Sometimes reboots and revivals turn up dry after audiences change their tastes. The second season of the new “Frasier,” produced by CBS, promises a lot of funny moments and laughs for viewers old and new alike, after the first season left fans divided. The first episode of the second season, “Ham,” is available to stream for free on YouTube.
“Frasier” follows the life of Dr. Frasier Crane, a renowned psychiatrist played by Kelsey Grammer (“Toy Story,” “The Simpsons,” “Barbie of Swan Lake” and “The Marvels”) reprising his original role from the original “Frasier” series, which ran from 1993 to 2004, and from “Cheers,” which introduced the character in 1984. Fraiser’s son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), works as a firefighter in Boston as the two try to rekindle their relationship.
This first episode of the second season centers upon a major plot point: Frasier’s good friend and coworker Alan (Nicholas Lyndhurst) was the one who advised Freddy to drop out of Harvard and pursue a blue-collar life — by wisdom of the British pastiche of a Magic Eight Ball. These events transpire on “ham day,” a holiday annually enjoyed by Frasier and Alan over an exotic Spanish jamón.
The antics are exactly in form with episodes of the original series and make use of the ensemble cast — Eve (Jess Salgueiro) and David (Anders Keith) attempt to unpack and present the ham shank. In true slapstick fashion, the jamón is put through hell — from landing in cake to shards of glass, all while the characters can’t stop eating the delicacy. Freddy, giving a tour of the firehouse to the local Boy Scouts troop, grapples with the hard honesty dished out by the kids, who disapprove of his dropping out of Harvard. The episode is enjoyable, especially for fans of the original season, and doesn’t feel forced like some moments of the revival’s first season.
Promotional images and social media posts from the team behind the second season also promise guest appearances from more classic characters and stars in new roles. Sports radio guy Bulldog Briscoe (Dan Butler), agent Bebe Glazer (Harriet Sansom Harris) and food critic Gil Chesterton (Edward Hibbert) reprise their roles, and Patricia Heaton cameos after starring alongside Grammer in “Back to You.” Hollywood names like Amy Sedaris (“Elf”), Rachel Bloom (“Most Likely to Murder”) and Yvette Nicole Brown (“Drake and Josh” and “Community”) also perform new characters. First season guest star and original cast member Peri Gilpin, who played Frasier’s radio producer Roz Doyle, is set to return in a recurring role. Roz’s daughter, Alice, will be played by Kelsey Grammer’s real-life daughter Greer Grammer.
Notably absent from the promoted list of guest stars is David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s brother Niles, and Jane Leeves, who portrayed original series character Daphne Moon.
The second season of the “Frasier” revival is sure to include moments that fans of the original series can enjoy, but also many moments new viewers can laugh at. Upcoming episodes include Frasier coaching Moose the Firefighter (Jimmy Dunn) on Shakespeare and fellow Harvard professor Olivia (Toks Olagundoye) on sports, Frasier returning to his radio personality roots in Seattle, Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) teaching Frasier’s class, and a spoof on “two men and a baby,” except well, you’ll have to watch to see what happens.
The revival series is produced by Shiny Brass Lamp Productions, Grammnet, and CBS Studios. You can watch “Frasier” every Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CBS (local WFSB channel 3 — Huskyvision channel 3) and on-demand with a Paramount Plus subscription.
Whether you’d like to re-watch the originals or enjoy them for the first time, you can also find “Cheers” weeknights at 11:00 p.m. on Catchy Comedy (local IHCT channel 35.5 — Huskyvision channel 2.2) and the classic “Frasier” weeknights at 8 p.m. on Cozi TV (local EVIT channel 30.2 – Huskyvision channel 4.2).
Rating: 4/5 “I’m Listening”s
I’m actually a fan of the new show, but there’s one element these new writers have forgotten – Frasier’s minimal sports knowledge is played for laughs, but, he obviously spent so much time at Cheers. You mean to say the Celtics and Bruins never came up at a bar in Boston?