Even after Shelley Long’s Diane left Cheers at the end of season 5, Frasier stayed behind. He remained a core cast member of the sitcom until it ended in 1993, which was also the same year that Frasier premiered.
9 Why Frasier Crane Left Boston For Seattle
Launching a Cheers spin-off with Frasier at the center was a big gamble for CBS. However, the risk paid off after the show immediately became a critical and commercial success. By the time Frasier started, it had been six months since he left Boston for Seattle. In the pilot, “The Good Son,” the radiotherapist shared on his program that he was prompted to come back to his hometown after his ex-wife, Lilith’s infidelity. He also cited his private practice becoming stale and feeling remorseful for spending way too many nights drinking at Cheers.
8 Frasier’s Son, Freddy Lived With Lilith In Boston
Despite their contentious dynamic, Frasier and Lilith were always able to set aside their differences to co-parent their only child, Freddy. Born in Boston, he stayed in New England with his mother when his dad moved back to the West Coast. Despite living on opposite ends of the country, however, Freddy would regularly visit his father in Seattle. Meanwhile, Frasier would do the same when he had free time.
7 Frasier Had A Brother, Niles
Despite the claim in Cheers that Frasier was an only child, NBC walked back on it with the spin-off introducing his younger brother, Niles. The idea came after the creators realized how much David Hyde Pierce resembled Frasier when he debuted. Frasier was already quite over the top, but Niles took it to the next level by having more quirks, that even the older Crane brother got bothered by it. Overall, creating the plot inconsistency was worth it as Pierce was brilliant as Niles in the show.
6 Why Frasier Was Forced To Live With Martin In The Original Show
As if moving wasn’t already difficult enough, Frasier’s rocky start in Seattle was made trickier when his father, Martin, had to live with him. The retired police officer had mobility issues since getting shot in the hip while on duty. Despite the reluctance from both parties, Martin’s condition made it difficult and dangerous for him to live alone. Niles may have had a bigger house, but it was supposedly difficult for him to take in his father because of his then-wife, Maris. Eventually convinced by wanting to reconnect with Martin, Frasier agreed to bring him into his swanky Seattle apartment.
5 Frasier Was A Radiotherapist In Seattle
In Boston, Frasier had his private practice, and because of it, he was able to grow his wealth. When he moved back to Seattle, however, he surprisingly took on a different career path by signing on to host a daily radio show at KACL, “The Frasier Crane Show.” In it, he would take troubled callers from around the Emerald City and help them with their issues. Roz Doyle served as his producer. Frasier enjoyed the celebrity status that came with being a public figure in his hometown, but Niles would often belittle his job, calling his call “McSessions.”
4 Niles Married Daphne (Martin’s Home Healthcare Worker)
Aside from Frasier’s personal arc, the original show also developed other multi-year narratives, including Niles and Daphne’s romance. From the moment the younger Crane brother met Martin’s new home healthcare worker, he was smitten. Because he was married to Maris, however, Niles couldn’t really do anything actionable about his feelings. For the most part, the original Frasier series built up their eventual relationship, until they eventually tied the knot. Niles and Daphne’s romance was arguably one of the best elements of the series, so it’s interesting how the Frasier reboot will honor that without both characters appearing.
3 Niles & Daphne Had A Baby In The Frasier Finale
In Frasier season 11, Daphne got pregnant, and in the finale, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, albeit in the most un-Crane-like fashion. They named the baby, David. Since the show was already coming to an end, it’s uncertain what a Crane/Moon kid would have been like — something that the upcoming Paramount+ revival is trying to rectify. Aside from a grown-up Freddy, the Frasier reboot will also feature David, as he joins his uncle in Boston.
2 Frasier Quit KACL To Be A TV Show Host
Seattle had been great to Frasier. He was close to family and friends, and he had a great job. However, he felt like it was time to make some changes as he went after things that he thought would make him truly happy towards the end of his show. With both Niles and Martin settled with their lives, Frasier took a lucrative job offer in San Francisco to host a TV show, which seemed like the natural progression for his career. He promptly bid his Seattle listeners goodbye and embarked on a trip down south.
1 Frasier Flew To Chicago Instead Of San Francisco In The Finale
Frasier was supposed to relocate to San Francisco for a new job, but as a lifelong romantic, he changed his mind at the last minute and decided to fly east to follow his final love interest in his show, Charlotte. Unlike Cheers, which had a definitive finale, its spin-off series left its titular character’s fate in limbo as it ended just after Frasier’s plane landed in Chicago. What happened to him is one of the biggest questions coming into the Frasier reboot.
