Over its eleven-season run on NBC,Frasier, the spin-off fromCheersofKelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane character,became an all-time sitcom classicthat won several Emmys and ended up arguably being better than the show it came from.In 2004, the series came to an end, but in the era of reboots,Frasierreturned to Paramount+ in 2023. Unfortunately, while it still had the same name and Grammer was playing the same character, everything else was different. Gone was Seattle, with Dr. Crane back in Boston in an attempt to reconnect with his now adult son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott).
This route was taken because,outside of a few appearances from Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin), none of the former cast returned. Sadly,John Mahoney, who played the Crane patriarch, Martin, passed away in 2018.David Hyde Pierce, who wasthe best part of the series as Frasier’s brother, Niles,turned down a chance to come back, which meant that his wife, Daphne Moon Crane (Jane Leeves), then couldn’t be part of the reboot either.Frasierfound a way through this, introducing us to their son, David(Anders Keith), last seen during his birth in the original show’s finale. Now, besides Frasier himself, he’s the best part of the reboot.
Frasier and Niles' Relationship Was the Best Part of ‘Frasier’
With his name as the title,Frasier Crane was meant to be the focus of theCheersspin-off, and while he was,Frasierworked because of its supporting cast. You could actually argue that he was really the fourth most popular character, behind Niles, Daphne, and Martin. Even Eddie the dog was a scene-stealer.
So much aboutFrasierclicked, but the best scenes came with the interactions between Frasier and Niles. Frasier Crane always had a pompous air to him, from his tastes to how he speaks, but his little brother, Niles, was even more eccentric than he was. From his fear of germs, to his obsession with Daphne, Niles is absolutely hilarious. With no one else (including their own retired cop father) being able to understand them,Frasier and Niles bounce their thoughts and ideas off of each other, leading to some very funny scenes and dialogue over the years. How in the world could the reboot exist without that?
David Crane Is an Underrated Part of the ‘Frasier’ Reboot
The answer, for the most part, is thatFrasierhasn’t been able to exist well without it. Dr. Crane is given a bit of a Niles clone with a Harvard professor named Alan Cornwall (Nicholas Lyndhurst), an oddball alcoholic who is annoyed by his students and has no relationship with his own daughter. He’s not an angry, repulsive character. In fact, he’s rather charming, and with he and Frasier being old friends, it makes sense that the two would reconnect, but their relationship and the annoying laugh track in the background lacks any real spark.
Frasierinstead centers on his relationship with his son, Freddy, as it should. There is real potential here, with Freddy not being in his dad’s life growing up. Now, as an adult,Frasiersuddenly wants back in, but Freddy isn’t sure. He’s also nothing like his dad. If anything, he’s his grandfather: an everyman who became a firefighter rather than a cop, and who now raises the child of a best friend who died in the line of duty with his widow, Eve (Jess Salgueiro). Freddy’s not eccentric like his old man. The conflict comes from his annoyance with his dad. That leads to some pretty heartwarming and heartbreaking dramatic scenes, such as when they mourn Martin together, but it doesn’t produce a lot of laughter.
Niles Crane isn’t in theFrasierreboot, but we’re given his son, David Crane (Anders Keith), who is in Boston to attend Harvard. He’s the only character that really works from a comedic aspect.David feels like a link to the past without being a caricature, as he is equal parts his father and mother. In an interview withVanity Teen, Anders Keith spoke about howFrasierwas his first job, describing his character as “a tad neurotic like his father, but also as innocent and caring as his mother” and that “he only wants to impress and assist others, but often fails. He’s still learning.”
If ‘Frasier’ Were To Return Again, David Crane Needs a Better Storyline
David Crane is odd, but he doesn’t have the elitist attitudes of his father and uncle. He has more in common with his cousin, Freddy, even though, on paper, Freddy is quite different.David’s behavior doesn’t come across as entitledor that he thinks he’s better than everyone. He’s the son of rich people and could just coast through life, but instead he moved away from his parents to go to Harvard. He might have booksmarts, but he also has his head in the clouds rather often, just like his mother. He’ll accidentally get himself locked in the library all weekend and needs help talking to women.David Crane is the series' buffoon.
What the Hell Does ‘Frasier’s Theme Song Even Mean?
Tossed salad and scrambled eggs?! Huh?
Like his mother, David is also very kind. He doesn’t judge anyone, and he wants nothing more than to be around people. He’s almost childlike and an old soul at the same time, which can be seen in his friendship with Alan.He’s the perfect combination of his parentswithout being a copy of either. It’s a shame that the first two seasons ofFrasierdidn’t do more with him, often putting David into subplots or giving him a few funny lines here and there. He’s the child of the series’ most loved character, and not exploring that deeper was a missed opportunity.
TheFrasierreboot was cancelled after Season 2, but if it were to come back,David Crane needs to become the focus.Frasierproduces some touching emotional moments with Frasier and Freddy, but the tug at the heartstrings doesn’t often reach the funny bone. David is already funny, no matter what he’s doing. Putting him closer to his Uncle Frasier will not only be a clash of differing characters that both men can learn from, but their oddball relationship can create some of the best awkward humor. ForFrasier, the best way forward is to latch onto the past.
