Frasier (2023)

Such is the sharp delineation of the writing and acting that they [Eve (Jess Salgueiro) and Olivia (Toks Olagundoye)] feel familiar within an episode. Freddy’s fire crew are also great value. .... Does it work? On the strength of the first five episodes, very much so.

The show totally works. The comedic beats, witty repartee, and comedy of errors-pratfalls and misunderstandings are all still there.

The new show has its moments — there’s a lovely tribute to Martin and to Mahoney at the end of the premiere episode — but it lacks the consistency, rapier wit and heart of the original, and doesn’t offer enough originality to merit us booking further sessions with Dr. Frasier Crane.

There are some decent gags in the revival, but the hit rate is undeniably spottier, leading to plenty of moments when the (apparently real) crowd is losing their minds as you stare at your screen, stony-faced and numb (maybe that's just me). Still, Frasier stands out as one of this year's most pleasant surprises – albeit, partly because the potential for failure was so huge.

The show leans hard on the parallels between Martin’s disapproval of Frasier and Frasier’s disapproval of Freddy. That’s a markedly derivative framework: good for driving an episode or three, but it doesn’t feel capable of powering a series.

Forget trying to live up to Frasier 1.0; with its mild jokes, forgettable characters and uninspired storylines, Frasier 2.0 barely makes any impression at all.

This new “Frasier” is no old “Frasier.” It’s as bad and cringeworthy as you could possibly imagine.

Dude, what are those critics smoking? It's literally more of Kelsey Grammer playing Frasier, except now it's twenty years later, he got Bibi Blazer's dream famous, walked away, and realized he failed Freddy. Literally, the perfect place to pick up almost 20 years later; keep this in mind, David Hyde Pierce killed any chance of the revival they're complaining about; he decided for everyone else that if John Mahoney wasn't there, there was no point. This killed momentum on a lot of the original cast returning. Honestly, it's better for it; it's forced the writers to get more creative. Such a better show then some of these shills are making it out to be, it's the return of the King of Sitcoms, and their over there acting like it's dead on arrival because it's not Sex in the City; what a bunch of dumb takes.

Better than I was expecting but Rodney is in it. So that helps massively. I’m not sure Frasier needed a reboot. The ending in 2004 was perfect. And without Daphne, Niles, Roz and Martin (RIP John Mahoney) it’s just shouldn't have been made.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

It's hard to watch. Nicholas Lyndhurst is good. Kelsey Grammar is good, as always. The guy who plays Freddy is downright awful. He's probably not a terrible actor. He has some good credits to his name, but his American accent is atrocious. His face is somehow really annoying. The woman who plays Eve also ****. Although, again, maybe it's just the casting / writing. Niles son, David, is supposed to be funny but he just isn't. He doesn't even hold a burnt out candle to Niles. The woman who plays Olivia is okay. The scenes at Harvard work, mostly. If only the show focused on that more. Nobody wants to see Freddy. The other firefighters don't bother me. God knows why they keep casting British guys who can't do American accents. It's baffling. Just hire an American. Every time Freddy speaks, he sounds like he's acting. His voice isn't natural at all. The show has some things going for it, but there are large sections that just don't work. This is basically another season of Frasier with none of the original cast except for Kelsey Grammar... and that could work but they need to find likeable actors with genuine screen presence. I'm a big fan of the original show, but I'm struggling to get through the fifth episode. The characters aren't growing on me. They are becoming less likeable (somehow) as time goes on.

First off, I am a long time fan of Cheers and Frasier, Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce. I've probably seen every episode 20x over the last 40 years. To say this show is bad is an insult to bad shows. This show is unwatchable, plain and simple. I read Kelsey had been waiting years to reboot this show for "the right story/script" but this sure wasn't it. Kelsey's acting is the only watchable part, since he is so obviously enmeshed into the character after 30 years, but sadly, that's where the hope of an enjoyable show stops. This show answers the question nobody asked "what ever happened to Freddie". The actor playing Freddie is at best 3rd-string. The lines are stunted and halting, watching him feels like watching an uncomfortable child on stage for a kindergarten performance. The actress playing Eve suffers from the same apparent lack of comfort or experience. David (Niles and Daphne's son) has no comedy chops and was a poor choice for someone trying to do smart physical comedy (David Hyde Pierce was a master at this). In just the first episode there is only Kelsey Grammer that shines in his veteran role, no other actors appear to have ever been in front of a camera or spoken lines before. Which may not be so bad if it weren't for the hack job on the script. I felt like I was watching Saved By The Bell in terms of dialogue. To say the script is cheesy is an insult to cheese. To add insult to injury, the canned laugh track is unnecessary and unwanted. It is no longer 1972, why a laugh track is being used is a mystery to be solved. If this is a live audience, I'd have to imagine they are being held against their will. What should have been a smart, charming, funny, and SINCERE series about the end-of-life chapter of Dr. Frasier Crane instead is a throw-away series with no heart or soul (here's looking at you Martin, Niles, Daphne, and Roz). Acting, script, directing, production is forgettable at best. Instead of watching this series do something in honor of the memory of the 1990s Frasier and read a good book, look at some fine art, and drink a glass of sherry. There's nothing here that even resembles Frasier, look away.