Following John Mahoney’s passing at the age of 77, the Frasier remake will pay tribute to him with two touching scenes.
The iconic actor played Martin Crane in the series, which aired for 11 years beginning in 1993 and starred Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce.
The first episode of the new revival will be titled The Good Father, as an homage to the original pilot, which aired 30 years ago, and as a memorial to the late actor, who died in 2018.
Director James Burrows revealed details about the revival, including a mention to his departure at the conclusion of the premiere.
‘It’s a wonderful scene at the end of the show,’ he said in a new interview. ‘It’s about two-and-a-half, three minutes without any laughs. You’ve got to be brave to do that.’
In addition, as a particular memorial, the neighbourhood pub was renamed Mahoney’s, ensuring that his impact was felt across the episodes.
Burrows added that the showrunners paid special attention to Frasier’s connection with his son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), in order to ‘get into’ the closeness that Grammer and Mahoney enjoyed on screen.
‘There’s a lot of Martin in Freddy,’ he continued to Entertainment Weekly. ‘Joe [Cristalli] and Chris [Harris] specifically wanted Frasier to deal with his son… because the relationship with Kelsey and Mahoney was wonderful.
‘So they tried to tap into that, and I think they succeeded.’
Frasier will premiere on Paramount+ on October 12 as part of a double bill, followed by a week on CBS.
New cast members include Nicholas Lyndhurst, Toks Olagundoye, Anders Keith, and Jess Salgueiro, with Peri Gilpin and Bebe Neuwirth confirmed to return.
Grammer, who reprised his role as the eponymous character, already addressed how Mahoney’s departure would be dealt, stating that the show will be filled with gestures to his former co-star.
‘He’s going back to Boston because his son lives there,’ he told Entertainment Tonight. ‘There’s a nod to certainly my father in the show, John Mahoney, there.
‘You’ll see things about John all through the show. I think people will be very happy to see that he’s honored in the way he is in the show.
‘And it’s all about love. It’s all about looking for love, becoming a good father. Because… Frasier has always been looking to become a full man.’
Frasier will premiere on October 12 on Paramount+.
Source My Celebrity Life.
