David Hyde Pierce Eyes NBC Sitcom Return With New Comedy From ‘Mom’ Writer

David Hyde Pierce could be heading back to NBC more than two decades after Frasier ended its original run on the network.

The four-time Emmy winner is attached to star in a new multi-camera comedy currently in development at NBC. The untitled project comes from veteran sitcom writer and producer Marco Pennette, whose credits include Mom, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and Caroline in the City.

Details about the potential series are still limited, but Pierce will play a man who discovers that living an unexamined life can eventually come back to bite him. Pennette will write the project, with both Pennette and Pierce serving as executive producers. Universal Television is producing.

If the comedy moves forward, it would bring Pierce back to the network where he spent 11 seasons playing Dr. Niles Crane opposite Kelsey Grammer on Frasier. The role earned Pierce 11 consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and four wins.

Pierce notably chose not to reprise Niles for Paramount+'s Frasier revival, which debuted in 2023. Grammer returned as Frasier Crane, while original cast members including Peri Gilpin and Bebe Neuwirth made appearances during the show's two-season run. Pierce previously explained that he didn't feel the need to repeat the character and had other projects he wanted to pursue.

His potential NBC return instead gives Pierce the opportunity to lead an entirely new character and sitcom, while putting him back in the multi-camera format that helped make him a television favorite.

Pennette also has plenty of history with NBC comedy. He co-created Caroline in the City, which aired on the network during the 1990s alongside Frasier, and later worked on shows including B Positive, Mom, Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives.

The project remains in development, so NBC has not announced a series order, additional casting or a potential premiere date. Still, the possibility of Pierce returning to NBC and multi-camera comedy more than 20 years after saying goodbye to Niles Crane certainly gives Frasier fans something new to keep an eye on.