Frasier has left the building – and he should stay out
WHEN I’m bored, or sad, or a combination of the two, I turn to old beloved TV series. I giggle at Parks and Recreation, I recite The Thick of It, curse words and all, I wish I was somebody in The OC. They provide a comfort and a brainoff switch that new, exciting television, which requires all your attention, doesn’t.
But there comes a point when you want something fresh, a twist you never saw coming, a new voice, something to discuss at the water-cooler (or over your company’s messaging system).
So I’m baffled as to why Hollywood thinks we need the same TV shows repackaged on a loop from now until the end of time.
This week, ViacomCBS launched the contents of its streamer Paramount+ at its investor presentation, and among them were 19 new scripted dramas and comedies. Fifteen are reboots or spin-offs of existing TV shows or movies.
We’re getting a series based on Flashdance, a prequel to Grease ,aCGI Rugrats and a live-action Dora the Explorer. The jewel in the ‘but why, though?’ crown is a reboot of Frasier, the classic comedy which itself was born as a spin-off to Cheers in 1993.
“Frasier’s back – and he’s more exactly the same than ever,” the blurb announced, leaving me wondering why the hell it’s being considered, then.
Frasier is brilliant, it’s hilarious, and it’s extremely of its time. It is not a show that could have been made any time other than the 1990s. The 90s seeps out of every pore, from the humour to the furnishings.
When you want to watch Frasier, you want to watch Frasier in the 1990s. You don’t want to watch Frasier in 2021, dealing with TikTok or face masks. The magic existed in that perfect bubble.
Kelsey Grammer returning to play Dr Frasier Crane comforts many – it can’t be that bad if the original cast is coming back, right? Wrong. Some of the worst reboots in recent history have been from the OGs.
I remember excitedly counting down the days until Arrested Development season four landed on Netflix, excited for a new edition of one of my favourite shows. The result was so terrible most fans have scrubbed it from our memories, ending the saga neatly with season three.
I can count on one hand the number of good reboots or remakes over the past few years – Twin Peaks: The Return, the US remakes of Shameless and The Office; The Den was the highlight of my week.
Each announcement of a new rehashing of an old tale is at first greeted with hysteria as we savour the thought of our faves’ return because we miss them so much.
CBS Studios president David Stapf enthused of the Frasier return: “There has long been a call from fans for its return, and that call is now answered.” It’s the same line touted for Sex and the City – let’s bring it back for the fans.
Herein lies the issue. Fans shouldn’t be deciding what makes it onto television. Yes, sometimes it works out when we’re listened to, like getting Community the chance to finish its six season stint after multiple cancellations. But for the most part… we’re idiots.
We are not TV execs. We can’t write witty dialogue or jaw-dropping twists or create promo strategies. Our talent is sitting on the couch and coming up with theories that by no means should be written into a TV show just because we think those two dudes look hot together. Our nostalgia shouldn’t be the driving power behind Hollywood.
Because when nostalgia is prioritised over innovation, TV loses its magic. This constant mining of the past – seen as a safe bet in our world of streaming and bingeing – is at the expense of investing in new talent and ideas. There’s no need to take a risk on an I May Destroy You ora Fleabag ora Breaking Bad.
It’s the same in cinema – the biggest films of the last few years have been sequels and remakes, with more money thrown at them.
There’s something to be said for the familiar, but way more to be said for the innovative, and if we’re not careful we will lose out on future classics to another 90s classic tarted up with a new hairdo and an up-to-date iPhone.
You don’t want to watch Frasier in 2021, dealing with TikTok or face masks