Here's why Frasier once claimed his father Martin was dead during his time on Cheers, and how the spinoff cleared up this inconsistency. When the character of Frasier Crane was being developed during Cheers' third season, the showrunners had John Lithgow (Dexter) in mind for the role.
Lithgow wasn't interested in TV work at the time, however, so Kelsey Grammer landed the part. Frasier was only supposed to play a limited role on Cheers, but Grammer made such an impression that he became a
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