S01.E01: The Good Father

[Sarah 103]

10 hours ago, StarBrand said:

Regarding Daphne and Niles' son-I think it would have been funnier for him to be someone like Mad Dog, with Frasier attempting to figure out how the hell *that* happened...

I had a totally different idea for what David would be like (which is not who the character turned out to be). I wanted him to be like Hester (Martin's wife/Niles and Frasier's mother), who is a character we heard about but never saw. I wanted someone that couldn't go the opera, ballet, or symphony with Frasier on Friday because he's watching Manchester United at the pub with his friends, but is available on Saturday. I wanted to see someone who could appreciate both worlds and be equally comfortable/at home in each.

There's a part of me that loves your idea, because it would have been closer to the original series, in that you have the younger generation that gets along with each other and has similar tastes, but those tastes are the complete opposite of the older generation.

Frasier wouldn't need to wonder how that happened. Niles sort of predicted it. I copied this from IMDb, because I couldn't remember the quote. It's from part 1 of the original Frasier series finale. Niles is worried that his child with Daphne will take after Daphne's brothers.

Quote

 

Frasier: Now Niles, just remember, those hearty Crane genes are in there, too.

Niles: Oh, please. Those Moon genes have probably beaten our genes up and stolen their lunch money!

 

 

[baldryanr]

8 hours ago, Blakeston said:

2) Frasier gets offered a job as a full-time Harvard professor on the spot? Sure, that's how highly coveted professorship positions are given out.

You're not the only one who wondered about this. Of course the answer is there's no way this would happen in the real world.

8 hours ago, Blakeston said:

3) Frasier's biggest goal in life was to be a good father? Then why did he accept a job 3,000 miles away when Freddie was a small child?

This is something they could have done a deep dive on (and still might, for all we know).  He dumped the majority of the parenting responsibilities on Lilith and got to be the cool (or is that "cool"?) dad who drops in on the weekend, takes the kid out for a fun day, and then flies away.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, baldryanr said:

He dumped the majority of the parenting responsibilities on Lilith and got to be the cool (or is that "cool"?) dad who drops in on the weekend, takes the kid out for a fun day, and then flies away.

I wonder how co-parenting with Lilith would've gone if he hadn't moved.  She's a ball-buster!  Thing is, Frasier kind of rescued his dad by taking him in.  Martin was a very bitter and lonely man after being shot.  Although Frasier wasn't there for Freddy, at least he helped his dad, which then led to Freddy and his grandpa having a good relationship.  

I've always loved the episode where Freddy came to visit Frasier at Christmastime and all he wanted was some robot action figure.  Frasier didn't listen and bought him all kinds of science type of toys.  Frasier was upset that he didn't get him what he wanted.  Then Martin handed him a gift and told him to open it (it was Christmas Eve).  It was the robot Freddy wanted.  It was a really nice moment between Frasier & his dad because now Frasier got to be the hero for getting Freddy what he wanted. 

[Mabinogia]

Wow, that was... not good. The laugh track was extremely distracting, mostly because it seemed nearly constant and there were very few moments that were funny enough to elicit that kind of laughter. 

The acting felt more like stage acting, where everyone was kind of shouting their lines to reach the cheap seats so, while I think there are some decent characters in there, as played, I didn't find any of them realistic. 

I feel like, plot wise, they were trying to shove a square peg into a round hole with a sledgehammer. 

On the plus side, like I said, the characters seem decent (the actors just need to take it down a few notches), I did find the scene at the end with just Frasier and Freddie (and no distracting laugh track) very touching, and I don't have Paramount + so I won't be watching any more of it. Oh, and Frasier's apt is nice, though I'm sure he'll ruin it with his horrible decorating style. (I hated the way his Seattle apt was decorated).

OG Frasier never felt to me like a standard sitcom, it was one of those perfect blends of smart writing and a stellar cast that only come around very rarely. This version feels like every generic sitcom and I feel like the "jokes" could have been written by an AI chat bot. I don't think it would have an audience if it weren't for the Frasier brand name attached. 

I do hope that the actors settle into their characters and it improves but I'm sticking with OG Frasier, which I can still watch eps I've seen 5 times and laugh out loud. 

[benteen]

Standard sitcom, yes. That is a good description of the reboot. Original Frasier was GREAT. It should not be brought back if it's going to be a run of the mill sitcom.

The dialogue was high-brow and witty. There was very little of that on display here, if any.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, benteen said:

Standard sitcom, yes. That is a good description of the reboot. Original Frasier was GREAT. It should not be brought back if it's going to be a run of the mill sitcom.

The dialogue was high-brow and witty. There was very little of that on display here, if any.

Yep. I liked some things in this but mostly I feel like those behind it don’t understand what worked about Frasier. Frasier worked as a character because he was surrounded by people who challenged him on every level. Presenting him as an uber-famous guy who is beloved by students and courted by Harvard, shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the character.

The only time it felt true to the original was the, “I’m no stranger to an underperforming dinner party” line. 

[Mabinogia]

6 minutes ago, Dani said:

Frasier worked as a character because he was surrounded by people who challenged him on every level. Presenting him as an uber-famous guy who is beloved by students and courted by Harvard shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the character.

That is a good point. On both Cheers and Frasier the character of Frasier was the odd one out. That's what made him funny. Even though he had fans of his radio show who would fawn on him, they were one offs, not main characters. The main characters, other than Niles, saw him as weird and that made it funny. 

Now it seems Freddie is the odd man out in that everyone else seems to adore Frasier. But the show is still called Frasier, not Freddie, so it feels off. 

IMO they should have had Frasier come to Boston to connect with his son fail, and then, desperate for a legit reason to stay, and obsessed with his beloved alma mater, he gets his Tenured friend to get him an interview with Harvard Boss Lady, tries to woo her with all his smarts, his own education, his superiority etc. and in the end it's his "fame" that gets him the job. 

Have him not buy the building but instead just move in next door and constantly find reasons to go to Freddie's or constantly call Freddie over to his. Hell, he could just keep burning dinner, forcing fireman Freddie to do his duty and come over to help put out the oven fires. Or they could have Roommate with baby (sorry, didn't get most of their names) need the place for herself, maybe a family member has to come live with her for a while so Freddie has to find somewhere else to stay and Frasier is conveniently right next door with a spare room. 

IDK the whole buying the building and forcing Freddie to move in was far too contrived for me to just handwave. Maybe if the writing/acting was better, but as it is, the rest of the show doesn't allow for such a big overlook. 

[Chit Chat]

8 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

IDK the whole buying the building and forcing Freddie to move in was far too contrived for me to just handwave.

I think they could've come up with something better than having him move in with Frasier, but that's okay!  I'm willing to give the show a try.  Hopefully it'll find its footing and we'll get some good laughs out of it.  It's a lot better than some of the crap that's on TV these days!!  

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I had a totally different idea for what David would be like (which is not who the character turned out to be). I wanted him to be like Hester (Martin's wife/Niles and Frasier's mother), who is a character we heard about but never saw. I wanted someone that couldn't go the opera, ballet, or symphony with Frasier on Friday because he's watching Manchester United at the pub with his friends, but is available on Saturday. I wanted to see someone who could appreciate both worlds and be equally comfortable/at home in each.

I really wish they had gone this route. They could have had him bond with Freddy over things Frasier doesn’t understand and echo the Martin/Frasier/Niles dynamic in a way that would have been interesting. 

[benteen]

Freddy on Frasier definitely was more of a "regular guy" kid than Frasier was. He liked sports for one but he was also "geeky" in that he liked stuff like comic books and had a goth phase. But I never saw him becoming a guy like Martin by having a job as a firefighter. He liked sports as pointed out but he was small and Frasier stated "Between the Crane genes and Lilath's contribution I don't think the NFL will be calling anytime soon." The kid who played Freddy was one of those kid actors who didn't grow up to be very tall. I suspect because they pursued this storyline for Frederick that played a role in his recasting. That and mainly because they were looking for a young up-and-coming actor.

Speaking of height, has Kelsey Grammer shrunk or did they hire taller actors to be around him then they did during Frasier?

Edited October 15, 2023 by benteen

[Irlandesa]

On 10/15/2023 at 8:23 AM, Chit Chat said:

Thing is, Frasier kind of rescued his dad by taking him in.  Martin was a very bitter and lonely man after being shot.  Although Frasier wasn't there for Freddy, at least he helped his dad, which then led to Freddy and his grandpa having a good relationship.  

Sure.  But the next move he made was to Chicago after Charlotte.  So he's willing to make a new life where he basically knows no one and it's not where his kid lived.

As for parenting, Frasier and Lilith agreed more than they disagreed. Their issue was that Lilith cheated and Frasier never let it go. Otherwise, they were very compatible. 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Irlandesa

[Athena]

I've read that the show does get better as it progresses through S1. Some Frasier fans were in the taping for a couple of eps and they said that the show finds a better groove later on. Hope so because I found a lot of weakness in the dialogue and some of the characters. I expected this would a standard generic sitcom and it felt that way. I have low expectations. I do admire Kelsey Grammar for trying to keep this going and still playing Frasier 40 years later.

On 10/15/2023 at 11:40 AM, Mabinogia said:

The acting felt more like stage acting, where everyone was kind of shouting their lines to reach the cheap seats so, while I think there are some decent characters in there, as played, I didn't find any of them realistic. 

The original Frasier had a lot of good stage and theatre work as both DHP and John Mahoney both had strong theatre backgrounds. The staging of the original was often like in a play with the kitchen asides and comedy bits. They tried to replicate it here but the chemistry and writing is not there for them to ham it up. At least not yet. 

As for Frasier's wealth, both he and Lilith were established as well off and rich in the Cheers run. Unlike most divorces, Lilith probably did not make him pay anything other than contributing to Freddie's education and childcare. By the time he got to Seattle, Frasier was already very well off. I can see how more lucrative TV work would just add onto his net worth.

 

[Annber03]

11 hours ago, Athena said:

As for Frasier's wealth, both he and Lilith were established as well off and rich in the Cheers run. Unlike most divorces, Lilith probably did not make him pay anything other than contributing to Freddie's education and childcare. By the time he got to Seattle, Frasier was already very well off. I can see how more lucrative TV work would just add onto his net worth.

I also factor Bebe into the equation - she hustled HARD to get Frasier a lucrative contract each time. No way would she have settled for him getting anything less than a six figure salary, and even that might be a little low for her. 

[TheOtherOne]

On 10/15/2023 at 11:40 AM, Mabinogia said:

The acting felt more like stage acting, where everyone was kind of shouting their lines to reach the cheap seats so, while I think there are some decent characters in there, as played, I didn't find any of them realistic.

12 hours ago, Athena said:

The original Frasier had a lot of good stage and theatre work as both DHP and John Mahoney both had strong theatre backgrounds. The staging of the original was often like in a play with the kitchen asides and comedy bits. They tried to replicate it here but the chemistry and writing is not there for them to ham it up. At least not yet. 

 

I think one of the problems is that they tried to do a Frasier-style farce right off the bat...but even the original show didn't really start doing them until Season 2. The original pilot is still one of the best pilots I've ever seen, and rightfully won Emmys for writing and directing. I rewatch it often, and it's pretty much entirely character-driven: a series of long one-on-one (and in a couple instances threeway) conversations. The characters are all quickly defined within their first introductions and then we get to spend time with them and see how they interact with each other. In this one we have one character we know (who sounds slightly off) and five we're barely introduced to before they're thrust into a quasi-farce with people running in and out of a room. So neither the characters nor the chemistry had been developed yet, and the actors were left to overcompensate.

[Js Nana]

On 10/12/2023 at 8:24 PM, Egg McMuffin said:

But I never bought Martin Crane as the father of Frasier and Niles either

Just saw a re-run of Cheers in which Frasier identifies his father as a researcher, not a cop - there's also a Cheers episode in which I remember Frasier's mother is portrayed as cold and rejecting - I'm guessing that making "Freddie" a firefighter who had dropped out of Harvard because of the snobbery of some of the students is a way of recreating some of the class tension between Frasier and Martin in the original series, and I'm awfully afraid that this recreation may not work out.

[voiceover]

On 10/15/2023 at 6:23 AM, Chit Chat said:

and all he wanted was some robot action figure.

The “Outlaw Laser RoboGeek”!

I loved that ep! esp the moment Frasier opened the gift from Martin.

Eh, I have faith.  Some good people are in charge.

[SoMuchTV]

On 10/12/2023 at 10:50 PM, TheOtherOne said:

It was a clip from the original finale. I get that they wanted a nice shot/moment from him, but surely there could have been one with him in his chair that would have been nice?

After watching this, I went back and watched the finale of the original series and with that in mind, the Martin tribute makes sense. It was from the very end, after the recliner had been shipped off and Frasier had moved back the chair he originally wanted there. Martin was sitting in it and said something like, oh, this would have fine. And Frasier was worrying about his relationship with Freddy and Martin said the line they showed in the clip - something like everything will work out or things will be fine. 

[Irlandesa]

On 10/17/2023 at 9:13 PM, TheOtherOne said:

 

I think one of the problems is that they tried to do a Frasier-style farce right off the bat...but even the original show didn't really start doing them until Season 2.

Yeah.  I saw a reviewer mention a half-hearted attempt at farce in the premiere and it's a perfect way to describe it. They set it up but didn't really mine it for everything they could.

And part of the issue is the reason to keep the misunderstanding going forward didn't make sense. 

[seacliffsal]

I caught the first two episodes on CBS-so I was surprised that they ran them (I don't have streaming services except for Amazon Prime which I actually buy for the free shipping...).  While there were numerous weaknesses, I enjoyed this and cried at the end scene and the tribute to John Mahoney.

I didn't like the airport opening scene-nothing about that really worked for me.  Frasier lived in Boston (Cheers) and visited numerous times (Freddy) so he did not need to be greeted or helped at the airport.  The David character was way too shouty and doesn't have the physical grace that Niles had (his slapstick was like a finely choreographed ballet).  

As the episode went on, it became a bit smoother.  Like others, I have no idea why they went with the 'secret' relationship with Eve and her baby.  I like both of the Harvard colleagues.

I think this would be stronger if Frasier hired a live-in housekeeper cook so that his character could spar with that character.  He's too desperate with Freddy, so is not really sparring with him.  No tension with his Oxford friend/office mate nor with the department head.  He needs a work colleague/friend with whom he could spar.

They tried to recreate characters but missed the essential elements/interactions between them.

Apologies for the long post.  And, after criticising so much of the episode I just want to state how happy I am they rebooted Frasier as it's still better than most of the current shows out there (and more successful than other reboots).

[Guest]

I was scrolling through instagram and came across a clip of the opening posted by the official account with what seems to be the studio audience laughter before it was enhanced. It’s a lot better in my opinion.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyeVzxkJ1AT/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[Egg McMuffin]

On 10/15/2023 at 1:42 AM, Sarah 103 said:

I had a totally different idea for what David would be like (which is not who the character turned out to be). I wanted him to be like Hester (Martin's wife/Niles and Frasier's mother), who is a character we heard about but never saw.

 

We did see Hester a few times. She was on “Cheers,” played by the late, great Nancy Marchand. Hester hated that Frasier was dating a “pseudo-intellectual barmaid” and threatened to kill Diane. It was actually a pretty funny episode.

Later on, Rita Wilson played Hester on “Frasier” in a flashback or fantasy sequence, and she was doing an impression of Marchand’s portrayal.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Egg McMuffin

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, Dani said:

I was scrolling through instagram and came across a clip of the opening posted by the official account with what seems to be the studio audience laughter before it was enhanced. It’s a lot better in my opinion.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyeVzxkJ1AT/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Thanks for sharing this.👆
Anders Keith (nephew Freddy) missed the pause beat for his opening line.
Why would the director not redo it?
I think that may have happened with more of his lines, but I'm not going to rewatch.
Kelsey Grammer is so good at the pauses; hopefully his "nephew" will learn by seeing and hearing it done.
Anders Keith does demonstrate a grasp of comedic physicality. 
About the actor:
"Who is David Crane on 'Frasier'? Everything We Know About Anders Keith": 

Quote

…David Crane is the nephew of Frasier Crane…
…portrayed by Anders Keith, a relative newcomer to the acting world. Keith recently graduated from Juilliard in 2022, and this will be his first major on-screen role.…

https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a45572023/who-is-david-crane-on-frasier-anders-keith/

But see also: coloradoboulevard.net/interview-anders-keith-pasadena-playhouse
— A better background for life and for becoming an actor than being a Mouseketeer, right?

[Sarah 103]

5 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

We did see Hester a few times. She was on “Cheers,” played by the late, great Nancy Marchand. Hester hated that Frasier was dating a “pseudo-intellectual barmaid” and threatened to kill Diane. It was actually a pretty funny episode.

Later on, Rita Wilson played Hester on “Frasier” in a flashback or fantasy sequence, and she was doing an impression of Marchand’s portrayal.

I meant we never really got to see her as a regular character on the show and know what she was like to be with on a day to day basis. 

[paigow]

On 10/19/2023 at 6:20 PM, seacliffsal said:

I think this would be stronger if Frasier hired a live-in housekeeper cook so that his character could spar with that character.

Like this other rich snob...

[andromeda331]

On 10/21/2023 at 9:46 AM, Sarah 103 said:

I meant we never really got to see her as a regular character on the show and know what she was like to be with on a day to day basis. 

I really wish we had Frasier and Niles always said they took after their mother but she married Martin who is so different. What was she really like and what were they like together? 

[Sarah 103]

13 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I really wish we had Frasier and Niles always said they took after their mother but she married Martin who is so different. What was she really like and what were they like together? 

I agree. My take on it, and this really just pure fan-theory, is that her interests were more like Niles and Frasier. She liked the symphony, the opera, "the finer things"/upscale snobby things. However, she was also more than willing to do things that Martin enjoyed, and may have even come to genuinely enjoy them herself. It may not have been her thing at the start of the marriage, but she was willing to give it an honest try and wasn't going to look down on it and make fun of it just because it wasn't her thing. 

[Skooma]

On 10/14/2023 at 1:25 PM, benteen said:

I'm surprised they actually having Frasier working at Harvard instead of "Fictious Ivy League U" like so many shows would do.

But wasn't Frasier teaching at Harvard when he was first introduced on "Cheers" back in the day.  Diane was a student of his?

On 10/15/2023 at 11:40 AM, Mabinogia said:

I don't have Paramount + so I won't be watching any more of it.

Me too.  As a real blue collar type unlike "Freddy," I can't afford streaming services on top of my cable bill nor have the upscale equipment to allow me to "cut the cord."  (My TV is a "dumb" 12 year old model).

And I figure if the series turned out to be really good they would put it on CBS and not just throw it up on a streaming service anyway.

I agree with so many posts above.  Kelsey Grammar knows how to be Frasier.  But I didn't like any of the other cast members.  The young guy who plays David has some potential growing into the role maybe but the others were way too forced and unbelievable to me.  Thought the English guy would be interesting and even he wasn't.

The worst was Freddy.  I do NOT believe the child of BOTH Frasier and Lilith would end up as a firefighter.  Kid couldn't even catch a baseball without getting a black eye back in the day.  If they were going for generational conflict flip the script and have Frasier actually "grow" into a more rounded person and Freddy be the new snob.  Take him out to some basement bar in Boston and show him the other side of life.  Grown "Freddy" 100% does not work for me.  Totally unbelievable.

Also I agree about the dippy plot of hiding the identity of the woman and baby.  Why???  Really bad intro.  And laugh track (live "enhanced") was bad too.

I agree with the poster above.  Frasier needs to be challenged.  And add in one of the major fun parts of original "Frasier" was how much he and Nile's snobby plans go awry.

I think they are trying too hard to copy the original characters and it isn't working.  New Frasier = Original Frasier (no change or growth).  Freddy = Martin.  David = both Niles and Young Freddy.  English guy = Plan B Niles.  Woman with baby = Daphne.  Harvard boss lady = Roz.  (Also The Baby = Me not liking babies on sitcoms).

[Athena]

19 minutes ago, Skooma said:

But wasn't Frasier teaching at Harvard when he was first introduced on "Cheers" back in the day.  Diane was a student of his?

Diane was a patient at the mental institution where Frasier worked. 

 

2 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I agree. My take on it, and this really just pure fan-theory, is that her interests were more like Niles and Frasier. She liked the symphony, the opera, "the finer things"/upscale snobby things. However, she was also more than willing to do things that Martin enjoyed, and may have even come to genuinely enjoy them herself. It may not have been her thing at the start of the marriage, but she was willing to give it an honest try and wasn't going to look down on it and make fun of it just because it wasn't her thing. 

There's a great line from the original show where Martin chastised his sons for being snobs and said something like "I know you take after your mother but she could go to a ball game and have a hot dog," All three of them adored Hester that it was against the kind of image we saw of her in Cheers and in the memory episode where it was heavily implied Diane and Lilith hated her because she didn't see anyone woman worthy of her sons.

[Camera One]

4 hours ago, Athena said:

There's a great line from the original show where Martin chastised his sons for being snobs and said something like "I know you take after your mother but she could go to a ball game and have a hot dog,"

If this show falls through, I guess the next step is a prequel.  Cast two cute kids as Frasier and Niles and watch the hijinx ensue as their blue collar dad deals with two kid snobs.

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, Camera One said:

If this show falls through, I guess the next step is a prequel.  Cast two cute kids as Frasier and Niles and watch the hijinx ensue as their blue collar dad deals with two kid snobs.

That could be phenomenal if it could be done as well as "Young Sheldon" has been for "Big Bang Theory".

[Sarah 103]

19 hours ago, Camera One said:

If this show falls through, I guess the next step is a prequel.  Cast two cute kids as Frasier and Niles and watch the hijinx ensue as their blue collar dad deals with two kid snobs.

I would watch that show! We've heard enough of their childhood that there is enough to draw from. It would be wonderful to see Hester and Martin as a happily married couple and to watch them raise them their boys.  

[Browncoat]

I was disappointed that John was a baby and not Freddy's boyfriend.

I don't have Paramount+, so I only have the first two episodes that were on regular TV, and I don't think I'm going to watch the second one.  I am barely getting through the first one.

[seacliffsal]

I just rewatched this episode and liked it better.

Unfortunately, due to my refusing to pay for streaming services I will only have the first two episodes of the show to remember Frasier by-this could be a show I would watch if it was on regular t.v. but not with it being on Paramount+.

[Ottis]

On 10/12/2023 at 2:31 PM, tessaray said:

The character of David is a major fail imo.

Completely agree. The actor is miscast. They needed someone smaller and more Niles-like, to carry off some of the prissy silliness. Instead David is just annoying.

I liked the Bristish buddy. And it was good to see the actress from The Neighbors again (Jackie Joyner Kearse!). The rest was all OK. not great but some promise. I'll keep watching to catch up.

On 10/14/2023 at 11:23 PM, benteen said:

Yeah, there was nothing wrong with Freddy's apartment. I felt this was the writers having Frasier be a snob for the sake of being a snob.

THAT part was indeed weird. Not only a snob, but apparently immensely rich, somehow. Yes, he had a show, but buying a whole building in Boston, apparently very quickly?

On 10/14/2023 at 11:19 PM, shapeshifter said:

However, perhaps coincidentally, the pilot episode of her 2012-2014 sci-fi comedy, The Neighbors, was one of the worst pilots I've ever sat through, but from the second episode onward, I thought it was great.

It really was underrated.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, Ottis said:

And it was good to see the actress from The Neighbors again (Jackie Joyner Kearse!).

So happy to meet a fellow fan here 👋
of both The Neighbors and Toks Olagundoye. 

[lark37]

On 10/25/2023 at 2:35 PM, Skooma said:

But wasn't Frasier teaching at Harvard when he was first introduced on "Cheers" back in the day.  Diane was a student of his?

Me too.  As a real blue collar type unlike "Freddy," I can't afford streaming services on top of my cable bill nor have the upscale equipment to allow me to "cut the cord."  (My TV is a "dumb" 12 year old model).

And I figure if the series turned out to be really good they would put it on CBS and not just throw it up on a streaming service anyway.

I agree with so many posts above.  Kelsey Grammar knows how to be Frasier. 

My tv is 15 years old and no fancy equipment is needed to stream needed just a $20 Roku stick and wifi.  I can't believe people still have cable. It's so expensive! Cut that cord. PM me if you want to know more about the above. We haven't had cable for 15 years years and have saved alot of money and Paramount + and Netflix are free with our cell phone package. Your cell service may have freebies too. 

While i agree that Freddy being a firefighter isn't consistent with original Freddy, they never bothered with consistency between Cheers and the original Frasier show and that seemed to work out just fine as it was so successful it garnered this reboot!

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, lark37 said:

My tv is 15 years old and no fancy equipment is needed to stream needed just a $20 Roku stick and wifi.  I can't believe people still have cable. It's so expensive! Cut that cord. PM me if you want to know more about the above. We haven't had cable for 15 years years and have saved alot of money and Paramount + and Netflix are free with our cell phone package. Your cell service may have freebies too. 

While i agree that Freddy being a firefighter isn't consistent with original Freddy, they never bothered with consistency between Cheers and the original Frasier show and that seemed to work out just fine as it was so successful it garnered this reboot!

I still have cable but in my case my cable company has seen the wisdom in giving me several streaming services for free included in my package, including this one.  Some of them were automatically a part of my package but others were added when I threatened to leave.  I know a lot of cable companies don't do that but Comcast obviously knows how to keep customers.  Also, when I did the math, with all we get bundled into our agreement with them (which includes wifi among other things) we are actually saving money over what we would pay for all of those things ala carte.  I think the only major streaming service I wanted that I don't get as a part of my cable agreement is Hulu, but I manage to get a really cheap rate from them every year anyway.

I have a Roku stick and Chromecast.  My TV is about 10 years old and it was a smart TV when we bought it, but it's a Panasonic, and several years ago they decided not to make TVs anymore and discontinued supporting the "smart" part of our TV.  So in effect it became a "dumb" TV.

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, lark37 said:

have saved alot of money and Paramount + and Netflix are free with our cell phone package.

I'm on a Verizon family plan that my daughter and husband pay for (she says my line is free).  That must be how they/we have Paramount+. 
She said they pay around $125/mo. for their cell phones, which seemed like a lot to me. Before I moved here to Western NY from the northern suburbs of Chicago, I was paying $50/mo. for just my phone.
But I guess if $125 covers 2+ phones plus some premium channels, that's not much different. 
But I don't think I could ever justify having to pay for Paramount+ unless it was one of those deals where it was under $3/mo. for a year like Hulu and Peacock do. 
For many years I only used my Leaf antenna. I still used it, but have access to a lot of other content too via Roku etc.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program discussion…