Frasier Crane was, of course, part of the ensemble cast on “Cheers.” Having debuted in season 3, he was quickly made a recurring character and remained part of the cast right up until the show ended in 1992 after 11 seasons. In 1993, he would return as Dr. Crane in his spin-off show, which itself would go on for 11 seasons and become almost as beloved as the series from which the good doctor had spun.
But when producers were putting “Frasier” together, there were some concerns about whether the whole enterprise would work. After all, “Cheers” was always going to be a tough act to follow. Not only had the series run for 11 seasons, but its finale had drawn almost 100 million viewers and even a request from then-President Bill Clinton to appear (though he ultimately failed to show up). Beyond that, the producers were concerned that Frasier as a character wasn’t necessarily leading man material.
Speaking to Yahoo!, “Cheers” co-creator and director of multiple “Frasier” episodes, James Burrows explained the specific worry going into the spin-off:
“The only concern everybody had — you’re taking a buffoonish character on ‘Cheers’ and making him a leading man, and then hiring David Hyde Pierce to play the buffoonish character. So there was some concern whether Kels [Kelsey Grammer] could go into that.”
Much like how Pierce’s worries were soon allayed once filming started, however, it seems the producers were quickly convinced that Grammer was up to the task.