Kelsey Grammer explains why David Hyde Pierce won’t be in ‘Frasier’ revival

CNN
—

Kelsey Grammer is bringing back Dr. Frasier Crane.

He’s reviving his hit series “Frasier,” which originally ran on NBC from 1993-2004.

he tell people magazine Rehearsals for the show, which has been in development for “about six or seven years,” will begin in February.

“It’s been a slow burn,” Grammer said. “We were like, this is not a bad idea. Maybe it’s a good idea!”

The plan, he said, is to bring the original cast back for the revival, which will air on Paramount+. John Mahoney, who played Frazier’s father, Martin Crane, died in 2018.

David Hyde Pierce chose not to return as Frazier’s brother, Grammer said.

“David basically decided he wasn’t interested in repeating Niles’ performance,” Grammer said.

That’s not a bad thing, he said.

“In a really interesting way, it took us to a new place, which is what we wanted to do in the first place, which is Frasier’s third act,” Grammer said. “It’s a whole new life for him.”

The new show will honor characters who weren’t there, he said.

“We definitely respond to the fact that there are brothers and stuff,” Grammer said. “But for Frasier, the new world is a new friendship—some new twists and turns that he didn’t know existed.”