Frasier Reboot Desperately Needs To Give Fans What They Are Waiting For
Typically, when a popular sitcom gets rebooted it means bringing back as much of the original cast as possible, with expected guest appearances from those who don’t rejoin the main cast. The reboot of Frasier stands out with only Kelsey Grammer returning from the main cast, leaving the show feeling disconnected from the original. If the second season is to succeed it needs to give fans frequent guest appearances from original cast members.
The Original Frasier
When Frasier aired in 1993 it was an immediate success, becoming one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1990s.
The show’s connection to Cheers and Kelsey Grammer’s celebrity helped attract viewers, but it was the amazing cast that made the show great.
The show received over a hundred Emmy nominees over its 11 seasons, with 13 nominees notably being for Best Supporting Actor.
Only Kelsey Grammer Returns?
With Kelsey Grammer as the only returning cast member, the reboot relies heavily on its new characters, but those characters are doomed to be compared to the original cast. These comparisons are unfair to the new cast who can’t bring the nostalgia and decade of development that the original characters have, but it’s something audiences instinctively do. Guest spots would help to decrease this burden as the new characters develop.
Not For Fans Of Original Series
The simple truth about the first season of the Frasier reboot is that it’s not made for fans of the original show, it’s built for fans of Frasier Crane as a character.
For fans who watched the original show for Niles’ foppish wit, Daphne’s quirky retorts, or Martin and Roz’s grounded annoyance the reboot is going to feel lacking. The second season needs to win these fans over, and guest appearances are the only way to do that.
Not Enough Guest Spots?
The first season of the Frasier reboot ends with its only guest spot from a main cast member, indicating the showrunners know how important these guest stars are.
Roz’s appearance helped to connect the new show to the original and gave the finale a sense of importance because it gave fans more of a beloved character they’d missed.
With the exception of the finale, and an episode featuring Lilith, Frasier’s wife back in Cheers, the reboot has lacked that key element.
Second Season Must Feature Niles And More
The second season needs to lean on the original Frasier’s characters more frequently, after all seeing those old characters again is the whole appeal of a reboot.
Fans want things like a glimpse into the married life of Daphne and Niles all these years later, or to see how Bulldog has adapted to modern life. These are the sorts of character-driven desires that a new cast can never satisfy.
While it might seem like a disservice to the new cast to focus more on these guest stars, it could actually help develop the new characters. David is Daphne and Niles’s son, but that relationship can’t be fully explored unless Daphne or Niles actually show up in the reboot.
Having Frasier’s new coworkers Alan and Olivia interact with old coworkers like Roz or Bulldog could help audiences connect to these new characters on a deeper level.
Changes To Frasier Reboot Season 2
Setting these guest stars up requires some work on the reboots part, but it’s something the show desperately needs. David Hyde Pierce has made his reluctance to return as Niles known, and John Mahoney’s death means Martin can’t appear, but there are still plenty of opportunities for the show to bring in classic characters.
Appearances by Daphne, Bulldog, Gil, Bebe, or any number of side characters would help the new Frasier satisfy fans of the original, which is the key audience the reboot needs to keep watching.
