Frasier star Kelsey Grammer believes his eponymous central character is funnier and more mellow in the reboot series than he was in the original. However, Grammer insists the character retains many traits that made him a household name for so long.

Speaking with Deadline during a panel discussion about the Frasier reboot, Grammer and his creative team opened up about the development of Frasier Crane in the reboot and how he's evolved from the sitcom's original run. Grammer hopes fans find the titular psychiatrist and TV show host-turned-professor a more fun yet refined character than before as the reboot heads into its second season. “The assumption on my part was always that Frasier had grown,” said the actor. “He’s an older man now – wiser, smarter, hopefully funnier and a little less hysterical about some things but still a man of honed, refined tastes and insists on living well.”

Frasier Crane Returns to Boston

Season 1 of the Frasier reboot saw Dr. Crane head back to Boston, the home of the parent show, Cheers, to take a professorship at Harvard and begin his "third act" in life while attempting to mend his relationship with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott). Showrunner Chris Harris believes the show's return to Boston was fitting, telling the panel, “This is one of the most famous character in television, so we wanted to make sure we got it right. It was Kelsey’s idea at some point during the process…to go back to Boston. Originally, we had talked about other cities, but that just felt right. A returning home, there’s just something comforting to that.”

Fellow showrunner Joe Cristalli also believed Frasier Crane and his surroundings needed to be refreshed as the reboot couldn't replicate the original series, which he called "arguably the greatest sitcom of all time." Cristalli added, “We need new characters that sit on their own that are foils to Kelsey’s Frasier in a new way, in a fun way with new energies and new dynamics.”

Season 1 of the Frasier reboot returned only two legacy characters alongside the titular lead, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin) and Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth). The revival features a host of new characters, including Alan Cornwall (Nicholas Lyndhurst), David Crane (Anders Keith), Professor Olivia Finch (Toks Olagundoye) and Eve (Jess Salgueiro). According to Grammer, “You do get off on having new characters around, new energy, new life… and the idea that he’s shaping minds and that he’s now an educator.”

Grammer has teased a potential character shift for his main character in Season 2, which is now in production. The Frasier reboot secured a Season 2 renewal at Paramount+ this past February, following up on a first season that garnered mixed critical reviews but favorable audience feedback. Frasier Season 2 could feature more screen time for legacy characters and potential features from Cheers, with Grammer hinting at bringing in Shelley Long and Ted Danson from the parent sitcom. He also has a long-term vision for the reboot, wanting a long run for the show.

Season 1 of the Frasier revival is now available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: Deadline