NBC is looking for a little of that must-see-TV magic, announcing Wednesday the return of “Will & Grace” for a 10-episode limited run.
A Thursday night staple, the multi-cam sitcom debuted in 1998, chronicling the adventures of best friends Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing) and their eccentric friends Jack (Sean Hayes) and Karen (Megan Mullally).
All four actors will be returning for the reprise, as will series creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, who will act as showrunners and executive producers.
The revamp will also see the return of television legend James Burrows, who directed every episode of the series’ original eight-season run, to direct and executive produce.
“We’re thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest, and most defining comedies in NBC history is coming back,” the network’s entertainment chairman, Robert Greenblatt, said in a statement. “This groundbreaking series for everything from gay rights to social and political commentary — all disguised as a high-speed train of witty pop culture — is coming back where it belongs.”
According to Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment, talks with Mutchnick and Kohan about producing new episodes of the show began in September after the cast and crew reunited to film a message to get out the vote.
“Dave and I are absolutely thrilled about the opportunity to write what Will, Grace, Jack and Karen are thinking about in 2017,” Mutchnick said in a statement.
“It was heaven,” Messing told The Times in October after the cast reunited originally. “I mean, it had been 10 and a half years since the four of us had been in the same room together. To come together — literally the original costume designer, the original director, camera operator, it was a true reunion.”
During its original run, “Will & Grace” garnered 83 Emmy Award nominations, winning 16, including accolades for all four stars.
Look for “Will & Grace” to return to NBC during the 2017-18 season.
