Top 5 Facts About the Will & Grace Return

Once word of a “Will & Grace” revival got out, the first question fans inevitably had was whether all the main players would be coming back. Of course, it would have been unthinkable to make the return happen without Will and Grace, not to mention Jack and Karen. Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes will all be reprising their roles, and after seeing the teasers for the new season, it seems the actors have hardly aged since the show went off the air. On top of that, James Burrows, who acted as director for the show’s entire run, will also be back for the new episodes.

After the cast filmed a reunion video related to the 2016 election, buzz began to spread about the possibility of a full revival. In May of 2017, a video was released that acted as a trailer for the upcoming 9th season of the show. The teaser featured a musical number that fans are hoping will foreshadow a possible musical episode in the new season. The fact that Broadway star Ben Platt, who is recognizable for his role in “Dear Evan Hansen,” will guest star might indicate that something musical is taking place in the new season.

The original run of “Will & Grace,” which aired from 1998 to 2006, was considered to be very progressive for its portrayal of the gay community on television. In retrospect, though, many would argue that it didn’t always provide the most authentic or respectful reprsentation of the LGBTQ+ community, and both the cast and creators are looking to change that in the revival. They have been clear about the fact that the new episodes will be expressly political, focusing on humor, but also addressing current events issues in how they affect the characters.

When the “Will & Grace” revivial was first announced, fans were thrilled, but they were forced to temper their excitement because of the fact that it wasn’t even given the full season treatment at only 12 episodes. Because of the positive response the producers received to the news, however, it was soon extended to feature 16 episodes. Then, at the beginning of August, news broke that despite the fact that the first new season had yet to air, NBC had already ordered a second one.

In the “Will & Grace” series finale, which aired in 2006, the creators employed a familiar technique where they made several jumps forward through time to show what our favorite characters were up to at various points in their lives. 20 years after the events of the show, Will and Grace each have spouses and children, meeting again when they’re bringing their kids to college. It’s implied that they haven’t been in each others’ lives for years. The new episodes, however, will ignore this storyline in favor of having the main leads living together again with Jack back as their nextdoor neighbor.