Image via Paramount+
Putting aside those tossed salads and scrambled eggs, the original Frasier remains a spin-off series of substance with an Emmy haul well into double digits that ran for 11 seasons, turning Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) David Hyde-White (Niles), and Jane Leeves (Daphne) into household names. From his humble beginnings in that Boston bar (Cheers), this well-educated psychiatrist with delusions of grandeur spawned a sitcom with perfect casting, razor sharp writing, and undeniable on-screen chemistry making these characters instantly relatable. An ensemble this effortless in front of an audience was rare and the combination of flawless comic timing from everyone involved made Frasier a genuine pleasure to watch every week.
For the 2023 reboot audiences might have been hoping for more of the same, since sitcom veteran Nicholas Lyndhurst (Only Fools and Horses) has been recruited to play Harvard professor Alan Cornwall, frequently besting Kelsey Grammer for timing and remaining cool in front of the live audience. However, there is a lack of chemistry early on that may see some lose faith and nowhere is this more apparent than in the casting of Jack Cutmore-Scott (Oppenheimer) as Frasier’s estranged son Freddy.
Image via Paramount+
On the surface nothing is wrong with Cutmore-Scott and Grammer connecting as fictitious father and son, but after a flat first episode packed with introductions to establish Frasier’s reason to remain in Boston things quickly become formulaic. Lyndhurst is savvy enough to understand where the spotlight falls and who this show revolves around, so he delivers his pithy retorts, does a good line in world weary academic and consistently passes the torch back to Kelsey Grammer. For his part, Frasier must feel like a second skin after 11 years in the role, and one in which this actor has played all the notes in his repertoire.
That is why in the beginning this new series feels familiar but lacks chemistry across the board, as each actor finds their feet, establishes a rhythm, and gets comfortable in those respective roles. Whether that might be Toks Olagundoye (Eve) who is replacing Peri Gilpin (Roz) as Eve, a Harvard recruiter with her own reasons for wanting Frasier to stay in Boston, or Anders Keith’s David Crane who does a passable impression of Niles, complete with innumerable ailments that shamelessly trades on nostalgia to retain audiences.
Image via Paramount+
Not that there’s anything wrong with Frasier apart from its lack of originality, since aside from changing cities the relationship dynamic between these characters is unchanged, as in almost every way this rose-tinted reboot lacks any dramatic obstacles. However, Frasier will get renewed irrespective of the opinions of others, because Kelsey Grammer never puts a foot wrong in recreating his iconic role. Those who never cared for Frasier in the first place will lose no sleep over this reinvention, just as those who followed his every move will embrace the comeback without question.
Frasier is available to stream on Paramount+ now.
