Kelsey Grammer has provided an update on the upcoming Frasier reboot which spells bad news for Boston’s famous Cheers bar. It was recently revealed that the upcoming Paramount+ series will see Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) return to Boston, where he reconnects with his adult son Freddie (Jack Cutmore-Scott). It’s a set-up that flips the original premise of the Cheers spinoff, recasting Frasier in the role of the aging father. However, despite returning to the Boston location of Cheers, Grammer has seemingly nixed the prospect of the Frasier reboot visiting his old haunt.Interviewed on the daytime show Today with Hoda and Jenna to promote his new movie Jesus Revolution, Kelsey Grammer cryptically answered a question about Cheers. He said that, while the bar is mentioned, it’s gone “belly-up“. However, Grammer confused things by then saying “someone recently told me that they were there, so I guess it may still be happening.” It’s possible, therefore, that he was referring to the replica bar and tourist attraction, which permanently closed during the pandemic in 2020 (via CBS). Whether he meant the real or fictional bar, Grammer’s assertion that the Frasier reboot is a “new world” doesn’t give much hope to those who hope to see Dr. Crane descending the stairs to Cheers once more.
The Cheers Bar Being Closed Down In Frasier’s Reboot Would Be A Mistake
Originally, it was announced that the Frasier reboot would be set in a new city, so it’s possible that the Cheers bar doesn’t feature in the original scripts because of a last-minute change of locations to Boston. This would explain why the bar is mentioned, rather than featured as a location in the new show. If the Frasier reboot is received positively, then it would allow for Cheers characters to return further down the line. However, if the reboot establishes that Cheers bar has been closed down right from the off, it immediately closes off any crossover potential.
Having the famous Boston bar still operational in the reboot also makes up for its lack of original Frasier characters. David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves have stated they have no intention to return to the roles of Niles and Daphne, and John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane sadly passed away in 2017. With these links to the original series removed, also cutting ties with Cheers by closing down the bar for good seems like a reckless and potentially damaging move by the Frasier reboot.
How The Cheers Bar Shutting Could Work In The Frasier Reboot
In the original Frasier pilot, Dr. Crane returned to Seattle after his life in Boston had imploded after his career grew stagnant, and he was divorced from Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth). In returning to Boston, Frasier is – according to Grammer’s Today interview – seeking a second chance in the city. However, it’s been roughly 30 years since he first left Boston, and presumably, the city will have changed beyond all recognition. Closing the Cheers bar would be a bold move to signify that this is not the Boston that Frasier once knew, injecting some jeopardy and conflict into the reboot.
As the new series also features younger characters like Niles and Daphne’s son David (Anders Keith), it’s likely that many of the locations will be reflective of this. Bar culture has changed considerably in the past 30 years, so perhaps Cheers failed to keep up with the changing times. More happily, maybe Sam Malone (Ted Danson) has sold it on and is enjoying his retirement. If the bar truly is closed in the Frasier reboot, then it’s hoped that there’s a good story reason for the closure, which both serves a dramatic purpose and respects the Cheers legacy.