Kelsey Grammer's guest appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation was because of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Jonathan Frakes. Grammer is beloved as Dr. Frasier Crane, a character he portrayed on Cheers from 1984 to 1993, Frasier from 1993-2004, and the Frasier revival on Paramount+, which began in 2023 and enters its second season. However, Kelsey Grammer also made a memorable cameo in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5's "Cause and Effect."
At the conclusion of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 18, "Cause and Effect," Kelsey Grammer appears as Captain Morgan Bateson, the commander of the USS Bozeman. "Cause and Effect" centers on a causality loop in the Typhon Expanse that trapped the USS Enterprise-D in the 24th century. The Enterprise, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), continually collides with the USS Bozeman, a 23rd-century starship also caught in the time loop. After the Enterprise crew devised a way to free their ship, Captain Bateson ed Captain Picard, revealing Kelsey Grammer in a Starfleet Captain's uniform.
Jonathan Frakes & Captain Kirk To Convinced Kelsey Grammer To Guest Star On TNG
"That Was The One That Hooked Me"
In an interview with CinemaBlend about Frasier season 2, Kelsey Grammer was asked about his guest appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which took place while Kelsey was still playing Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers. Grammer revealed that it was Jonathan Frakes, the director of TNG's "Cause and Effect" episode, who invited him to guest star. Grammer was uncertain until Frakes "hooked" him that his character, Captain Bateson, was a contemporary of Captain Kirk. Grammer explains:
“But the thing that turned me on, Jonathan Frakes was a buddy. He called one day, I was at Cheers, and he said, ‘Will you come over and do a show for us?’ And I said, ‘Well, I don’t know, what’s the deal?’ He says, ‘Well, he’s a contemporary of Captain Kirk’s.’ That was the one that hooked me. So I got to wear the same uniform they wore in the original Star Trek, and that made me really happy.”
In the timeline, Captain Morgan Bateson and the USS Bozeman were caught in the Typhon Expanse's time causality loop in 2278. This is after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, as Starfleet had transitioned to its famed 'monster maroon' uniforms, and 7 years before the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that Captain Bateson would have known Captain Kirk.
Can Kelsey Grammer’s Captain Return To Star Trek?
Morgan Bateson made a second Star Trek cameo
According to Kelsey Grammer, he's unaware of any interest from Star Trek in reprising his role as Captain Morgan Bateson. Grammer told CinemaBlend, "Not that I know of. He’s a very sought-after character at those conventions these days. I actually did end up doing one, and I have signed some autographs as Captain Morgan Bateson." Part of the renewed interest in Bateson is because Morgan made another cameo appearance in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3's premiere.
Fans have Jonathan Frakes and Captain Kirk to thank for Kelsey Grammer's Star Trek: The Next Generation cameo.
Although Kelsey Grammer didn't return to voice the role, Captain Bateson was seen as part of a Starfleet security team who exonerated Star Trek: Lower Decks' Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) from the charge of blowing up the Pakled planet. If Kelsey Grammer were to return as Captain Bateson, the most likely of the Star Trek shows would be Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, barring another surprise appearance in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5. But fans have Jonathan Frakes and Captain Kirk to thank for Kelsey Grammer's Star Trek: The Next Generation cameo.
Source: CinemaBlend
Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Release Date
- 1987 - 1994-00-00
- Network
- Syndication
- Showrunner
- Gene Roddenberry
Cast
Jean-Luc Picard
Commander William T. Riker
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Cliff Bole, Les Landau, Winrich Kolbe, Rob Bowman, Robert Scheerer, LeVar Burton
- Writers
- René Echevarria, Maurice Hurley, Richard Manning, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Tracy Tormé, Hannah Louise Shearer, Stuart Charno, Ira Steven Behr, Sara B. Cooper, Peter Allan Fields, Herbert Wright, Frank Abatemarco, Burton Armus, Hilary Bader, Morgan Gendel, David Kemper, Michael I. Wagner, Philip LaZebnik, Robert McCullough, Susan Sackett, Nick Sagan, Fred Bronson, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Sam Rolfe
- Franchise(s)
- Star Trek
- Seasons
- 7
- Streaming Service(s)
- Amazon Prime Video
- Where To Watch
- Paramount Plus
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