Frasier's (2023) Rotten Tomatoes Ratings Are Very Divided
It only took roughly two decades' worth of planning and development, but "Frasier" has finally returned with all-new episodes. The revival series, which airs on Paramount+, updates the famous psychiatrist's antics for the modern day and has proven to be one of the more popular new TV shows of 2023. But while Frasier Crane's grand return has been a viewership success, the critical reception to the new show has been far more divided.
As it stands, the first season of the "Frasier" revival currently has a 59% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. That number indicates that out of the 69 reviews aggregated by the site, a little over half gave the show a positive review, while the other half ultimately came out negative. Interestingly enough, the Tomatometer rating for 2023's "Frasier" is decidedly weaker than the show's audience score, where it stands at a rock-solid 81% positive rating among viewers.
What are critics saying about Frasier 2023?
With critical opinion split nearly right down the middle on the "Frasier" revival, reviews run the gamut in terms of what critics think the series does right — and what it gets wrong.
On the positive front, various critics have praised the new "Frasier" series for recapturing the warmth of the original sitcom, even if it doesn't do anything too remarkable. "It's not breaking any new ground, but this reboot stays true to what made 'Frasier' popular and funny, and manages to age the character and his concerns without jumping the shark," Nick Curtis of The Standard wrote. AV Club's Kayleigh Dray similarly characterized the series as a comfortable watch, saying, "Once you stop thinking about it all too hard — and once you stop asking difficult questions — everything starts to feel a lot more enjoyable."
On the opposite side of the fence, negative reviews of the "Frasier" reboot find it to be a pale imitation of what came before. "The audience whoop with every reference to the original 'Frasier' and its predecessor 'Cheers,' but it only serves to emphasize what the show now lacks," Jake Wilson of The Age opined. Others noted that the show is suffering from missing characters, like Frasier's brother Niles Crane. "When Frasier isn't on screen, the show feels like a below-average sitcom — there's no hook to it, nothing that makes these characters spring to life like Niles, Martin, and Daphne did decades ago," Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote.
How does Frasier 2023 critically compare to the original series?
Considering that its predecessor is thought of as one of the most rewatchable sitcoms of all time, it's no surprise that the "Frasier" revival has been the recipient of a great deal of comparison to the original series. Reviews of the new show have noted how it both succeeds and fails in replicating that winning "Frasier" formula, but how do the two series stack up against one another in terms of critical consensus?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the new "Frasier" series is having a difficult time matching the acclaim of the original. In terms of Rotten Tomatoes' metrics, the 1990s show has a stellar Tomatometer score of 95%, meaning that nearly all of the aggregated reviews are positive. Its audience score is similarly high, coming in at a 94% positive rating.
With an audience score of 82%, the "Frasier" revival isn't trailing too far behind the original series in terms of viewer enjoyment. However, critical reception is another matter. With the revival currently sitting at 59% on the Tomatometer, it's going to take a considerable uptick in critical reception for it to ever rival the first series. Perhaps a second season might be enough to change some reviewers' minds on the new show.