“Vindication”: Kelsey Grammer Doubles Down On Frasier Reboot Not Repeating The Original Show

Kelsey Grammer admits to feeling vindicated about their creative approach for the Frasier reboot now that it has been renewed for season 2. Aside from reprising his role as Frasier Crane, the actor is also involved in other aspects of the show by being an executive producer and director. For years, Grammer was trying to get the Frasier revival off the ground, and after several snafus, Paramount+ finally gave it a home. The first 10 episodes of Frasier’s final act are now in the can, but Grammer always thought that there are so many more stories left to tell for his character.

With the Frasier reboot season 2 now officially confirmed, Grammer tells People that it wasn’t easy waiting for the streamer’s verdict on their future. That said, once the series was renewed, he felt vindicated over their decision to not do a repeat of the old show despite the pressure to just pick up where they left off in 2004 and do the same thing. Read his full quote below:

“There was a sense of, I’m trying to think of the right word, vindication. In my heart, I thought, ‘I know we can do this and I know we can do it really well.’ And I didn’t want to do what some of the other shows had done, sort of come back and be the same show. I thought this all played exactly how it was meant to be. And Frasier’s still alive, and he has a new story to tell and a new series of people to do it with, and it’s been fantastic.”

What Frasier Reboot Season 2 Needs To Do To Fix Its Divisive First Season

The reviews for the Frasier reboot season 1 were mostly divisive. Despite the popularity of reboots and revivals, it isn’t easy to launch a modern take on a previously established show, let alone one that was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Despite having a titular character, the original Seattle show was more of an ensemble, with all of its supporting characters getting their respective times under the spotlight. Given this, their absence in the Frasier reboot was felt throughout the project regardless of how hard it tried to make up for it.

With the Frasier reboot returning for a second season, however, it has the ability to make up for some of their previous lapses. For starters, Frasier’s Harvard story as a guest lecturer didn’t really work. The revival can only re-use the same snafus that he usually gets into before the whole thing becomes stale. Secondly, the Frasier reboot also fails to highlight the character’s best trait, which is his commitment to helping others. He did it in Cheers when he would randomly dole out advice, and again in Seattle, when he was a radio host.

Addressing these two glaring issues could better secure the Frasier revival’s future beyond season 2. Grammer is right; they don’t have to do a repeat of the Emerald City-based show to make its contemporary work. In any case, they also can’t do that, since integral characters like Martin, Daphne, and Niles aren’t around. That said, this doesn’t mean that the Frasier reboot should ignore elements from the original series that worked.

Source: People