Given the insane success of Frasier in the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as its cult-like fanbase which has kept its popularity alive, it was only a matter of time before a reboot. But signs continuously point to this Kelsey Grammer-led reboot being in trouble. After all, it's been in development for years. Not only that, but during various cast reunions, Kelsey's Frasier co-stars have dodged questions about whether or not they'll actually appear in it.
Frasier, of course, is a sequel/spin-off series of Cheers. So, it's impossible to do a third series starring the uptight, snotty, psychiatrist with a heart of gold that hits all the right notes or even stars an entirely new ensemble. But Frasier was such a behemoth. It was so iconic. And much of that has to do with the unique chemistry between the actors, whether they all actually liked each other or not.
So, diehard Frasier fans may feel insulted by not seeing the likes of Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin, and David Hyde Pierce, in particular, return to their roles. In a recent interview with Vulture, David shed some light on his true feelings about the reboot and whether or not he'll actually play Dr. Niles Crane again.
Will David Hyde Pierce Be In The Frasier Reboot?
At this time, David Hyde Pierce still can't say much about the Frasier reboot except to say that he has yet to be asked by Kelsey, the writers, or anyone at Paramount+ (who's producing the reboot). But, under the right circumstances, he would return to the franchise...
"That whole time of my life, the writing on those shows, the actors I got to work with — all of that is deeply important to me," David said to Vulture in June 2022. "And I would never disrespect that in such a way as to say just offhandedly, 'Oh, no, thanks. I’m not going to do that again.' It’s too valuable to me. But by the same token, because it’s so valuable to me, I also wouldn’t do it just do it. And I believe it can be done without me, too — finding new stories to tell, in the same way that Frasier did after Cheers. They didn’t bring along the Cheers gang to make a new show. They popped in from time to time and that was a blast, but there was something else that needed to be said, and it needed to be said in a different way. And maybe they will find that and I’ll be in it, or maybe they’ll find it and they won’t need me to be in it."
Will The Frasier Reboot Be Terrible?
While many believe that bringing Frasier back is a bad idea, given the structure of the franchise, it's possible to do it right. Frasier was never supposed to be about the two brothers. But it transformed over time, finding a unique angle on the character that wasn't delved into on Cheers. The same can happen with the reboot. And David claims that whatever the reboot does simply won't tarnish the wonderful history of the show.
"The classic example was AfterMASH and M*A*S*H. People can talk about how good or bad AfterMASH was, but it doesn’t sully the memory of M*A*S*H. It’s not like people think, Oh, we were wrong to ever watch that show because of this other sequel. I don’t think that’s a fear," David explained. "And as I’ve just given this whole speech about how important and valuable that whole experience was to me and how many people say how great it is and it got them through the pandemic: It’s also a TV show. So I think it’s equally a mistake to be precious and feel like, Well, it’s holy scripture. What if we did something wrong? I don’t look at it that way, either. It’s more personal for me. It’s about how I am going to spend whatever artistic life I have left and where I can make the most significant contribution."
David Hyde Pierce On A Niles And Daphne Spin-Off Series
In his interview with Vulture, David was asked whether or not he's ever been approached to do a Niles/Daphne spin-off series. Since the relationship between the two characters was arguably one of the most engaging in the entire original series, it makes sense that producers would try to further capitalize on it. But David claimed that no one has ever tried. At least, to his knowledge.
"No one ever approached me about it so it wasn’t something I turned down. But it was also not something I was looking to do, so I wasn’t an engine behind it, either. In fact, by the time Frasier was ending, I knew I was going to be doing Spamalot, which was the first Broadway musical I’d ever done. So my focus was elsewhere," David explained. "And in the years since, whenever the show is talked about — I don’t have a strong feeling that there’s anything more that I can think of that I need to say about the character. But I’m not a writer. And I think if they came up with some way of telling the stories that intrigued me, then I might think, Oh, I could go back and do that. But in terms of my own drive and interest, no. I love those characters, but I don’t miss them."