The Original ‘Frasier’ Reboot Idea Hinged on David Hyde Pierce’s Buy-in
The Frasier reboot officially premiered on Paramount+ in October. The reboot was years in the making. While its premise is certainly interesting and aims to recapture the original magic of the series, it’s different from what the creators initially envisioned. When the Frasier reboot was first being discussed, the show was supposed to focus on Dr. Frasier Crane and Dr. Niles Crane. When David Hyde Pierce, the actor who played Niles, opted out of reprising his role, the team had to go in a new direction. So, what was the original premise?
The original ‘Frasier’ reboot would have focused on Frasier and Niles
The Frasier reboot that fans are watching is not the reboot that the show’s creators originally intended. Long before the reboot made it to production, there was a storyline floated around that heavily relied on David Hyde Pierce.
Joe Cristalli, the reboot’s showrunner, spoke with Vulture ahead of the premiere and explained what the team had planned for Niles Crane. According to Cristalli, the initial plan was for Frasier and Niles to buy a black-box theatre that was going out of business, hoping to bring it back to its former glory, much like they attempted to do with a Seattle eatery on Frasier. Cristalli hoped to rely on the brother’s love-hate relationship to sell the series. When Hyde Pierce stepped out, they had to go in a different direction. The show still relies heavily on a relationship dynamic seen in the original series, though.
Instead, the ‘Frasier’ reboot pulled in elements of the original but reimagined
The team behind the Frasier reboot didn’t get the chance to re-explore the dynamic between the often-arguing brothers. Still, they did have another family dynamic to fall back on. Instead of dealing with a sibling relationship, the series delves into the strained father-son relationship between Frasier and Frederick Crane.
The elements of their relationship are unique. Still, it is reminiscent of Frasier’s relationship with his father, Martin Crane, when the original series began. You can’t help but notice the similarities between Martin, who was a police officer before being shot and forced to retire, and Frederick, a firefighter. You also can’t help but notice how the differences between the father and son mimic those of Martin and Frasier’s issues.
Why did David Hyde Pierce decide to forgo the reboot?
Hyde Pierce has worked steadily in the years since Frasier. Most recently, he took on the role of Paul Child in Julia. He moved on, and he’s said as much over the years. In 2022, Hyde Peirce sat down with Deadline to discuss his work on Julia. Naturally, the topic of the Frasier reboot and its storyline came up. At that point, Hyde Peirce was neither for nor against the idea of returning to his character. He told the publication that if a script was interesting enough, he’d consider it. Despite mild interest, he didn’t seem emotionally attached to Dr. Niles Crane anymore.
While Hyde Pierce was open to the idea, it seems the Frasier reboot’s proposed storyline just didn’t excite him. Joe Cristalli wants fans to know that Hyde Pierce is no villain, though. He insisted the seasoned actor was “lovely” about the entire thing.
