Frasier: How It Should Be Re-Cast In 2021

Since his last sitcom run on Third Rock From The Sun, John Lithgow has reestablished himself as a brilliant and versatile dramatic actor. On the small screen particularly he has done astonishing work as a terrifying killer on Dexter and as Winston Churchill on The Crown, along with continued success in the movies.

But perhaps his greatest skill comes when he paints with a lighter touch, and there can be few actors better equipped to take on the deep role of Martin Crane than Lithgow. Like the late John Mahoney he could bring his years of thespian experience across a multitude of formats to the table and build a character who’s so much more than a grumpy sitcom dad.

The heart of early Frasier was the thawing of the somewhat icy relationship between father and son, two opinionated men who’d been apart for many years. Lithgow would be ideal capturing the sense of a man of action finally accepting that his virile days were behind him.

Key to the sitcom format: he’s also a very funny guy with proven chops on episodic telly. There’s every chance Lithgow doesn’t want to get tied to another long running sitcom, but for Martin Crane, he’s the guy.