Frasier revival SLAMMED by longtime fans of Kelsey Grammer’s classic 1990s sitcom who brand it a ‘dreary encore’ and ‘as funny as watching your own colonoscopy’

• Frasier’s first two episodes were released simultaneously on Paramount+
• Grammer was praised for his role, but little else appealed to viewers and critics
• Many blasted its fake laugh track and Frasier’s adult son, as well as stale jokes 

Fans of the original Frasier series took to social media to lambaste the show’s new reboot on Thursday after it premiered on the Paramount+ streaming service.

Reactions to the continuation of the hit Kelsey Grammer–starring sitcom ranged from cautiously positive to scathingly negative, with many viewers focused on the glaring differences between the two shows.

Many diehard fans of the original version of Frasier didn’t mince words about their disappointment with the reboot — which had its trailer debut in September — with one viewer describing the reboot as ‘about as funny as watching your own colonoscopy.’

The Turkish film critic Ali Arikan stated that the revived Frasier amounted to ‘a dreary encore’ and added: ‘I’m not even angry, I’m just sad.’

However, others were more positive and suggested the reboot could eventually become enjoyable if it improved significantly from the first two episodes, which were released simultanteously.

Disappointment: Fans of the original Frasier series took to social media to lambaste the show’s new reboot on Thursday after it premiered on Paramount+

Ouch: Many diehard fans of the original version of Frasier, which had its trailer debut in September, did not mince words about their disappointment, with one viewer describing the reboot as ‘about as funny as watching your own colonoscopy’

Missed opportunity: Another viewer stated that the revived Frasier amounted to ‘a dreary encore’ and added that they were ‘not even angry, I’m just sad’

Some viewers noted that the reboot seemed to have been filmed different, apparently without a live studio audience, whose organic laughter might have pepped it up a bit.

‘The new frasier seems to not have been filmed before a live studio audience. … fake laughter is brutal,’ wrote one viewer.

Others had more fundamental complaints about the show, including about Frasier’s son Freddie, who is played as an adult by the English actor Jack Cutmore-Scott.

‘I hate Freddie on the new #Frasier. What a whiny little bish,’ joked one user.

Others complained that the adult version of Freddie bore little resemblance to the child version of the character established in the original series, and they thought there was little explanation for why he had changed so much 

Some Frasier fans didn’t qualify their criticisms, with one viewer calling the reboot ‘REALLY abysmal.’ They assumed the show wasn’t long for this world, and they wished that with the money spent on it ‘they could have wrapped up #iCarly properly’ 

One fan wrote that, despite its shortcomings, the new version of Frasier still had ‘that snooty charm’ that made the original show successful.

Another wrote that the program was ‘a bit bumpy in the beginning (as expected), but this show is actually going to work.’

 

Awkward: Some viewers noted that the reboot seemed to have been filmed different, apparently without a live studio audience, whose organic laughter might have pepped it up a bit

In bad company: The same viewer added a comparison to Netflix’s The Ranch to flesh out their complaint

Not buying it: Another account called the allegedly fake laugh track ‘inauthentic’

Maybe he has bad vibes: Others had more fundamental complaints about the show, including about Frasier’s son Freddie, who is played as an adult by the English actor Jack Cutmore-Scott

Poor resemblance: Others complained that the adult version of Freddie bore little resemblance to the child version of the character established in the original series, and they thought there was little explanation for why he had changed so much

Tell us what you really think: Others didn’t qualify their criticisms, with one viewer calling the reboot ‘REALLY abysmal.’ They assumed the show wasn’t long for this world, and they wished that with the money spent on it ‘they could have wrapped up #iCarly properly’

Beyond human: It wasn’t a good sign for the Frasier reboot that several social media commentators thought that AI must have played a part in writing its scripts

Lack of laughs: Another person assumed AI was to blame because the jokes weren’t ‘hitting’

One individual remarked that, although the first episode of the reboot had ‘some rough moments,’ it improved to the point that viewers would ‘forget how antiquated the style is.’

They followed up by watching the second episode of the show and proclaiming that it still had ‘that snooty charm.’

Many critics felt as if the original Frasier had made enough of an impact to have not warranted a reboot, including Jan Moir for DailyMail.com, who wrote that the show ‘should have been left to rest in peace.’ 

She added: ‘The show’s producers, which include Grammer himself, are asking a great deal from the audience; perhaps more than any audience might be willing to give.’ 

Other outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter, were much harsher in their view of the new version of the program.

The reboot was written off as ‘a franchise extension that primarily feels like just that — a franchise extension, rather than a worthwhile creative endeavor in its own right.’

However, several others remained restrained in their criticism of the project, and Aramide Tinubu wrote for Variety: ‘There is something so charming about dusting off and polishing up a past relic that makes it as refreshing as you remembered it.’ 

The New York Times’ James Poniewozik called the reboot a ‘mediocre, anticlimactic return,’ and he noted it was part of a trend of shows being revived that should have been left to rest, as the new version could never live up to the original.

For the Hollywood Reporter, Angie Han was kind enough to say the new Frasier ‘isn’t awful’ and was ‘good for an occasional chuckle,’ but she opined that it was also lacking anything ‘especially exciting or interesting.’

USA Today’s Kelly Lawler gave the show just one out of four stars and called it ‘as bad and cringeworthy as you could possibly imagine.’

Robert Lloyd gave the show a rare positive review for the Los Angeles Times. He called it ‘really quite good’ and said it was ‘freshly conceived and cast,’ it’s star excepted.

Working it out: One individual remarked that, although the first episode of the reboot had ‘some rough moments,’ it improved to the point that viewers would ‘forget how antiquated the style is’

Getting better: Another wrote that the program was ‘a bit bumpy in the beginning (as expected), but this show is actually going to work’

Getting better: One individual remarked that, although the first episode of the reboot had ‘some rough moments,’ it improved to the point that viewers would ‘forget how antiquated the style is’

Working on it: Development on the rebooted version of Frasier began in the mid-2010s, and it was officially greenlit in 2021

Lucy Mangan was also positive on Frasier for The Guardian, giving it four out of five stars. She praised Grammer for navigating comedy and drama adroitly, and she urged viewers that the series improved dramatically after the first two available episodes once some of the scene setting was taken care of.

Development on the rebooted version of Frasier began in the mid-2010s, and it was officially greenlit in 2021. 

Filming for the series commenced this past February and continued for several months before the project’s crew wrapped in May.

The new season of Frasier will run for ten episodes, and its finale will air on December 7.

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