There’s a ‘Frasier’ Revival in the Works. Will it Mention Seattle’s Thriving Beer Scene?

Frasier was always the epitome of elite Seattle culture, but that culture has changed a lot over the past 17 years. 

Can you hear the calling for tossed salads and scrambled eggs? Frasier is back!

Rather, it will be back. Paramount Plus (CBS All Access’ rebrand set to officially launch March 4), announced on February 24 that a revival of the beloved sitcom has been ordered. And, yes, Kelsey Grammer is set to reprise his role as the eponymous Dr. Frasier Crane. 

“Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot… I’d like to congratulate Paramount+ on its entry into the streaming world,” Grammer said in a statement (he will also serve as executive producer of the series). “I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr. Frasier Crane.”

So far, Grammer’s is the only name from the Emmy-winning series currently attached to the revival. But as Frasier fans know, one of the biggest things that made the show so appealing was the radio psychiatrist’s close family members and friends. Co-starring with Grammar was John Mahoney as Frasier’s father, Martin Crane (Mahoney passed away in 2018) David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane, Frasier’s even more snooty yet also endearingly lovelorn brother, Jane Leeves as Martin’s in-home physical therapist and Niles’ love interest, and Peri Gilpin as Frasier’s radio show producer and close family friend.

Frasier fans also know that the titular character and his brother frequently enjoyed Seattle culture, namely the opera, museums, and other “elite” art fields. They also enjoyed local coffee and glasses of sherry in more episodes than not. For the record, only one episode was ever actually filmed in Seattle. But many of the sights and culture points mentioned throughout the series were very real. Nevertheless, Seattle is a very different place now than it was during the show’s run from 1993 to 2004. 

Will the reboot mention the huge grip Amazon has on the city or the spike of hilariously tiny, “luxury” apartments? Will it address the amount of protests over the past year? Will the serious homeless issue even get a nod?

On a much happier yet also important note, will Frasier and Niles switch from sherry to craft beer?

During Frasier‘s initial era, the modern craft beer movement was still in its fledgling stages. Some would argue that it didn’t exist yet at all. It made complete sense that the Crane boys would turn up their noses at beer, which of course then was mostly macro brands enjoyed by more blue collar folks (like their father).

Now, however, all of that has changed dramatically. Seattle’s craft beer scene is a strong and vibrant one. The Ballard neighborhood is covered in breweries, and every evening sees groups of locals taproom-hopping (before COVID, this also included groups of tourists). Cloudburst Brewing is easily walkable from Pike Place Market, while Georgetown Brewing spurred the rise of multiple others in the southern regions of the city. Not a single neighborhood across the Emerald City appears to be devoid of at least one small taproom hangout or microbrewery. Seattle holds strong among the nation’s beer cities with almost 200 breweries in existence, and at one point was even in the lead. 

While craft beer does include people of most social classes in Seattle, it’s worth noting that its primary demographics are upper class and upper middle class (if for no other reason than craft beer tends to be more expensive than macro beer brands, and Seattle is home to a lot of wealth). With the increasingly varied styles and competitive edge among the city’s breweries, a modern Frasier and Niles would be quite at home comparing saisons or discussing the latest barrel-aged limited releases. 

In fact, those conversations would feel much more in place in a modern Frasier than any involving fortified wine. The characters can still meet up at their favorite coffee shop though, providing social distancing is no longer a thing by the time the show airs – if there’s one thing from old Seattle that rivals today’s breweries, it’s the coffee roasters. 

This is all assuming the new show is even set in Seattle. There’s always the possibility it won’t be – in a 2019 interview, Grammer suggested the show would probably be set elsewhere and might be focused more on Frasier and his son, who was only a recurring character on Frasier. 

Considering how much the location formed a part of the original show’s identity though, a complete change in setting feels like a bad decision, much like Joey Tribbiani’s move to L.A. following Friends (Joey was cancelled after two seasons). That said, the craft beer movement is thriving in cities all over the country now, and so Frasier’s beverage and culture tastes could certainly be updated elsewhere. 

Of course, this is also assuming the revival will fully get off the ground and succeed. As seen with CBS’ cancelled Murphy Brown revival a few years ago, these things are often doomed to die quick deaths. 

Then again, Frasier remains one of the rare shows that proves spinoffs can be huge hits when done right. If there’s any team that can pull off a revival, we’re probably looking at it.

Just don’t go ordering those Frasier pint glasses just yet.