Frasier Reboot Trailer — First Takes

Meh. Without some the other original cast, it’s just Kelsey Grammer and what sounds like some jokes that were tired before they even aired.

It makes me excited to watch the program!

God, I miss mid-Atlantic accents on TV.

Looks alright. I think I'm going to find everyman Freddie having to put up with Frasier a lot less fun than everyman Martin though. I'm guessing its Frasier teaching at Harvard with Niles kid as one of his students then. Didn't really get a feel for the new friends other than standard depressed sarcastic English guy though.

Boston is Cheers city. Seems impossible he's at any other bar. Freddy's cute.

Why couldn't they reboot Boss instead? I'm watching that on Amazon Prime, and what an amazing show! Ten times better and less soapy than House of Cards.

i hate that scrambled eggs bullshit.

Oh yeah r7.

Tried to watch the original on Hulu and couldn't get through the first season

It looks tired and boring. The jokes give off a moldy smell.

Outside of Kelsey, it felt like any number of annual new CBS sitcom entries.

Now, maybe once we see an episode or two, the characters will feel more specific. (I recognize that it can be hard to fully represent a show in a trailer.)

Is Bebe coming back?

The featured cast of the original set an incredibly high bar--surpassing the ensemble of CHEERS, I think.

These folks look incredibly... generic. (Freddy, in particular: he's not THAT cute, and not very special, from first look.)

Grammar looks like he's had some work done (and lost weight) but he doesn't look bad, at least.

There was industry talk that the powers that be behind this reboot (including Grammar) were insistent on doing this on the cheap. Really cheap.

So I wouldn't hold my breath for Bebe (or many of the original ensemble) showing up. Those actors would be correct in asking for a lot of money, but they're not gonna get it this go-round.

Just sayin'.

I said this in the last thread but how is Freddie like this? Last time we saw him he was a stereotypical teenage Jewish nerd being raised by Lilith attending one of the most prestigious prep schools they could get him into. Now he's a fireman.

Bebe is supposed to show up at some point as a guest and I believe so is Peri Gilpin

I watched Frasier in spite of pinguid Kelsey Grammer. Everything that was good about the original seems to be long gone.

A Christian Lacroix cushion? So Frasier's taste is still stuck in the 90s?

“Pinguid.” I’ve learned a new word. Good for you.

Bebe has already shot her episode. She was in LA doing it shortly after Ann Reinking’s memorial.

r17 Well his taste in women has probably moved on to the 2000s since he's got college aged bar staff setting him up on blind dates. Frasier would be 68 btw

Kind of sad looking.

Boss was a great show, r6. I loved the original Frasier too, and will watch this. I just hope it’s not as disappointing as And Just Like That.

I'm a Paramount+ subscriber, so I'll certainly give this show a try.

The trailer looks average. Clearly the Frasier sensibilities and snobbishness are on display.

The Freddie character will be the missing link.

R14 Maybe the son is supposed to give off the everyman aura that Frasier’s dad did.

If the son works, so will the show.

[quote]If the son works, so will the show.

With the Murphy Brown reboot back in 2017, the son was the only thing that worked. Nothing else really did. That show should have made the son, Avery Brown, the center of the show and the mom, Murphy Brown, a supporting player.

r24 He definitely is but that's my main issue with this reboot. Rather than doing something actually new like the change from Frasier to Cheers they've just decided to make a funhouse mirror of the original show even if that doesn't make much sense like with Freddy. DHP said he'd only do the show if he felt there was something special or a new story to tell and so far I can see why he said no. All we' seem to be getting so far is the same dated concept that was getting tired by 2004 of Frasier having a working class relative, zany work friends, and a revolving love life only now without any of the characters people actually liked.

Meh.

Hasn't this reboot been in the headlines and production get-go for, like, about 10 years now?!

Yeah it might have worked better if it had been more like be careful what you wish for in that Freddy ended up just as pretentious as Frasier but maybe even more so that he looked down on his dad's taste.

Perhaps they can bring Maris back.

The actor playing Freddy seems wooden and not cute.

And wasn't the character established in Cheers and Frasier as a child prodigy? So shouldn't the setup be that Freddy is essentially a stand-in for Niles, as prissy and pretentious as his father?

If the show is in Boston and he never goes to Cheers, does that mean the bar closed? Depressing. And not likely, since it was founded in 1895. A historical location like that would have just changed hands.

They should have departed more from the previous series. It feels like they're wringing out the washcloth that is the previous one for it's last bits of moisture.

Eh they shouldn’t have made it a sitcom and made it more contemporary. And by contemporary I mean like “The Office”, “It’s Always Sunny” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” where there’s no live audience or laugh tracks.

Well, I laughed. Something few recent sitcoms have made me do.

Grammer seems to be in fine form. Will have to wait and see on the supporting cast, as they weren’t featured enough in the trailer to form an opinion.

Looks embarrassing.

Is there a dog? I loved Eddie.

Frasier looks like Freddie's grandfather. Do we think this Freddie is supposed to be 35 or so, as he would be if we took his Cheers birthdate for granted?

R38 Jack Cutmore-Scott is 36.

[quote]I'm a Paramount+ subscriber

Does NOT give you bragging rights.

Based on this short clip, I don't think it will be as big a hit as Frasier. The funnier punchlines were all Frasier. The rest of the cast are really quite blah.

I've noticed when one character (the better actor of the ensemble) gets all the funny lines, it becomes exhausting to watch.

The original cast was truly an ensemble cast. Each of the characters brought something impactful to the show, even cute little Eddie.

Is it set in Frasier's nursing home?

There’s a reason they’re finally releasing this during the strikes.

The trailer didn't look terrible, until they got to the end. So Frasier is single again and still a horndog. It won't be creepy at all watching a 70-year-old pretentious twat trying to get laid and probably dating women half his age or even younger.

I watched it again and I somehow missed that "Freddie's girlfriend: He smells really good. Freddie : Yeah, he always smells really good" joke. Who wrote that?t it sounds weird as fuck in Frasier more like something from the Big Bang Theory.

Also there's baby stuff all round that apartment so I'd expect grandpa Frasier to be introduced at some point as well

This'll probably be a big hit just like the 'Night Court' reboot was. And the 'Mad About You' reboot.

Wasn't the MAD ABOUT YOU reboot a complete bust?

The Mad About You reboot got lost. No one even knew it was released but Helen Hunt's face is too scary now to be on tv.

Remember when she and Hank Azaria got married? So weird.

Is Jack Cutmore uncut?

I saw the trailer and came straight here to comment lol. It makes me sad. I expected it to. Martin is dead, Niles is....well I guess we'll find out but DHP doesn't appear to be coming back, even in a guest role. In any case, it doesn't feel the same without him.

Moreover it makes me sad to see Frasier so old. It makes me feel old.

I wonder if they'll bring Lilith and the now silver fox Sam Malone back.

I don't know, it just feels like it shouldn't have happened at all.

R32 - the old gay guy seems to be a stand-in for both Niles and the dad. Two-for-one.

Or, I guess, one-for-two?

I think this will be another Joey. Remember Joey? Neither do I.

R53 - tell me about it.

[quote]A Christian Lacroix cushion?

ITA. This struck me as an incredibly false note, too. The original show maintained a brilliant, insidery, crypto-gay sensibility (for a show about "straight" characters). They got the details right most of the time.

This felt lazy, sloppy, overreaching.

[quote]The original show maintained a brilliant, insidery, crypto-gay sensibility (for a show about "straight" characters). They got the details right most of the time.

A lot of that was due to writer Joe Keenan, who doesn't seem to be involved in this production. He also pulled off genuine farce, which seems to be near-impossible in American TV comedies.

The lack of any of the original writers does concern me to an extent. They brought a rare quality to the show that I’ve never seen matched.

I agree - original writers make or break a reboot!

Nicholas Lyndhurst will save it. The rest looks dull and shockingly cliched.

This looks like it was done on the cheap. The sets look cheap. Even the film stock looks cheap.

One of the things that always stood out to me about Frasier was it looked like they invested some money in everything about the show, from the sets to the film stock to the crew to the writers to the cast.

It will not soar to the heights of the original in its best years, but it also doesn't seem quite as dire as originally anticipated.

But yes, the divine Joe Keenan will be much missed.

[quote] It won't be creepy at all watching a 70-year-old pretentious twat trying to get laid and probably dating women half his age or even younger.

So it's a sitcom based on Joe Biden?

Crazy (arrogant?) to bring the character back without at least a couple of the key writers.

I need them to explain how his son became Blue Collar Every Guy fireman. What flipped the switch?

Joe Keenan. What a loss. Read his hilarious book My Blue Heaven.

Nope. No thanks

Freddie's sole purpose is to invert the Martin role by making him Frasier's son instead of father. It seems false that he'd turn out that way. He was clearly getting bullied his entire childhood for being a dork. No way he'd turn out like that.

I'll give it a try just to see how it is.

The thing I find most confusing is Niles kids in this as well. And yeah he's Niles son but he was also raised by Martin and Daphne and has Moon family criminal blood running in his veins. He's pretty much tailor made to be the normal one in the family for this reboot

I hope they bring Millicent Martin back.

... and the whore who rode in on you, r62.

[quote]The thing I find most confusing is Niles kids in this as well. And yeah he's Niles son but he was also raised by Martin and Daphne and has Moon family criminal blood running in his veins. He's pretty much tailor made to be the normal one in the family for this reboot

Based on the early pix, the kid seems like he's 100% a Moon with no Crane, Niles or Martin.

r71 Yeah theres something concerningly manic pixie dreamboyish about the way he dresses and how his only trailer appearance is him grinning while sliding down a fire pole. I can easily see him getting annoying pretty fast

Kelsey’s talked about wanting to pay tribute to Kirstie as well. I wonder if there’ll be a “Rebecca’s Funeral” episode.

I wonder what accent Niles and Daphne's kid will have.

[Quote]So it's a sitcom based on Joe Biden?

Bless your heart, R62.

No, wait, that's not right. Go fuck yourself, R62, with that 14-inch black dildo you don't think your fat-ass deplorable wife knows about.

Found the Rebecca’s funeral episode, R73.

R62, in what way does that sound Joe Biden? Not at all.

R76 I’m a cunt, I laughed.

I'm a cunt too and I not only laughed, I cackled so loudly the cat jumped.

Thanks for the chuckle R76. Please have all my WWs.

R75 - My heavens, your thin-skinned histrionics surely do belie your mental illness by worshipping false idols. Are you too lazy to upvote yourself just twice?

[quote]Kelsey’s talked about wanting to pay tribute to Kirstie as well. I wonder if there’ll be a “Rebecca’s Funeral” episode.

A funeral episode would be an epic reunion show for Cheers, especially since he's back in Boston for this show.

I'd tune in to watch that.

I'd forgotten she was dead.

If they did a Rebecca's funeral her cause of death has to be hilarious and klutzy.

They should start with Martin's death out of respect for John Mahoney.

you'd need DHP and Jane Leeves to do Martin's funeral though. The first episode will probably at least be dedicated to Mahoney.

OP Here is the essence of my rejected pitch:

Story takes place in approximately 1960 when Niles and Frasier Crane were boys (tbd ages: between 8 and 13). Location tbd.

Hester Crane is alive and a vibrant force. The story is about Hester and Marty and their sons Frasier and Niles.

Original Frasier, through its rich writing over 11 seasons (not to mention the origin of Frasier on Cheers) offered numerous glimpses and anecdotes into the Frasier's and Niles's childhoods. So the viewer already has a familiarity with many iconic family stories.

There are occasional appearances from Hester's father (Kelsey Grammar) who can either be played as an Albert Einstein-type or against the expectation and played as a blue collar Marty Crane-type (hence Hester married a man like Daddy).

There are numerous opportunities for updated sitcoms tropes such as the difference between Marty and Hester and the fish out of water: how Frasier and Niles don't quite fit in at school.

As well, Marty's job on the police force and Hester's work as a psychiatrist provide ample fodder for secondary characters.

1960 is a key year. 1960 was both literally and figuratively leaving the 1950s behind. During the first few years of the 1960s we had Nixon, JFK, the new First Lady, the space race, the Cold War, James Bond, the death of Marilyn Monroe, the birth control pill, The Beatles, and more. The same audience that watched Frasier will have a familiarity with these events either directly from their own early childhood or through proximity to the 1960s. (Note: Mad Men did a very good job of weaving these events into the fabric of the writing).

Not surprisingly this pitch was rejected for numerous reasons: 1) Kelsey needs to star 2) Kelsey needs attention 3)Kelsey needs the show to be about him

If I had not mentioned Kelsey already, apologies.

Other reasons cited were "the writing would be too complex" and "sounds more like a drama" and "it's too expensive to do a 1960 period piece" and "our target audience would rather reminisce about the 1980s than the 1960s." There was more.

I will tell you that this is just a cash and ego grab trading on a value of a title (not unlike "And Just Like That."

Looks awful. I wouldn't watch it, anyway, since Grammer is a fucking MAGA dolt.

DOA

This trailer makes the 12 season look terrible. Deciding to do a 12th season based on the Frasier pilot (Frasier as Marty; and Freddy as Frasier) is silly and was just a hook for writers to hang on and publicists to reference. The entire first season of Frasier with all of that Marty/Frasier tension was far too real awkward, yet understandable since the origin Frasier had not yet hit its groove. Marty Crane was a bit nasty in season 1. Just like the Golden Girls were dreary in the very beginning and Kevin Malone was just quiet and dull on Season 1 of The Office. He became childlike later. All of these characters on all shows are usually ironed out by season 2. But the 12th season should not be awkward and should not need to be ironed out. We have a rich history of the character.

Frasier looks like a corpse. He seems tragic without his brother and Roz and Daphne. He and Freddy have no chemistry. The actor playing Freddy is the right look. He is not hot at first blush but looks like someone you can fall in love with and find hot later. All good because Freddy was not a cute little boy. Does his girlfriend speak?

Having the secondary characters come from a bar (like Cheers) is fine, but I did not laugh once. Is this show written by AI?

R85 don’t quit your day job—if you have one. If not, don’t bother using your SSI for a writing class.

[quote] During the first few years of the 1960s we had Nixon, JFK, the new First Lady, the space race, the Cold War, James Bond, the death of Marilyn Monroe, the birth control pill, The Beatles, and more.

My God, what a laugh riot!

R89 Sounds like The Wonder Years but I think The Wonder Years was set a few years later. They had all that silly stuff about Civil Rights and ERA and the MLK and RFK assignations and it just GOT IN THE WAY and we didn't know when to laugh. Fortunately, Frasier will retain its laugh track and stick to topical jokes about podcasts and haute cuisine.

And Lacroix, baby! Really??

For anyone wondering, writer Joe Keenan is very much alive. He's only 65.

No idea if he's still writing TV, film, or fiction. But the poster was correct to credit a lot of the genius behind FRASIER to him.

They say it's the same but it isn't the same. They say it's the same but it isn't the same. They say it's the same but it isn't the same.

Joe has been working on a fourth novel for years, with characters different than the ones in MY BLUE HEAVEN, etc. I believe it's a period piece.

Ack. I thought the show had started. Can’t believe people are getting this excited about a trailer.

I believe the first two eps will premiere on CBS, so we can all sample should we choose.

[quote] The Wonder Years was set a few years later. They had all that silly stuff about Civil Rights and ERA and the MLK and RFK assignations and it just GOT IN THE WAY and we didn't know when to laugh.

Apparently someone agrees with you, as regards the revival.

Surprising ABC pulled the plug on Wonder Years 2 so quickly.

They let Black-ish run for eight seasons despite shitty ratings, pretending it was a hit.

Ugh Frasier moves in across the hall from his son and puts inkblot wallpaper up?

I love Frasier (didn't like Cheer as well as the original run of Frasier) and I'll tune in because it looks comforting albeit not as good as the 90s cast.

[quote]For anyone wondering, writer Joe Keenan is very much alive.

Yes, and evidently unwilling to associate himself with this new venture. He also left the original show after Niles and Daphne eloped, and only came back for the final episode. He wasn't one of the originators and only wrote 24 episodes, but he was absolutely the life and soul of the party while he was there.

His Twitter is very entertaining, if you miss his wit.

I do not smell an Emmy.

That’s not what I smell.

Boy was that painful to sit thru.

No thanks KG.

He'll be skewered for not having a single Cheers buddy in it.

I too feel comforted by seeing Kelsey Grammar reprising the role, R100. And as shitty as this reboot looks, I will probably watch it in the fetal position on the sofa in my bathrobe with a hot water bottle, a whiskey sour and a pint of Ben & Jerry's. Because sometimes, comfort trumps quality.

I'll watch old episodes of the real 'Frasier' instead, not whatever Paramount+ says this is.

Do we think his bathroom suite will still be in black?

Gil Chesterton Presents Hole

I seriously doubt Joe Keenan was approached about this (sadly).

Kelsey hooked up with a new set of EPs and no way would they cut in someone who would demand a share of the action.

And this trailer seems to show a very conventional middlebrow sitcom, not what Keenan is skilled at writing, or would enjoy.

This looks terrible. Not witty at all.

[quote] I do not smell an Emmy.

Try Harder

It had to be a Joe Keenan episode where Frasier was snobbily bitching about his father's coarse waitress girlfriend Sherry and her penchant for naughty limericks "fortuitously featuring a man named Horatio."

Indeed it was

Frasier was such a prestige series for Paramount.

I'm surprised Paramount would bring Frasier back without the same level of quality in mind. Going cheap is going to reflect badly on both the studio and the Paramount+ streaming service.

Another teaser. This one looks slightly better I guess (except the video quality).

Does anyone know why the original Feddie, Trevor Einhorn, is not in the show? Wiki has he is 34, which sounds like the perfect age.

R115 NO! That one looks worse!!!

r116 I Don't really remember him being a particularly good actor even as a teenager.

Trevor Einhorn was a regular in the Magicians series.

Paramount is really poorly run these days, so no surprise.

How many prestige projects have you seen or heard about on Paramount Plus?

Keenan says in one of his novels, "Moira, whose ethics could only be glimpsed with the aid of a particle accelerator,..."

I always think of that when the GOP pulls a new move.

Anyway, it's hardly surprising that the Bebe episodes in Frasier are virtually all his.

R116 Just a guess, but I’m guessing they wanted Freddie to be mancandy.

in which case they failed, R122.

New Freddie is not all that.

I'd rather eat tossed brambles and sandy eggs.

First look special.

r125 Honestly that interview put me off more and more. They're clearly setting the entire show about Frasier and Freddie's relationship and I couldn't care less. The only thing going on that I'm vaguely interested in is Frasier and Nicholas Lyndhursts character since he and Grammer seem to riff off each other pretty well.

R126 - It should have been called Daddie Dreariest.

The son may not be an A&F hunk, but he's eye candy enough. Not enough to watch, mind you, but certainly worth 15 seconds of goggling for more images.

He does however need a better stage name.

Shockingly, the early reviews have been raves. Go figure.

Just about to post the same thing, R128. Very positive reviews. Who knew?

Looks like shit. The original was a masterpiece amongst sitcoms. The biggest refinement really since I Love Lucy. Why did they fuck with it? It just wouldn't be the same without Roz.

I know most of the hardest core Frasier fans hated Sherry but I absolutely loved her. No one popped Frasier's and Niles' balloons quite like she did.

The kid playing Freddie looks like a big handsome guy with some of Kelsey’s features, and the kid playing David looks like DHP but wide eyed and pretty.

59% on RT. The reviews seem very divided, love or hate kind of thing. I think we know where most DLers will side.

Rolling Stone review basically hits on why this will suck - they're ignoring anything from the original and from Cheers which would cause them problems. The Nicholas Lyndhurst character is presented as Frasier's oldest friend - one we never saw or heard about before? Frederick's allergies and past nerdishness have all vanished. And so on.

[quote]When Frasier considers furniture options for his new apartment, he says, “It’s a real sofa’s choice.” At one point, Olivia complains about her sister being made provost at Yale, loudly repeating the name of Harvard’s Ivy League rival several times, which prompts Frasier to retort, “Don’t you Yale at me!”

Oof. The only humour there would've been the reaction of the likes of Joe Keenan if someone pitched those lines in the original's writing room

The strength of the original was the Frasier-Niles relationship. Without that, there is no show.

Kelsey Grammer was not the reason why Frasier was so fantastic, but I'm not surprised he believes that's the reason.

The actor playing his son really does look like him.

I am surprised by how good those reviews were . The toughest one I've found is the Independents. That says the few new things they've added don't really work, and the rest of it is a tired rehash. And going by Vultures we shouldn't expect any important gay characters "As a secondary quibble, considering that the original series played in a 1990s-era “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” sandbox with coy hints that Niles and Frasier had some very gay qualities, it’s frustrating that this revival doesn’t take the opportunity to be, well, more gay. A pity!)"

Thanks r101! I'm enjoying his twitter.

Frazier coming off a "Dr. Phil" type show.....Yawn. How unoriginal.

The reviews are all over the place on this one. The Guardian gave it 5 stars out of 5. Rolling Stone slammed it.

R136 hey no need to go Boston their chops!

YES! My friends rag on me for loving this show but it’s so dam good.

Why didn’t Niles and Daphne return?

Daphne predicted it would be shit.

This gay queen interviewing Kelsey Grammar. Honey, nobody is this thrilled to be talking to Frazier...(4:20) Kelsey says Frazier is never coming back. That was 10 years ago. Note the tacky echo filled home Kelsey lives in. The gushing queen doesn't know how to shut the fuck up.

I'm not defending the show, which I haven't seen, but those complaints are silly, R135. In Cheers Frazier was a supporting character and it was pretty much set in one bar, so he wouldn't get supporting characters of his own appearing. And allergies can go away as kids get older (if they were real allergies to begin with).

Frasier.

148 Lol, the guy who won the “be a day player on Will & Grace” contest.

Freddie should have been gay but masc. The ironic contrast with a straight but effete Frasier would have produced so much comedy of errors potential. Shame…

They're adding me to the cast as Cousin Oliver, to breathe new life into the show.

[quote]Freddie should have been gay but masc. The ironic contrast with a straight but effete Frasier would...

Are you 85 years old?

Why would I be 85 years old?

The Rolling Stone review is by Alan Sepinwall, who is a decent critic and not up his own ass all the time.

Well clearly he's been eating well in the years since Frasier's first run.

Sepinwall is one of the bests. Matt Roush, who is also good, gave it three stars out of five.

“The first is that Cutmore-Scott is incredibly bland in the role, and in no way seems like the character we last saw 20 years ago. Played then by Trevor Einhorn — who is still a working actor (Mad Men, The Magicians), and who has a much greater facility with comedy than Cutmore-Scott does — the young Frederick Crane was an anxious nerd with many allergies. It’s not that he couldn’t eventually grow into this person, but that the new episodes never acknowledge what Freddy used to be like, how much of a transformation this is, or what aspects of his old self he still retains, even if he doesn’t want anyone to know about them.”

Variety article on the reboot - they're trying to sell the idea of former cast members returning in a second season. Sounds more like desperately trying to get execs to sign off on a second season.

The Hollywood Reporter pans it.

Looking at photos makes me miss the marvelous Seattle apartment set. It was almost a character in itself.

I’m sure if anyone wants to watch it will have its moments.

But with all these shows that stay around too long or come back it’s diminishing returns.

Better to watch the original, in my opinion.

R160 Thanks for that link. Interesting article. Offered some explanations for things I’d been wondering about.

Glad to hear Chris Lloyd at least is supervising the writing. At least a few of the originals are around ins one capacity.

Also pleased they’re keeping the door open for Cheers, even if they’re not going there yet.

*around in some capacity

USA Today hated it.

Just watched the first two episodes. Awful. Feels and is acted like a cheap sitcom. David is basically a new Sheldon from Big Bang Theory (though the actor is cute in a nerdy way).

Even the production is poor - there's a scene with a 'revelation' and they've added the most embarrassing fake crowd murmuring, a slurping noise which continues when a cup is nowhere near the mouth, etc. And wouldn't you know it, the bar from the trailer where the academics hang out just happens to be the same bar where Freddie and his fireman pals hang out - two different bar sets was too expensive?

Also, the whole idea that Frasier - who went from being a radio psychiatrist to a Dr Phil type TV star - would be desired by Harvard as a professor is ludicrous, as is the idea he's a massive draw amongst the college-aged.

Oh and Kelsey's voice sounds like it's about to go.

SPOILER: can't believe they actually did a "I bought the whole building" line

5/10

Camille must've taken him to the cleaners.

Why the FUCK would he need work this badly?

I liked it. It was cheesy in some aspects, but they are finding their footing. I understand that.

NYT: it has the purgatorial feel of a sitcom that returned without a purpose beyond “More of that guy I like, please.” The central father-son dynamic feels forced rather than rooted in history, and Freddy is a nonentity, undefined as a character except in relation to his meddling dad.

You could forgive the lack of ideas if there were at least a few laughs. But this reproduction has the predictable beats of a mothballed 20th-century sitcom.

I have Paramount+ so I'll watch the first episode at some point.

I stopped watching Frasier long before it ended, but wouldn't mind seeing where this new show goes out of morbid curiosity.

So how come the reviews have come out in two blocks? Does that mean Paramount drew up a list of critics who they think would like it, and gave them early access, with the rest having to wait until now? Doesn't sound like something a company confident of their product would have to do.

They embargo reviews until” a certain date, but some pubs hold until

… the show premieres.

[quote]Just watched the first two episodes. Awful. Feels and is acted like a cheap sitcom. David is basically a new Sheldon from Big Bang Theory (though the actor is cute in a nerdy way).

It's a bad performance. David seems less neurotic than he does on the spectrum. I was wondering if David was supposed to be autistic. And there's a bit of physical business with a suitcase that David Hyde Pierce would have nailed. This kid doesn't have physical comedy chops.

[quote]Even the production is poor - there's a scene with a 'revelation' and they've added the most embarrassing fake crowd murmuring, a slurping noise which continues when a cup is nowhere near the mouth, etc.

The laugh track is completely inorganic. They carry a prop baby around on the show and have terrible cut-ins of a real infant's face as the canned laugh track goes "Awwww." Impossible to imagine on the original Frasier.

The one successful performance that could have fit on the old one is Nicholas Lyndhurst tossing off casual one-liners as a dissolute drunken intellectual Harvard professor. He rises way above the material.

And, good GOD but Frasier's new apartment is squat and ugly.

I just watched the first episode. Laughed out loud so many times. I think there is the misunderstanding that the show needs to be groundbreaking and profound. It does not. It needs to entertain, especially make me laugh, and make me want to come back. It worked for me.

The first episode is based on a misunderstanding, which is of course something the old "Frasier" and many other sitcoms have done, but it revolves around Frasier's son and his roommate keeping a secret when there's absolutely no reason to do so.

Ok, just watched the second episode and found it just as funny and moving as the first. Yes, lots of referencing from the first show. But still... I up for it and open for more.

Is Martin dead on the show?

[quote]I think there is the misunderstanding that the show needs to be groundbreaking and profound

Actually we want the opposite of groundbreaking, we want it to be more like Frasier already was. This thing is nothing like that.

r180 Yes

Kelsey is famous for refusing to rehearse, so I wonder how much that could be to blame for some of the performances.

[...]

Cocaine may affect the voice in varied ways, according to how it is used. Cocaine, when snorted, will cause significant injury to the nose and nasal septum due to the chronic constriction of the blood vessels in the nose.

In what way does he sound different?

[quote] we want it to be more like Frasier already was. This thing is nothing like that.

It's interesting you say that because I felt the opposite. To me it felt like an old shoe that fit immediately. I like the variety of humor, the acting, the writing with wit and heart (without the usual cynicism). But Frasier wasn't for everyone back then and it cannot be for everyone today either.

Actually, Kelsey’s speaking voice doesn’t sound that different — just a little bit older but it’s normal aging.

It’s more noticeable when he’s singing the new version of tossed salad and scrambled eggs outro.

I’m enjoying it so far. No, it’s not the original, but I didn’t expect it to be.

I do agree with the critics who’ve found the Frasier/Freddie dynamic rather forced. Maybe like in the first show, they’ll eventually branch out into exploring other subplots more.

It's fine. Better than a lot of shows out there. Not exactly 'great' but it has potential.

That is one hell of an info dump in the first 2 minutes if the show

[quote] Nicholas Lyndhurst: So how's life?

[quote] Frasier: Greetings my good English friend Alan who I never mentioned. Well my dad just died, me and Charlotte broke up, I was a successful talkshow host, and now I'm not, and this is my nephew David who goes to Harvard and is a gen z Niles

[quote] Nicholas Lyndhurst: And your relationship with your son who quit Harvard to become a firefighter?

[quote] Frasier: Bad. *turns to face camera* you all caught up now?

I want to hear Bulldog sing “Ave Maria” now.

I've only watched the first episode so far so I might revise my opinion up or down when I watch the 2nd. Its not a bad show and there were some funny moments. But the only bits that felt like they approached classic Frasier was the scenes in the kitchen with David trying to shoulder the door open, and then Frasier plotting to get Freddie to admit he's a grandfather. And the issues with Frasier and Frederick just don't work. Freddy was born in 1989 he's about 34 years old them having arguments over him dropping out of college and becoming a fireman when he's probably been one for over a decade at that age is just ridiculous. Also "dad can never find out about John" would have been a perfect time for a classic Frasier thinks Freddy might be gay and has to act overly supportive over dinner scene rather than the I have a grandson bit they went with.

I liked it. Normal “early episode” awkwardness in parts, but I’m certainly willing to give it all a go.

One of the significant things about Frasier was both brothers were very gay coded. Niles especially. That was acceptable in the early 90s because you couldn’t actually make them gay then. But I’m not sure how acceptable that is now. I wonder if it could come across as an elaborate closeting exercise.

[quote]Rather than doing something actually new like the change from Frasier to Cheers they've just decided to make a funhouse mirror of the original show...

Agreed with R27 and others who think a simple reboot was dead wrong.

It might have had a chance had practically everything changed, had they put Frasier as a stranger in a strange town, in London or Paris where Frasier overestimated his welcome, or some small Southern U.S. town the sophistication of which Frasier overestimated. Downsizing. Having taken up abstract painting. Money troubles. All new characters. Only the occasional throwaway references to the Seattle years or the Cheers years. Something...but change it all except a few elemental personality traits. Play only to the old strengths of good actors and quick dialogue.

But nothing remotely of that sort, just a reheated can of something two decades past its expiration date.

what happened to his voice? Excessive salad tossing.

How does it compare to the Murphy Brown reboot. I didn't hate that.

[quote]Is Martin dead on the show?

No, he's "away on a cruise."

What kind of building has two entirely different looking apartments across the hall from each other? Okay the one where the Friends lived but is that really a thing?

Maris and Vera are asking: Are we already having an idea which character will be mentioned but never be seen? I am putting my money on the sister of the head of psychology department.

R196 Dear god the Murphy Brown reboot was cringy. This is infinitely better.

Got to work from home today and put this video in the background and it was really fun, smart, and unexpected. Didn't realize it was 2.5 hours long. It is a huge deep dive into Frasier. It makes me want to rewatch the later seasons of Cheers.

r199 Niles

Kelsey's tan was super distracting. He looked like orange.

Isn’t Kelsey Grammer a MAGA/Trumper? Playing an intellectual-psychiatrist doesn’t match well with that.

My friends dad wrote the theme song. He also went blind. It was sad.

First episode.

R203 I noticed that, too. Thought the color balance on my set was off at first.

Initial verdict: it’s not the absolute disaster I was fearing. It’s not great though. I’m not sold on the cast (the Freddy actor is good at dramatic scenes but has no comedy timing whatsoever) and it really pales in comparison with the original. It’s watchable though and may well improve.

My hesitance is because Frasier was the least interesting character to me in the original. Kelsey did a great job, don’t get me wrong, but all these beautiful young women were fallen into bed with him and that was highly unrealistic.

I liked everyone else in the cast and how they reacted to and played off him.

I have to agree, R209, Frasier was my least favourite of the cast, but I loved the way they all played off each other. The closest I see in this sequel are the scenes between Grammer and Lyndhurst’s characters. The others not so much. Niles and Daphne’s nephew seems like an afterthought and an idea that works more in theory than execution.

The problem with David is they're having an inexperienced 18 year old actor try and imitate DHP while dressed like one of the most stereotypical college hipsters imaginable. Some of his stuff landed like the allergy card (the ones in Red are fatal) the throwing out Fenway dirt, and him trying to barge open the kitchen door but the rest of it just seems a thankless task and like people have said comes across more like Sheldon from BBT.

^ Again, I have a completely different impression: I thought that David - in his few scenes - was hilarious and a scene stealer. They need to make sure that he won't become the standard village's fool and gets some depth. But as an entry I thought this young actor made an excellent first impression.

I hope David gets more screen time in future episodes. With the right angle and a bit more depth, I think he’d really shine.

I don't dislike him Honestly I'd probably say I prefer him to Freddy who's just sort of there. David at least has some characterisation and good scenes. But sometimes the character didn't work for me and he came off as too socially awkward in a way Niles never did that it felt more like I was watching Sheldon.

From the Rolling Stone review:

[quote]As David, Anders Keith leans very hard into a Pierce impression, with uneven results that can either make him the most appealing part of an episode or the most grating.

I don’t believe David, the character, is straight.

I didn’t believe Niles was straight either but that was a different time.

Just make him gay and figuring himself out!

r214, I think I get the Sheldon comparison, and I hope they steer away from that, too.

About the "Freddy" character I feel it still needs to find its niche in this set of characters. He is so clearly set up as the common straight up man that Martin used to be. But I feel the roommate can fill that role much better. We'll see.

I watched the first two episodes and really enjoyed them. The first episode turned me into a big weepy MARY toward the end. There are definite parallels to the Frasier premiere, which was also a fairly awkward episode. That was called The Good Son, this was called The Good Father.

I think the comparison of David to Sheldon Cooper is fairly shallow, as Sheldon was quite rude and obnoxious, where David is awkward and nebbish. I liked it enough to continue watching. I am looking forward to Roz and Lilith showing up later in the season, but it is smart of them not to do it too early so they don't overshadow the new cast members that we are just getting to know. They did a similar thing with Frasier, waiting a while before any of the Cheers gang came to visit. Lilith was the first, in the back half of season 1.

I also enjoyed Toks Olagundoye as Olivia. I loved her as an alien on the short lived The Neighbors.

Watched the first two episodes. Not impressed, and I love the old series. They just don't have the writers now. The Frazier/son relationship is unbelievable, the woman with the baby is uninteresting, the son of Niles is a weak substitute for Niles, the gimmick of Frazier buying the building and having an enormous ugly apartment directly across from his son is just stupid. Sad how Frazier is dressing down now with a loose unbuttoned shirt to hide his fat gut.

[quote] What kind of building has two entirely different looking apartments across the hall from each other?

a Bostonian building.

R205 what’s did he end up doing with all those tossed salads and scrambled eggs?

[quote]. Kelsey did a great job, don’t get me wrong, but all these beautiful young women were fallen into bed with him and that was highly unrealistic.

It made sense to me because Frasier was a tall, rich, famous, cultured and romantic doctor with the greatest apartment on Earth. Made sense to me.

But the joke was that he couldn’t keep any of the relationships going because he had a pompous, neurotic, disaster of a personality.

Based on the first episode, the supporting characters all seem to be a bit too supportive in nature. The best lines in the original show were most often Roz, Martin, Daphne, and even Niles taking the piss out of Frasier, calling him on his pompous BS. In a snarky but loving way. Hopefully, they may develop more in that direction, with some sharper dialogue.

The cast seems capable, but they've got nothing funny to say or do. There's no logic supporting any of the story or humor, so it all seems ridiculous and forced.

Roz and Daphne didn't leave their lasting impressions after two fucking episodes either. Give that show a chance to expand. The way I see it, the characters have much more potential than 10 episodes can possibly tell. I wonder if they consider bringing the show to CBS for a full season if reactions are positive.

More accolades for Frasier.

There seems to be a huge discrepancy between what critics and viewers think.

Definitely not Paramount paying for bots

I think I agree with the critics. My feelings are decidedly mixed.

Frasier the character and Kelsey are delightfully the same. It’s the setting and supporting cast that’s bringing it down.

One review I read felt things were awkward at first, but saw a big improvement several episodes later. I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops.

It aired on CBS tonight at 9pm.

Roz definitely took time to develop. Next to Big Rosie Greenbaum she was my favorite TV character. Granted I was a kid during my Rosie phase. So who knows? Why didn't they take Rosie to California?

CBS (owned by Paramount) aired the first two episodes tonight (October 17th) back-to-back. I was curious, having been a huge fan of the original series.

It was disappointing, to say the least. Right off the bat, it appears Grammer and the producers saved money by taping the show instead of filming it. TV sitcoms on tape look and feel cheap, and the reboot suffers for it. It's the same feeling you get watching an episode of a favorite sitcom done "live." They are necessarily taped, with a look that seems flat. The lighting in such cases always seems a bit off.

As someone who grew up in the Boston area, I can always tell when a show is produced in California by people who have never been to the Bay State. In one of the two episodes on CBS, characters, including Frasier, refer to a section of Boston called Mattapan. It is pronounced just as it looks: Mattah-PAN, with an emphasis on "pan." But in the show, they call it "Matta-pin," With the emphasis on "MATTA." Huh? What? No one bothered to check?

The new cast is pleasant enough and the actor playing Frasier's Harvard-dropout son is the obvious eye candy. He's a fireman and the blue-collar stand-in for Frasier's late dad, Martin, originally played by actor John Mahoney. Martin was a retired cop who was wounded in a shootout and had the limp and cane to prove it. He also had his beloved plaid-and-patched easy chair. Give him a beer and he was instantly a blue-collar icon.

Freddie, on the other hand, in the first two episodes, is still something of a cipher. To Frasier's dismay, he has dropped out of Harvard to become a fireman, but there's nothing about him that suggests his rough and tumble work life. I guess that's coming later.

David Hyde-Pierce, who played Frasier's younger brother Niles, was approached to co-star in the new series but begged off, saying there was nothing new he could add to the character. And that's a shame, since their dynamic was always good for laughs.

Bebe Newirth, who played Frasier's stiff psychologist wife Dr. Lilith Sternin in the original series, will make an appearance, as will Peri Gilpin, who played Frasier's radio producer Roz Doyle.

Apparently, prior to landing back in Boston, the Frasier character was the host of a very successful syndicated TV show in Chicago, which earned him millions. So the workplace humor that practically defined the original series, is sadly missing. At the end of the second episode, Frasier has accepted a job in the Psychology Department at Harvard. Sadly, at least for me, that means tired jokes about academe. And I went to Harvard as an undergrad.

I'm not sure it's worth adding Paramount Plus to my playlist just to see the rest of the reboot. It's more of a retread, but without the sparkling ensemble that made the original series so much fun to watch and re-watch.

Well smell you Venezia.

R234 In fairness, most multi-cams these days use digital HD tape, or whatever it is. I can’t think of a single sitcom in recent memory (hell, make that any TV show) shot on film. I don’t think actual film is used much anymore for television. It’s not really a question of cheapness on this show’s part.

R234 = Is this your audition for TV Lines new entertainment reporter? Basically you rehashed everything that came before the 200 posts above yours. Keep your day job. Those fries aren't going to cook themselves.

r233 The writers treated Roz so badly in the later seasons

[quote] Shockingly, the early reviews have been raves.

9 out of 10 bots agree: It's the best TV show in the history of mankind!

R238 - Roz liked it that way.

r237, I cannot imagine what bitter, foul mood prompted you to that takedown you posted. You couldn't just ignore a post, and move on? Your assholery seems excessive considering what you are complaining about.

I hate to break it to you R234, but the original Frasier wasn't terribly accurate in its depiction of Seattle.

[post redacted because independent.co.uk thinks that links to their ridiculous rag are a bad thing. Somebody might want to tell them how the internet works. Or not. We don't really care. They do suck though. Our advice is that you should not click on the link and whatever you do, don't read their truly terrible articles.]

I wrote in the above, this guy is a piece of shit. Why would anyone want to support his projects?

[quote] And I went to Harvard as an undergrad

How do you know if someone went to Harvard?...

For me, it’s a case of separating the artist from the art. Fortunately, Grammer’s political viewpoints haven’t been allowed to seep into the show, at least so far (unlike Roseanne Barr insisting her character became a Trump lover like she is; so glad that blew up in her blog fat face).

Actually, R225, just rewatched the first 2 episodes of the original series. Roz and Daphne are very funny right off the bat. Roz even relates the immortal Lupe Velez death story. Hell, even Eddie the dog is hilarious. This is because of the writing. None of the characters are wasted. It's not just Frazier doing everything.

I didn’t like the original Fraiser and found it corny.

R248 has no idea what "corny" means.

R242 - Well, for one thing, Seattle is not in Oregon.

One of the funniest bits on Frasier was when Niles and Frazier were driving and they see the community service sentenced picking up trash on the highway and Roz is one of them. Plus when Roz rescues a naked Niles and he asks her why she was kind to him and she says: "I know what it's like to wake up naked in an alley surrounded by cops shining their flashlights on you. I didn't want it to happen to you." LOL I love her.

If Peri Gilpin had been up for it, I’d have loved for this sequel to be Frasier and Roz moving in with each other for reasons. Loved their interplay. I’m bored of Freddy already, the character isn’t really working for me at the moment and the actors have no chemistry

Spending the third episode doubling down on the idea that 18 year olds would be huge fans of a daytime TV shrink was certainly a choice.

To be fair college kids are, or at least were massive consumers of daytime talkshows because of the time they were on and it being mindless background noise. Don't know how true that is with streaming and everything these days though and I doubt something as highbrow as what Frasier was presumably doing would take off with them. Unless he really did just become discount Dr Phil.

No, that isn't true anymore. But even if we were to grant that premise - these are first year college students. They weren't watching daytime TV during high school.

[quote]Isn’t Kelsey Grammer a MAGA/Trumper? Playing an intellectual-psychiatrist doesn’t match well with that.

It certainly works with the makeup.

The old British or whatever actor has a weird & off-putting face, Freddy is a horrible comic actor, the black lady professor is annoying as fuck and chews scenery, Frasier is boring without intellectual equivalents to spar with, the Twitter checkbox indiscriminate ethnicity girlfriend with nose piercing is actually a pretty good actress, Niles 2.0 has okay delivery but zero timing and a bad script, the dialogue is very clunky with zero wit just name dropping Elitist product names and old tropes… some of the old cast needs to come back ASAP.

Kelsey is less orange in the 2nd episode

Some of the lesser supporting cast should return like Bulldog, Gil, Kenny, Noel, and especially Bebe.

The best episodes were with Bebe. She sucked the oxygen out of the room but you can’t stop watching her.

They should have just brought him back to Seattle. But I suppose Seattle is a shithole now. Roz's daughter, grown up, would have been more interesting. They should bring her on as some kind of assistant to Frasier.

Watched episode 3 and the problem is weak writing and the fact NONE of the cast has any chemistry with Grammer, except perhaps Nicholas Lyndhurst. It might work if they focus more on that duo. Freddy is awful, just awful; the actor just isn’t a comedian and his character comes across and mean and spiteful. It almost seems like Freddy despises his father and doesn’t have an ounce of affection for him. There’s no charisma or warmth there. David doesn’t work for me at all either; they’re trying hard to make the character “funny” but he’s actually just annoying. Still hoping it will improve though.

Some of the butt-ugliest sets on television. The bar and Frasier's office are cramped as hell and his apartment is unspeakable.

I tried the first episode. Jim Burrows is said to be the master director of sitcoms but I noticed how there was a lot of having the actors speaking out to the audience as if they were doing a play. Maybe Jim has lost his magic touch.

Martin came across pretty mean and spiteful in the early episodes of the original show. Maybe they’ll soften Freddy like they did with him.

Dollar Store sets

Season 1 of Frasier was great, but the characters were green and coarse.

Martin was awful in the first half, in fact most of the first season.

Niles was straight up cruel to Roz (it didn’t become like their back and forth banter in later seasons).

Daphne was insane and the actress amateurish.

Kelsey looked like Bozo.

but Eddie was perfect.

r268 The hell he was!

And if the characters were the only problem with this sequel series, that might bode well. But the writing isn't there, nor is the production.

The infantilization of David in the new episode was over the top. Horribly written character.

[quote]The infantilization of David in the new episode was over the top. Horribly written character.

It was ridiculous even for a basic sitcom. The workplace characters are the only ones working at this point, and they need to be tuned up. Freddy and David need to be dropped.

The whole “mistaking David for an orphan” was a bit over the top, especially Frasier’s indifference to it. But I still think there’s good potential.

Freddy is horribly miscast. He doesn’t have an ounce of warmth; he’s an utter wet blanket. The show would be better if it focused more on Frasier and Alan getting into Frasier/Niles type hijinx.

What would have been better, by a long shot, would have been Young Frasier. Too bad Sheldon did it first. Young Frasier and Niles would have been funny.

[quote] Some of the lesser supporting cast should return like Bulldog, Gil, Kenny, Noel, and especially Bebe.

I'm available!

They should have Coach come back.

I've been watching, for the first time, the seasons of the original show after Niles and Daphne eloped and Keenan--and I--left (which all happened at once). The writing is so much lower quality. Everything from the supposed comic come-backs to the behavior and development of the characters is completely off-key, and the direction is not making up for it. I've seen repeats of the earlier episodes a million times since they aired, so the contrast is really marked. At least the actors have mastery of their characters and that's helping a bit, but truly, if the show had premiered at Season 8 I doubt it would have run a year.

It's not just Keenan's absence, unless he was a huge force in the writers' room, because he didn't start on the show until part way through Season 2 and he never wrote a majority of the episodes in any given season. It's that the writers who are working on it don't seem to have any idea where to move. The fact that by that time Grammer was directing quite a lot of episodes wouldn't have helped.

Agreed, the quality nosedived after Niles and Daphne got together. Fortunately, the show had built up such goodwill and the characters and actors were so great they could elevate many a mediocre script. They really pulled it together for the final season, though. That was up with the best. And “High Holidays” remains the best and funniest Christmas episode.

I think some of you are too harsh on the later seasons of Frasier. I'm watching the later episodes and I'm still laughing. The Bad Billy's and Lana episodes are very funny.

PUT YOUR BROTHER ON THE PHONE!!

[quote] and Lana episodes are very funny

I always hated Kirby.

R282 Lana appeared more than Kirby did.

r283 Once Frasier became his tutor he appeared in most of the episodes she did. He doesn't completely ruin the episodes but he's in the same irritating too stupid to function character type that brought down the shows quality that the later series seemed to love bringing in like when Daphne's family all seemed to become recurring characters.

[quote] Speaking with TheWrap, Harris addresses criticism of the character by revealing that David is “not fully formed yet.” This means he will continue to grow as a person as the Frasier reboot progresses, with the showrunner saying that although he will be reminiscent of his parents, he will become his own character. Read the full quote below:

[quote] We were not trying to do a 1 to 1 replacement. I think that will be an instinct to many people when they’re watching it to say ‘Oh, that’s a little bit Niles or that’s Daphne.’ I don’t think that would be fair to the old show or the new show but obviously that’s an instinct even in several of the reviews. You can feel people trying to find the old characters in the new.

[quote] Obviously, we see David as a hybrid of his two parents. He’s got a lot of the neuroses of Niles. He’s got a lot of the empathy and humanity of Daphne and he’s also his own character.

[quote] We talked about him almost being not quite at the adult stage of his metamorphosis yet because he’s a college freshman. So this is someone who’s awkward in his own body and not quite sure who he is yet. And we definitely have had fun seeing glimpses of his father, glimpses of his mother, but we ultimately want him to feel like his own character.

Not sure how they're planning to do all that with just 5 episodes left but OK.

Kirby's hair was a deliberate homage to Sideshow Bob and his brother, who was voiced by DHP.

The actor is also related to Jack Klugman if anyone remembers him.

The sets need to go. The bohemian elitism was the best part about the old show. The old sets focused on yellows and beiges with hints of color like red and green to pop, with eclectic decorations. These new ones are dreary and lit with those new fangled CVS LED runway lights, unlike the perfectly lit old show. The writing, the cinematography, the casting are all wrong.

I don't understand the dark green leaves as the wallpaper.

Frasier bought the whole bldg. One of the reasons why the apt is so un-Frasier. He wanted to live near his son ergo the dumpy apt. I miss the Coco Chanel sofa.

That episode was just not good. Nothing in this show other than Frasier and the psychiatry buddies, and even then mostly just Alan being an old drunk is gelling at the moment which is bad because we're nearly half way through the season. The only bit from the entire fire department part that made me laugh was Frasier telling the dog he "outlived that old mongrel". Also never mind comparisons to Sheldon after last episode David actually came across as special needs. My only hope is now they've finally settled the Frasier is disappointed in Freddie's job story they might be able to move past the constant drag of it

Yup, the less Freddy the better. He sucks the joy out of every scene he’s in.

Recycling storylines from the original series already?

What R292 said. Creatives have truly run out of ideas.

Oh I thought it felt familiar. Well that part of the episode was a lot better than the last few so maybe they should carry on ripping off earlier series. Other than that Freddie, David and Eve continue to be the worst part of the episode.

Absolute nadir. The most recent episode shouldn't have passed muster as a spec script.

If it's to be saved, make it a workplace comedy set at Harvard and get more character actors who can work with mediocre material. Nicholas Lyndhurst is fine. Olivia does her best with bad writing.

Freddy, David and Eve seem to have dropped in from some generic CBS sitcom. David in particular vacillates between clueless, autistic, and actual special needs.

Frasier was a punching bag for most episodes of the first series and it was fucking hilarious. In this one he's like a Mary Sue perfect character who is loved and adored by everyone. Except his own kid. It's weird

A big part of the original was how much Frasier and Niles resembled each other.

Frasier, Freddy and David don't look like they come from the same family.

[quote]A big part of the original was how much Frasier and Niles resembled each other.

That's because some clever writer realised that the way he worked in Cheers was that he and Diane resembled each other. They played opposite Sam the same way he and Niles played opposite Martin.

r296 Now you mention it David having a hero worship for his uncle is weird because there's no way Niles, Martin, Daphne and Roz who I assume is still friends with them didn't spend the last 2 decades mocking the fuck out of him for being a "dancing bear".

R241 I love the assholery of r237

Niles is literally writhing and biting a pillow as only a bottom can in this episode where they had lied about pulling a fire alarm.

Fairly average episode. Didn't get anywhere near the comedy disaster dates of the original though. And they now seem so unsure of what to do with David he wasn't even in it.

I liked this one. I wasn’t a fan of a lot the “bad date” episodes of the original series, but this one made me laugh.

“I’ve seen your Mr. July. The closest you’ll ever get to disrobing near a June!” finally felt like a true Frasier line.

Finally got Paramount Plus and watched the first episode. It was like third-rate fanfiction. And I'm not being clouded by nostalgia, because I rewatch Frasier all the time.

It is horrible.

One, just one. I’m waiting for just one line of dialog to make me laugh. It hasn’t happened.

Their drinking establishment is annoyingly cramped and unattractive, unlike the Seattle coffee shop.

They have to be trying to make Freddie unlikeable on purpose now, not even these crap writers could be so bad that they're doing it accidentally. An adult whining about his birthday party?

This show will work if they get great guest stars. Bebe Neuwirth breathed new life into this.

There was a throwaway line in last night's episode about a "walk down Repressed Memory Lane." David Hyde Pierce would have gotten a decent laugh out of it just with his delivery. The actor playing Freddie got no reaction at all.

Once again the ugliness of Frasier's apartment was distracting. It's moneyed Boston; why not dark woods, built-in bookcases, and chandeliers like Niles' Seattle apartment?

90s broadcast television budget vs Paramount Plus budget

But also they clearly want to show Frasier has moved on from all that and is a modern guy, hence the sneakers.

There's going to be an episode about Frasier using the self checkout line isn't there?

Another relatively bland episode. Also Freddie is lying about his entire personality which should probably worry Frasier more than it did. Only 2 episodes left now and its still not really had a standout episode I'd want to rewatch.

The writers don't have a grasp on Freddie or David, and neither do the actors. Jack Cutmore-Scott playing drunk was community theater level.

Another ugly set — David's dorm room. Why was it messy when David would be anal-retentive about order and everything in its place?

In the next ep, Frasier meets Trump and is blown away by his intellect.

They're also making Niles sound like a monster, and even if that matched the Niles we know Daphne would not allow it.

The lack of a renewal announcement seems ominous.

I think David’s getting better. But I do agree his dorm room should’ve been neater.

Andy Daly has been the best thing of this entire revival

It’s frustrating. I like the series better than most recent multi-cams, but there’s a pervading sense that with just a little more effort, the show could be much stronger.

I hope it gets another, longer season to find its footing.

I enjoyed it. It’s nowhere near as good as the original, but it made me laugh far more than most recent comedies. I hope it’s renewed,

There are enough good jokes, but the storylines are a bit lazy: they seem to be picked from the original series, but are oerformed less well.

I like the cast, although the bartender widow lady hasn’t really come to life yet.

I’m shocked there is no love for the new Freddie here. I think he’s beautiful: we’ll be married in the spring.

I hope they bring back Luck Hari.

I would say that the Sex And The City revival was far more appalling than this.

I’ve been watching the original Frasier lately. I like the show but generally don’t find Niles funny at all.

Kelsey Grammar has always been annoying.

Hey Roz is in the next one. What are the chances she's married to Noel now?

Loved reading this. Gilpin is amenable to playing Roz as a regular again if the series continues and they find a way to work her in.

They need Lilith and Roz back and then they might have something.

Jack Cutmore-Scott spends every episode with the same bemused expression and folded arms.

The fact he couldn't tell his date that he lived with his father was ridiculous.

R328 I know what you mean, he’s always got a slight “what’s that smell?” expression on his face.

Freddy needs more colors and depth if this is going to continue.

If they can get Roz back that changes everything. I think everybody loved Roz.

I love Roz and Peri looks fantastic.

Thinking about Peri on the show made me decide to look her up and her life seems sort of tragic I mean besides her dad dying when she was young her mom died when she was only in her fifties and all three of her siblings also died before the age of 60 and now she's the only one left of her immediate family.

R332 Sadly, that gives her a lot in common with Kelsey. No wonder they’re so connected.

R324 - Camille

If Niles won't come back...make Daphne a widow and bring her on now and then. There's lots of possibilities to this reboot. They're just not using the ones they should.

Jane Leeves made it clear early on that she wouldn’t be joining the reboot.

Don’t know what that was about but it sounded like she’d closed the door on that character.

I'm betting whatever they offered leaves and pierced to come back was probably an insultingly low amount and that's why they were so quick to dismiss any thought of them returning.

Like the original show before it, the show is better without original cast members as regulars.

The occasional Cheers cast member was fine, and Lilith's periodic episodes were good to further Frasier's story.

But, the new show needs to do the same thing and move forward with Frasier's life for it to have any real chance of success. There are some tantalizing moments in the new show such as Frasier's admission that he's never been as good a father as Martin was. The new show puts Frasier in the same position that Martin was. Now, a real hilarious moment would be if someone showed up and claimed to be his and Diane's son (or daughter).

They didn’t offer anything to the original cast. They made it clear from the outset that they wouldn’t be included.

I’m pretty sure DHP wouldn’t have done it.

Look at his post-Frasier career. It’s mostly Broadway. (And Julia, which doesn’t have a huge budget.)

If he wanted to, he could have landed the inevitable sitcom follow up to Frasier, where he got an EP credit and, so if it lasted a single season, he’d mop up.

But he made his money on Frasier and now focuses on projects that bring him joy.

They wasted Roz's return on that? They couldn't even come up with a big line for her? And the big reveal of the gift was ruined thanks to the marketing department, though even without them advertising Roz's return anyone knowing Peri Gilpin was coming back and this was the last episode would've been able to work it out.

Also, and this is just a common thing on film/television that annoys me - when wall switches turn on plugged in electrics, in this case the Christmas trees.

R340 why? I have Wall switches that turn on certain electronics.

Memory watching the episode of the original one where he hires a stripper and I was always perplexed by the scene where Daphne's massaging mail and Mel talks about why she loves Niles and everything She wants to be for him. And it just makes Daphne look like a total c*** in ruining their marriage. I don't understand why they bothered to really show her humanity just to have Miles leave her the way he did. And they try to make it like she was a controlling b**** but she really wasn't in fact the only thing she did that were controlling was getting him to go for the wine club which is something he legitimate when he wanted to do so really she wasn't the witch they even tried to make her out to be.

Ken Levine, who wrote for the original run, posted a new podcast today discussing the reboot.

He said that, while a coulee of the original writers are consultants, his understanding is the producers didn’t take any of their input.

Basically, he thinks it’s pretty bad.

Said Kelsey recently said Frasier was the only character they needed.

r341 Okay, but I doubt they wired in Christmas trees which are going to be there for just a day

R344 they don't wire them in. The tree plugs into an outlet, you turn on the switch that controls the outlet and the tree lights turn on.

I like the show, but did agree with most of Levine’s opinions. Certainly room for improvement.

When I was growing up, we always turned on our Christmas trees by flipping a wall switch.

I'll concede defeat on that one then, maybe a US vs UK thing.

So I don't seem like a total grump - I like the reveal that the bar was named Mahoney's.

R334 the outlet is operated by the lights with in my house so anything I plug into the outlet turns on.

I loved everything about and everyone in the show. But Roz was the special sauce. Her interaction with all the other characters was so believable. She could do a scene with any of the characters and steal it. A little Roz to get your day going. As you might guess she's my all time favorite TV character.

How often does the president of Harvard swap tongues with a dumb fireman?

I'm not about to watch that Trump loving cunt lapper's new show. I hope the numbers are so poor they cancel it after one season.

And Hillary has stated boundaries.

And Hillary has stated boundaries.

I really enjoyed the Christmas episode. It had some truly funny moments and didn’t feel like it was trying too hard compared to some of the earlier outings.

I wish Roz had more to do, but the overall flow was pretty good. David and Alan made a surprisingly fun pairing, and Eve finally got some overdue development.

Here's what Ken Levine had to say about why it isn't working.

i get an uncanny feeling seeing such an outdated sitcom formula done with modern production

Ken is right and he makes some good points but the criticism about making Frazier rich seemed kind of lame in light of the fact that the original series money was never really ever an issue for him even when he was unemployed. There is never once a situation that he couldn't resolve because he didn't have enough money if anything it was being tight fisted that ever affected him financially.

This is a fair, balanced review.

“My personal sticking point is Cutmore-Scott’s portrayal of Freddy, which seems a bit confused. Frankly, Freddy never makes me laugh, no matter how hard the overenthusiastic studio audience does. Cutmore-Scott—who, like Mahoney, is a Brit playing a Yank—ably handles the show’s more dramatic, emotional moments. Unfortunately, Frasier is a comedy. Cutmore-Scott has a hammy way of sardonically overselling every punchline, playing to the studio audience rather than his scene partners. For me, at least—and, let’s face it, for many other viewers—his delivery saps the funny from every exchange. (Not that the writing for Freddy is especially strong.) Perhaps this is fixable, if Frasier gets a chance to course-correct, but it’s one of the weak points that sabotages a lackluster, albeit non-disastrous, Season 1.“

[quote]Cutmore-Scott—who, like Mahoney, is a Brit playing a Yank—

Could we perhaps just accept that British and Australian actors can't authentically play Americans?

What a moronic take, r360

I finally got round to the finale and they do seem to be figuring the formula out more by the end. David and Alan are a good combo and one of the best parts of the last few episodes (David's glee at Frasier's fuck up with the trees was the first time I felt like I saw Niles in him) and a classic Crane party gone wrong is probably a story KG could play in his sleep by this point but it works. Olivia and Eve are still depressingly blank characters though they don't really seem to have much of an idea of what to do with them other than to throw boring romantic storylines at.

But like most people have said the real issue remains Freddy. He's been the worst part of the show in just about every episode from what I remember and after 10 episodes I'm still completely uncaring about his life as a fireman, his father issues as a 35 year old man or his struggling with the death of a friend we never met.

If it does get a season 2 I'm hoping they focus MUCH more on the Harvard job side of things since that allows for more Frasier, Alan, David and gives Olivia time to develop.

Is there a reason why Peri Gilpin was never nominated for an Emmy for playing Roz?

Is she just universally hated by everyone?

He's not hot, but he's hotter now than he was in the original Frasier where he was kind of the antithesis. How can that be?

Renewed for a second series

Did they ever clarify why he doesn't go to Cheers?

R366 Only vaguely. He mentions that he felt he spent too much time there and was never his best self in Boston before.

I hope they address it more directly going forward. It could even make a decent episode: a few members of the old gang bump into him. “WTF Frasier? You’ve been back in town for a year and haven’t come to se us??”

Kelsey has some big ideas for the upcoming season. He’s given a few interviews where he says he wants Shelley Long back as Diane. He also wants Brian Cox to return as Daphne’s father (David’s grandfather), which could be fun.

Also, if they can find a way to work her in, it’d be great if they took Peri Gilpin up on her offer to return as Roz full time.

I hope they hire different writers and they simply NEED an appearance from David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves. And, again, for it to be well written. The appearances by Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin were underwhelming because the writing was so poor

[quote]Said Kelsey recently said Frasier was the only character they needed.

If true, no wonder KG is a Trump fan.

I like that they named the bar "Mahoney's" after John Mahoney.

The bar set looked absolutely tiny. The sets in general in this revival were really bland and ugly. The original Frasier sets were iconic. But that was really the least of this show’s problems,

I've read some of Ken Levine's old blogs but haven't listened to his podcast. In his blogs, he positively eviscerates Cybill Shepherd but has a massive hardon for Nancy Travis and laments that Cybill was a star while Travis was an also-ran. Travis is probably best known these days at Tim Allen's second TV wife in that MAGAt sitcom he did. (I have liked her in her previous work.)

In that Screen Rant piece, though, he just comes across as a disgruntled douchebag because the new Frasier writers aren't listening to the old (read "good") Frasier writers. He's not necessarily wrong, just douchey.

As for Frasier not going to Cheers? It closed, a simple enough explanation, whether from bad business or during COVID.

I think Ken comes across well. He’s swallowing his opinions. The new show sucks donkey balls.

I love Nile’s and Daphne’s son. He’s a perfect combination of both.

I agree with a lot of Levine’s takes, even if he can come across overly cranky at times. I think he has a really snarky sense of humour that doesn’t always translate to print.

R375 I hated Niles and Daphne’s son. He was like a redux Sheldon Cooper, who strangely didn’t seem to have any connection to the rest of the characters. He appeared on stage, did some generally unfunny schtick then just disappeared again. The actor wasn’t to blame, most of it is squarely down to the writing not being up to par.

I just caught up with the second season and Jesus it sucks even compared to the first one. That 3 men and a Baby episode might honestly be the worst episode of Frasier ever. The only good part so far has been Satan's bride Bebe Glazer getting to ride again. I take it Kelsey agrees with the David hate given he's practically nonexistent at this point?