You know, a wise man once said that sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.
"Cheers" is one of the best and most popular sitcoms of all time. That's not hyperbole, either — critics and fans alike will sing the praises of the show until you can't stand it anymore. "Okay, I get it!" you'll say. "You love 'Cheers'! Leave me alone!" Running for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, and starring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson, and more, "Cheers" was actually a flop during its first season, finishing last in the ratings during its premiere. Things were so bad, in fact, that the network almost pulled the plug. Eventually, though, "Cheers" found its audience, and that audience couldn't get enough of the barflies and bartenders who called the show home.
The show sprang forth from creators Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows, and as it turns out,...
"Cheers" is one of the best and most popular sitcoms of all time. That's not hyperbole, either — critics and fans alike will sing the praises of the show until you can't stand it anymore. "Okay, I get it!" you'll say. "You love 'Cheers'! Leave me alone!" Running for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993, and starring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson, and more, "Cheers" was actually a flop during its first season, finishing last in the ratings during its premiere. Things were so bad, in fact, that the network almost pulled the plug. Eventually, though, "Cheers" found its audience, and that audience couldn't get enough of the barflies and bartenders who called the show home.
The show sprang forth from creators Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows, and as it turns out,...
- 3/16/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
When "Cheers" wrapped up in 1993, it looked a lot different from the show that began airing in 1982. The finale not only brought in almost 100 million viewers, it became one of the most-watched installments of any TV show ever made — even courting the attention of then-President Bill Clinton, who was eyeing up a cameo in the finale before forcing the writers to scrap those plans at the last minute.
But back when "Cheers" debuted, it almost crashed and burned with its very first season. In fact, it would take until the end of the third season for the show to really find its footing, ratings-wise. Sadly, one of the central characters who'd help solidify the series' huge success would no longer be around to enjoy the glory years to come.
Coach Ernie Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto), affectionately known by the Cheers bar crew as "Coach," was a central part of the show since the off.
But back when "Cheers" debuted, it almost crashed and burned with its very first season. In fact, it would take until the end of the third season for the show to really find its footing, ratings-wise. Sadly, one of the central characters who'd help solidify the series' huge success would no longer be around to enjoy the glory years to come.
Coach Ernie Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto), affectionately known by the Cheers bar crew as "Coach," was a central part of the show since the off.
- 3/9/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Up until 2014, the public at large didn't know about the extent of sexual crimes committed by comedian and TV star Bill Cosby. Since 2014, over 60 women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault, some of which stretch back to the 1960s. The many, many details of Cosby's assaults, cover-ups, and other crimes have been openly detailed in the news, and in the 2022 documentary series "We Need to Talk About Cosby."
Cosby's crimes make discussions of the hit series "The Cosby Show" a little fraught. Because the stories of sexual assault hadn't been made public yet, Cosby was easily accepted by mainstream sitcom viewers as a kindly, father-like figure: a perfectly put-upon patriarch of a modern, wealthy Black family. "The Cosby Show" was instantly successful and widely beloved when it debuted in 1984, and it lasted eight seasons and 201 episodes. Everyone watched it. Critics praised the sitcom for presenting a Black experience...
Cosby's crimes make discussions of the hit series "The Cosby Show" a little fraught. Because the stories of sexual assault hadn't been made public yet, Cosby was easily accepted by mainstream sitcom viewers as a kindly, father-like figure: a perfectly put-upon patriarch of a modern, wealthy Black family. "The Cosby Show" was instantly successful and widely beloved when it debuted in 1984, and it lasted eight seasons and 201 episodes. Everyone watched it. Critics praised the sitcom for presenting a Black experience...
- 2/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Kelsey Grammer and the gang have a reason to celebrate this Thursday after getting a green light for Frasier Season 2 at Paramount+! The comedy, filmed in front of a live audience, continues at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles with many stars who made the first season such a hit returning.
The series “follows Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to fulfill finally.” Kelsey Grammer returns as the show’s title character, with Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasier’s son Freddy; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s old college compatriot turned university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasier’s nephew David.
“Fraiser is a love story, and...
The series “follows Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to fulfill finally.” Kelsey Grammer returns as the show’s title character, with Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasier’s son Freddy; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s old college compatriot turned university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasier’s nephew David.
“Fraiser is a love story, and...
- 2/22/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Kelsey Grammer is bringing back more laughs as Frasier has been renewed for a second season at Paramount+. Season 2 will continue to film in front of a live studio audience at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.
The series follows Frasier Crane (Grammer)—a character that originated in NBC’s Cheers— in the next chapter of his life after he returns to Boston to face new challenges, forge new relationships, and – with hope – finally fulfill an old dream or two.
Frasier also stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy, Frasier’s son; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Frasier’s old college buddy turned university professor; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Eve, Freddy’s roommate; and Anders Keith as David, Frasier’s nephew. Season one featured guest appearances from original series cast, including Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin.
Related: ‘True Detective’ Renewed...
The series follows Frasier Crane (Grammer)—a character that originated in NBC’s Cheers— in the next chapter of his life after he returns to Boston to face new challenges, forge new relationships, and – with hope – finally fulfill an old dream or two.
Frasier also stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy, Frasier’s son; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Frasier’s old college buddy turned university professor; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Eve, Freddy’s roommate; and Anders Keith as David, Frasier’s nephew. Season one featured guest appearances from original series cast, including Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin.
Related: ‘True Detective’ Renewed...
- 2/22/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
After wrapping up his four-season run on HBO’s acclaimed dark comedy Barry, Henry Winkler has been set to receive USC Comedy’s prestigious Oakie Award for Exceptional Achievements in Film and Television Comedy.
Part of the Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Masters of Comedy Lecture Series, the award presentation will take place on Tuesday, March 5 at 7:00 pm and will include an in-depth conversation with Winkler, moderated by Barry‘s co-creator and star, Bill Hader. In addition to Hader, past recipients of the Oakie Award include Catherine O’Hara, Nancy Meyers, Kenya Barris, Steve Carell, James Burrows, Paul Feig, Mel Brooks, James L. Brooks, Judd Apatow, Lisa Kudrow, Barnet Kellman, David Isaacs, Phil Rosenthal, and Tim Story.
In a statement on Winkler’s forthcoming recognition, David Isaacs, Co-Chair of USC Comedy and Chair of the John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television, said: “Henry Winkler’s indelible mark...
Part of the Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Masters of Comedy Lecture Series, the award presentation will take place on Tuesday, March 5 at 7:00 pm and will include an in-depth conversation with Winkler, moderated by Barry‘s co-creator and star, Bill Hader. In addition to Hader, past recipients of the Oakie Award include Catherine O’Hara, Nancy Meyers, Kenya Barris, Steve Carell, James Burrows, Paul Feig, Mel Brooks, James L. Brooks, Judd Apatow, Lisa Kudrow, Barnet Kellman, David Isaacs, Phil Rosenthal, and Tim Story.
In a statement on Winkler’s forthcoming recognition, David Isaacs, Co-Chair of USC Comedy and Chair of the John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television, said: “Henry Winkler’s indelible mark...
- 2/21/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Friends director James Burrows is speaking out about his experience working with one of the actors that appeared on the hit NBC series, suggesting they were not funny.
If you don’t know, Friends aired from 1994-2004 and starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and the late Matthew Perry. It became an instant hit, and still is a huge fan favorite today.
Keep reading for what was shared…...
If you don’t know, Friends aired from 1994-2004 and starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and the late Matthew Perry. It became an instant hit, and still is a huge fan favorite today.
Keep reading for what was shared…...
- 2/8/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Ask a dozen "Cheers" fans what the show's funniest moment is, and you'll get a dozen different answers. The beloved '80s sitcom bowed out in 1993 with a grand total of 275 episodes under its belt and countless laugh-out-loud bits in pretty much every episode. It's tough to pinpoint the show's funniest moment, but when it comes to crowning its most spontaneous-feeling comedic one, there's an obvious contender: the knock-down, drag-out food fight from season 5's holiday episode "Thanksgiving Orphans."
The food fight that takes place at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house is clearly a scripted part of the series, but it unfolds with a surprising mix of precise aim and comedic chaos, much of which feels totally organic. The kerfuffle starts with a simple bit of antagonism; when Norm (George Wendt) fails to produce a cooked turkey after hours spent waiting, he and Carla begin sniping at each other about their respective cooking skills.
The food fight that takes place at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house is clearly a scripted part of the series, but it unfolds with a surprising mix of precise aim and comedic chaos, much of which feels totally organic. The kerfuffle starts with a simple bit of antagonism; when Norm (George Wendt) fails to produce a cooked turkey after hours spent waiting, he and Carla begin sniping at each other about their respective cooking skills.
- 1/28/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
One of the most quoted pieces of Hollywood wisdom holds that 90 percent of directing is casting. You bring the right actors together, and you're off to the races. This is, of course, laughably simplistic. You could argue that 90 percent of directing is writing because there's no movie or show to make if there's nothing on the page. And many directors will tell you that their films don't truly come together until they're hunkered down with their editor in post-production.
The truth, obviously, is that film and television production is a collaborative process that requires numerous people with expertise in different disciplines to do what they do at the highest level possible. And when it comes to casting, there is absolutely an art to finding, after untold hours of reels and cold reads, the ideal actor for each role — especially if you're trying to launch a successful television series. Because no...
The truth, obviously, is that film and television production is a collaborative process that requires numerous people with expertise in different disciplines to do what they do at the highest level possible. And when it comes to casting, there is absolutely an art to finding, after untold hours of reels and cold reads, the ideal actor for each role — especially if you're trying to launch a successful television series. Because no...
- 1/13/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The new cast of "Frasier" had big, hilariously pretentious shoes to fill, and when it came to Jack Cutmore-Scott's audition, the pressure was on. The actor, who plays Frasier's son Freddy in the show's revival season, recently spoke to the hosts of "The Talk" about how he landed the presumably highly coveted role, admitting that the presence of not one but two TV legends in the room made the whole process more nerve-wracking.
"It was a fairly conventional process to begin with," Cutmore-Scott told the show's hosts. "You do the tape and you send in the tape and you don't hear anything for weeks and you think, 'Well, that was fun.'" The actor has previously appeared in films like "Tenet" and "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and led the short-lived Fox comedy "Cooper Barrett's Guide To Surviving Life," but "Frasier" is by far his biggest role. After waiting to...
"It was a fairly conventional process to begin with," Cutmore-Scott told the show's hosts. "You do the tape and you send in the tape and you don't hear anything for weeks and you think, 'Well, that was fun.'" The actor has previously appeared in films like "Tenet" and "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and led the short-lived Fox comedy "Cooper Barrett's Guide To Surviving Life," but "Frasier" is by far his biggest role. After waiting to...
- 1/6/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
The current generation will likely know John Cleese for his Tweets and his Gb News project "The Dinosaur Hour," which recently saw him trading witticisms with Stephen Fry in a 12th-century castle for some reason. Which is a shame because at one time he was pretty much unanimously viewed as a British national treasure and comedy great. So much so that when he dropped in on the "Cheers" crowd back in the '80s, he basically caused the whole show to buckle under the weight of his reputation, at least until the writers managed to compose themselves enough to get his episode back on track.
Appearing in the season 5 installment "Simon Says," Cleese played Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, a renowned marriage counselor and friend of Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, who at one time attended Oxford with the distinguished doctor. Presumably, in the "Cheers"-verse, Finch-Royce was also a friend of Alan Cornwall,...
Appearing in the season 5 installment "Simon Says," Cleese played Dr. Simon Finch-Royce, a renowned marriage counselor and friend of Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane, who at one time attended Oxford with the distinguished doctor. Presumably, in the "Cheers"-verse, Finch-Royce was also a friend of Alan Cornwall,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
It's hard to imagine "Frasier" without the supporting cast that made it such a beloved show. That said, we don't have to imagine. The recent "Frasier" revival show, which is neither disappointing nor remarkable, has given us a glimpse of what the stellar '90s sitcom would have looked like if Kelsey Grammer's fussy psychiatrist was surrounded by less likable characters.
In the original series, Grammar was brilliant as Dr. Crane, but much of that was down to how well he played off the rest of the cast. Whether it was David Hyde Pierce's Niles, Jane Leeves' Daphne, or Peri Gilpin's Roz, each member of the cast brought something unique to the show that helped highlight various aspects of the titular doctor's flawed yet endlessly endearing personality.
On the revival, however, that same magic just isn't quite there. Still, it seems the producers weren't entirely unaware of...
In the original series, Grammar was brilliant as Dr. Crane, but much of that was down to how well he played off the rest of the cast. Whether it was David Hyde Pierce's Niles, Jane Leeves' Daphne, or Peri Gilpin's Roz, each member of the cast brought something unique to the show that helped highlight various aspects of the titular doctor's flawed yet endlessly endearing personality.
On the revival, however, that same magic just isn't quite there. Still, it seems the producers weren't entirely unaware of...
- 1/1/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
When he first read the pilot script for "Frasier," David Hyde Pierce thought it was terrible. The actor, who is best known for his portrayal of Niles Crane on the now legendary sitcom, was evidently confused as to why the writers had, as he told Vanity Fair, "written two of the same character." Pierce was referring to Niles and his brother, the eponymous doctor, both of whom were fussy, pompous, egotistical, and endlessly lovable.
But once filming got underway, it became clear almost immediately that Niles and Frasier formed one of the best comedy duos in sitcom history. In fact, "Frasier" remains remarkable for how it seemingly had everything dialed in from the very first episode, without requiring the usual "settling-in" period so many other series have to go through.
In retrospect, then, it seems odd that Pierce was so worried about a show that is now known as a classic of the sitcom genre.
But once filming got underway, it became clear almost immediately that Niles and Frasier formed one of the best comedy duos in sitcom history. In fact, "Frasier" remains remarkable for how it seemingly had everything dialed in from the very first episode, without requiring the usual "settling-in" period so many other series have to go through.
In retrospect, then, it seems odd that Pierce was so worried about a show that is now known as a classic of the sitcom genre.
- 12/31/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
When you think about it, "Frasier" is one of the most unlikely success stories in TV history. Running from 1993 to 2004, the show is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time and has recently returned some 20 years after it went off-air for a revival series currently streaming on Paramount+.
But a lot had to happen in order for this impressive multi-decade run to pan out. After the show on which Frasier Crane first debuted, "Cheers," almost crashed and burned during its first season, it went on to become the most celebrated sitcom of the '80s and still enjoys a legacy as one of the finest TV shows ever. In season 3 of the series, we were introduced to Dr. Crane for the first time. Originally intended to be a character that appeared in a few episodes as a way to further the will-they-won't-they romance storyline between Ted Danson's...
But a lot had to happen in order for this impressive multi-decade run to pan out. After the show on which Frasier Crane first debuted, "Cheers," almost crashed and burned during its first season, it went on to become the most celebrated sitcom of the '80s and still enjoys a legacy as one of the finest TV shows ever. In season 3 of the series, we were introduced to Dr. Crane for the first time. Originally intended to be a character that appeared in a few episodes as a way to further the will-they-won't-they romance storyline between Ted Danson's...
- 12/30/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
When the "Frasier" revival was first announced there was a series of inauspicious developments. First, no one from the original series, including Niles actor David Hyde Pierce, wanted to return for the reboot, which left just Kelsey Grammer to reprise his role as the lovably stuffy psychiatrist. Then, Grammar himself, who was coming off 2020's incomprehensibly bad "Money Plane," added to the general air of concern surrounding the show by voicing his not-so-modest opinion that Frasier alone was the key to the original sitcom's success.
This would have been disquieting enough by itself had there not already been a general sense that "Frasier" 2023 was yet another nostalgia play in our nostalgia-mad monoculture. Add all that together and the build-up to the show's debut was far from the joyous and triumphant celebration that fans of the original sitcom no doubt hoped would accompany the return of their beloved Dr. Crane.
Once the revival show hit Paramount+,...
This would have been disquieting enough by itself had there not already been a general sense that "Frasier" 2023 was yet another nostalgia play in our nostalgia-mad monoculture. Add all that together and the build-up to the show's debut was far from the joyous and triumphant celebration that fans of the original sitcom no doubt hoped would accompany the return of their beloved Dr. Crane.
Once the revival show hit Paramount+,...
- 12/16/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
‘Game of Thrones’ Director David Nutter to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor at the 2024 DGA Awards
Veteran TV director David Nutter has been selected to receive the Directors Guild of America’s lifetime achievement award for distinguished achievement in directing. He will receive the honors at the 76th Annual DGA Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 10, 2024.
Nutter is only the sixth director to receive the recognition, following James Burrows, Robert Butler, Joe Pytka, Don Mischer and Robert A. Fishman.
“David has had a truly phenomenal directing career on so many of the most high-profile series in episodic television,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “To quote the cover of our own DGA Quarterly, David is truly the ‘King of the Pilots.’ His passion, creativity, and mastery of the craft over his expansive career underscores exactly why David serves as an inspiration to fellow directors everywhere. On behalf of the Guild, I’m beyond thrilled to celebrate David’s talents and contributions to the art of directing.”
Glatter...
Nutter is only the sixth director to receive the recognition, following James Burrows, Robert Butler, Joe Pytka, Don Mischer and Robert A. Fishman.
“David has had a truly phenomenal directing career on so many of the most high-profile series in episodic television,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “To quote the cover of our own DGA Quarterly, David is truly the ‘King of the Pilots.’ His passion, creativity, and mastery of the craft over his expansive career underscores exactly why David serves as an inspiration to fellow directors everywhere. On behalf of the Guild, I’m beyond thrilled to celebrate David’s talents and contributions to the art of directing.”
Glatter...
- 12/14/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
When the NBC comedy series "Cheers" began in 1982, fans quickly fell in love with Ernie "Coach" Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto). He was a retired baseball coach working at the bar with Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). He wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the condiments bar, but he had a good heart and gave sort of ridiculous yet profound advice. He was a beloved character and a staple of the show. However, when Colasanto passed away after a heart attack in 1985, Coach died in the show as well.
In season 4, we got a new bartender in the form of Woody Boyd, played by a very young Woody Harrelson. He had the same very naive and sweet quality that Coach had, though he was far younger. I mean, look at the picture above. He was a baby! Woody Boyd was a pen pal to Coach and had to...
In season 4, we got a new bartender in the form of Woody Boyd, played by a very young Woody Harrelson. He had the same very naive and sweet quality that Coach had, though he was far younger. I mean, look at the picture above. He was a baby! Woody Boyd was a pen pal to Coach and had to...
- 12/11/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
The 1993 “Frasier” pilot and the first episode of the 2023 Paramount+ revival have a lot in common. With the respective titles “The Good Son” and “The Good Father,” both episodes follow Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane as he moves to a new city, makes a massive career change, and moves in with a family member with whom he has a chilly relationship. Television legend James Burrows even returned to direct the first episode of the reboot, providing another link to the show’s storied past.
Thr premise of Frasier Crane moving back to Boston to live with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), who rebelled against his Ivy League upbringing to become a fireman, might seem like a lazy attempt to rehash the original premise. You’ve seen White-Collar Son Lives with Blue-Collar Father; now get ready for Blue-Collar Son Lives with White-Collar Father!
But to dismiss it so quickly would...
Thr premise of Frasier Crane moving back to Boston to live with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), who rebelled against his Ivy League upbringing to become a fireman, might seem like a lazy attempt to rehash the original premise. You’ve seen White-Collar Son Lives with Blue-Collar Father; now get ready for Blue-Collar Son Lives with White-Collar Father!
But to dismiss it so quickly would...
- 12/10/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
"Cheers" dominated the TV landscape in the 1980s. Viewers were caught up in the relationship between bartender/bar owner Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and the barmaid who felt like she was too good for the job, Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Would she unbend enough actually to have fun with Sam? Could he manage to stand how pretentious she was? Hanging out with Sam, Diane, and the bar denizens of "Cheers" was like visiting old friends, gossiping about their lives, and getting invested in relationships that we weren't part of.
As it turns out, Shelley Long was as invested as fans were in the Sam and Diane storyline. In fact, there was an episode early on that had the actor breaking down behind the scenes, according to a 25th-anniversary feature in The Hollywood Reporter from 2018. That episode involved a moment between Sam and Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) that Diane wasn't even there for.
As it turns out, Shelley Long was as invested as fans were in the Sam and Diane storyline. In fact, there was an episode early on that had the actor breaking down behind the scenes, according to a 25th-anniversary feature in The Hollywood Reporter from 2018. That episode involved a moment between Sam and Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) that Diane wasn't even there for.
- 12/10/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Nearly four decades after playing Frasier Crane in the third season of Cheers and thirty years since Frasier Crane got his own show, Kelsey Grammer is back with a Frasier revival, currently streaming on Paramount+.
The series takes fans on a new adventure with the titular Frasier, older and wiser with hopes of fixing his relationship with his grown-up son Frederick “Freddy” Crane, played by Jack Cutmore-Scott, whom he shares with his ex-wife Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth). Oh, and all of this is taking place in Boston, a change from Seattle where the original spinoff series was set but where everything began for Frasier.
Grammer spoke to Deadline about why the new series’ focus was the perfect next chapter, reuniting with both Neuwirth and director James Burrows, and more.
L-r: Jess Salgueiro as Eve, Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy Crane, Kelsey Grammer as Frasier and Nicholas Lyndhurst...
The series takes fans on a new adventure with the titular Frasier, older and wiser with hopes of fixing his relationship with his grown-up son Frederick “Freddy” Crane, played by Jack Cutmore-Scott, whom he shares with his ex-wife Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth). Oh, and all of this is taking place in Boston, a change from Seattle where the original spinoff series was set but where everything began for Frasier.
Grammer spoke to Deadline about why the new series’ focus was the perfect next chapter, reuniting with both Neuwirth and director James Burrows, and more.
L-r: Jess Salgueiro as Eve, Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy Crane, Kelsey Grammer as Frasier and Nicholas Lyndhurst...
- 11/23/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Are you waiting to see Frasier Crane make a triumphant return to his old bar Cheers in the Frasier revival? You might as well be waiting to catch a glimpse of Norm’s wife Vera.
Paramount+’s revival finds Kelsey Grammer’s title character moving back to Boston, where he spent a decade sitting on barstools on the hit NBC sitcom Cheers. But in a new interview with our sister site Variety, Grammer pours cold water on the idea of Frasier checking in on the Cheers gang.
More from TVLineLawmen: Bass Reeves' Lauren E. Banks Is on Her Way to Rodeo Glory,...
Paramount+’s revival finds Kelsey Grammer’s title character moving back to Boston, where he spent a decade sitting on barstools on the hit NBC sitcom Cheers. But in a new interview with our sister site Variety, Grammer pours cold water on the idea of Frasier checking in on the Cheers gang.
More from TVLineLawmen: Bass Reeves' Lauren E. Banks Is on Her Way to Rodeo Glory,...
- 11/22/2023
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
It’s a chilly February evening on the Paramount lot as Kelsey Grammer transforms into Frasier Crane for the first time in nearly two decades. It’s an emotional moment on set, both nostalgic and anticipatory. The sets are new, as is every cast member besides Grammer. But behind the camera, legendary director James Burrows shares some continuity with Grammer — having been there from the character’s 1984 beginning on “Cheers.”
Even months later, with the 2023 “Frasier” now on the air (via Paramount+), Grammer gets choked up when asked about what returning to the character — and having institutions like Burrows (one of the original “Cheers” creators) back on board — means to him.
“It’s a piece of personal heaven for me that Jimmy Burrows is still in my life,” Grammer says, his voice cracking just a bit. “And I will always feel that way about him. He’s really helpful. And...
Even months later, with the 2023 “Frasier” now on the air (via Paramount+), Grammer gets choked up when asked about what returning to the character — and having institutions like Burrows (one of the original “Cheers” creators) back on board — means to him.
“It’s a piece of personal heaven for me that Jimmy Burrows is still in my life,” Grammer says, his voice cracking just a bit. “And I will always feel that way about him. He’s really helpful. And...
- 11/22/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The Friends cast released a joint statement following the devastating loss of Matthew Perry, but now the actors are posting their own individual tributes.
Courteney Cox, who played Perry’s onscreen wife, Monica, wrote a heartfelt statement about her time working with Perry, along with a video from the Friends set in 1998. In the clip, they were filming the finale of Season 4 (“The One with Ross’s Wedding”) when it’s revealed that Monica and Chandler had a drunken hookup in Chandler’s London hotel room. In the actual scene,...
Courteney Cox, who played Perry’s onscreen wife, Monica, wrote a heartfelt statement about her time working with Perry, along with a video from the Friends set in 1998. In the clip, they were filming the finale of Season 4 (“The One with Ross’s Wedding”) when it’s revealed that Monica and Chandler had a drunken hookup in Chandler’s London hotel room. In the actual scene,...
- 11/14/2023
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Matt LeBlanc shared a touching personal tribute to his late Friends co-star Matthew Perry, writing, “It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend.”
LeBlanc posted his tribute on Instagram Tuesday, Nov. 14, sharing a couple of stills of his and Perry’s Friends characters, Joey and Chandler, as well as a shot of the whole cast gathering backstage. “Matthew, it is with a heavy heart I say goodbye,” LeBlanc wrote. “The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life.
LeBlanc posted his tribute on Instagram Tuesday, Nov. 14, sharing a couple of stills of his and Perry’s Friends characters, Joey and Chandler, as well as a shot of the whole cast gathering backstage. “Matthew, it is with a heavy heart I say goodbye,” LeBlanc wrote. “The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life.
- 11/14/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
When NBC premiered "The Cosby Show" on September 20, 1984, the network effectively claimed ownership of Thursday night primetime television for several decades. This was the unofficial beginning of Must-See TV (the moniker wouldn't be coined until 1993), and the series' ratings prominence throughout the mid- to late-'80s anchored NBC's lineup, allowing them to switch out sitcoms in the 8:30 and 9:30 slots as needed.
The other Thursday half-hour slot deemed untouchable by the network was the 9 p.m. post dominated by "Cheers." Created by James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles, the show built around a neighborhood Boston bar where everybody knows your name bounced around during its first two seasons before permanently bellying up to 9 p.m. for the rest of its 11-season run. It was the lightly ribald counterpart to the family-friendly antics of "The Cosby Show," and it never had a bad season.
These two series changed television history forever,...
The other Thursday half-hour slot deemed untouchable by the network was the 9 p.m. post dominated by "Cheers." Created by James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles, the show built around a neighborhood Boston bar where everybody knows your name bounced around during its first two seasons before permanently bellying up to 9 p.m. for the rest of its 11-season run. It was the lightly ribald counterpart to the family-friendly antics of "The Cosby Show," and it never had a bad season.
These two series changed television history forever,...
- 11/12/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Robert Butler, the Emmy-winning, go-to pilot director who helmed the first episodes of such acclaimed shows as Batman, Star Trek, Hill Street Blues and Moonlighting, died Nov. 3 in Los Angeles, his family announced. He was 95.
Butler also co-created the Pierce Brosnan-starring Remington Steele (and helmed its pilot, of course), directed the first episode of Hogan’s Heroes in 1965, and called the first shots and set the tone for, Glenn Gordon Caron’s Moonlighting, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sisters and The Division.
In 1973, he directed the William Holden-starring The Blue Knight — the first four-hour television miniseries — at NBC and then got the CBS series adaptation of the Joseph Wambaugh novel that starred George Kennedy off on the right foot.
Butler also helmed two episodes of The Twilight Zone (the fifth-season installments “Caesar and Me,” starring his old friend, Jackie Cooper, and “The Encounter”) and worked on The Dick Van Dyke Show,...
Butler also co-created the Pierce Brosnan-starring Remington Steele (and helmed its pilot, of course), directed the first episode of Hogan’s Heroes in 1965, and called the first shots and set the tone for, Glenn Gordon Caron’s Moonlighting, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sisters and The Division.
In 1973, he directed the William Holden-starring The Blue Knight — the first four-hour television miniseries — at NBC and then got the CBS series adaptation of the Joseph Wambaugh novel that starred George Kennedy off on the right foot.
Butler also helmed two episodes of The Twilight Zone (the fifth-season installments “Caesar and Me,” starring his old friend, Jackie Cooper, and “The Encounter”) and worked on The Dick Van Dyke Show,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Zac Efron says he is “honored to hear” that his late 17 Again co-star Matthew Perry had recently expressed a wish to see the younger actor portray the Friends star in a biopic.
“I’m honored to hear he was thinking of me to play him,” Efron told People magazine yesterday during a Dallas red carpet interview for the film The Iron Claw. “We’ll see. I’d be honored to do it.”
Continued Efron: “He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together. I looked up to him, I learned comedic timing from that guy. I mean, when we were filming 17 Again, it was so surreal for me to look across and have him be there, because I’ve learned so much from him, from his whole life.”
Efron portrayed a younger version of Perry’s character in the 2009 comedy fantasy 17 Again.
“I’m honored to hear he was thinking of me to play him,” Efron told People magazine yesterday during a Dallas red carpet interview for the film The Iron Claw. “We’ll see. I’d be honored to do it.”
Continued Efron: “He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together. I looked up to him, I learned comedic timing from that guy. I mean, when we were filming 17 Again, it was so surreal for me to look across and have him be there, because I’ve learned so much from him, from his whole life.”
Efron portrayed a younger version of Perry’s character in the 2009 comedy fantasy 17 Again.
- 11/9/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
So far, the "Frasier" revival has shown a pretty consistent awareness of its origins, harkening back to highlights from the original series and paying tribute to the late John Mahoney, who previously played Frasier's dad, Martin. In fact, links to the beloved sitcom that ran from 1993-2004 can be found in pretty much every episode of the reboot. There have even been callbacks to "Cheers," the show on which Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane first debuted.
In the very first episode, the titular doctor pokes fun at "Cheers" with a joke about spending too much time in "a certain bar." Then, in the fifth episode, the writers used a "Cheers" joke to provide new insight into Frasier when he admitted that he never felt like he truly fit in anywhere — including the famous bar in question. When you combine all this with the fact the revival show brought back "Cheers...
In the very first episode, the titular doctor pokes fun at "Cheers" with a joke about spending too much time in "a certain bar." Then, in the fifth episode, the writers used a "Cheers" joke to provide new insight into Frasier when he admitted that he never felt like he truly fit in anywhere — including the famous bar in question. When you combine all this with the fact the revival show brought back "Cheers...
- 11/9/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The latest episode of Paramount+’s “Frasier,” entitled “Blind Date,” followed as Kelsey Grammer’s titular character competed with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) for the affections of a woman named June (June Diane Raphael) in a 22-page-long scene.
Director Kelly Park told TheWrap that filming the sequence was “one of the highlights” of her career.
“It really allowed me to prove to myself that I am a technical director,” she said. “Kelsey Grammer was wonderful because he collaborated with me and was with me all the way. It was really divine… they just let me play, let me create, and allowed me to delve into what Frasier used to be and bring it back home.”
But directing a multi-camera comedy in front of a live studio audience is no easy feat.
“In the multi-cam world, traditionally what we do is we have two days of taping. There’s a...
Director Kelly Park told TheWrap that filming the sequence was “one of the highlights” of her career.
“It really allowed me to prove to myself that I am a technical director,” she said. “Kelsey Grammer was wonderful because he collaborated with me and was with me all the way. It was really divine… they just let me play, let me create, and allowed me to delve into what Frasier used to be and bring it back home.”
But directing a multi-camera comedy in front of a live studio audience is no easy feat.
“In the multi-cam world, traditionally what we do is we have two days of taping. There’s a...
- 11/9/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Friends director James Burrows has spoken out regarding Matthew Perry’s death. He said he contacted some of Perry’s former castmates after his passing. Burrows claims they are “destroyed” and says for the Friends cast, it is “like a brother dying.”
Matthew Perry’s death has ‘destroyed’ his ‘Friends’ castmates, says director
James Burrows, who directed some of the most memorable episodes in Friends history, spoke out days after Matthew Perry died at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28, 2023, at 54. He shared his reflections on Matthew Perry to Today.
“I had texted the girls the day we found out,” Burrows said of Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, and Jennifer Aniston. “They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying.”
“I had to have a couple of days to just let it soak in,” Burrows told Today after Perry’s death. “He was part of a family, and he was the first...
Matthew Perry’s death has ‘destroyed’ his ‘Friends’ castmates, says director
James Burrows, who directed some of the most memorable episodes in Friends history, spoke out days after Matthew Perry died at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28, 2023, at 54. He shared his reflections on Matthew Perry to Today.
“I had texted the girls the day we found out,” Burrows said of Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, and Jennifer Aniston. “They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying.”
“I had to have a couple of days to just let it soak in,” Burrows told Today after Perry’s death. “He was part of a family, and he was the first...
- 11/6/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The entertainment world is still reeling from the sudden loss of Matthew Perry, the affable charmer who rose to fame as Chandler Bing on "Friends." The loss is greater considering that Perry was only 54 years old at the time of his passing, and how much closer fans felt towards him after his incredibly honest memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," came out just last year. Perry's autobiography received most of its press due to Perry revealing, in great detail, his severe problems with alcohol and substance abuse. The book helped make the man behind the curtain, so to speak, just as likable as the onscreen persona that he'll be most remembered for.
It's hard to imagine anyone else playing Chandler Bing at this point, and Perry wound up bringing a lot of his personal life to the part. As the show was ramping up for its first season,...
It's hard to imagine anyone else playing Chandler Bing at this point, and Perry wound up bringing a lot of his personal life to the part. As the show was ramping up for its first season,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
Friends director James Burrows joined the extensive list of Hollywood fixtures paying homage to Matthew Perry after the actor’s death this weekend, speaking with the Today show on Thursday about the impact he has had on the show’s cast and crew.
“He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore,” Burrows said, adding that the cast was “destroyed” upon hearing the news.
“It’s a brother dying,” Burrows, who directed more than a dozen episodes, added.
In the interview,...
“He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore,” Burrows said, adding that the cast was “destroyed” upon hearing the news.
“It’s a brother dying,” Burrows, who directed more than a dozen episodes, added.
In the interview,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Friends director James Burrows mourned the loss of actor Matthew Perry in an exclusive Today show interview this morning. “I had to have a couple of days to just let it soak in,” Burrows said on the NBC morning show. “He was part of a family and he was the first one to not be part of that family anymore.”
Burrows, who directed the first four episodes of the longrunning series, said that upon hearing the news of Perry’s death at 54 last Saturday, he reached out to some of the show’s cast – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
“I had texted the girls the day we found out,” Burrows said. “They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying.”
“He was incredibly inventive,” Burrows said of Perry’s star-making performance as Chandler Bing. “He was inventive with how he did a line.” The director said Perry was, in some ways,...
Burrows, who directed the first four episodes of the longrunning series, said that upon hearing the news of Perry’s death at 54 last Saturday, he reached out to some of the show’s cast – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
“I had texted the girls the day we found out,” Burrows said. “They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying.”
“He was incredibly inventive,” Burrows said of Perry’s star-making performance as Chandler Bing. “He was inventive with how he did a line.” The director said Perry was, in some ways,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Matthew Perry’s comedic genius was apparent from the very first episode of Friends.
That’s according to storied television director James Burrows, who helmed the pilot “The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate,” and would go on to direct 15 total episodes throughout the iconic NBC comedy’s 10-season run. Burrows spoke to the Today show on Thursday, one day after Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane also opened up to the outlet about the immense loss of losing Perry at age 54.
The actor died over the weekend on Saturday; he was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home and his cause of death is still pending.
Looking back on the very first episode of Friends, initially known as “The Pilot,” Burrows recalled how inventive Perry was with performing a single line as well as his facial expressions, whether or not the camera was on him.
“Reading around the table,...
That’s according to storied television director James Burrows, who helmed the pilot “The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate,” and would go on to direct 15 total episodes throughout the iconic NBC comedy’s 10-season run. Burrows spoke to the Today show on Thursday, one day after Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane also opened up to the outlet about the immense loss of losing Perry at age 54.
The actor died over the weekend on Saturday; he was found unresponsive at his Los Angeles home and his cause of death is still pending.
Looking back on the very first episode of Friends, initially known as “The Pilot,” Burrows recalled how inventive Perry was with performing a single line as well as his facial expressions, whether or not the camera was on him.
“Reading around the table,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jim Burrows, a director who directed over a dozen episodes of Friends, has given an interview where he gave a brief insight into the cast’s reaction to the tragic passing of their beloved co-star, Matthew Perry.
If you don’t know, the 54-year-old actor passed suddenly on Saturday (October 28) at his home in a reported drowning.
Keep reading to find out more…
On the Today show, Jim was asked how the cast is doing right now.
“I had texted the girls [Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow] the day we found out. They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying,” Jim responded.
‘Friends’ director James Burrows remembers Matthew Perry in an exclusive interview with @LizKreutzNews.
“I texted the girls the day we found out and they were destroyed. It’s a brother dying,” he said. pic.twitter.com/Bo82qMdPsF
— Today (@TODAYshow) November 2, 2023
Our continued thoughts are with Matthew‘s friends,...
If you don’t know, the 54-year-old actor passed suddenly on Saturday (October 28) at his home in a reported drowning.
Keep reading to find out more…
On the Today show, Jim was asked how the cast is doing right now.
“I had texted the girls [Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow] the day we found out. They were destroyed. It’s a brother dying,” Jim responded.
‘Friends’ director James Burrows remembers Matthew Perry in an exclusive interview with @LizKreutzNews.
“I texted the girls the day we found out and they were destroyed. It’s a brother dying,” he said. pic.twitter.com/Bo82qMdPsF
— Today (@TODAYshow) November 2, 2023
Our continued thoughts are with Matthew‘s friends,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Friends is one of the few shows that still runs on television continually since its initial airing. The sitcom is a rare cultural impact that seems to always find a new audience to this day despite ending at the beginning of the millennium. Matthew Perry, the beloved star who portrayed the sarcastic character Chandler Bing, had shockingly passed on Saturday due to drowning. Perry was a big factor in the show’s success, and his Chandler was a voice of an entire generation in the 90s.
Fans took to social media as soon as news broke to pay respects and tributes to Perry. The five members of the Friends cast, who became cultural icons along with Perry, from the show have yet to make official statements in this time. However, CBS News reports the creators of the show, Marta Kaufman and David Crane, would share their sentiments along with the...
Fans took to social media as soon as news broke to pay respects and tributes to Perry. The five members of the Friends cast, who became cultural icons along with Perry, from the show have yet to make official statements in this time. However, CBS News reports the creators of the show, Marta Kaufman and David Crane, would share their sentiments along with the...
- 10/30/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The unexpected death of Matthew Perry shocked the entertainment industry, prompting TV fans around the world to reflect on the life of one of the brightest sitcom stars of the past three decades.
The “Friends” star was found dead in a jacuzzi in his Los Angeles home around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 28. The 54-year-old actor had remained in the public eye until the very end, appearing in the 2020 “Friends” reunion special and sharing candid stories of his battles with addiction in his 2022 memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” His sudden passing caught many of his fans off guard, but shock soon gave way to appreciation of a singular television career.
“We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry,” a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Television Group said in a statement provided to IndieWire. “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros.
The “Friends” star was found dead in a jacuzzi in his Los Angeles home around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 28. The 54-year-old actor had remained in the public eye until the very end, appearing in the 2020 “Friends” reunion special and sharing candid stories of his battles with addiction in his 2022 memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” His sudden passing caught many of his fans off guard, but shock soon gave way to appreciation of a singular television career.
“We are devastated by the passing of our dear friend Matthew Perry,” a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Television Group said in a statement provided to IndieWire. “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros.
- 10/29/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Tributes poured in from all corners of Hollywood when the news came of Matthew Perry’s death at age 54 on Saturday. The actor, best known for starring as Chandler Bing in “Friends,” was found dead in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles.
Many of the sentiments posted online Saturday pointed to Perry as the heart of the humor in “Friends.” As written in a tribute by Variety‘s chief correspondent Daniel D’Addario, “the character’s caustic wit, as performed by a master comic actor, presented as nothing more and nothing less than observational humor about his friends: One degree harsher and it would have tanked the show, one degree softer and it wouldn’t have landed.”
Several also referenced Perry’s struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction, which he discussed publicly throughout his career, especially in his memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”
“We are shocked and deeply,...
Many of the sentiments posted online Saturday pointed to Perry as the heart of the humor in “Friends.” As written in a tribute by Variety‘s chief correspondent Daniel D’Addario, “the character’s caustic wit, as performed by a master comic actor, presented as nothing more and nothing less than observational humor about his friends: One degree harsher and it would have tanked the show, one degree softer and it wouldn’t have landed.”
Several also referenced Perry’s struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction, which he discussed publicly throughout his career, especially in his memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”
“We are shocked and deeply,...
- 10/29/2023
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane season 1 streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+ People who’ve watched a lot of TV comedy over the years know the name James Burrows: He’s directed more than a thousand TV episodes, including 236 episodes of Cheers, 75 episodes of Taxi, 32 episodes of Frasier’s original run, and every single episode of Will & Grace. Recently, he also directed the first two episodes of the Frasier reboot. Having initially introduced the character of Frasier Crane in a Cheers episode he directed 39 years ago, Burrows has a unique perspective on the character and his strength. (Click on the media bar below to hear James Burrows) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/James_Burrows_Fraiser_.mp3 Frasier is currently streaming on Paramount+.
The post Director James Burrows Recalls The Best Part Of Frasier Crane appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post Director James Burrows Recalls The Best Part Of Frasier Crane appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 10/27/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
The "Frasier" revival series might take place in an entirely different city than its predecessor and feature none of the original cast, but it hasn't forgotten its roots. In the very first episode of the new show, which recently launched on Paramount+, Frasier can be seen poking fun at "Cheers" — the show on which his character first debuted all the way back in 1984. That same episode also pays heartwarming tribute to John Mahoney, who played Frasier's father Martin Crane in the original sitcom that ran from 1993 to 2004. We'll also be seeing Roz actress Peri Gilpin return to the show at some point in the near future.
And that's not the end of the references to Frasier's past. In fact, the revival does an admirable job of linking itself to the previous incarnation despite only Kelsey Grammer returning from the original show. When Frasier first arrives in Boston, he's flanked by his nephew,...
And that's not the end of the references to Frasier's past. In fact, the revival does an admirable job of linking itself to the previous incarnation despite only Kelsey Grammer returning from the original show. When Frasier first arrives in Boston, he's flanked by his nephew,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
In 2024, it will be 40 years since the character of Frasier Crane first debuted on TV. Appearing in the season 3 premiere of "Cheers" back in 1984, the character went on to become the protagonist of his own show, which ran from 1993 to 2004 and doubled down on Kelsey Grammer's remarkable knack for playing the lovably pretentious psychiatrist. Now, the character is once again back as part of the "Frasier" revival series that just hit Paramount+, and he's very much returned to his roots.
Whereas the original "Frasier" saw the titular psychiatrist return to his native Seattle, the new series is set back in Boston — home of the Cheers bar where his character first appeared. In the years between the original "Frasier" and this new series, the good doctor has been living in Chicago, but returns to Boston after his marriage ends and he feels compelled to become more involved in his son Freddy's (Jack Cutmore-Scott) life.
Whereas the original "Frasier" saw the titular psychiatrist return to his native Seattle, the new series is set back in Boston — home of the Cheers bar where his character first appeared. In the years between the original "Frasier" and this new series, the good doctor has been living in Chicago, but returns to Boston after his marriage ends and he feels compelled to become more involved in his son Freddy's (Jack Cutmore-Scott) life.
- 10/12/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
In Paramount+’s “Frasier” reboot, Kelsey Grammer’s iconic character has returned to Boston for his next chapter, as he looks to reconnect with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott).
The move finds the psychiatrist and former radio show host leave behind many beloved characters from the original NBC sitcom, including his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce). Earlier this year, Pierce revealed that he would not be reprising the role, which showrunners Chris Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Joe Cristalli (“Life in Pieces”) admitted was “a tough setback in the moment, but ultimately very freeing.”
“It let us build the show more organically from the ground up, focusing more on Frasier and Freddie’s relationship,” Harris told TheWrap. “The flip side of that is we don’t have several of the beloved characters that the original series had.”
(NBC)
Cristalli noted that they had “a bunch of conversations” with Pierce about returning,...
The move finds the psychiatrist and former radio show host leave behind many beloved characters from the original NBC sitcom, including his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce). Earlier this year, Pierce revealed that he would not be reprising the role, which showrunners Chris Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Joe Cristalli (“Life in Pieces”) admitted was “a tough setback in the moment, but ultimately very freeing.”
“It let us build the show more organically from the ground up, focusing more on Frasier and Freddie’s relationship,” Harris told TheWrap. “The flip side of that is we don’t have several of the beloved characters that the original series had.”
(NBC)
Cristalli noted that they had “a bunch of conversations” with Pierce about returning,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Tonight, the doctor is in again as Kelsey Grammer returns to the small screen as Frasier Crane in the Paramount+ comedy Frasier. The sequel series, with an almost entirely new cast, will drop the first two episodes of Season 1 at midnight Pt.
The titular character made his television debut in Season 3 of NBC’s Emmy-winning series Cheers, which aired originally in 1984. When Cheers concluded in 1993, Frasier moved to Seattle and his story continued in the eponymous spinoff series. Grammer will come full circle in Season 1 of the Paramount+ series as his character returns to Boston, the city where it all began for him, and where the bar where everybody knows your name is located.
For a third time as part of the Cheers-verse, Grammer reunited with renowned TV producer and director James Burrows. Burrows co-created Cheers alongside Glen and Les Charles and also directed multiple episodes of the Og Frasier.
The titular character made his television debut in Season 3 of NBC’s Emmy-winning series Cheers, which aired originally in 1984. When Cheers concluded in 1993, Frasier moved to Seattle and his story continued in the eponymous spinoff series. Grammer will come full circle in Season 1 of the Paramount+ series as his character returns to Boston, the city where it all began for him, and where the bar where everybody knows your name is located.
For a third time as part of the Cheers-verse, Grammer reunited with renowned TV producer and director James Burrows. Burrows co-created Cheers alongside Glen and Les Charles and also directed multiple episodes of the Og Frasier.
- 10/12/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Joe Cristalli and Chris Harris, the showrunners behind Paramount+’s “Frasier” revival, have been bracing for how audiences react to the return of the beloved sitcom character. But they weren’t expecting the buzz to be about Frasier Crane’s wardrobe.
When Paramount+ revealed the key art for the new “Frasier,” which premieres Oct. 12, fans were up in arms … because the character was wearing jeans and Allbirds sneakers. Sure, the dressed-down look might be out of step for the Frasier Crane we knew on “Cheers” or the original “Frasier.” But this is “Frasier” 3.0.
“We love that people care,” Harris says. “It’s partly the times and it is also a little bit about how the character is more comfortable with who he is and where he is in life.” Adds Cristalli: “He’s not going to wear Armani suits anymore. It’s 2023. This is what fancy rich guys wear now — they wear comfortable clothes!
When Paramount+ revealed the key art for the new “Frasier,” which premieres Oct. 12, fans were up in arms … because the character was wearing jeans and Allbirds sneakers. Sure, the dressed-down look might be out of step for the Frasier Crane we knew on “Cheers” or the original “Frasier.” But this is “Frasier” 3.0.
“We love that people care,” Harris says. “It’s partly the times and it is also a little bit about how the character is more comfortable with who he is and where he is in life.” Adds Cristalli: “He’s not going to wear Armani suits anymore. It’s 2023. This is what fancy rich guys wear now — they wear comfortable clothes!
- 10/11/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
It’s Frasier Week at IndieWire. Grab some tossed salad and scrambled eggs, settle into your coziest easy chair, and join us. We’re listening.
Every true “Frasier” fan knows that kitchens are soundproof havens for covert plotting. Whenever Frasier, Martin, Niles, or Daphne needed the rest of the family to help them convince guests that they were Jewish, gay, married, single, or an entirely different person, they’d craft an excuse to sidebar in the kitchen. And despite the apartment’s open floor plan, nobody ever caught a peep of the screaming matches that ensued while plating Camembert.
So it’s fitting that the first episode of the new Paramount+ revival features plenty of kitchen scheming. When Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane attempts to reconnect with his adult son Freddy (now played by Jack Cutmore-Scott), an impromptu dinner party at his Boston apartment quickly devolves into a game of telephone.
Every true “Frasier” fan knows that kitchens are soundproof havens for covert plotting. Whenever Frasier, Martin, Niles, or Daphne needed the rest of the family to help them convince guests that they were Jewish, gay, married, single, or an entirely different person, they’d craft an excuse to sidebar in the kitchen. And despite the apartment’s open floor plan, nobody ever caught a peep of the screaming matches that ensued while plating Camembert.
So it’s fitting that the first episode of the new Paramount+ revival features plenty of kitchen scheming. When Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane attempts to reconnect with his adult son Freddy (now played by Jack Cutmore-Scott), an impromptu dinner party at his Boston apartment quickly devolves into a game of telephone.
- 10/11/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
It’s Frasier Week at IndieWire. Grab some tossed salad and scrambled eggs, settle into your coziest easy chair, and join us. We’re listening.
Twenty years have passed since Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) has graced the small screen, but according to the Paramount+ series revival, the beloved sarcastic psychiatrist hasn’t changed a bit…just his surroundings, profession, close friends, and the actor playing his son have.
Where to begin with what fans need to remember about “Frasier” before the revival, premiering October 12? Well, first of all, Frasier is back in Boston, returning to his “Cheers” roots before he made the move to Seattle for a radio show and to be closer to his ailing father, Martin, portrayed by late actor John Mahoney.
Grammer announced the revival series in 2021, saying at the time, “Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot, both producing shows and performing in several,...
Twenty years have passed since Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) has graced the small screen, but according to the Paramount+ series revival, the beloved sarcastic psychiatrist hasn’t changed a bit…just his surroundings, profession, close friends, and the actor playing his son have.
Where to begin with what fans need to remember about “Frasier” before the revival, premiering October 12? Well, first of all, Frasier is back in Boston, returning to his “Cheers” roots before he made the move to Seattle for a radio show and to be closer to his ailing father, Martin, portrayed by late actor John Mahoney.
Grammer announced the revival series in 2021, saying at the time, “Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot, both producing shows and performing in several,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Plot: Filmed in front of a live studio audience at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, the new series follows Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. Frasier has re-entered the building!
Review: Few actors have been able to successfully take a character from an iconic television series into an equally iconic spin-off. Aside from Bob Odenkirk’s Better Call Saul spinning from Breaking Bad or Sherman Helmsley taking The Jeffersons from All in the Family, Kelsey Grammer’s acclaimed performance as Dr. Frasier Crane went from a supporting role in the eleven-season run of Cheers to the eleven-season run of Frasier. Now, Grammer is bringing back his psychiatrist-turned-radio host to Boston from Seattle (by way of Chicago) for a new iteration of Frasier.
Review: Few actors have been able to successfully take a character from an iconic television series into an equally iconic spin-off. Aside from Bob Odenkirk’s Better Call Saul spinning from Breaking Bad or Sherman Helmsley taking The Jeffersons from All in the Family, Kelsey Grammer’s acclaimed performance as Dr. Frasier Crane went from a supporting role in the eleven-season run of Cheers to the eleven-season run of Frasier. Now, Grammer is bringing back his psychiatrist-turned-radio host to Boston from Seattle (by way of Chicago) for a new iteration of Frasier.
- 10/9/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Frasier is back.
Actually, Dr. Frasier Crane is so unobtrusively back in the Paramount+ revival debuting on October 12 that it’s truly as if Kelsey Grammer’s pompous and often hilarious psychiatrist character never left — truly.
In an industry awash with alternative timelines as plot points almost as much as it is with creatively barren reboots and reunions, perhaps it would be better to peg the Frasier revival not as something new at all, but neither something old. Perhaps a more crystalline perspective would be to view this Frasier as simply the charmingly chugging along 30th season of the beloved and acclaimed Cheers spinoff.
While clearly a subscriber lunge for Paramount+ in this age of streamer contractions, this 10-episode revival is indeed so blatantly a throwback to a very different era of television that to try to taint it as mere nostalgia is to miss the point. A little thinner on top,...
Actually, Dr. Frasier Crane is so unobtrusively back in the Paramount+ revival debuting on October 12 that it’s truly as if Kelsey Grammer’s pompous and often hilarious psychiatrist character never left — truly.
In an industry awash with alternative timelines as plot points almost as much as it is with creatively barren reboots and reunions, perhaps it would be better to peg the Frasier revival not as something new at all, but neither something old. Perhaps a more crystalline perspective would be to view this Frasier as simply the charmingly chugging along 30th season of the beloved and acclaimed Cheers spinoff.
While clearly a subscriber lunge for Paramount+ in this age of streamer contractions, this 10-episode revival is indeed so blatantly a throwback to a very different era of television that to try to taint it as mere nostalgia is to miss the point. A little thinner on top,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Take a look at new footage from the continuation of the 1993 comedy TV series "Frasier" starring Kelsey Grammer, reprising his Emmy- Award-winning role as 'Frasier Crane', with the first two episodes directed by James Burrows, streaming October 12, 2023 on Paramount+:
"...filmed in front of a live studio audience at 'Paramount Studios' in Los Angeles, the new series follows 'Frasier Crane' (Grammer) in the next chapter of his life...
"...as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill..."
Cast also includes Jack Cutmore-Scott, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro and Anders Keith.
Click the images to enlarge...
>...
"...filmed in front of a live studio audience at 'Paramount Studios' in Los Angeles, the new series follows 'Frasier Crane' (Grammer) in the next chapter of his life...
"...as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill..."
Cast also includes Jack Cutmore-Scott, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro and Anders Keith.
Click the images to enlarge...
>...
- 10/3/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Is anyone in the mood for tossed salad and scrambled eggs? Kelsey Grammar’s Dr. Frasier Crane is on the move, with him heading back to his old Boston stomping grounds for the much-anticipated Paramount Plus sequel series. With the show set to make its streaming debut on October 12th, the streamer has released two new posters teasing Frasier’s move from Seattle to Boston, where he hops to reconnect with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott).
As the trailers revealed, Fraiser winds up reconnecting with an old university pal, played by iconic Nicholas Lyndhurst, who may not be all that well-known in North America but is a massive star in the UK thanks to his long-running role on the TV series Only Fools and Horses. While David Hyde Pierce declined the opportunity to reprise his role as Niles (for now), Peri Gilpin is set to return as Frasier’s old producer,...
As the trailers revealed, Fraiser winds up reconnecting with an old university pal, played by iconic Nicholas Lyndhurst, who may not be all that well-known in North America but is a massive star in the UK thanks to his long-running role on the TV series Only Fools and Horses. While David Hyde Pierce declined the opportunity to reprise his role as Niles (for now), Peri Gilpin is set to return as Frasier’s old producer,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
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