The buzz surrounding the upcoming Will & Grace revival has reached such as fever pitch that NBC announced plans to bring the show back for a second season.
The second season of the revival will be 13 episodes long. There’s no word yet on when it will arrive on the NBC schedule. The upcoming return of Will & Grace will be on September 28. The revival was originally slated for 12 episodes, but it was extended to 16. Shooting will begin later this month. Show creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, who sued the network back in 2003 over rights, will return to work on the program.
The original run of Will & Grace from 1999 to 2005 was one of NBC’s most successful shows in their history. The show won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2000, and each of its four main stars have earned at least one Emmy for their work. Plans for the revival started after a surprise reunion of the cast to promote the 2016 Presidential election.
Aside from its ratings, Will & Grace made a strong impact on the gay community. This was the first major sitcom to feature gay characters in lead roles, and it helped bring in a plethora of gay-themed shows on cable television. While Ellen came out during her ’90s sitcom, the show instantly dropped in ratings and was cancelled. Former ABC president Robert Iger said that it was “too much” for the public to see a gay character ever single week. Former Vice President Joe Biden was a major fan of Will & Grace and what it did for the country. “I think Will & Grace did more to educate the American public more than almost anything anybody has done so far. People fear that which is different. Now they’re beginning to understand,” he told Meet The Press in a 2012 interview.
