Frasier

I was not expecting a duplicate of the first act but I had high hopes of seeing the continuation of the "loveably pompous" Frasier Crane. Unfortunately, it seems like most of what was at the Dr.'s core was removed in this reboot or was never really there in the last. Wearing sneakers, settling to live in an average apartment, patronizing a run-of-mill bar (Cheers was different). Are we to believe he went from national celebrity to teaching and no longer wants the finer things in life or that he no longer wants to help people through psychiatry ... to many things the doctor we know, would not suscribe to. Without the uptight, buttoned up, picky, elitist, notoriety status grabbing snob...what do you have? You have my next door neighbor's story of his rocky relationship with his kid...I don't need tv for that!

I'm my opinion, tv stardom should have been the present, not the past. Think of how many crazy sit-in guests he could have had and the potential for drama and characters behind the scenes of a tv show. Not to mention what great apartments with a fantastic view he could have had in Chicago. Additionally, keeping intact his pseudo-aristocratic nature would have made his relationship with his son more challenging and exciting.

This has so potential but the writers are just not that great on this. I hate to say it because I know they're just doing a job but everything seems Forced, the jokes aren't funny. It has so much great potential though I think they need to bring on some better writers to make this Next season pop.

The original Fraser, from the very first episode, was unbelievably amazing, introducing the cast was seamlessly done. Not a big fan of the neighbor with the baby. I don't really think she adds anything to the show. She's a great actress, but the show doesn't move well with that character.

I've had maybe one or two laugh out loud moments, but the rest of it was just ehhh.

Better writing and better character development in my opinion will fix the show.

Like most everyone, I loved the original "Frasier" and had hoped this new one would be a great follow up. Alas, however, in my opinion the casting was off. Kelsey Grammer as Frasier is still great, but the dynamic that existed between himself, his father and Miles his brother, could not be beat. I know others have come up with alternate storylines and I have one myself; that his father Martin had an affair, while temporarily separated from their mother and, unbeknownst to him, had a child who comes to find him in adulthood, but instead finds Frasier. The story would go on to reveal that the sibling is a male who also grew up to became a psychiatrist and is an awfully lot like Niles.

The actor who is portraying Freddy was miscast I believe. His acting seems wooden and unbelievable and there's nothing appealing about him. Plus the storyline about him being a firefighter is hard to believe because he sure is around a lot and unless he's always on his days off, it looks like he never works. There's just no chemistry between he and Frazier. I don't want anything good to happen for him, because he seems like a guy I would stay away from in real life.

The other characters have no charisma either. It's sad that no one from the old show couldn't come back to bring some of the old spark back. I really did want this one to work.

As good as it was, I think the original 'Frasier' declined in its final years, with the finale never really feeling quite 'final'.

With Kelsey Grammer's post 'Frasier' tv shows never lasting very long (though I still like 'Back to You' to this day) it seemed more of a case of when rather than if 'Frasier' would return one day.

This is the result.

To be fair, it's not bad at all, and I think in time will only grow into itself. Grammer is on good form and rejuvenated in the lead role, and in Nicholas Lyndhurst (sitcom royalty here in the UK from his time in 'Only Fools') has very strong support.

People have moaned that none of the original supporting cast are along for the ride, but I think this actually works to this reboot's advantage.

It feels like Frasier Crane's third act, that we began the journey with him on all the way back in 'Cheers'. The fact that he is now in the 'Martin' role, trying to connect with Freddy his son gives the show a nice bit of symmetry, and there are enough nods both in terms of references and plots to original series, so that it doesn't feel like 'Joey' where the character's prior journey was ignored.

Time will tell how long this third act lasts, but the promise/potential is there.

I'm an enormous fan of the original Frazier, it is one of the finest sit-coms ever, the writing and acting was second to none.

Admittedly only 2 episodes of this sequel have aired so far and I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for a few more but thus far I'm not impressed at all.

Things that need to improve, fast:

• Niles and Daphne's son isn't a character, he's a poor pastiche.

• the Dean of the school is a cliche and in this instance is neither used to deliver comedy or as a straight-man to bounce jokes off.

• the character played by Nicholas Lyndhurst has very few jokes and is again another lazy cliché.

• the premise of Frazier taking a job and buying a building feels forced and is a regurgitation of the original premise.

• the son character immediately jumped into "feelings" with zero comedy value.

• Frazier has lost his angst, his blundering despite best efforts, his effete snobbery has been removed. All the stuff that made him funny.

Cheers and Frazier had an edge to them, they were that sharp, slightly mean. This feels like an ABC early evening overly sanitised American 'comedy' that people may like but never really laugh at. So far this is very 2020s, there's nothing to laugh at.