Kelsey Grammer Emotional as ‘Frasier’ Returns to Seattle for Season 2 Episode

“Frasier” is heading back to Seattle in Season 2. Kelsey Grammer’s iconic character, Dr. Frasier Crane, will return to his radio talk show roots at KACL in Seattle for an episode in the new season. The series is set to return on September 19 with a two-episode premiere on Paramount+.

The Seattle homecoming – the setting for the original “Frasier” that aired for 11 seasons on NBC until 2004 – required an entirely new set to be built for the KACL radio studio. In the original series, Frasier frequently opened episodes sitting in the host’s chair of his radio call-in show.

“At first I was like, this is just a set; nothing was really happening to me,” Grammer told USA TODAY about filming the homecoming. “But that was before I sat down in that chair.” He paused, admitting he is “an emotional guy” who can be prone to sudden bouts of sentimentality.

The return to Seattle centers around Crane’s former radio show producer Roz Doyle, played by Peri Gilpin, who will be a recurring guest star in Season 2. The Seattle episode will also feature original “Frasier” stars such as Dan Butler as Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe, Edward Hibbert as Gil Chesterton, and Harriet Sansom Harris as Bebe Glazer. These characters were prominent fixtures in the original show, each contributing to the dynamic atmosphere at KACL.

While the revamped “Frasier” will primarily be set in Boston for Season 2, where Crane has started a new life as a Harvard professor, the return to Seattle reconnects the character with his past. In Boston, Crane is seen drinking with his university friends Alan (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and Olivia (Toks Olagundoye) at a new bar called Mahoney’s, reflecting a new chapter in his storied life.

Grammer has expressed hopes to include former “Cheers” co-stars in the new series. He specifically mentioned Ted Danson, who played bar owner Sam Malone, and Shelley Long, who portrayed Crane’s love interest Diane Chambers. “I have always nursed a longing for doing a show with Shelley Long to have closure with Diane in some strange way,” Grammer told the Television Critics Association panel. “I’d love to see that happen. There’s a world of this character’s past that needs to be put to rest.”

However, Grammer also noted that Crane wouldn’t go back to Cheers, respecting the “closed” status of the bar as envisaged by “Cheers” creator James Burrows. “There’s a sense of respect that we owe him and the idea (‘Frasier’) exists in another world,” Grammer said. “It’s gone. The bar is gone.”

Burrows, who directed the first two episodes of the new “Frasier,” will also return to direct two more episodes in Season 2, adding continuity from the original series to the reboot.

“Frasier” remains a significant show in television history, holding the record for the most Emmy wins for a comedy series, with 37 wins and 107 nominations. However, the new iteration of “Frasier” and Grammer did miss out on major nominations ahead of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, marking a shift from the show’s original Emmy-winning streak.

Source: USA TODAY