NBC is all set for the return of "Will & Grace." Eleven years after the show bowed out of television, viewers will once again be able to watch Will (Eric McCormack), Grace (Debra Messing), Karen (Megan Mullally) and Jack (Sean Hayes) when the show's limited run debuts this coming fall. NBC originally ordered 10 episodes for the "Will & Grace" revival last January. In confirming the show's return back then, the network also announced its plans to air the limited episodes during the 2017-2018 season.
Then, in April, NBC increased the episode order to 12, adding that "Will & Grace" will air on Thursday nights.
Network Chairman Bob Greenblatt expressed via Deadline that he's expecting that this limited run won't be the last. "It’s my hope that we will have more than that,” Greenblatt said.
Is there a musical in the revival?
NBC won't confirm whether the revival (technically the show's ninth season), will feature musical numbers or musical episodes. A teaser showing the cast filming the revival's episode 105 suggested the possibility, but a longer teaser is expected to reveal more details in the coming week.
Series creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan are back, running the show for the revival. James Burrows, who was the director of the show's eight-season run from 1998 to 2006, is also returning as director and executive producer.
Must-see-TV Thursday returns
NBC plans to pair "Will & Grace" in the Thursday timeslot with another comedy series, "Great News," which comes from the team behind "30 Rock." "Great News" scored a second season renewal last week. The show, which debuted on the network last April, features Briga Heelen and Andrea Martin in the lead roles, along with Adam Campbell, Nicole Richie and John Michael Higgins.
NBC also plans to move its hit drama series "This is Us" from its former Tuesday timeslot to Thursday nights when it returns for a second season in the fall. Capping off the night's schedule will be the new series "Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders" from Dick Wolf Productions. The network's decision marks the return of Must-See-TV Thursdays.
Must-See-TV Thursdays gave rise to NBC's strongest programming.
It brought hit shows like "Friends," "Seinfeld," "Frasier," "E.R." "L.A. Law," "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Will & Grace" from the 1990s to the 2000s. Must-See-TV Thursdays, however, lost its sizzle after 2013.
