Kelsey Grammer previewed the highly anticipated return of "Frasier" and how the series will tackle the loss of one of its beloved stars, John Mahoney.
"Frasier, in his third or fourth act, is not a reboot, but a new show centered around the character in a new set of circumstances and a new city," Grammer told Fox News Digital. "It is not a reboot."
The show, centering around radio psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane, will "certainly" be dealing with the loss of John Mahoney, who played beloved, grumpy patriarch Martin Crane on the original series.
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"His loss is and was devastating and must be given the proper attention in honor of the extraordinary man he was and the contribution he made to the show and to the acting profession," Grammer said. "We will most certainly be honoring him according to his merit. A man of merit he remains to this day."
"John was a kind man, and the world cannot afford to lose a kind man at any time," Grammer added of his late friend.
John Mahoney as Martin Crane, left, and Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Mahoney passed in 2018 at the age of 77. In one of his last in-depth interviews before his death, the actor spoke with Fox News about his time on "Frasier" and how he had beaten cancer twice.
"I had made some of my biggest movies when I was diagnosed," Mahoney said at the time. "I wasn’t going to let this cancer get me. I waited too long to do this. When I was told I had cancer, I said, ‘I don’t care. Let’s do whatever we need to do to beat it. It’s not going to get me.’ And the doctors have always said that my attitude had a great deal to do with my cure."
"I just absolutely refused to be beaten by it. It sounds like I’m daring fate. But it’s the truth. It made me work 10 times harder, 10 times more. I turned nothing down and instead tried to do almost everything I was offered to make up for the years that I hadn’t been doing it when I should have. I think that had quite a bit to do with my recovery. I did recover."
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"Frasier" originally aired from 1993 until 2004, racking up 37 Emmy Awards, five of which were for Outstanding Comedy Series. The new show is set to air on Paramount Plus, and Grammer said he could offer "little" in the way of details but expressed his joy in getting to revive his old character.
"Playing Frasier for 20 years was a presumptive joy," Grammer said. "I can say little else except I anticipate equal joy in charting his next chapter."
John Mahoney, right, passed away in 2018 at age 77. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Grammer has stayed busy on other projects, having recently hosted a new Fox Nation series, "Kelsey Grammer’s Historic Battles for America," a chronological eight-part series giving viewers an inside look at some of the country's most monumental battles spanning the American Revolution, Texas Revolution, Civil War and American Indian Wars.
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He also recently starred in the indie dramedy "Charming the Hearts of Men," playing the congressional ally of a woman who returns from the big city to her Southern home after the sudden death of her father to discover limited options and discrimination.
"Frasier" co-stars Kelsey Grammer, left, and David Hyde Pierce hold their Emmy Awards at the 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. (Kim Kulish/AFP via Getty Images)
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Fox News' Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
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