The Hunting Party‘s return in the 2026 TV schedule meant an influx of serial killers in primetime. Season 2 got off to a gruesome start with a Eric McCormack as a murderer, the leading lady getting kidnapped, and a surprisingly scary swarm of bunnies. Now, four episodes into the second season, Frasier‘s Kelsey Grammer is on the way to play a killer, described by star Melissa Roxburgh as “charming.” But I didn’t know Grammer from Frasier back in the ’90s. To me, he was the lovable Vlad from 1997’s Anastasia, so his murderous appearance on The Hunting Party should be an interesting experience!
The drama has been hyping Kelsey Grammer’s arrival since the Season 2 trailer, less than a year after the cancellation of the Frasier revival on Paramount+. The trailer was enough to prove to me that Grammer’s character was going to be consistent with the first season (now available streaming on Peacock) of The Hunting Party, but definitely not with Vlad, a comedic noble-turned-conman who takes the lost princess Anastasia under his wing in one of my all-time favorite princess movies that would later inspire a Broadway musical.
I’m pretty confident that his character on The Hunting Party won’t be bursting into any rousing songs for erstwhile royals, but Melissa Roxburgh spoke with CinemaBlend about one way that Grammer’s serial killer will be similar to the one played by another sitcom vet in the Season 2 premiere. She said:
The same thing with Kelsey Grammer. He plays a character that’s supposed to be charming to people. He gets people to come into his world, and so he’s not just the guy that’s like slashing people on the street. He has to win them over first, and so his charm also plays to the same effect.
The trailer for Grammer’s episode previews that he’s playing Noah Cyrus, a “narcissistic psychopath” who appears to be a cult leader. It will be the first episode after the break for NBC to switch over to the 2026 Winter Olympics. When I noted to Melissa Roxburgh that Grammer has quite a soothing voice, she responded:
And it works! It works for why he is the killer that he is in the show.
While viewers will have to wait until late February to get a good look at how Noah Cyrus uses his charm to commit his crimes, the trailer is enough to justify why NBC has been hyping Kelsey Grammer’s guest appearance all season. Take a look:
Vlad would never do that to Anastasia! In all seriousness, The Hunting Party has already packed in sone notable guest stars in Season 2, starting with Eric McCormack in the premiere. Niecy Nash followed in a later episode to play a detective, and Elizabeth Gillies played a rare female serial killer in the last episode before the break.
Tune in to NBC on Thursday, February 26 at 10 p.m. ET to catch Kelsey Grammer’s version of The Hunting Party and see exactly why Melissa Roxburgh described the “narcissistic psychopath” from the trailer as “charming” as a killer. In the meantime, you can always revisit earlier episodes with a Peacock subscription. Per Deadline, the first season will arrive on Netflix as well on February 15.
On the other hand, less murder-filled hand: if you’re looking for some lighter fare with musical numbers, a lovely romance, and a happy ending, let me direct you to the wonderful Anastasia! The movie boasts a voice cast including Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, and of course Kelsey Grammer. While not a Disney movie, you can find it streaming now with a Disney+ subscription.
