Well, the sequel to Frasier is coming out in a couple of weeks and I for one am rather excited for it. I will be having to find *ahem* alternative ways to watch it as we don’t have Paramount+ here in the Philippines and I did give up cable ever switching to full-digital service for my television fix. I guess I’m really curious about the show because I actually grew up watching the original Frasier when we did have cable. It’s actually kind of weird that I first saw Frasier, the spin-off, way before Cheers, the show where Frasier Crane first appeared. It did get me thinking that, since the only really returning character is Frasier, the titular character, would this be the first time a spin-off actually got another spin-off or a reboot? Greater minds can figure that out.

Anyway, while I may be eagerly awaiting the first episode to drop in a couple of weeks, I will have to acknowledge this sequel/spin-off/reboot has not been met with open arms by a lot of people. Some fans of the original show cannot fathom a new Frasier without Niles, Daphne, Martin and Eddie the Dog. Some have made the argument that this is simply a cash grab and a way to cash in on nostalgia for one of the most beloved shows of the ’90s. I’ve also seen comments saying they don’t see the point as you can’t really improve on what was been hailed as one of the greatest sitcoms ever, so why even try.

I actually get the apprehension. I especially get the very last issue fans have for this reboot. Although Frasier Crane first appeared in Cheers, the spin-off became a thing of its own. Heck, I’m betting some people even forgot Frasier was a spin-off from Cheers! The show was so good you totally forgot the main character was already in a show previously! So, yeah, I do understand why some people don’t really get why Paramount is trying to fix something that isn’t broken. But that’s the thing for me. I don’t think they’re trying to. They’re just trying to produce something that, hopefully, is an actually good show.

Of course, I do know, in the end, Paramount is making this Frasier sequel/spin-off/reboot in the hopes of making a profit from it. They’re hoping you’ll all subscribe to Paramount+ to see the first few episodes and get hooked so you’ll keep you’re subscription or they’re hoping a lot of advertisers will want to plug their product when its released on syndicated television. It’s a business, after all. However, what I don’t get is how many people are outright dismissing the very idea of a new Frasier because of that fact. I mean, wasn’t that the reason why they also put good money on the writing and the acting of the original Frasier? Isn’t that why Kelsey Grammar, who plays the titular character, opted to get his own show as well?

There is precedent for this trepidation, though. There have been a lot of attempts by Hollywood to cash-in on a nostalgic property over the years and not all of them have been good. They’ve made remakes for films like Total Recall and Robocop and they’ve generally been stinkers. They also tried to make very belated sequels to blockbusters such as Men in Black, Indiana Jones and Independence Day and they haven’t even gotten close to recapturing what made the original films so special.

However, that would mean also discounting all of the other reboots, spin-offs and sequels that have managed to overcome this so-called curse. There are examples like the Downton Abbey movie, Better Call Saul, The Conners, Will & Grace and even the most recent Night Court. Now, I do have to give special mention to Night Court as it does seem to be in the same boat as the upcoming Frasier reboot/spin-off/sequel.

Like the upcoming Frasier show, this new Night Court is essentially a sequel/spin-off/reboot of the original Night Court, which ran for a remarkable eleven seasons. It only has one recurring character, former public prosecutor Dan Fielding, who has ties with a new cast member, this being the new Night Court Judge, Abby Stone, who is the daughter of the original judge from the show. The similarities are there and it would’ve been so easy to write this show off as it’s doesn’t have the original cast and none of the new characters are facsimiles of the original characters. They’re all different and have very different personalities.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter as Night Court was actually a hit for the network. Was it a huge hit like the original Night Court? No, not really. However, it didn’t need to. Was it as funny as the original show? In my opinion, no. But I will say there were some laughs to be found in this new update to the classic sitcom. The characters weren’t exactly like the original but they didn’t have to be. They had to be their own character or else what would be the point?

This is how I think the upcoming Frasier reboot/sequel/spin-off is going to be. It has Kelsey Grammar returning as Frasier Crane and then he gets into new situations with new characters. I don’t expect to fall in love with the characters immediately. Heck, even in the first few seasons of Frasier, the people working on the show were tinkering with the characters to make them likable. Remember the first couple of seasons of Frasier, Daphne Moon was supposed to be a psychic? Well, that quirk was utilized less and less as the show went on. Then again, even the character said it comes and goes. By the last few seasons, it was practically gone. So, if we could give leeway to the original Frasier’s characters, I hope we can do the same with the new Frasier characters.

Now, I’m not saying the new Frasier show is going to be the next best thing on television or it’ll outshine the original sitcom. I honestly don’t think that’s going to happen. What I am hoping for, however, is its simply a good show. It probably won’t be as funny nor as memorable as the original Frasier and I expect there to be some groan-worthy moments here and there. I do expect Kelsey Grammar to give a wonderful performance as Frasier Crane but I have yet to see if they rest of the cast could match his line delivery and timing. But, at the same time, I’m not going to immediately hate this new cast of characters just because they aren’t the old characters.

All I’m saying is I’m going to give it a chance before I either start loving or hating the show. I don’t expect it to be great. All I’m hoping for that it’s good. And that’ll be just okay.

What are your expectations for the new Frasier show? Let me know in the comments section below!