Classic American sitcom Frasier, which ran for 11 seasons in the Nineties and early Noughties, is back: the reboot will be premiering on Paramount+ UK on October 13.
Kelsey Grammer returns to play Dr Frasier Crane, but this time the radio psychiatrist has moved to Boston in order to spend more time with his son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott).
When the new show’s trailer landed in September, fans shared their excitement about Frasier’s next chapter.
“No way my boy Frasier is back y’all,” commented one fan on the clip. “Frasier was and is my all time favourite sitcom... Kelsey and his cast were phenomenal,” said another.
Other fans were more hesitant. Frasier’s brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and his wife Daphne (Jane Leeves) won’t be returning, while actor John Mahoney, who played the father of the two brothers, died in 2018. Instead, a new cast, including Nicholas Lyndhurst, Jess Salgueiro and Toks Olagundoye, will be joining Grammer in the reboot.
“I never ever doubted Kelsey would slide back into the role so flawlessly. I just hope he’s got a great supporting cast around him along with good writing,” said one fan. “Frasier is easily my favorite series of all time. Dear god I hope this reboot does the original justice,” another wrote.
With just one day to go until the new season lands on Paramount+, here we pick some of the original show’s funniest moments.
Frasier gives his dad a heart attack
Like all the best moments from the best TV shows, this scene lives long in the memory. Fed up with his dad’s practical jokes, Frasier devises a brilliant plan: he dresses up like an insane looking clown, and jumps out to shock his dad. And shock his dad he does. Marty is utterly terrified, so much so that he has a literal heart attack.
Martin and Daphne’s lift game
Martin and Daphne play a game where they discuss increasingly gasp-worthy situations in the lift, trying to shock their unsuspecting lift-mate. “I’m telling you, they’re onto me,” says Daphne. “Come on! Nobody could recognise you after all that plastic surgery,” says Marty. The lady in the lift can’t exit fast enough. What a shame that it didn’t become a long-running segment.
The opening night of Frasier and Niles’ restaurant, Les Frères Heureux
Surely one of the best episodes of the entire show is the chaotic mayhem that is the opening of Frasier and Niles’ restaurant, Les Frères Heureux. While the evening starts off well, literally too many cooks spoil the broth as the Crane brothers can’t leave their head chef alone. Their over-involvement leads to one disaster after another. A tasty treat!
Daphne dates Niles’ doppelganger
One of Frasier’s longest-running storylines is Niles’ undying love for Daphne. But, sadly (and amusingly), for so much of the series, Daphne is utterly oblivious about her boss’s brother’s affections (read: obsession). What could be more charming, then, than the episode where she starts to date a Niles doppelganger. Of course, Marty and Frasier find the situation a riot.
Niles sets Frasier’s apartment on fire
David Hyde Pierce is a wonderful physical actor, and there’s no scene where this is better demonstrated than this three-minute silent clip of Niles setting Frasier’s beloved apartment on fire. There’s little else to say, other than enjoy – it’s total perfection.
Frasier sets up his boss with Daphne
In this excruciating but hilarious episode, Frasier invites his boss Tom round for dinner and plans to secretly set him up with Daphne. However plans go awry when it becomes apparent not only that Tom is gay, but that he is also into Frasier.
