Kelsey Grammer as Doctor Frasier Crane (front), Shelley Long as Diane Chambers (back),

Kelsey Grammer Wants to See Shelley Long Reprise Her Role in ‘Frasier’ Reboot

Kelsey Grammer is hopeful that his iconic character, Frasier Crane, will finally resolve his feelings for Diane Chambers, if Shelley Long is willing to reprise the role.

by Andrea Francese

Published on February 3, 2024

2 min read

The Frasier reboot was years in the making, and now its first season is in the books. While select cast members have returned to the series, not everyone decided to come back. David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s brother, Niles, opted not to reprise his role. Jane Leeves, who took on the role of Daphne Moon, has not appeared either, and John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane, died before the reboot was even a consideration. Kelsey Grammer, the actor behind the iconic role of Dr. Frasier Crane, recently revealed who he’d like to see come back for the reboot. The character wasn’t a huge part of Frasier, but she played a massive role in Cheers, the show that introduced Dr. Crane to the world. Grammer revealed he’d like to see Shelley Long reprise her role as Diane Chambers if Paramount+ greenlights a second season of the Frasier reboot.

Kelsey Grammer would like to see one actor return for the ‘Frasier’ reboot

While Grammer seems happy with how the reboot is going, there is one character he’d like to see return. While the bar he frequented in Boston decades ago has been shuttered, he’d still like to see Shelley Long return as Diane Chambers. Grammer discussed the possibility of Long’s return during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. During his chat with Clarkson, Grammer said he’d love to see his character finally put a positive punctuation point on to the end of his relationship with Diane Chambers, the woman he met when he was worked at a mental health facility in Boston, and the very reason he began frequenting Cheers.

The return of Long as Diane Chambers would be interesting, especially to fans who have followed Dr. Frasier Crane’s entire journey. After all, the character was first introduced on Cheers as Diane’s love interest. Diane left Frasier at the altar. While he went on to marry Dr. Lilith Sternin, his relationship with Diane remained a sore point. Long reprised the role a few times in Frasier, but there was never a satisfying resolution to Frasier’s feelings.

Shelley Long is still acting, so a reprisal doesn’t seem out of the question

While Long has a long and illustrious acting career, she’s opted to take on fewer projects in recent years. Still, she’s acting. Some may remember her from her role in Modern Family, where she appeared in eight episodes. Her most recent acting credit came in 2021 when Long appeared in the Throughline Film’s movie, The Cleaner. Long has yet to respond publicly to Grammer’s request.

Shelley Long as Diane Chambers, Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane | NBCU Photo Bank

The Frasier reboot was in the works for several years. Its main storylines had to change after David Hyde Pierce opted not to return. Still, Paramount+ put a fair bit of effort into the series. Whether that effort will continue for a second season remains unclear. The streaming service provider has not announced whether the series will return for a second season. Grammer seems confident that he’ll be back and hopeful that Long will join him.