Paramount Plus: Fraiser sequel picked up to series

[Vee]

It's all worked out!

[Khan]

But seriously, I thought that (Petey's transformation from nerd to hottie) was one of the few things AMC 2.0 did reasonably well - which is to say, at least they covered all the bases - and I think that's almost exactly how the new series should have handled Freddy's transformation as well.

[DramatistDreamer]

Honestly, the opening premise could have been something as simple as Frasier being in Boston to visit Freddy, or on business or some combination and suffering a serious medical crisis like needing back surgery and Freddy reluctantly taking his dad in so that he could recuperate. In the original series, Frasier was known to have back problems. He could have suffered a series of debilitating spasms while he’s in Boston. They could have opened the series with a post operative Frasier having an uncomfortable conversation with an evasive Freddy, neither one wanting to acknowledge the reality of Frasier being stuck in Boston for now. It would have been similar to Martin, after needing hip surgery, but of course, Frasier’s injury would have been doing something Frasier-like such as an out of control squash game or a super aggressive antiques auction, rather than a bullet in the hip like his father. Alan could have been the orthopedic surgeon who Frasier won’t stop pestering about his seemingly slow progress. Eve could have been the physical therapist who Freddy finds to help Frasier with his recovery process. Olivia, who could be any number of characters, could the executive of a satellite radio station (like Sirius) and wants to court Frasier to reprise his psychotherapy talk show, like the one he did in Seattle, not Chicago. Frasier not only sees that as a step backwards but post-op, he is literally on his back most of the day, but Olivia is undeterred and insists that when he makes enough progress, her opportunity may look a lot more enticing. 
It doesn’t so much bother me so much that Freddy didn’t choose a patrician career or lifestyle. I personally know a few Ivy and elite school graduates who became midwives, carpenters and artisanal bakers. And usually, those are the ones who come from financially comfortable and upper income families who don’t necessarily feel obligated to enter a high income and upscale career field.

Completely off the train of discussion, where is Gil Chesterton? That actor was hilarious on the original Frasier series.

Edited December 14, 2023 by DramatistDreamer

[Khan]

I like your ideas, @DramatistDreamer!  Those definitely could have worked!

[DramatistDreamer]

Why thank you @Khan! I stopped and thought about what you expressed in your post and it became clear to me that the less complicated the premise, the more flexibility for actual storytelling. Thinking about it even further, I think the reboot relies too heavily on backstory with unfamiliar characters. The original series, Frasier really only had backstory with family, his dad and brother, the rest of the characters, Daphne and Roz are fresh, clean slates. The reboot should have maintained those distinctions- Freddy and David should be the only characters with which Frasier has any longstanding personal history, everyone else should be brand new characters to Frasier as well as to viewers. And you were right about the questionable aspect of Frasier and Alan supposedly being good friends. It would’ve been more passable had we discovered post-op that Frasier done research and discovered that Alan and he share an Alma mater before the surgery, which initially gave him confidence that the surgery would be a success but Frasier now has doubts because of the slow progress in his recovery. But yeah, the whole buddy angle doesn’t quite strike the right note imo.

Oh well, I have a 3 month promo for Patamount+, so there’s always original recipe Frasier.

[Khan]

Exactly.  There was a time when new sitcoms were so bogged down by their premises - most likely as a reaction to the success of shows like "24" and "Lost" - that they left writers no room to deepen their characters.  The first season of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" is pretty rough, but at least you can see them figuring out slowly how each member of the ensemble relates to Mary - Lou as the father figure, Rhoda as the best girl friend, Murray as the colleague and best guy friend, Phyllis and Ted as the antagonists (who aren't evil so much as they are irritating).

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this new series doesn't need David.  It's like they wanted Niles to be there, but since David Hyde Pierce said no, they brought on Niles' son instead.  But the truth is, the new series doesn't need ANY surrogate for Niles, or any surrogate for other past characters, for that matter.  It really needed to be its' own animal, with the Frasier-Freddy relationship as the bridge between the two, and everything else either feeding into that dynamic or presenting an obstacle to it.

I also think they needed to wait until the second season - provided, of course, that there IS a second season - before bringing in anyone from the old shows - and that includes Lilith.  The new series really needed the entire first season just to figure out what kind of series it wanted to be.

Edited December 15, 2023 by Khan

[DramatistDreamer]

I agree with this. Interestingly enough, I was just reading about the term “cameo porn” and many television shows seem to suffer from this, but that’s a different subject. I do like the actor who portrays David but like Niles and Daphne, he and Freddy could mention him in conversation on occasion, but any appearances, I think would be better for a second season. Right now, as much as I like the actor, he doesn’t have much to do besides being cute and goofy.

[Khan]

I like Anders Keith, too.  Instead of casting him as grown-up David, however, the new guys could've casted him as Frasier's new TA at Harvard: still cute, still goofy, still riddled with neuroses.  (By the way, did I hear correctly that, in one episode of the reboot, Frasier gives David a "B" on his term paper?  I'm sorry, but I find it incredible how Frasier's nephew also would be one of his students.  That doesn't sound something you could get away with at a real university.)

[DramatistDreamer]

Another reason why I wish Frasier would have been forced into a situation where he would have had to go back to giving psychotherapy on the radio. Similar to when Martin’s injury forced him and Frasier into a life they didn’t expect, having to move in with Freddy post-op and work in a job similar to one he left would not be the life Frasier or Freddy ever planned for. If the series wanted bring David in a subsequent season as a transfer, there would be no silly conflict of interest, although David could be neurotic about whether his dad or uncle might have pulled strings to get him in, or whether it was his excellent grades that actually made the difference in him being accepted.

[Khan]

If anyone could have turned out to be different from what anyone would have expected, it could have been David.  For instance, he could have made his first appearance during the second season as a biker, the antithesis of his father, but maybe more in line with Daphne's side of the family.  And the whole episode could have been about Frasier and Freddy attempting to mend the rift between Niles and David, but finding themselves at odds, too, over the best way to do it.

[dragonflies]

 

[BetterForgotten]

Here's hoping for some better showrunners then...

[Khan]

Yes!

And I don't understand why Kelsey thinks Frasier and Diane need closure at this point.  They had achieved that, I thought, when Diane came to Seattle to premiere that play of hers that was a thinly disguised version of Cheers.

[DaytimeFan]

Absolutely - new showrunners and writers are a necessity. 

Yes, it's very good. The Diane episode of Frasier is a standout and wound up their story very well. I fear all we'd see now is a wizened Kelsey and an aged Shelley.

If they have any sense, they'll be running to Peri Gilpin with a contract.