Frasier Wedding Mystery

• Jan 1, 2003 03:00 AM ET
• by Michael Ausiello

Buzz that Frasier will cap its 11-year run in May by throwing a wedding for Kelsey Grammer's lovelorn shrink has everyone speculating about the identity of the future Mrs. Crane. Well, we can pretty much tell you who the radio caregiver won't be exchanging I-do's with: his trusty producer Roz (Peri Gilpin), who, in last May's finale, quit KACL in a jealous rage over her boss's romance with Julia (Felicity Huffman).

"I'll tell you the truth," Grammer confides to TV Guide Online. "We've never actually seen [Frasier and Roz] as the ultimate relationship. It never seemed like the right place to go. But they certainly are the best of friends — and we'll restore that."

But first, the tension created by Roz's lingering feelings will be dealt with in the Sept. 23 season premiere. "We will explore some of the psychological underpinnings as to why Roz acted that way," explains exec producer Christopher Lloyd. "But as far as angling toward a romantic entanglement for the two of them, at the moment, there are no plans for that."

So, if Roz isn't going to live happily ever after with Frasier, then who will? With Julia expected to get the brush-off early on, that paves the way for a possible reconciliation with ex Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth). "It's conceivable," teases Lloyd. Other contenders include Emma Thompson, who will reprise her role as Frasier's first wife, children's singer Nanny Gee, and Just Shoot Me's Wendie Malick, who has signed on for a multi-episode arc as the doc's childhood babysitter-cum-love interest.

"We want to leave Frasier in a good place," says co-exec producer Joe Keenan. Adds Lloyd: "Whether that requires a woman in his life... we're not sure yet. If someone really clicks with him, that could be who we send him off with."