Will & Grace coming back to NBC for 10 episodes in 2017-2018

‘Will and Grace’ Revival Officially a Go at NBC »

 

What's the record for a TV show coming back after X seasons off the air?

 

Maybe The X-Files? 14 Years.

 

Coach made a new pilot that was not picked up. this was 2-3 years ago. I think the show ended about 20 years ago

 

It's funny to me that actor Leslie Jordan ("Beverley Leslie" in the show) announced that Will & Grace was coming back two weeks ago, then that was fervently denied... and now it's officially coming back for 10 shows.

 

I'm excited to see if it's restored to the quality of the first five seasons. But 2017 is very different time in comparison to 1997 -- they cannot rely on the outdated stereotypes to get them through a plot anymore. They can't have Will hugging his romantic interests and then focus the show on Grace's love life. If they do that, it will be real shame. Because while the show was ground-breaking at the time, it quickly felt patronizing and like they were just making fun of a community that really didn't need it.

 

The short reunion "episode" they made a few months ago was fantastic, and I wasn't even a fan of the show.

 

I thought it was okay. Megan was particularly on point.

 

Shouldn't they have sorted out their 'relationships' by now? If not that's sad, rather than funny.

 

I loved the part where Jack opened the fridge and asked; "why does the food look ten years old".....too funny!

 

The finale was seriously horrible. One of the worst endings I've ever seen.

 

So why only 10 episodes? I'm guessing this is a test to see if it will still hold water in today's world.

 

My wife will be pleased as long as they don't try to beat her over the head with politics. I never cared for the show myself. Too many stereotypes that are definitely dated now.

 

This is why I'm so skeptical.

That show relished in his shameless abuse of the gay stereotype while simultaneously focusing almost solely on Grace and her story arc.

 

Doctor Who? It was off the air from 1989-2005 (minus the '96 one-off movie)

 

The might 'Twin Peaks' is back in May after 25 years. I have my coffee and cherry pie ready.

 

That could be part of it. But I think it's more about how short episode runs are just the norm now, especially for "reboot" sort of situations like this.

Some network shows still get the traditional 21-25 episodes. But even stuff like "The Walking Dead" only gets 16 (essentially split into two 8-episode seasons), and stuff like "Bates Motel "and "Better Call Saul" are ten episodes per season as well.

The X-Files season last year was only six episodes; leaving everyone confused as to whether to call it "Season 10" or a "Season" at all, or a mini-series, or an "Event Series" (which is essentially just a lame modern way to say "Mini-Series"), or a "Limited Series", and so on.

 

My wife will be thrilled.

 

I'll Tune in, hope Karen is still in it..mind they all Crack Me up..

 

I enjoyed seeing the characters again in the ten minute video they made but ten episodes.... like 24 and The X-Files and Prison Break, Will & Grace was totally played out by the time they ended it, so I don't know what their chances are of being able to bring new life to it.

Plus, to do this they have to disregard the events of the final episode, in which Will and Grace had a falling out and didn't speak for twenty years, until their kids met at college. (It will have only been eleven years since the show went off the air).

 

I'll only be interested if Jack is now a bear and having a real sex life.
Actually, I'll be watching. Despite the stereotype problems (which didn't bother me as much back then) it was funny for a good part of its run.

 

I really liked the continuation of Dallas. There was a 21 year gap between the finale and the new series, even with 2 or 3 reunion films between.

 

It's weird to think Dallas was still on the air in the early 90s. It was still going while Twin Peaks was running.

 

It's just something they're doing for fun/nostalgia. They're not trying to revive it as an ongoing thing.

 

Almost every TV show uses stereotyping, simply because it's a faster way to tell a joke. Even Seinfeld used it to a certain extent (Jerry being a stereotypical clean freak, George being stereotypically neurotic, etc.). The difference lies in how the stereotypes are portrayed -- is the show saying "All gay people act this way", or is the show saying "This is how one stereotypical gay person acts"? What made it work on Will & Grace is that Jack's stereotypical behavior is balanced out by Will's non-stereotypical behavior. We see a similar dynamic on The Big Bang Theory, where Sheldon is given many stereotypical traits, while Leonard has a more balanced (and realistic) personality. The humor lies in the contrast between the two. And we're able to laugh at Sheldon's antics without thinking "All scientists act that way."