NBC's revival of the hit sitcom Will & Grace will be bidding farewell to the network after season 3. The show first aired in 1998, running for eight seasons until 2006, and followed the lives of Will Truman (Eric McCormack), Grace Adler (Debra Messing), Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes), and Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) as they navigate life and love in New York City. The series broke new ground for sitcoms during its initial run as it was one of the only shows at the time to feature gay characters and consistent gay themes. It helped pave the way for future LGBTQ+ characters on television, and continued to be a positive and uplifting presence in television during its run.
The series has long been praised by critics and audiences alike, including the Will & Grace revival in 2017. Ratings skyrocketed and Emmy nominations flooded the talented comedic actors at its heart following the reboot's first season, proving that Will & Grace was still beloved by many and as relevant as ever. Originally, a reboot wasn't in the cards, but after a viral video made its rounds on the internet with the cast reuniting to tout Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, a conversation was sparked. Will & Grace was renewed for seasons 2 and 3, while still airing its first, averaging a mega-successful 9.8 million viewers overall in Live+7 ratings.
Unfortunately, Will & Grace will be coming to an end after its third season. McCormack took to Twitter to announce the news, stating, "We're taking this one out like we brought it in: with love, laughs, gratitude... and on our own terms." He added in that season 3, or season 11 of the series in its entirety, will be their, "grand finale... and it's gonna be FANTASTIC." The tweet included a side-by-side of the cast, smiling in the first picture then sporting sad faces in the second. Check out the sweet sayonara here:
McCormack's comments about bringing the series to an end on their own terms is a powerful statement, as the series' initial run was cancelled due to low ratings. Recently, NBC's other awards player The Good Place was announced to be coming to an end as well following its fourth season due to declining ratings. Even though the latter received positive reviews, and consistently remained one of the most positively reviewed shows currently airing, it's difficult for a network series to keep up with the changing landscape of television and the growing presence of streaming services.
Unlike a variety of shows, Will & Grace's final run was one that they could bring to a close in the way that they wanted. The success of their series, including its revival, gave them the opportunity to carry out the show's finale in a way they saw fit, which is a rare thing for a series to experience. The competitive nature of streaming services has become a tumultuous flood of content that's occasionally too difficult for network television to keep afloat in. Thankfully, Will & Grace has proven that network television still has some surprises up their sleeve, and people are more than willing to come back for more when it's done well and right.
Source: Eric McCormack