Tonight, April 23: ‘Will & Grace’ Series Finale; NBC Also Will Air Retrospective Special

I have always enjoyed W&G. Funny show, great acting and writing. I will miss it. I wish it weren't ending. Even when it slipped a bit particularly with this baby theme, which has not been my favorite. But overall, it was a great show for many years. Cheers to Will, Grace, Jack and Karen, honey!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Eric McCormack, tell us, will there be a second reboot of Will & Grace at some future time?

[quote] "We'll have to be fed our lines through an earpiece probably and be held up by people off camera. It's hard to imagine that we could better what we did, particularly this season. I love season three of this reboot. But never say never! Last time we did the show, the word reboot wasn't even a word."

[quote]Last time we did the show, the word reboot wasn't even a word.

Yes, it was, you moron.

I tried to watch but if became insufferable. It's time for it to die....

About damn time that nasty ass gas bag Deb Messing gets axed.

I honestly didn’t mind this past season. It was season two of the reboot that I really disliked. They should’ve brought Gary Janetti back for the reboot. His take on Will and Grace had a lot more bite and was hipper. Mutchnick and Kohan have a really dated sense of humor, hence the reliance this time around on “kooky” side characters like Esteban.

I was surprised it was the finale already because I heard that Megan Mullally was missing two episodes of the season and she’s been in every one so far. I guess they went back and reshot scenes with her.

"great writing"?

420 was 3 days ago and you're still high as a kite. This season, much like the original ending was STALE.

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[quote] Retrospective on the entire series

Isn't that called syndicated reruns

Did they do a montage with this playing?

For the first time since all the behind the scenes drama came out, I can sense some real tension between Mullally and her co-stars, especially Deb. She’s always in the side of the screen during group shots and looks like she’s even cowering a bit.

The main issue with the reboot is that Will and Grace haven’t grown at all. They’re the exact same people they were in 1998. Obviously sitcoms can’t reinvent the wheel but a complete lack of growth in 20 years?

Not to mention the writers unintentionally seem to be screaming that they’ll be AWFUL parents.

Rosario’s goodbye was perfect. I’ll give them that.

Wow, what an anti climatic end.

R13. No one ever changes. On TV or in real life. But they were funny. Sad to see it come to an end.

Would Karen have ever worked as a spin-off on her own? I love her.

R16 probably not. The funny sidekick usually doesn’t work as the central focus.

I thought the series finale was years ago

I wanted to see Stan

R18. It was. This is the revival finale. A “more honest” one, per the creators.

Someone take Mutchnik’s computer away.

I never really saw the point of the third season of this reboot. I think I laughed twice (maybe) during all those episodes. This "revival" got progressively worse with each passing season. Well, at least the four leads made some money off going through the motions. When you manage to make the characters of Karen and Jack extremely dull, nothing else needs to be said.

Well, they tried to tie up some loose ends.

The script literally said that the show ends with the lead gay male getting his Prince Charming. (Viewers had complained about Will's lies visible love life.)

They also finally explained the origins of that painting and who it portrays.

I was kind of hoping that the show would end with Queen's "You're My Best Friend" like it ended last time. It would have been a sly reference to the first finale.

I wish there would have been a reference to Rosario. (I'm not seeing much in the retrospective, either.)

[quote]The script literally said that the show ends with the lead gay male getting his Prince Charming. (Viewers had complained about Will's lies visible love life.)

That was one part I definitely could have done without. Will's this hung up over a guy who ran out on him and refers to HIMSELF as Prince Charming? Give me a break. In the original series with Vince I could believe a happily-ever-after. McCoy will get run over by a bus while captivated by his own reflection in a store window.

Overall though, I thought it was better than the previous finale. The characters demonstrated growth and Will & Grace's core friendship remained strong.

The 1/2 hour "retrospective" was not as interesting as the real story of the creation of Will and Grace. The DailyBeast covered some of this history in 2017-

Mullally didn't like the Karen character and had a plan to change it.

[quote] Mullally was originally so unenthused by the Karen role she almost didn’t show up for the audition. After getting cast, she instantly thought the now-signature high-pitched voice would be perfect for the character, but knew she would be fired immediately if she did it in the pilot. So she slowly dialed up Karen’s voice over the course of the first season, estimating that it was around Episode 10 that it hit its now-recognizable peak.

Eric McCormack left the show (briefly) before the pilot aired

[quote]There was a blip in which McCormack, worried about his career being limited if he was defined as the gay guy from that sitcom, withdrew from the show. (Though not for long.) In the end, it was the perfect marriage of character and actor, even if he had to shake some nerves first. “Most of my friends were gay,” he says. “I was called gay from an early age by the assholes at school. It was always a world and role that I felt very comfortable in. I played a number of gay characters before Will. While taking on the title character and all of that was nerve-wracking at the time, it was a very easy fit for me. And it got easier and easier.”

Some network execs were skeptical

[quote] Internally, NBC’s West Coast president, Don Ohlmeyer, would scoff at the project as Grace & Gay, which was hardly a vote of confidence to the young writers. It would’ve been crippling, if they weren’t so simultaneously sure it could work.

The pilot was a hit internally before it aired

[quote] The funny thing is that when NBC first tested the series and showed the pilot’s opening scene, in which Will and Grace are on the phone both talking about how attractive they think George Clooney is, audiences didn’t realize the character was gay. That was how unlikely it was at that time for a male lead of a sitcom to be a gay.

[quote] Any nerves that might have given Kohan and Mutchnick—or Littlefield, who was championing the show at the executive level—pause passed when James Burrows, the Taxi and Cheers legend, gave the series his blessing by requesting to direct the pilot. (And, eventually, the entire series, including the revival.) When Littlefield finally screened the first episode for executives, they gave it a standing ovation. One suit told him it was the best thing the network had ever done.

more a link

I counted 17 producers in the opening and closing credits, but only two writers – – the creators, Mutchnick and Kohan, and so the series limped across the finish line, out with the proverbial whimper...

What a daring ending. Having Grace die in childbirth? Oh my god--and they actually made it funny! And having Jack's career as dancer end with him hit by a cab the very night he's to finally dance on Broadway? Could this finale pack any more surprises? Yes! Will hospitalized with a torn anus which gangrenes and requires amputatiom? I loved Karen's jokes about THAT

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to continue shoving cans of Lysol up my ass, per Trump's direction. Covid-19, you know.

The retrospective went on and on about how influential they were. I would have preferred they held back some on the self praise and showed more funny clips.

Is Grace’s caftan a shoutout to DL?

Messing and McCormack have such incredible chemistry together. One of the casting jackpots of all time.

The producers were considering Nicolette Sheridan(!) for Grace.

It was SOCIETY’S fault the first ending was a shitshow. —The Writers

"This ending was a little bit more honest to the characters," Mutchnick tells The Hollywood Reporter of Will and Grace's series-finale decision to move upstate and out of New York City in order to raise their children together — in a house with two master bedrooms, allowing room for Will to rekindle his relationship with McCoy (Matt Bomer) and a future partner for Grace. "We were making stuff up the first time around. And this felt like, the world had changed, we had changed, and the characters therefore were going to change."

Noting that the somewhat unconventional ending would not have been as well-received 14 years ago, Mutchnick explains, "The first time around, we felt a little bit more beholden to the traditions of family dynamics and tableaus. And the truth is, the best family tableau is the one that works best for you — and that’s what we’re going to give Will and Grace. Now, we’re a little bit more evolved and we realized: No, this is how they would actually do it."

The original series finale, which aired in 2006, ended with a rift between Will and Grace, who didn't rekindle their friendship until 20 years later when their grown kids meet at college. This time, not only did Kohan and Mutchnick give their starring duo a happier and more evolved ending, but they also reunited Karen (Megan Mullally) with her ex-husband Stanley and gave Jack (Sean Hayes) his big Broadway debut.

Blah blah blah

Will & Grace was the very first show to start the whole reboot thing. And it only came about because the cast got together in 2016 to film a "Get out the vote" short piece for the presidential campaign that year. The piece went onto YouTube, and was an enormous hit with millions of hits. It was after that, they the writers and the cast agreed that maybe getting together to shoot the show again. The set had been on display at Emerson College in Boston. The college had to give up the set at some point, which coincided with the Vote/PSA done by the W&G cast. It was then that one of the shows creators was talking to Megan and between the two of them suggested that perhaps they could bring the show back.

I'm so glad they did. It still ranks as one of the best. I wish it were staying on the air--but without the baby story line.

I bet they squeeze another couple of seasons. They’ll send Megan and Deb to bitchiness management classes and they’ll do a suprise announcement. It was starting to hit its old stride so it would be good to see if they could keep it going for another 1 or 2.

I loved the original W&G. The reboot was pretty bad, but it was getting there towards the end.

llll

The reboot got WORSE as it went on, not better.

And Matt Bomer looked oddly inserted into his scene.

The ending seemed kind of rushed.

I can't believe that in the retrospective they only showed 3 seconds of Beverly Leslie.

Not that he needs it, He has become a social media megastar all by himself.

"Will & Grace was the very first show to start the whole reboot thing. "

[r32], I'm glad you enjoyed it, but it definitely wasn't the first. The X-Files and Full House reboots started at the beginning of 2016. Not to mention Leave It to Beaver was rebooted back in the 80s, and it could be argued The Brady Bunch was rebooted several times, in various incarnations.

The article posted above also rightly points out Arrested Development was originally rebooted in 2013.

R32, Will & Grace was absolutely not the first show to be rebooted.

Arrested Development was rebooted in 2013 X-Files was rebooted in 2016 Full(er) House was rebooted in 2016 Heroes was rebooted in 2015 Dallas was rebooted in 2012 Hawaii 5-0 was rebooted/re-envisioned in 2010

Will & Grace was hardly a trailblazer when it came to rebooting shows. In fact, it came along in peak reboot season along with other fare like Prison Break, Dynasty and 24:Legacy.

r7, the two episodes Mullally missed were "What a Dump" (the episode which, as the title indicates, revolved around Grace having an embarrassing bowel movement--sigh) and "Of Mouse and Men" earlier this season.

It was telling that she didn't say anything about the finale on social media today (while the rest of the cast and creators naturally did).

R41 I'd blocked the bowel episode from my memory, thanks!

I didn't see why they thought it was believable that Deb Messing would get pregnant at her age

The father is a mystery for the next reboot.

That was a great final episode. it was the old W&G. The writing, comedy and acting were back. I still don't like the baby plot line. But I loved the show. The retrospective was a nice final touch. I'm going to miss the show. It was great. Very entertaining. I wish it could continue. The reboot was still mostly good until this final season when there were a few episodes that weren't so funny. And I didn't like reading about the cast not getting along at the end. But they were great together. Their chemistry was perfect.

Loved the nod to Mary Tyler Moore with the group character hug in the second to last scene, and then Will returning to grab the photo off the wall, turn off the light to the apartment and shut the door for the last time.

Bring 'em back. When is the next reboot?!

Hi Debra!

Kind of sad. It's the end of an era. Well done. Thanks for years of great TV.

[quote] Will & Grace was the very first show to start the whole reboot thing.

Apparently this guy missed the 1998 Love Boat reboot.

I see what you did there, R42.

It would have been better if they showed Grace and Demi give birth and the Will and Grace holding their babies.

Frau at R50!

Which begs the question, if Will and Grace are going to live together in the same house with their babies, why didn't they do in-vitro with Grace's eggs (apparently they're still viable) and Will's sperm? I know they originally planned to do this in the series' original run.

I still think the baby storyline (twice in the same season!) is a cop-out. Why not just have four adult friends satisfied with living together? And, moving away to the suburbs? Another cop-out.

What happened at the end? Will turned straight and knocked up Grace? Isn’t this what they wanted to do at the end of the original show’s run?

So the next reboot is going to be like Lucy in Connecticut, right? The I Love Lucy tribute episode was a wink wink to the viewers?

Please go away and don't ever come back.

I like the way the show made fun of itself with the lack of continuity about Jack's job history.

Speaking of which, what happened to Will and Grace working together in the second to last season?

I’d watch a reboot if they’re all in the same retirement home, Golden Gays. Will mistakes Viagra for his arthritis meds. Merriment ensues.

One of the limpest series finales ever. Who gave a fuck abput that stupid painting? Why was I forced to see the horrifying Estefan again? Was the scene with Will and Bomer filmed on the same planet as the rest of the cast? Bomer, btw, looked "off". Good riddance.

[quote] One of the limpest series finales ever.

Totally agree.

[quote] The producers were considering Nicolette Sheridan(!) for Grace.

Personally I think Sheridan could probably have carried the role at least as well as Deb and based on her work on Desperate Housewives probably even better

But really Eric was probably a better choice to the runner up.

It was down to two actors to play the main male role in the sitcom. It was between Eric McCormack (who is straight in real life) and Scottish actor John Barrowman (who is gay in real life).

According to Barrowman, who went on to play Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood, he missed out on the role because he was deemed “too straight” by the producers.

“That’s what they told me,” said Barrowman.

“They said I was too straight to play the part. That was supposing that all gay men act in the same way, which isn’t true anyway. I was just being myself.”

Sheridan seemed like an ideal Alexis but the writers put all of the effort into the Fallon character leaving her rudderless.

Barrowman has probably had the better overall career.

Did Will and Grace marry each other?

One of the producers said in 2005 they wanted to have Will start dating women because, you know, it's like a switch we flip on and off. "We've never gone there, so maybe..." as the producer said.

How many children do they have together? See, all it takes is one good woman to straighten out any homosexual man!

I accidentally turned it on last night and had to turn it off, all they do is yell their lines.

How Debra Messing's "Pain in the Ass" contract clause (sort of) saved the final season of Will & Grace-

[quote] Debra Messing's "pain-in-the-ass" contract stipulating filming be completed by Christmas unexpectedly saved the Will & Grace series finale from the pandemic: "Oh my God, thank God. It would have been the most unfinished feeling to not get to the end of this season," Max Mutchnick says, referring to the coronavirus shutdown. "Thank God Debra had it in her contract that we had to be done by Christmas. I finally found the silver lining in that really pain-in-the-a** clause. (Laughs) We did run into trouble with the retrospective that's airing right after the finale. We weren't finished with that and that was not easy to get to the finish line with the world shut down."

I find their comment that this time they had the more "satisfying" ending insulting. Instead of having those two deeply flawed co-dependent people grow up and form long-lasting meaningful relations and families, the pathetic gay guy finally finds true happiness with his annoying fag hag so that they can both inflict their craziness on those two poor children?? Are Kohand and Mutchnick for real when they can claim something like that with a straight face??

VF's take on the revival.

i bet they are attempting to do a Golden Gays kind of a thing with them moving to the burbs. That might be pretty funny. Two New Yorkers trying to adjust to rich upstate NY mom competition.

Nicolette Sheridan would never in ten trillion years be able to play Grace because she is not the type of woman who would ever have dating problems. She'd be married to a billionaire in Season 1 and the show would be over.

John Barrowman as Will makes me shudder. What a mistake that would have been.

Maybe MM was annoyed that DM set the tone for the contract stipulations, that she got to wield so much power over the rest of the ensemble like she was Lucille Ball or something.

The Fraus got the HEA they wanted after all. Will has been ex-gayed and living with Grace as loving parents.

Sickening.

Why did Deb want the filming to be over by Christmas? They started every new seasonof the reboot in August so I assume she's had that clause from the beginning.

NO it wasn't that funny these three season but it was very pleasant to see these characters again.

Glad they came back.

THAT’S THE BEST KIND OF SITCOM ACTING, R63

Nobody better do any Messing with Deb's holiday time.

Barrowman would have been great. McCormack was Canadian milquetoast.

Now I see why Thomas Haden Church thought Debra Messing acted uppity. (not his exact wording but close enough).

////

Anyone else surprised at how pretty Debra Messing was in the early days of the show? I’d forgotten.

I would’ve liked to have seen Will and Grace struggle as new, old parents and also acclimating to suburbia. It would’ve been better than the same recycled storylines that littered the first two seasons of this reboot.

I know Mutchnick said this is the last word, but I would still like the show come back and preferably without his hacky writing.

R78, what a terrible idea. Please never rise again, Will and Grace.

What was so pressing in Messing's schedule that she had to stop filming by Christmas? Why did everyone bow down to her? I can see why MM thought she was a bully.

Also we didn't really need to hear that it was Messing's call about when the show had to wrap up, the producer was really throwing shade at her by disclosing that.

Non Spoiler Ahead!!!

Lucifer?

Oh that’s so stupid, R81. Just fucking tell us. In my head, it’s Woody Harrelson, who I thought she had the best chemistry with and was probably the best match for her.

They turned Nathan into a villain with the way he dumped Grace with no explanation.

They could have had Grace pull an Ashley Abbott and secretly use Will's leftover sperm from season 5.

Will secretly went to Europe and fucked Grace?

Jack was a sperm donor for Rosie.

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Vanity Fair for the win R66

The Vanity Fair writer must be on DL.

"Perhaps most mind-bogglingly of all, the revival’s final-season premiere last fall found Grace going on a trip, having unprotected sex, and becoming pregnant accidentally—just as she did in the show’s first final season, back in 2006. This plotline was plausible 15 years ago, when Grace was in her early 30s. Now, though, Grace is supposed to be 48—and based on what we know about her horrible diet and aversion to exercise, she probably has the body of a sexagenarian."

/////

Plainly she ran into Matt Damon doing a movie in Europe

91 posts & no one mentions that the show that had the Cheers director had a ripoff Cheers ending

with the lead credits white guy worried about a picture on the wall (when he is finally alone) & then turns out the lights on the set?

I got to turn off the lights.

R93. It was a Mary Tyler Moore ending. There was the group hug, and then Will going back into the apartment to grab the picture...and then look around the apartment, turn off the light and close the door. The same as Mary did when she took one final look at the newsroom if WJM, turned off the light and closed the door.

One of them should have plummeted to their death off the balcony.

Yes, W&G was the first series reboot with the original cast picking up and continuing the show as if the original series hadn’t ended. They weren’t the parents, grandparents or different characters, they were the same characters as the original. A reboot of a series is different than a one- or two-off reunion show...or like bringing back Dynasty or Dallas but with an all-new cast playing the original roles.

The Will & Grace reboot was the original characters playing the same characters on the same set (same apartment) with the same writers and director.

R95 Who/What is WJM?

[quote][R95] Who/What is WJM?

WJM was the Minneapolis TV station where Mary worked. I think it was Channel 12, wasn't it?

[quote]Speaking of which, what happened to Will and Grace working together in the second to last season?

That turned out to be about as tenable a situation as you’d expect, so Will got a job teaching Law at NYU.

[quote] Lucifer?

That would explain the miracle pregnancy with the seven-month first trimester and sudden ballooning to full term over three weeks! Hope they prepared the nursery with chew toys and raw meat!