Frasier Faced One Big Concern About Kelsey Grammer At The Start Of The Series
When he first read the pilot script for "Frasier," David Hyde Pierce thought it was terrible. The actor, who is best known for his portrayal of Niles Crane on the now legendary sitcom, was evidently confused as to why the writers had, as he told Vanity Fair, "written two of the same character." Pierce was referring to Niles and his brother, the eponymous doctor, both of whom were fussy, pompous, egotistical, and endlessly lovable.
But once filming got underway, it became clear almost immediately that Niles and Frasier formed one of the best comedy duos in sitcom history. In fact, "Frasier" remains remarkable for how it seemingly had everything dialed in from the very first episode, without requiring the usual "settling-in" period so many other series have to go through.
In retrospect, then, it seems odd that Pierce was so worried about a show that is now known as a classic of the sitcom genre. But he was far from the only one with concerns. While star Kelsey Grammer was busy worrying about whether or not to cast the great Jane Leeves as Daphne, it seems the producers were concerned about the whole concept of the show itself
Taking Frasier from buffoon to leading man
Frasier Crane was, of course, part of the ensemble cast on "Cheers." Having debuted in season 3, he was quickly made a recurring character and remained part of the cast right up until the show ended in 1992 after 11 seasons. In 1993, he would return as Dr. Crane in his spin-off show, which itself would go on for 11 seasons and become almost as beloved as the series from which the good doctor had spun.
But when producers were putting "Frasier" together, there were some concerns about whether the whole enterprise would work. After all, "Cheers" was always going to be a tough act to follow. Not only had the series run for 11 seasons, but its finale had drawn almost 100 million viewers and even a request from then-President Bill Clinton to appear (though he ultimately failed to show up). Beyond that, the producers were concerned that Frasier as a character wasn't necessarily leading man material.
Speaking to Yahoo!, "Cheers" co-creator and director of multiple "Frasier" episodes, James Burrows explained the specific worry going into the spin-off:
"The only concern everybody had — you're taking a buffoonish character on 'Cheers' and making him a leading man, and then hiring David Hyde Pierce to play the buffoonish character. So there was some concern whether Kels [Kelsey Grammer] could go into that."
Much like how Pierce's worries were soon allayed once filming started, however, it seems the producers were quickly convinced that Grammer was up to the task.
The Good Son
The very first episode of "Frasier," entitled "The Good Son," — which features a Linda Hamilton voice cameo — is remarkable for conveying this sense of a show that had already been running for quite some time. All the characters arrived fully formed, and the classic mix of humor and heart was perfectly dialed in. What's more, Kelsey Grammer had arguably never been better as the titular psychiatrist, despite having appeared on eight whole seasons of "Cheers." With his spin-off, Grammer was able to play a much more well-rounded version of the character and did so with striking ease.
In his Yahoo interview, James Burrows noted how well Grammer settled into the show, explaining how the actor's performance put everyone's fears to rest:
"After the first show, you knew [...] he could play that center. He had the emotional [through line]. Frasier in 'Cheers' didn't really have that much of an emotional line all the time. In ['Frasier'], he has an emotional line. And he's the windows into the show ... Kels was a skilled enough actor to make that happen."
Yahoo notes that there were also off-screen issues that threatened to derail "Frasier" before it could get off the ground. Namely, Grammar had filed for an annulment with his third wife, Leigh-Anne Csuhany after claiming she had, according to Yahoo, "violently attacked him throughout their marriage." None of which, it turned out, could undermine Grammer's sitcom when it debuted, however. Not only did the very first episode prove the actor was up to the task of leading his own show, but it also netted David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee an Emmy for writing, James Burrows a Directors Guild of America Award, and Emmy for directing, and Grammer an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.