Lilith returns to Frasier: Bebe Neuwirth guest stars in Revival

Bebe Neuwirth guest stars as Lilith Sternin, the ice-cold ex-wife of Kelsey Grammer’s title character, in the biggest episode of “Frasier” ever. IndieWire has confirmed that the cast of the upcoming Paramount+ revival of the beloved sitcom clearly knows this, as Neuwirth will once again guest star in the new series.

Neuwirth is the first cast member from the original Emmy-winning series — which ran from 1993 to 2004 on NBC — along with series star Grammer to be confirmed to return for the upcoming show. According to the logline provided by Paramount+, the episode will focus on Lilith and Frasier meeting at their son Frederick or “Freddy’s” (Jack Cutmore-Scott) birthday party: “In classic form, Lilith is far from pleased. about having to share with Freddy now that Frasier is back in Boston. What starts out as a fun party with friends and family inevitably turns into a Lilith vs. Frasier showdown for the ages.”

Neuwirth, known for her Tony Award-winning work on Broadway in “Chicago” and “Sweet Charity,” first played Lilith, a Boston psychiatrist with a rigid approach to life in “Frasier’s” parent series “Cheers. ” As a guest star in an episode of Season 4 in 1986, Lilith eventually became the main character of the show’s eponymous bar and the main love interest of Grammer’s Frasier, another educated psychiatrist on the show. Neuwirth won two Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his performance in 1990 and 1991.

After a bumpy ride on the original show—they married in a 1988 episode, had their child Frederick in 1989, and almost divorced but finally reconciled in the final season—Lilith and Frasier parted ways between Cheers and filming. Dr. Crane moves to his hometown of Seattle. Lilith and Frederick (originally played by Trevor Einhorn) remained frequent pop-up characters in the program; Neuwirth appeared 12 times over the show’s 11 seasons in storylines that focused on visiting Seattle and destroying Frasier’s personal life, from trying to get back together with him to sleeping with his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce).

The revived series will follow the relationship between Frasier and his now-adult son Frederick in Boston. “Oppenheimer” and “Tenet” actor Cutmore-Scott takes over the role. Most of the original “Frasier” cast, including Hyde Pierce, will not return for the streaming revival. In addition to Grammer and Cutmore-Scott, the “Frasier” revival also stars Nicholas Lyndhurst, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro and Anders Keith. “Cheers” co-creator James Burrows is on board to direct the first two episodes of the series.

The “Frasier” revival is being produced by Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli, who will executive produce with Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammer’s Grammnet NH Productions.

In addition to the upcoming Grammer reunion, Neuwirth currently stars with Hyde Pierce in HBO Max’s drama series “Julia,” which premiered last March and has been renewed for a second season.

Species was the first to report Neuwirth’s return to “Frasier.”

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