The prominence of television reboots has brought back many beloved characters years after their original debuts. That’s a factor worth considering when restarting a show, since audiences change over time and may be unfamiliar with a certain series if it greatly predates them. Frasier Crane is an excellent example of this potential issue, first seen as part of the cast of Cheers in 1984 and in his heyday as headliner of his own show from 1993 to 2004. Nearly four decades after his first appearances, Frasier is back in a sitcom that feels in some ways like it’s stuck in the 1990s and in others like it’s exactly the type of rare laugh-track comedy still on the air today.

The revival picks up in the present day with Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) in Boston for a work trip on his way to Europe for the next phase of his career. A visit to his firefighter son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), shows him just how little he really knows him and makes him yearn for a better relationship. Rather than leave for Europe, Frasier takes a job teaching at Harvard at the urging of his old friend Alan (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and Harvard’s psychology department head Olivia (Toks Olagundoye). In addition to spending more time with his nephew David (Anders Keith), Frasier has the chance to try again with Freddy and become the father he’s already wanted to be.

As with any series return, it’s impossible not to compare it to the original. Almost more prominent than Grammer’s return to his career-making role is the absence of his two primary costars. John Mahoney, who played his policeman father, died in 2018, and the pilot appropriately pays tribute to his memory and works in his character’s funeral as a definitive event in Frasier and Freddy’s relationship. The other player not present is David Hyde Pierce, whose portrayal of Niles was just as vital to the original show as Grammer’s was. His lack of interest in participating is a demerit, and David instead stands in for his uncle as a perpetual oddball and thorn in Frasier’s side. It’s not the same, but works well enough.

Because it’s only Grammer who’s back – though certain other original cast members are set to appear throughout the season – this revival can’t be compared to something like Will and Grace, which essentially just picked up where it left off with a slightly modern adjustment. Instead, it’s more like the recently-cancelled How I Met Your Father, which wasn’t as fulfilling as its predecessor, How I Met Your Mother, but still contained some familiar elements that made it popular and enjoyable. Frasier’s use of a laugh track certainly feels antiquated, and though it’s more formulaic and less creative than the original was, there are still genuinely funny moments peppered throughout that make it worth watching.

This new iteration of a show that was crowned Best Comedy Series five years in a row at the Emmy Awards has been in development for quite some time, and it’s likely that many who watched Cheers and Frasier will be excited to see this opinionated psychiatrist back on the screen. Younger viewers who weren’t alive when those series first aired (this reviewer was born midway through Cheers) may not find Frasier quite so charming but should appreciate the familiar sitcom setup. Grammer still does a great job dialing up the pretension and leaning into the way some revere him while others find him deeply irritating. While, back in his day, Frasier was the cream of the crop, this new show hasn’t quite earned that distinction just yet, but it’s harmless nostalgia that should be perfectly enjoyable for any viewer regardless of their history with this main character.

Grade: B 

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New episodes of Frasier premiere weekly on Thursdays on Paramount+.