Kelsey Grammer & Melinda McGraw talk marriage, family & funny

By Korbi Ghosh

September 30, 2009 1:35 AM

Full disclosure: I am a fool for Kelsey Grammer.

"Frasier" -- I don't know if I've ever blogged about this before -- is, hands down, my favorite sitcom in a long line of truly beloved shows.

No series makes me laugh as hard or as heartily as "Frasier" used to and, you know, I guess Mr. Grammer has something to do with that.

Yes, the writing was brilliant and, without that writing, we have nothing. But can you possibly imagine anyone besides K.G. -- oh, we have the same initials! -- filling the titular role? His ability to play a learned, accomplished, respectable character while playing the fool all at the same time is remarkable.

And I'm happy to say that there is a hint of this same quality in Grammer's character on the new ABC comedy, "Hank."

Is the pilot perfect? No. But what pilot is?

"Modern Family," you say? Okay, agreed, but pipe down.

People, listen, "Hank" may not be Emmy material -- though I suppose anything's possible at this point -- and it may not be a critical darling...

However, not going to lie, the first episode -- before it was re-tooled, anyway... I haven't seen the updated version which will go to air -- made me giggle. A lot. And that's good enough for me.

In the clip below, Kelsey and his "Hank" co-star Melinda McGraw discuss the premise of the show as well as TV's return to mainstream family comedy. We also talk a little "Cheers," some "Fras" (pronounced "Fraysh") and a few other things, including McGraw's real life marriage...

Will you watch tonight?

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| Comments (5)

5 Comments

Yep, I'll watch. I'm with you, Korbi, Frasier was one of those shows that was very often laugh out loud funny. I watch so many murder and mayhem shows on t.v. that I really need some good comedies to go along with them for some leavening. Last year didn't offer up much. This year, with Modern Family, Cougar Town and now maybe Hank, I have some hope. Unfortunately, I thought Community was really lame and changed to something else about halfway through the pilot. After all the hype about it, I was disappointed.

Banannadanna | September 30, 2009 8:44 AM

I will give it a chance

k | September 30, 2009 9:54 AM

sorry to say, but the original pilot -- pre the re-shoots and recasting of the kids -- was definitely better than what aired tonight...

korbi_ghosh | September 30, 2009 8:51 PM

I felt so sorry for the author of this article having to interview Kelsey Grammar after watching that drek... It's hilarious, you can practically feel her desperate need to convince herself that the show is in SOME way redeemable and at all up to the standards Kelsey has set! XD

And oh what a shock that she uses the convenient excuse of "Oh, well the UNaired version that you won't see is better, so don't hold me to my original statements when viewing this abomination!"

I highly doubt the unaired pilot could have been that dramatic of an improvment. -.-

Sorry Kels... hopefully the show is just suffering from 'first episode syndrome'

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