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Way before Chandler Bing, Barney Stinson, and Ted Mosby became the poster boys for sitcoms, it was Kelsey Grammer’s Dr. Frasier Crane who raised the bar for a sitcom protagonist. Starring in the NBC sitcomFrasier, Grammer’s performance as the witty psychiatrist was lauded and even won him two Golden Globes and three Emmys.
The revival ofFrasierwas recently canceled after two seasons but will reportedly be shopped around. However, the legacy series had been branded as one of the best sitcoms of all time, especially due to its lead character Dr. Frasier Crane.
Kelsey Grammer’s Dr. Frasier Crane was first seen inCheers
Every era has a sitcom that defines it. The ‘90s hadSeinfeldandFRIENDS,the early 2000s hadHow I Met Your Mother,and the 2010s hadModern Family. However, shows likeCheersactually paved the way for sitcoms that focused not just on the traditional life of the American household but also on their outside lives.
The show was centered on a bartender named Sam Malone, who ran ‘Cheers’ and the various patrons of the bar.Kelsey Grammer’sDr. Frasier Crane made his first appearance on the third season ofCheersand slowly became one of the primary characters. Crane was only supposed to be there for a few episodes but the producers reportedly loved Grammer.
“Name a better burn in TV history”: 31 Years Ago, One Legendary Frasier Scene Proved It’ll Always be Superior to ‘Friends’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Dr. Frasier was first introduced as the love interest of Diane Chambers, one of the primary protagonists, and Sam Malone’s ‘Rachel’ of sorts. However, after a year with Diane, Crane is left at the altar by her and he takes to alcoholism in the aftermath. He later bounces back with the help of Sam (although it is under complicated circumstances).
Crane’s relationship with Lilith is alsointroduced inCheersand after a disastrous first date, they try again and get married soon after. Their son Frederick is also introduced in the show. In the end, Frasier and Lilith divorce after the latter has an affair with another man. His on-and-off relationship with Lilith also carries over toFrasier.
WhenCheersended after eleven seasons, plans were reportedly on for a spinoff. However, when were asked their favorite characters for a spinoff, Frasier reportedly only had the vote of 1% of viewers (viaPQASB). Still, the witty and intelligent psychiatrist received his spinoff and it took off instead of more popular ones like Sam, Woody, and Norm. The rest is history.
Dr. Frasier Crane is probably the best sitcom character ever
When we think of great sitcom characters, there is a wide archetype. Ted Mosby is the ideal romantic while Barney Stinson is a Casanova with a hidden emotional side; Rachel Green is the riches-to-rag-to-comes-into-her-own story while Chandler Bing is the sarcastic, desperate, yet adorable man. And Kramer is just Kramer.
However, Dr. Frasier Crane is a class apart. He became the lead of a sitcom on TV that was usually aimed at regular folk but did not bother to dumb himself down for the audiences. Here was a man who as learned and had taste and he did not apologize for it. Between the pretentious snobs and the ‘everyman’ archetype, Frasier met fans right in the middle.
While he is not the same man fans were first introduced to inCheersas he is in his own spinoffFrasier, the witty psychiatrist became beloved for his humor and intelligent rhetoric. His relationship with his brother Niles (a whole essay can be written about Niles and he actually might take the top spot on another day), his father Martin, and his producers on the radio show are incredible.
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The writers also make sure that Crane does not become too alienating to the general audience. Yes, he makes clever jokes about Freud but he also has his hubris and he can fail at many things.Frasieris centered around Kelsey Grammer’s eponymous character adjusting to living with his retired father again and his family after the events ofCheers.
There is also a huge difference between the Frasier seen inCheersand the one seen in the spinoff. Many have noted that there were inconsistencies in Frasier’s backstories, especially when it came to his father Martin. InCheers, he reportedly claims that Martin is dead but he becomes a major part of the spinoff series.
However, these aspects never take away from the experience ofFrasier. Kelsey Grammer’s performance as the hilarious psychiatrist has only improved since his debut onCheers. Hebecame a huge starand he has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series forFrasierand won two Golden Globes for the same.
Will fans see Dr. Frasier Crane again?
Beginning in 1993,Frasierended after an eleven-season run just like its predecessor in 2004. For nineteen years, it felt like it was the last fans had seen of Dr. Frasier Crane. However, the series was revived in 2023 by Paramount+ with mostly a new cast except, of course, Kelsey Grammer.
5 Reasons “Frasier 2” Failed to Deliver Despite Changing Almost Nothing
The revival was received well, though many did note that the series was not as charming as the original. TitleFrasier, the series sees him move from his hometown of Seattle after the death of his father and go to Boston to be with his son Frederick. Crane takes up a professorship at Harvard University and begins to work on his final act.
While the series didget a positive reception, Paramount+ canceled the series after two seasons. The show did not seem to work out for the streaming network, best known forYellowstoneand theStar Trekspinoffs. However, all is not reportedly over as CBS Studios plans to shop the series around at Amazon Prime Video and Hulu (viaDeadline).
WatchFrasieron Paramount+.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
