The NBC network has renewed the Will & Grace revival for a third season, it was reported on Saturday. The network has commissioned 18 fresh episodes following the success of the second season. Starring Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally, the sitcom focuses on the relationship between Grace (Messing), a straight interior designer, and her best friend Will (McCormack), who is gay.
The original series ran on NBC from 1998 to 2006.
The show is “among the more successful of the slew of series reboots in recent years”, Variety reported. “The show has averaged a solid 9.8 million viewers and 3.1 rating in the adults 18-49 demo in Nielsen’s live-plus-seven ratings since its fall debut in the Thursday 9 p.m. time slot.”
NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt told Variety, “As far as I’m concerned, we can’t get enough of ‘Will & Grace’ and 23 more episodes is music to my ears. We’re eternally grateful that Debra, Eric, Sean and Megan feel the same way and wanted to keep this good thing going. I’m overwhelmed by the euphoric response the new show has received from the press and the audience, and my hat is off to the unrivaled writing team of Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, as well as the brilliant directing of Jimmy Burrows, for consistently delivering one of the best shows on television.”