Frasier Premiere Pays Tribute to Late Actor John Mahoney — See Photo

John Mahoney may not be back for the Frasier revival, but he’s not forgotten, either.

Thursday’s premiere paid tribute to the late actor, who played Frasier’s dad Martin Crane on the original Frasier and passed away in 2018, with a short but sweet video clip that played before the episode’s end credits. In the clip, Mahoney, as Martin, smiles warmly and says, “It all works out,” with text on the screen that reads: “And John Mahoney: 1940-2018.”

(The episode was also dedicated to the memory of Gabrielle James, a longtime script supervisor for Cheers and the original Frasier, and Archie Lyndhurst, the actor son of Frasier co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst who died in 2020 at the age of 19.)

Mahoney’s character Martin was a key plot point in the premiere as well: Frasier had just flown back from his father’s funeral in Seattle, which his own son Freddy didn’t attend, leading to some friction between father and son. Ultimately, Freddy revealed how close he and Martin actually were, and Frasier presented him with a framed American flag that was flown in honor of Martin’s service as a police officer. (Read our full recap here.)

The revival also included another sly tribute to Mahoney. The name of the Boston bar where Frasier and his Harvard friends hang out? Mahoney’s.

Kelsey Grammer returns as Frasier Crane in the revival, but the rest of the original cast did not return. However, Peri Gilpin, who played Frasier’s radio producer Roz, and Bebe Neuwirth, who played Frasier’s ex-wife Lilith dating back to the days of Cheers, are slated to make guest appearances later this season.