Will & Grace

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Will & Grace
Will & Grace Logo.png
The intertitle used in the show's 2017 revival
GenreSitcom
Created by
Directed byJames Burrows
Starring
Theme music composerJonathan Wolff
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons10
No. of episodes216 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor
Release
Original networkNBC
Picture format
Original releaseSeptember 21, 1998 (1998-09-21) – present (present)
External links
Website

Will & Grace is an American sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra Messing), a straight interior designer. The show was broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006, for a total of eight seasons, and returned to NBC on September 28, 2017. During its original run Will & Grace was one of the most successful television series with gay principal characters.[2]

Despite initial criticism for its stereotypical portrayal of homosexual characters, it went on to become a staple of NBC's Must See TV Thursday night lineup and was met with continued critical acclaim. It was ensconced in the Nielsen top 20 for half of its network run. The show was the highest-rated sitcom among adults 18–49, from 2001 to 2005. Will & Grace earned 18 Primetime Emmy Awards and 83 nominations. Each main actor received an Emmy Award throughout the series. In 2014 the Writers Guild of America placed the sitcom at number 94 in their list of the 101 best-written TV series of all time.[3] Since the final episode aired, the sitcom has been credited with helping and improving public opinion of the LGBT community, with former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden commenting that the show "probably did more to educate the American public" on LGBT issues "than almost anything anybody has ever done so far".[4] In 2014, the Smithsonian Institution added an LGBT history collection to their museum which included items from Will & Grace. The curator Dwight Blocker Bowers stated that the sitcom used "comedy to familiarize a mainstream audience with gay culture" in a way that was "daring and broke ground" in American media.[5]

During its original run, Will & Grace was filmed in front of a live studio audience (most episodes and scenes) on Tuesday nights,[6] at Stage 17 in CBS Studio Center. Will and Grace's apartment was put on display at the Emerson College Library, donated by series creator Max Mutchnick.[7] When the set was removed in 2014, rumors came up about a cast reunion, but the actors involved denied that such a reunion was planned, explaining it was merely being moved. A long-running legal battle between both the original executive producers and creators and NBC took place between 2003 and 2007.

In September 2016, the cast reunited for a 10-minute special (released online), urging Americans to vote in the 2016 presidential election.[8] After its success, NBC announced that the network was exploring the idea of putting Will & Grace back into production.[9] In January 2017, NBC confirmed the series' return for a ninth season, for the 2017–18 television season,[10][11] which was eventually expanded to 16 episodes.[12] This was followed by renewals for 18-episode tenth and eleventh seasons.[13]

Premise[edit]

Will & Grace is set in New York City and focuses on the relationship between Will Truman, a gay lawyer, and his best friend Grace Adler, a Jewish woman who owns an interior design firm. Also featured are their friends Karen Walker, an alcoholic socialite, and Jack McFarland, a flamboyantly gay actor. The interplay of relationships features the trials and tribulations of dating, marriage, divorce, and casual sex; as well as comical key stereotypes of gay and Jewish culture.

Cast and characters[edit]

Main[edit]

Eric McCormack and Debra Messing in 1999
  • Eric McCormack as Will Truman: The first titular protagonist in the show, Will is a gay man who is a successful corporate lawyer who studied at Columbia University, where he met Grace as a freshman; they have been best friends ever since. He is very precise and obsessive when it comes to certain tasks, especially cleaning, dressing, and decorating. However, Will does have a very patient and compassionate nature towards those close to him, often to a fault. Even though Will is gay, he sometimes tries to pass as straight; he has at times avoided admitting his sexual orientation to people. Several characters commented that his relationship with Grace is more like that of a married couple than two friends; at one point Will even considered having a baby with Grace. Will is the more mature and tolerant character of the duo and serves as Grace's rock most times.
  • Debra Messing as Grace Adler: The other titular protagonist in the show, Grace is a straight interior decorator with a fondness for food. She has been Will's best friend since college and roommate throughout most of the show. Grace is Jewish but does not practice her religion staunchly. She plays as a neurotic counterbalance for Will's more everyman character. Grace tends to rely heavily on Will for moral and emotional support, especially after a break-up.
  • Megan Mullally as Karen Walker: Karen "works" as Grace's assistant, making "Grace Adler Designs" popular among her socialite acquaintances. She is the wife of the wealthy (but mostly unseen) Stanley Walker. Karen is also known for casually downing alcohol and prescription medication and can be uncaring. However, she is very close to Jack, is friends with Grace, and throughout the show's run warms to Will. Even though she is silly at times, Karen has shown bouts of intelligence: having a working knowledge of business/real-estate market economics, a moderate understanding of computers, and a flair for interior design. She is also a certified public notary and an aficionado of various liquors and prescription drugs. Despite this, she is often unaware of or ambivalent toward habits of the working and middle classes, often criticizing and mocking what she fails to understand.
  • Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland: Will's other (and first gay) best friend since college. Jack is flamboyantly gay, confident, and free-spirited, having been so from a young age. He drifts from man to man and changes occupations often, being very fickle when it comes to both. He has worked as a struggling actor, an acting instructor, a back-up dancer for Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson, a sales associate at Banana Republic and Barneys New York, a cater-waiter, a student nurse, Junior VP for Out TV, and host of his own Out TV talk show, called Jack Talk. Jack made four one-man shows (called Just Jack, Jack 2000, Jack 2001, and Jack 2002) to showcase his singing/dancing/acting abilities; all attempts having only marginal success. Early on in the show he establishes a close friendship with Karen; the pair often spend time together and orchestrate various pranks. Throughout the series, Jack relies on Will and Karen for financial support. His idol is Cher.
  • Shelley Morrison as Rosario Salazar (recurring seasons 1–2; regular seasons 3–8): Karen's maid, and later Jack's wife, then ex-wife. Morrison was offered to reprise her role when the series was revived, but declined, having retired from acting.

Supporting[edit]

Main article: Supporting characters on Will & Grace
Supporting characters on Will & Grace
Main characters Will Truman Grace Adler Jack McFarland Karen Walker
Spouses Vince D'Angelo (Bobby Cannavale) Marvin "Leo" Markus (Harry Connick Jr.) Rosario Salazar (Shelley Morrison) Stanley Walker (unseen character)
Lyle Finster (John Cleese)
Family George Truman (Sydney Pollack)
Marilyn Truman (Blythe Danner)
Sam Truman (John Slattery / Steven Weber)
Paul Truman (Jon Tenney) 		Bobbi Adler (Debbie Reynolds)
Martin Adler (Alan Arkin/Robert Klein)
Janet Adler (Geena Davis/Mary McCormack)
Joyce Adler (Sara Rue)
Eleanor Markus (Judith Ivey) 		Judith McFarland (Veronica Cartwright)
Elliot (Michael Angarano)
Daniel McFarland (Beau Bridges)
Skip (Jet Jurgensmeyer) 		Lois Whitley (Suzanne Pleshette)
Gin (Bernadette Peters)
Barry (Dan Futterman)
Lorraine Finster (Minnie Driver)
Marion Finster (Tim Curry)
Sumner Davis (Paul Satterfield)
Ben Truman (Ben Newmark), Lila Markus (Maria Thayer)
Friends Rob (Tom Gallop), Ellen (Leigh-Allyn Baker), Joe (Jerry Levine), Larry (Tim Bagley), Steve (Steve Paymer) Zandra Zoggin (Eileen Brennan) Candice Bergen (Candice Bergen)
Neighbors Val Bassett (Molly Shannon), Mr. Zamir (Marshall Manesh), Nathan (Woody Harrelson) N/A
Love interests Michael (Chris Potter)
Scott Sender (Branden Williams)
Matthew (Patrick Dempsey)
James Hanson (Taye Diggs)
Vince D'Angelo (Bobby Cannavale) 		Ben Doucette (Gregory Hines)
Danny (Tom Verica)
Josh (Corey Parker)
Nathan (Woody Harrelson)
Nick (Edward Burns)
Tom Cassidy (Eric Stoltz)
Marvin "Leo" Markus (Harry Connick Jr.) 		Stuart Lamarack (Dave Foley)
Kevin Bacon (Kevin Bacon) 		Lionel Banks (Rip Torn)
Malcolm Widmark (Alec Baldwin)
Rivals Kevin Wolchek (Adam Goldberg) Val Bassett (Molly Shannon) Artemis Johnson (Will Arnett) Beverley Leslie (Leslie Jordan)
Lorraine Finster (Minnie Driver)
Scott Woolley (Jeff Goldblum)
Candy Pruitt (Christine Ebersole)
Val Bassett (Molly Shannon)
Candice Bergen (Candice Bergen)
Bosses Ben Doucette (Gregory Hines)
Mr. Stein (Gene Wilder)
Margot (Lily Tomlin)
Malcolm Widmark (Alec Baldwin) 		N/A Jamie (John Ducey)
Tim (Mark Harelik)
Dorleen (Parker Posey) 		Grace Adler (Debra Messing)
Employees / Subordinates Mrs. Freeman (Jo Marie Payton)
Connie (Kari Lizer) 		Karen Walker (Megan Mullally)
Gillian (Natasha Lyonne)
Tony (Anthony Ramos) 		Dave (Mathew Botuchis) Rosario Salazar (Shelley Morrison)
Clients Harlin Polk (Gary Grubbs)
Stanley Walker 		N/A Joanne (Emily Rutherfurd)
Russell (Jon Fleming) 		N/A
Co-workers Gary (Jamie Kaler) N/A N/A N/A
Others Tina (Lesley Ann Warren), Benji (Brian A. Setzer), Nurse Sheila (Laura Kightlinger)

Episodes[edit]

Main article: List of Will & Grace episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedNielsen ratings[14]
First airedLast airedRankRatingViewers
(millions)
122September 21, 1998 (1998-09-21)May 13, 1999 (1999-05-13)40N/A12.3[15]
224September 21, 1999 (1999-09-21)May 23, 2000 (2000-05-23)44N/A12.0[16]
325October 12, 2000 (2000-10-12)May 17, 2001 (2001-05-17)1411.317.3[17]
427September 27, 2001 (2001-09-27)May 16, 2002 (2002-05-16)911.0[a]17.3[18]
524September 26, 2002 (2002-09-26)May 15, 2003 (2003-05-15)1111.0[b]16.8[19]
624September 25, 2003 (2003-09-25)April 29, 2004 (2004-04-29)1310.415.2[20]
724September 16, 2004 (2004-09-16)May 19, 2005 (2005-05-19)44N/A9.4[21]
824September 29, 2005 (2005-09-29)May 18, 2006 (2006-05-18)61N/A8.7[22]
916September 28, 2017 (2017-09-28)April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05)36N/A8.85[23]
1018[24]October 4, 2018 (2018-10-04)TBATBATBATBA
  1. ^ Tied with Leap of Faith
  2. ^ Tied with CSI: Miami

Production[edit]

Conception[edit]

Creators of Will & Grace and real-life friends Max Mutchnick and David Kohan modeled the show after Mutchnick's relationship with childhood friend Janet Eisenberg, a New York City voice-over casting agent. Mutchnick, who is openly gay, met Eisenberg while rehearsing a play at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills, California at age of 13.[25] He was the main star of the Hebrew school musical, while she was a student in the drama department. About three years later, she introduced him to Kohan, the son of comedy writer Alan Kohan, in the drama department at Beverly Hills High School. "Max and Janet seemed to have a lovely rapport, but the romantic element confused me, and it confused them as well," Kohan later recalled. "They went out for a couple of years, then they went off to different colleges. And Max comes out of the closet, springs it on her—and she was stunned. It was a shocking revelation for her, so I kind of functioned as a liaison between the two of them, because they both still really loved each other."[25]

While Kohan practiced his shuttle diplomacy, he and Mutchnick began developing sitcom ideas, which prompted the pair to start writing as a duo.[25] They eventually landed staff jobs on HBO's adult-themed sitcom Dream On and executive produced the short-lived NBC sitcom Boston Common.[25] In 1997, they developed an ensemble comedy about six friends, two of them based on Mutchnick and Eisenberg.[25] At the same time, Warren Littlefield, the then-president of NBC Entertainment, was seeking another relationship comedy for the network as Mad About You was going off the air.[26][27] When Kohan and Mutchnick pitched their idea, which centered on three couples, one of which was a gay man living with a straight woman, Littlefield was not excited about the first two couples, but wanted to learn more about the gay and straight couple, so Mutchnick and Kohan were sent to create a pilot script centering on those two characters.[27] While Kohan and Mutchnick elaborated on the pilot script, they spent four tense months faxing Littlefield the box office grosses from hit films with gay characters such as The Birdcage and My Best Friend's Wedding.[25]

NBC was positive about the project, but there was still some concern that the homosexual subject matter would cause alarm. Ellen DeGeneres's sitcom Ellen, which aired on ABC, was canceled the year before Will & Grace premiered because ratings had plummeted after the show became "too gay."[28][29] Despite the criticism ABC received for DeGeneres's coming out episode, "The Puppy Episode," Kohan said, "there's no question that show made it easier for Will & Grace to make it on the air." He added: "Will & Grace had a better shot at succeeding where Ellen failed, however, because Will has known about his homosexuality for 20 years. He's not exploring that awkward territory for the first time, as Ellen did. The process of self-discovery and the pain most gay men go through is fascinating, but the average American is put off by it."[30]

Pilot[edit]

See also: Pilot (Will & Grace)
Eric McCormack was the first actor cast in the series[31]

NBC went to sitcom director James Burrows to see what he thought of the homosexual subject matter and if an audience would be interested in the show.[32] Burrows liked the idea and when he first read the script in November 1997, he decided that he wanted to direct it. Burrows said, "I knew that the boys had captured a genre and a group of characters I have never read before."[26] The filming of the pilot began on March 15, 1998. The actors behind Will and Grace, Eric McCormack and Debra Messing, were positive about the series and they thought it had the potential to last long on television. McCormack said: "When shooting was finished that night, Debra and I were sitting on the couch and looking at each other and I said, 'We're gonna be on this set for a while.' And we sort of clasped hands, but we didn't want to say anything beyond that and jinx it."[33]

The part of Will Truman went to Eric McCormack, who was the first actor cast in the series.[31] Having played gay characters several times in his career, McCormack did not have a problem with it and thought his character could become a "poster boy for some gay movement", like DeGeneres became a spokesperson with her character.[34] Sean Hayes was invited to audition for Jack after a NBC casting executive saw him in a role in the indie gay romance film Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss. Even though Hayes enjoyed the script when he read it, he threw it away and decided not to try out for the audition until he was sent the script again.[35] Megan Mullally initially auditioned for the role of Grace Adler, but admitted that she did not want to audition for the part of Karen.[36] By contrast, Debra Messing, with whom Mullally had first worked on Ned and Stacey, was initially unsure if she wanted to play the role of Grace.[37] The last actor to be cast, she later admitted that director Burrows was the reason for doing Will & Grace.[32]

Revival[edit]

In January 2017, NBC closed a deal for a new 10-episode season of the series, which is airing during the 2017–18 season. Hayes will executive produce this season as well as creators/executive producers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Veteran director James Burrows is on board to direct and executive produce.[38] In April 2017, the episode order was increased to 12 episodes.[39] In August 2017, it was extended again to 16 episodes, and a second 13-episode season was ordered.[40] The revival is filmed at Stage 22 at Universal Studios Hollywood, as opposed to Stage 17 at CBS Studio Center. In March 2018, NBC ordered five more episodes for the revival's second season, bringing the total to 18 episodes, and it was also renewed for an 18-episode third season.[41]

Aftershow[edit]

Will & Grace: After Party[edit]

Logo for the aftershow

With the release of the ninth season of the series, NBC also released Will & Grace: After Party, an aftershow hosted by Kristin dos Santos. The guests of the aftershow are composed of cast and crew from the series, including David Kohan, Max Mutchnick, and the series' stars, to discuss the development and behind-the-scenes production of the series. The series premiered on NBC.com on September 29, 2017.[42][43]

No.TitleEpisode discussedGuest(s)Original release date
1"Episode 1"11 Years LaterEric McCormackSeptember 29, 2017 (2017-09-29)
2"Episode 2"Who's Your DaddyHarry Connick Jr. and Bobby CannavaleOctober 6, 2017 (2017-10-06)
3"Episode 3"Emergency ContactJane Lynch and Glenda RovelloOctober 12, 2017 (2017-10-12)
4"Episode 4"Grandpa JackMinnie DriverOctober 19, 2017 (2017-10-19)
5"Episode 5"How to Succeed in Business Without Really CryingLeslie JordanOctober 26, 2017 (2017-10-26)
6"Episode 6"Rosario's QuinceañeraMegan Mullaly, David Kohan, and Max MutchnickNovember 2, 2017 (2017-11-02)

Lawsuit[edit]

In December 2003, in the midst of the series' sixth season, executive producers and creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick sued NBC and NBC Studios. Alleging that the network sold the rights to the series in an attempt to keep profits within the NBC family, Kohan and Mutchnick felt that they were cheated out of considerable profits because the network did not shop the show to the highest bidder. Another allegation against the network was that during the first four seasons of the series, the studio licensed the rights for amounts that were insufficient for covering production costs, thus leading to extraordinarily large production deficits.[44] Three months later, NBC filed a countersuit against Kohan and Mutchnick stating that the co-creators were expected to act as an independent third party in the negotiations between NBC and its subsidiary, NBC Studios (since subsumed into Universal Television).[45]

With a pending lawsuit and production beginning on other projects, Kohan and Mutchnick were absent on the Will & Grace set for most of its final seasons. They wrote the season 4 episode, "A Buncha White Chicks Sittin' Around Talkin'" and did not return to the writers' seat until the series finale four years later. Three years after NBC's countersuit and one year after the series ended, the legal battle between NBC and Kohan and Mutchnick ended in 2007 when all parties agreed on a settlement, with the series creators being awarded $49 million, of their original $65 million lawsuit.[46]

Syndication[edit]

Will & Grace entered off-network syndication in 2002. In 2002 WGN America acquired the cable rights to air the series, where it aired until 2005 when Lifetime Television acquired the cable rights to air the series. After eight years and the expiration of Lifetime's contract, the rights to the series were picked up by WeTV and Logo TV in 2013, with both eventually letting the rights lapse.

The streaming service Hulu later picked up the show, in anticipation of the show's revival in 2017, with the entire series also carried on NBC.com. Around the same time, NBC's classic subchannel network Cozi TV picked up the series and airs it four times nightly, and promotes it as "The Original Series" to avert confusion with the current-day run.[47]

In the United Kingdom, the series was aired on Channel 4 up until its season finale in 2006. It was confirmed on 4 December 2017 that the series would premiere in January 2018 on Channel 5.

In Ireland, the series first aired on TV3 Ireland until its conclusion in 2006. It was confirmed in January 2018 rival channel RTÉ2 picked up the broadcasting rights for the 2017–18 season run, beginning in February 2018.

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

The show garnered a fair amount of criticism and negative reviews upon its debut in 1998, most of which compared the show to the recently canceled ABC sitcom Ellen. Some called it "a gay Seinfeld". One such review said, "If Will & Grace can somehow survive a brutal time period opposite football and Ally McBeal, it could grow into a reasonably entertaining little anomaly—that is, a series about a man and a woman who have no sexual interest in one another. But don't bet on it. If it's doomed relationships viewers want, they'll probably opt for Ally."[48] As popular as the show came to be, particularly among gay viewers, Will & Grace continuously dealt with criticism for having a limited view of the gay community and for reinforcing stereotypes when some felt it should have torn them down.[49]

The series finale was heavily promoted by NBC, and McCormack, Messing, Mullally and Hayes appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Today Show to bid farewell, on May 10 and 18, respectively. NBC devoted a two-hour block in its primetime schedule on May 18, 2006, for the Will & Grace send-off. An hour-long series retrospective, "Say Goodnight, Gracie", featuring interviews with the cast, crew, and guest stars, preceded the hour-long series finale. Series creators and executive producers Kohan and Mutchnick, who had not served as writers since the season 4 finale, penned the script for "The Finale". Regarding the finale, Mutchnick stated, "We wrote about what you want to have happen with people you love... All the things that matter in life, they end up having."[50]

The ninth season was met with generally positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes the season has a rating of 86% based on 37 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Will & Grace reunites its ever-hilarious cast for a revival season that picks up right where the show left off 11 years ago—adding a fresh relevance and a series of stories that make sharply funny use of the passage of time."[51] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[52]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Will & Grace
Megan Mullally received two Primetime Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Karen

Will & Grace has been nominated for 83 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 18 of them. McCormack, Messing, Hayes, and Mullally each won at least one Emmy Award for their respective performances. Mullally also won a second time for her performance in 2006, a year when Will & Grace was nominated for 10 Emmys for its final season. The year before, the show had garnered 15 nominations, tied with Desperate Housewives as the series receiving the most nominations. This was almost an all-time record; the two shows were second behind The Larry Sanders Show, with 16 nominations in 1996.

With three each, both Hayes and Mullally held the record of winning the most Screen Actors Guild Awards for the categories Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy Series and Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy Series, respectively, for their roles in Will & Grace; however, Tina Fey went on to tie with Mullally and Alec Baldwin went on to surpass Hayes, both for their roles on the series 30 Rock. Will & Grace has won several GLAAD Media Awards for its advocacy of the gay community. Despite more than two dozen nominations, Will & Grace never won a Golden Globe Award during its original run.

Ratings[edit]

The show debuted on Mondays beginning on September 21, 1998 and steadily gained in popularity, culminating when it moved to Thursday night as part of NBC's Must See TV line-up. The show ultimately became a highly-rated television show in the United States, earning a top-twenty rating during four of its eight seasons, including one season at # 9. From 2001–2005, Will & Grace was the highest-rated sitcom among adults 18–49. However, when the show lost Friends as its lead-in after the 2003–04 season, Will & Grace began shedding viewers and slipped out of the top 20 during its last two seasons.

"The Finale" drew over 18 million viewers,[53][54] ranking # 8 for the week, easily making it the most watched episode of seasons seven & eight. While the season eight finale is considered a ratings success, it is far from being the most watched episode of Will & Grace—that accolade remains with the season four episode "A Chorus Lie", which aired on February 7, 2002 and ranked #8 for the week. When the show was at the height of its popularity (seasons 3–5), ranking in the Top 10 was a common occurrence, but the finale's Top 10 rank was the only such rank for season 8 and the first such rank since the season 7 premiere "FYI: I Hurt, Too".

Average seasonal ratings[edit]

Season Timeslot (EDT) Season Premiere Season Finale TV season Rank Viewers
(in millions) 		Ref
1 Monday 9:30 P.M. (1–8)
Tuesday 9:30 P.M. (9–17)
Thursday 8:30 P.M. (18–22) 		September 21, 1998 (1998-09-21) May 13, 1999 (1999-05-13) 1998–99 40 12.3 [55]
2 Tuesday 9:00 P.M. September 21, 1999 (1999-09-21) May 23, 2000 (2000-05-23) 1999–2000 44 12.0 [56]
3 Thursday 9:00 P.M. October 12, 2000 (2000-10-12) May 17, 2001 (2001-05-17) 2000–01 14 17.3 [57]
4 September 27, 2001 (2001-09-27) May 16, 2002 (2002-05-16) 2001–02 9 17.3 [58]
5 September 26, 2002 (2002-09-26) May 15, 2003 (2003-05-15) 2002–03 11 16.8 [59]
6 Thursday 9:00 P.M. (1–12, 22–24)
Thursday 8:33 P.M. (13–21) 		September 25, 2003 (2003-09-25) April 29, 2004 (2004-04-29) 2003–04 16 15.2 [60]
7 Thursday 8:30 P.M. (1–21, 23–24)
Tuesday 8:00 P.M. (22) 		September 16, 2004 (2004-09-16) May 19, 2005 (2005-05-19) 2004–05 44 10.0 [61]
8 Thursday 8:30 P.M. (1–9)
Thursday 8:00 P.M. (10–24) 		September 29, 2005 (2005-09-29) May 18, 2006 (2006-05-18) 2005–06 61 8.7 [62]
9 Thursday 9:00 P.M. September 28, 2017 (2017-09-28) April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05) 2017–18 36 8.85 [23]
10 October 4, 2018 (2018-10-04)[63] TBA (TBA) 2018–19 TBD TBD TBD

Cultural impact[edit]

The series was the first prime-time television series on U.S. terrestrial television to star openly gay lead characters, making it the highest-profile presence of LGBT characters on U.S. broadcast television since Ellen's eponymous lead character's coming-out in the 1997 "Puppy Episode". It has also been heralded as responsible for opening the door to a string of gay-themed television programs, such as Queer as Folk, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Boy Meets Boy.

In May 2012, during a Meet the Press interview with host David Gregory, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden cited the series as an influence in American thinking regarding LGBT rights, saying, "I think Will & Grace did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody has ever done. People fear that which is different. Now they're beginning to understand."[64] In the same interview, Biden stated that he was "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex marriage, a statement which was followed on May 9 by President Barack Obama's speaking in favor of it.[65] The day after Obama's statement, series co-creator Mutchnick later told CBS This Morning that Biden had spoken similar words at a private function which Mutchnick and his husband had attended two weeks prior to Biden's statement, although a White House official was cited by CBS This Morning's Bill Plante as asserting that the Meet the Press interview was not a "trial balloon" for the statement.[66] Both Mutchnick and Kohan praised Biden's statement, but were critical of Obama's stance on marriage during the time between Biden's and Obama's statements.[67]

In 2004, the cast of the show were listed in Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters.[68] In 2012, The Washington Post ranked Will & Grace the ninth-best NBC comedy of all time.[69]

In 2014, scripts, props, and set decor from Will & Grace were donated to the National Museum of American History, which is part of the Smithsonian.[70]

Merchandise[edit]

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released all eight seasons of Will & Grace on DVD in Region 1, 2, and 4. The show was re-released and re-packaged on October 3, 2011 on region 2. Universal Studios Home Entertainment will release all future seasons on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Season Ep# Discs Release dates Notes
1 2 4
1 22 4 August 12, 2003 August 30, 2004 2004
  • Reissued on August 29, 2017 by Universal
  • 22 uncut episodes
2 24 4 March 23, 2004 August 30, 2004 2004
  • Syndicated (edited) version "Ben? Her?" appears. However, the full version appears on the complete boxed set and the compilation "Will & Grace: Best of Love & Marriage."
  • Episode listing on box does not match episode listing on discs
  • Episodes on the fourth disc appear out of sequence
3 25 4 September 7, 2004 August 30, 2004 2005
  • "Gypsies, Tramps and Weed" appears as its syndicated version.
  • The "super-size" episode, "Cheaters", appears as the original version, without the extra footage later added for syndication
  • "Cheaters" is incorrectly labeled as "Cheaters, part 1"
  • Various international Season 3 sets feature the syndicated versions of "Cheaters" (in two parts), with the extra footage included.[71]
4 27 4 August 16, 2005 August 30, 2004 2005
  • 27 uncut episodes
5 24 4 August 29, 2006 March 7, 2005 2006
  • The "super-size" episodes, "Women and Children First", "Dolls and Dolls", "May Divorce Be With You", "23", and the season finale "24", appear as the syndicated versions
6 24 4 May 1, 2007 August 15, 2005 2007
  • The "super-size" episodes, "Dames at Sea", "A-Story, Bee-Story" and "Ice Cream Balls", appear as the syndicated versions.
  • Although not a "super-size" episode, "Strangers With Candace" is edited to its syndicated version.
  • The one-hour season finale, "I Do, Oh, No, You Di-in't," is split into two episodes (Parts 1 & 2). However, there is no footage missing.
7 24 4 December 4, 2007 January 30, 2006 2007
  • The episode "Friends With Benefits" is presented in its syndicated cut version. The original version can be found on the 2007 Emmy-consideration promotional DVD.
  • The bloopers in the US have been censored/cut, with approx. 1 minute of footage removed compared to the international editions.
8 24 4 September 16, 2008 August 7, 2006 2008
  • All 24 episodes included in their entirety.
9 16 2 June 12, 2018 TBA TBA
Finale 1 1 May 30, 2006 — —
  • One-hour series finale included in its entirety.
1–8 194 33 September 16, 2008 August 7, 2006 April 30, 2008 Re-packaged discs from the previous releases with a bonus disc containing:
  • A re-hashing of season 8's themed featurettes
  • Eric's favorite episode with commentary by him and Debra Messing
  • Debra's favorite episode with commentary by her and Eric McCormack
  • The Pilot Episode with commentary by Max Mutchinck, David Kohan, and James Burrows
  • A slideshow of stills from over the series' run

Spin-offs[edit]

Karen: The Musical[edit]

It had been announced that Megan Mullally would be creating and starring in a new Broadway musical entitled Karen: The Musical. This musical would have had Mullally reprising her role of Karen Walker. She stated in an interview that the show may also involve recurring guest star Leslie Jordan in his role as Beverley Leslie, with a story revolving around their rivalry.[72]

According to Mullally, the project was cancelled due to the rights to the Karen character being withdrawn. Mullally stated to have already gained approval from the network, as well as having the Broadway production company Fox Theatricals, director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw and composer Jeff Blumenkrantz all lined up to participate in the production, before certain stakeholders in the Karen Walker character withdrew the rights for its use in the production.[73]

Jack & Karen[edit]

There had been talk in 2008 that a spin-off was being developed by NBC entitled Jack & Karen, featuring Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally reprising their roles. Hayes initially showed interest in the spin-off but was ultimately put off by the short-lived Friends spin-off, Joey. Furthermore, Mullally's new work schedule in the form of her talk show, which was canceled several months later, did not allow her to pursue the spin-off at the time.[74]

2016 Election web special[edit]

On September 26, 2016, the main cast—McCormack, Messing, Hayes, and Mullally, plus Morrison in a cameo role—reunited for a 10-minute web special, urging Americans to vote in the 2016 presidential election.[8] In the special, Karen, an avid Donald Trump supporter, tries to persuade Jack to vote for Trump, while Will and Grace, both avid Hillary Clinton supporters, try to persuade him to vote for Clinton. At the end, Will reveals that singer Katy Perry is a supporter of Clinton, which persuades Jack to vote for Clinton.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

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