‘Frasier’ Would Have Been Set in Colorado If It Weren’t for 1 Outdated Law
In a few years, NBC’s classic sitcom Frasier will celebrate its 30th anniversary, one well worth celebrating on how the show was put together. No doubt many have already heard about how things were not a bed of roses in getting the show initially on the air. Casting problems occurred, not including Kelsey Grammer having addiction issues for the show’s first few seasons.
Then there was another critical element that had a last-minute change: The show’s setting. Everyone knows Frasier managed to make Seattle more famous than it already was. Had things gone differently, the show might have taken place in a different city/state. In today’s context, it could have brought comedy gold.
What would ‘Frasier’ have looked like being set in Denver, Colorado?
Back in 1993, Denver seemed like an isolated enough place to set Frasier since the producers wanted to set it as far away from Boston as possible. Moving a little farther west to Seattle was more ideal in hindsight.
However, the show likely would have stuck with Denver had it not been for a particular law passed there. When Frasier celebrated its 25th anniversary a few years ago, co-producer David Lee said when the show was going into production, Denver passed an anti-gay amendment, throwing everyone into a quandary.
According to the producers, the change was entirely their idea simply because they wanted the show set in a progressive city and state. And so it was Seattle became a new kind of Emerald City, long before medical shows like Grey’s Anatomy became set there.
It made Seattle more popular in the long run
As Lee noted in the Variety interview above, Seattle was still “up-and-coming” in ’93, even if it was always popular with tourists years before.
The Pacific Northwest was just beginning to become a more popular place to set shows, not including actually filming there. When the economy started to change, many productions moved to Vancouver B.C., something still in practice.
In the case of Seattle, having Frasier set there led to every other show wanting a setting there as well. It also created a myth one could find an affordable apartment in the city with a Space Needle view when few really exist in reality.
Looking into the alternate universe crystal ball, though, what would a Frasier look like set in Denver? If going by what has occurred there since 1993, they seem far more progressive than 27 years ago.
Would a reboot of ‘Frasier’ go to Denver?
With rumors still on tap Frasier will reboot at some point soon, would they go to Denver after all? Most talk has said the reboot would relocate to a different city from Seattle, albeit nothing set in stone. Because of COVID-19 delays, a reboot is likely on freeze indefinitely, anyway.
Imagining the show being set in Denver would be a major howl when going by what the Mile High City looks like today. In more recent years, of course, the city (and Colorado in general) became one of the first to legalize marijuana. Since then, Denver is now ribbed for having a culture mostly high on weed.
Seeing that within the context of Frasier would bring a lot of great comedy moments. Assuming Frasier Crane is against cannabis as a form of psychological help, unless he now uses it himself.
