Frasier reboot WILL feature original characters Niles, Daphne and Roz

The news that a Frasier reboot was in the pipeline was somewhat bittersweet for fans when no mention was made of the classic sitcom’s supporting cast making a comeback.

But star of the show Kelsey Grammer has now backtracked on this, and revealed he’s certain his co-stars will return.

Speaking to Collider, the actor, 66, who plays the titular Dr. Crane, said: ‘We think we’re going to get most of the actors back, I’m certainly hopeful that we will, and I’m fairly confident that they’ll come back…

‘We have a story to tell — that can actually be told with or without them, honestly — but I want them back because that’s what I always dreamed of.

‘I thought we should explore all their lives in their third act, and so that is my hope.’

Many were left upset when David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s brother Niles, Jane Leeves, who played Niles’ eventual wife Daphne, and Peri Gilpin, who played Frasier’s producer Roz, were not mentioned in the announcement in February that Paramount+ had revived the iconic comedy.

Yet four months later and it appears they have been coaxed back to the fold after all. 

Coaxed back? Many were left upset when David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s brother Niles, was left out of the revival announcement four months ago

Also missing: [L-R] Jane Leeves, who played Niles’ eventual wife Daphne, and Peri Gilpin, who played Frasier’s producer Roz, were not mentioned in the announcement in February that Paramount+ had revived the iconic comedy

Kelsey also teased an air date, adding: ‘We don’t actually have a date when we’re going to start filming. We’re still kind of breaking the story a little bit, we’re doing a polish now.

‘When will we see a Frasier? Probably in the first quarter of next year…’

Speaking to Collider, Grammer, 66, who plays the titular Dr. Crane, said: ‘We think we’re going to get most of the actors back, I’m certainly hopeful that we will, and I’m fairly confident that they’ll come back…’

Back together? The cast are pictured in season four of the sitcom, The Two Mrs Cranes, in which Daphne and Roz had to pretend to be married to Niles and Frasier

The cast also featured John Mahoney, who played Frasier’s father Martin Crane. But the veteran star died in 2018.

When announcing the commissioning of the Frasier reboot, Grammer said: ‘I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr. Frasier Crane.

‘Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot, both producing shows and performing in several, I’d like to congratulate Paramount+ on its entry into the streaming world.’

Notably absent: Frasier’s father Martin Crane was played by the late John Mahoney who died in 2018

He’s officially listening! A revival of the sitcom was confirmed in February

Hyde Pierce previously said he had no interest in the role. He was asked by Vulture in 2017 if he would be involved in a potential Frasier revival, and replied: ‘No. And I don’t think they would want one.’

Since then, he has not commented again on it – even when it was brought up during a cast reunion on Zoom during lockdown.

Leeves, who is currently starring in medical drama The Resident, revealed she had no plans to depart if there was a Frasier revival – although made the comments before the official reboot announcement was made.

‘I have no idea [about the reboot], but I won’t be leaving The Resident to do that if it happens,’ Leeves told Entertainment Weekly. ‘There’s a lot of pieces that have to come together to make [the revival] happen.’

In 2018, Gilpin told a podcast: ‘It’s come up a few times over the years and from all kinds of places. I don’t know, I don’t know what’s going on with it, I swear to God… but what a great thing, that people are interested in it and people want to know, wonder what’s going on’

No thanks? Hyde Pierce previously said he had no interest in reprising his role, while Leeves revealed she had no plans to depart her role on The Resident if there was a Frasier revival

In 2018, Gilpin told a podcast: ‘It’s come up a few times over the years and from all kinds of places. I don’t know, I don’t know what’s going on with it, I swear to God… but what a great thing, that people are interested in it and people want to know, wonder what’s going on.

‘I’m wondering what’s going on. My agents and manager are really wondering what’s going on…’

She added to Metro in 2020: ‘[A reunion] is possible. Definitely. There is a lot of talk about it. I do think there’s something going on, but I don’t know exactly what it is or whether it will actually happen.’

Many fans have been in agreement that a reboot without the supporting players won’t work.

‘Without Niles in particular there is no show,’ said one Twitter user. ‘A Frasier reboot without David Hyde Pierce is like taking in a sumptuous meal at Le Cigar Volant and forgoing their exquisite Apple and Persimmon Tarte Tatin for dessert! It simply isn’t done,’ someone else ranted, using in-jokes from the show.

‘Frasier with no David Hyde Pierce? I think not,’ tweeted Imani Gandy, the Senior Editor of Law and Policy for Rewire News Group. 

‘If there’s no David Hyde Pierce in this Frasier reboot I am puzzled as to why you’d even bother,’ wrote Laura Lorson, a radio producer at Kansas Public radio. 

‘No David Hyde pierce in the Frasier reboot?’ asked one Twitter user. ‘Automatically makes it a flop sorry.’

Worried: Fans took to Twitter to demand Niles, Daphne and Roz be involved

He’s coming back: Grammer will return as the star of the show which will look at the next chapter of his life 

‘I loved Frasier but to make a new series without David Hyde Pierce is unthinkable. Let it rest as the work of genius it was,’ wrote another. 

‘Frasier is one of my favorite sitcoms ever, and there is literally no point in reviving this show if the only person to return is Kelsey Grammer,’ said radio host Josh Spiegel.

‘It’s important to me that people know we don’t care about Kelsey Grammer. Give us David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin or we don’t want it,’ wrote one Twitter user.

‘Frasier without Niles, Daphne and Roz would be like doing a Friends project without Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler and Phoebe,’ wrote another.

Talk of a reboot has been rumbling since 2019, with Grammer even spotted in London carrying a script.

The original show aired from 1993-2004, coming to a close after 11 seasons, having scooped a plethora of awards over its tenure for its writing and acting talent. 

The new story won’t take place in Seattle, where it was originally set. 

Fan-favourite: ‘Frasier is one of the most acclaimed comedies in modern television history and truly defines premium storytelling,’ said CBS Studios president David Stapf

Grammer’s Grammnet Productions and CBS Studios had been working for several years on ideas, and Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli are said to be writing the revival. They have been running the Twitter account @FrasierContemp for several years that features lines and script pages of possible Frasier scenarios.

Harris and Cristalli will executive produce along with Grammer and Grammnet’s Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. 

‘Frasier is one of the most acclaimed comedies in modern television history and truly defines premium storytelling,’ said CBS Studios president David Stapf.

‘There has long been a call from fans for its return, and that call is now answered thanks to the amazing Kelsey Grammer reprising his iconic role of Dr. Frasier Crane and a brilliant creative plan from Joe, Chris and Kelsey. We can’t wait to reveal its next chapter on Paramount +’

New home: Paramount+ will air the new sitcom which is suggested to be set for 2022

Plans: In 2019, Grammer gave the first glimpses of insight into what the premise of the new Frasier would be during a chat on In Depth With Graham Bensinger

In 2019, Grammer gave the first glimpses of insight into what the premise of the new Frasier would be.

He told In Depth With Graham Bensinger: ‘We’ve got it hatched. We’ve hatched the plan, what we think is the right way to go.

‘It’s not going to be Seattle. It’s not going to be the same Frasier, it’s going to be the man in his next iteration. Hopefully that’ll be something people like watching. But I think it’ll be funny.’

In 2020, amid one of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Grammer reunited with the cast for two Stars In The House streaming events supporting The Actors Fund.

The actors gathered and reminisced about their time on the show, clearly all still close and in awe of the fun they had.

Spin-off: Grammer famously originated the character on nine seasons of the classic NBC sitcom Cheers [pictured in 1987]

Reunion: Ideas were likely even more fleshed out after Grammer reunited with the cast last year for two Stars In The House streaming events supporting The Actors Fund

Frasier ended as the titular character packed up his job as a radio psychiatrist in Seattle, after being offered work in San Francisco.

His father got married, Roz was promoted, and his brother Niles and wife Daphne welcomed a baby son.

Frasier had been dating Charlotte – played by Laura Linney – who had moved to Chicago.

The last scene saw Frasier arriving on a plane to his new home city – only for viewers to learn at the last minute that he had decided not to move to San Francisco, and to join Charlotte in Chicago instead.

Fans have speculated that the new series will either pick up in Chicago, or take place somewhere altogether new. There is also talk that it will explore Frasier’s relationship with his son Frederick, who by this point will be a grown man. 

Originals: There is also talk that it will explore Frasier’s relationship with his son Frederick, who by this point will be a grown man. The return of the character will no doubt pave the way for Frasier’s ex-wife Lilith to make a return to the series, played by Bebe Neuwirth

Mix and match: Frederick was portrayed by Christopher and Kevin Graves in Cheers, and Luke Tarsitano for his first Frasier appearance, later swapped for Trevor Einhorn [pictured] until the show ended

Frasier’s initial set-up saw him living with his father, who was struggling to live alone due to a hip injury, having been shot while he was a policeman.

Speculation has mounted that the new version will see a role-reversal – or see Frederick having to move in with Frasier.

Frederick was 15 when he last appeared on Frasier, in the episode High Holidays, and so would be 33 if the show returns in 2022.

Frederick was portrayed by Christopher and Kevin Graves in Cheers, and Luke Tarsitano for his first Frasier appearance, later swapped for Trevor Einhorn until the show ended.

Come and go: Will & Grace returned in 2017, and lasted three seasons. An alleged back-stage feud between stars Debra Messing and Megan Mullally is said to have contributed to it coming to a close again

Friends reunited: The Friends cast also regrouped for a one-off special last month, which saw the six main stars sit down on the old set and chat about their careers before, during and after the classic sitcom

The return of the character will no doubt pave the way for Frasier’s ex-wife Lilith, Frederick’s mother, to make a return to the series, played by Bebe Neuwirth. 

This follows the likes of sitcoms Will & Grace and Roseanne being rebooted, with varied success.

Will & Grace returned in 2017, and lasted three seasons. An alleged back-stage feud between stars Debra Messing and Megan Mullally is said to have contributed to it coming to a close again.

Drama: Roseanne faced similar drama when the lead actress – Roseanne Barr – was axed from it one season into the revival for making ‘racist’ remarks. The show managed to be reworked, killing off her character, and is still in production without her as The Conners

Nostalgia: The Frasier news also follows the recent announcement that Sex And The City is being rebooted for TV

Roseanne faced similar drama when the lead actress – Roseanne Barr – was axed from it one season into the revival for making ‘racist’ remarks.

The show managed to be reworked, killing off her character, and is still in production without her as The Conners.

The Frasier news also follows the recent announcement that Sex And The City is being rebooted for TV.

It will be titled And Just Like That… and star three of the main actresses – Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon – and is set to begin production in New York this summer.

The Friends cast also reunited for a one-off special last month, which saw the six main stars sit down on the old set and chat about their careers before, during and after the classic sitcom.