David Hyde Pierce Didn't Mince Words About Frasier's Pilot

When "Frasier" debuted in 1993, there was no guarantee that the show was going to work. As popular as "Cheers" had been, moving Kelsey Grammer's Dr. Frasier Crane from Boston to Seattle and introducing an entirely new ensemble was risky. It certainly didn't help that David Hyde Pierce, who played the doctor's equally fastidious brother Niles, thought that the new sitcom was destined for failure.

Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2018, Pierce recalled reading through the pilot script and recoiling upon realizing that the writers had, in his estimation, failed to distinguish between the two Crane brothers. "When I got the script, I read it and thought, 'This is terrible — they've written two of the same character,'" Pierce exclaimed. "It wasn't until the table read when I saw how two peas in a pod were an asset and not a shortcoming."

When the pilot episode, "The Good Son," did eventually air, it quickly proved Pierce's initial reaction wrong. It turned out, taking one of the best characters on "Cheers" and reimagining him with a brother was a novel move. Even today, that first episode remains remarkable for seemingly having all the best parts of "Frasier" dialed in from the get-go.

"The Good Son" is one of those rare TV pilots that showcases a fully formed series. "Frasier" just had everything working from the outset. The emotional resonance that emerges from Frasier and his father, Martin (John Mahoney), clashing before ultimately reconciling is immediately effective, and the comedic interplay between the two and their live-in caregiver Daphne (Jane Leeves) is entirely natural. But most importantly, the chemistry between Frasier and Niles is instantaneous.

In fairness to Pierce, the Crane brothers are very similar, but when you see that dynamic play out on-screen, it's obvious how important it is for the series. Their witty banter comes from a shared upbringing and similarly snobby attitudes, but there are also some key differences between them. As such, Niles represents a version of Frasier against which the titular doctor can constantly compare himself, heightening the competitiveness between them and panning for more comedy gold.

While Pierce chose not to reprise his role, had Niles returned in Paramount+'s "Frasier" revival, perhaps it might have survived a bit longer. After all, the brotherly dynamic was key to propelling the original in the first place. Instead, the "Frasier" reboot was cancelled after two seasons in 2025.