25 Facts You Didn’t Know About “Frasier”
On air for eleven seasons, “Frasier” followed the life of a radio advice show host, played by Kelsey Grammer, as he navigated his career and life with his estranged father and brother.
The show and the numerous awards its cast won over the eleven years the series was on the air contribute to the fact that a reboot is being highly considered. Below are some interesting facts that even some Frasier-fanatics might not know about the critically acclaimed sitcom.
Setting the Scene
First introduced as a temporary addition to the “Cheers” cast, Dr. Frasier Crane earned himself a spin-off series in 1993. Wanting to avoid “crossover syndrome” and having numerous cameo appearances to deal with, the network behind “Frasier”
decided to set the show in Seattle instead of keeping its roots in Boston.
A Noticeable Absence
Kristie Alley is the only member of the “Cheers” cast to not make a cameo appearance on “Frasier.” The reason for her absence was that her steadfast belief in Scientology contradicted Frasier’s psychiatric practice and therefore she “would be unable to appear on the program.”
According to the Sun Sentinel, the show’s co-creator David Lee stated that his response to her statement was “I don’t recall asking.”
Going in a Different Direction
The original pitch for “Fraiser” was completely different from the end result. Peter Casey, a writer for “Cheers,” came up with the idea for Grammer to play a Malcolm Forbes-esque character who owned a magazine empire.
The character, a motorcycle enthusiast, would have suffered a tragic accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down and cared for by a “street-smart nurse in a Manhattan penthouse” according to Mental Floss.
NBC was taken aback by the idea and President of Paramount TV John Pike regarded it as “one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard in my life” and considered the pitch “not funny.”
The Finer Things in Life
Furnishing the iconic “Frasier” apartment came with a hefty price-tag. The Coco Chanel replica sofa was covered in 24 yards of Italian suede roughly costing $15,000. The Pastoe sideboard was purchased for $3,200 while the Wassily chair cost $1,395.
Overall, the set designers spent $500,000 to complete the layout of the room.