We may have said this a few times before, but we love “Frasier.” We’ve covered the news of the upcoming revival quite a bit. In the months since it was first announced, few details have trickled out. One of the questions surrounding the revival was whether or not beloved characters Niles (David Hyde-Pierce), Roz (Peri Gilpin), and Daphne (Jane Leeves) would return. Along with Martin, played by the late John Mahoney, these characters were the backbone that supported Frasier in nearly every episode.
Well, we know the answer to that question, and “Frasier” fans will not be happy.
Kelsey Grammer feels the key to the success of the show was the character of Frasier Crane himself. Apparently that’s going to be put to the ultimate test as Grammer has confirmed none of the original cast will be returning aside from Frasier himself. This comes as a bit of a shock. Naturally we know Mahoney wouldn’t be returning; the revival will address the loss of Frasier’s father.
One of the big reasons for this decision is David Hyde-Pierce, who played Frasier’s brother Niles Crane, decided to bow out of the project. This is in stark contrast to interviews that Hyde-Pierce has done where he stated he hadn’t heard anything about his potential involvement in the series.
Perhaps he couldn’t talk about things due to non-disclosure agreements, maybe he wasn’t presented with a script until later on; who knows? No matter what the reason, Kelsey continues to state that the series will also address the lack of Roz and Daphne in his life as well. “We’ll certainly be responsive about the fact that there was a brother and such,” Grammer told PEOPLE Magazine. “But the new world for Frasier is one of new friendships — and some new twists and turns he didn’t know were still in there.”
Grammer didn’t mention anything about Frasier’s ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth), or his son Freddie, showing up. Both of these characters originated in “Cheers,” and are still tied to Frasier’s history, even if Freddie is oft-forgotten.
So there you have it, no Niles, no Daphe, no Martin, no Roz. What makes this a bit sad is how things were left off with each of those characters in the finale. Spoiler warning by the way if you haven’t watched all of “Frasier,” but there were still storylines to follow with each of them. Niles and Daphne had just welcomed a new baby into the world. Roz became the manager of radio station, KACL, and Martin had gotten married to his now second wife, Ronee. Sadly, the latter of these seems to be the only storyline we’ll have any kind of resolution to because Martin Crane seems to have passed away alongside the man who portrayed him.
Grammer confirmed auditions for the revival start in February of 2023. Eventually, it’ll land on Paramount+ where it was officially given a series pick-up order. Here’s hoping the writing staff can manage to craft something that can capture what made the series so special. You can watch “Frasier” on Paramount+ now, or pick up the complete series set here.
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