The Frasier Revival Finally Explains How The Good Doctor Went From Local Personality To National Star

Frasier Crane is back on our screens in a "Frasier" revival that's neither disappointing nor remarkable. The new show is in the unfortunate position of having to revive one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time without any of the supporting cast that made it such a hit during its original 1993-2004 run. The only cast member returning from the original sitcom is Kelsey Grammer himself — which, if you ask the "Frasier" star, isn't a bad thing as he is, after all, the key to the success of the show.

Sadly, that hasn't necessarily played out thus far, as the revival show manages to keep much of the humor and heart that defined the original but still somehow fails to capture its magic. After a heartwarming tribute to Martin Crane actor John Mahoney in the inaugural episode, "Frasier" 2023 sort of limps on while demonstrating flashes of the brilliance that we all recognize from the original sitcom. There are still plenty of episodes to go, though, so things could pick up. But in the meantime, one positive of having Frasier Crane back on our screens is that we've learned what the good doctor has been up to since we bid him adieu some 20 years ago.

In the "Frasier" series finale, the titular psychiatrist left his native Seattle for Chicago, making a last-minute decision to abandon plans of hosting a TV show in San Francisco to chase his then-girlfriend Charlotte Connor (Laura Linney) to the Windy City. Now, as the new showrunners Joe Cristali and Chris Harris put it to The Hollywood Reporter, we get to see the "third act" in Frasier's life. And in episode three of the new series, we're given a lot more insight into the lost Frasier years, especially in regards to how he became a national celebrity.

In Seattle, Frasier fronted his talk radio show on KACL, where he would provide advice to the residents of Emerald City. Numerous episodes made much of his notoriety in the city itself, with various residents recognizing Frasier in public. But he was far from a national celebrity. By the time he shows up in Boston, however, he's clearly hit the big time. 

Prior to the show's debut, Kelsey Grammer promised that Frasier would be "rich beyond his dreams," which was a slightly cryptic way to tease the new series. All becomes clear in the first episode, though. Not only is Frasier recognized by various Bostonians, he's able to buy the entire building in which his son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) lives so he can live across the hall. But it's not until episode three that we're given the full rundown of how the doctor became so filthy rich.

In the episode, we learn that the doctor hosted "Dr. Crane," a TV show that started as a fairly straightforward advice show in which Frasier would welcome a guest and try to help them with whatever personal issues they were experiencing. It was basically a TV version of his radio show. But Frasier shows his friend Alan (British comedy legend Nicholas Lyndhurst) how the series evolved into a bombastic sensationalist circus and went national as a result, causing Frasier to become a massive (and massively rich) star.

His celebrity status is made clear from the scene in episode three when Frasier tries to teach his first class as a Harvard professor but his students are more interested in Googling him to find out his height and net worth. Upon seeing the answer to the latter, Frasier's nephew, David (Anders Keith) exclaims that his uncle is "like a Rockefeller."

Frasier's main character flaw was always his ego and vanity. It was also the thing that made for the most hilarious moments throughout the original series, as the lovably pompous doctor would project a version of himself as a sophisticated, classy member of high society when in fact he was just as vain and insecure as anyone else. What kept him a likable character, however, was that Kelsey Grammer exuded an endearing quality in the role. But secondly, Frasier was always brought back down to earth by either his sense of ethics and morality or by his friends and family — that all-important supporting cast.

The revival show tries to retain that element of the original, and wisely writes Frasier as self-conscious of his newfound fame. Episode three explores how weary he is from being so well-known and loved, and showcases his frustration with not being taken seriously during his Harvard lectures. In many ways, having Frasier become the huge celebrity he likely always wanted provides a treasure trove of comedic potential. The original show had him giving in to offers to sell products on his radio show because he would get free stuff in exchange. But this new version takes that to a whole new level, giving Frasier all the attention and money he ever wanted. But I can't help but wonder where that all-important sense of ethics was during that time. It's also a little jarring to see that our beloved doctor sold out over the course of 13 seasons of "Dr. Crane," even if it does allow him the means to buy his son's apartment building and set up the whole revival series.