The long-rumored Frasier revival might actually be made.
TV Line is reporting that the revival has landed at Paramount+, the new name given to CBS All Access when it completes its reboot in the coming weeks.
The good news is that Kelsey Grammer would be returning as Dr. Frasier Crane should the stars align and the project gets a formal pickup.
The outlet stressed, however, that CBS TV Studios did not comment on the project, likely meaning that it is in very preliminary negotiations.
For this reason alone, the revival might not come to pass on Paramount+. There are a lot of considerations when bringing a beloved IP back from, well, the dead.
Contracts have to be signed, and the streamer will want to make sure the project will fit with its brand and, of course, budget.
Revivals that bring back the original cast are typically more expensive than your usual TV shows.
Add in the fact that there has to be a story there. The original Frasier spanned 11 seasons and scooped up 37 Emmys during its run, something that is unheard of in this day and age.
Still, fans will be quick to point out a cash grab when they see one, so it might all come down to the quality of the script and how it could extend the franchise.
Grammer, for his part, has not been tight-lipped about revisiting the series, and opened up about it while promoting the one-and-done Proven Innocent back in 2018.
Grammer explained back then that the show is “in the early stages. I have a wonderful life. I played Frasier for 20 years. It might happen again; it might not.”
“We just have to make sure it’s going to be a great show. If it’s not a great show and we don’t hear a pitch that really hits it out of the park, it probably won’t happen,” he continued at the time.
More often than not, reboots or revivals fail to capture the magic of the previous shows, with some fans wishing the follow-up did not exist.
In the case of Roseanne, it returned with monster ratings that helped propel other shows on ABC’s schedule.
Like Fraser, it was huge during its original run, but the revival being on streaming could complicate matters.
The streaming wars are heating up, and while CBS All Access has been around for several years, it has not broken through in the way Netflix and Disney+ have.
ViacomCBS is betting big on the reboot of CBS All Access because it will bring together various huge franchises, including reality TV staples, drama series staples, and movies.
As well as a global expansion, there are a string of other big projects in the works for the streamer, including an iCarly revival with all of the show’s cast set to return.
In the case of Frasier, TV Line notes that the hope is to also bring back David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin back.
What are your thoughts on the news?
Hit the comments.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.