Several old friends have popped in to visit Dr. Frasier Crane since his return to Boston in the Paramount+ reboot of Frasier. First, Bebe Neuwirth reprised her role as his ex-wife Dr. Lilith Sternin to celebrate their son Freddy’s birthday. Then, before becoming a recurring guest star in the upcoming second season, Peri Gilpin’s Roz Doyle paid a very special visit to Beantown during the holiday season. And speaking of Roz, her daughter Alice is set to appear in a future episode as she’s recently relocated to New England as well. Now, it appears that two of Seattle’s most beloved radio personalities are making their way to the East Coast to reconnect with their former KACL co-worker.
According to Variety, Dan Butler and Edward Hibbert will guest star in the sophomore season of the Frasier revival. The duo of veteran actors will reprise their fan-favorite roles of sports analyst Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe and restaurant critic Gil Chesterton from the original series. While it’s been quite some time since the airwaves have seen Bulldog’s testosterone-driven pranks or Gil’s refined culinary recommendations, it’s fairly safe to assume that they’ll be up to their old antics when they’re reunited with good ol’ Dr. Crane.
In The Doghouse
Since the original Frasier ended in 2004, Butler and Hibbert have been mainstays on television. The former has appeared on Hey Arnold!, Malcolm in the Middle, Supernatural, and The Blacklist. Meanwhile, the latter starred in episodes of Gilmore Girls, 2 Broke Girls, and Search Party, while lending his voice to the Star Wars: The Old Republic video game series and the umbrella in Mary Poppins Returns. In a statement on the stars’ return to the Cheers-verse, series star and executive producer Kelsey Grammer proudly touted their extensive resumes and expressed his excitement to have two more members of the family back on set.
“Dan Butler and Edward Hibbert have made an indelible contribution to television, and I am overjoyed to welcome them back to Frasier and for the opportunity to work together once again.”
In addition to Butler and Hibbert, season two will feature a number of other prominent guest stars as well. Amy Sedaris will play Dr. “Doc” Stathos, a therapist working with Freddy’s firehouse who happens to be a huge fan of Frasier’s talk show. Emmy winner Patricia Heaton will appear as a down-to-earth bartender and potential Frasier love interest named Holly. And Community star Yvette Nicole Brown has signed on to portray Olivia’s older sister Monica, who is described as “brilliant, biting, and delightfully deadpan.”
With the new season shooting on the Paramount lot until July 30, 2024, it’s possible that Frasier could still add even more surprising guest stars. Be sure to follow That Hashtag show for the latest on the beloved sitcom and more.
