Break out the sweater vests and sharpen your sarky retorts - Hit US sitcom Will & Grace is set to return to for a limited 10-episode comeback on American television later this year. Can the Friends reunion be far behind?
Will & Grace, which won 16 Emmy Awards during its eight year run, ended in 2006 and followed the lives of four bitchy and bickering friends in New York.
It starred Eric McCormack as gay lawyer Will Truman and Debra Messing as Grace Adler, a straight interior designer. Their best friends were played by Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland and Megan Mullally as wealthy, alcoholic socialite Karen Walker.
All four original stars are lined up to reprise their roles in 10 new episodes, which will air during the 2017 to 2018 season on NBC. A teaser trailer for the reunion includes references to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's divorce and the recent US Presidential Election.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Sean Hayes said: “It is with great excitement that I can confirm and OFFICIALLY announce here today that Will & Grace is coming back for a 10-episode limited run on @NBC during the 2017/18 season."
Last September the cast reunited to record a sketch in support of Hillary Clinton.
In a statement NBC says that original series creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan will act as show runners and executive producers. TV veteran James Burrows, who directed all 188 episodes of Will & Grace during its initial eight-year run and who also worked on Taxi and Cheers, is also back on board to direct and executive produce.
“We’re thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest, and most defining comedies in NBC history is coming back,” said NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt. “This groundbreaking series for everything from gay rights to social and political commentary - all disguised as a high-speed train of witty pop culture - is coming back where it belongs.”
Will & Grace debuted in 1998 and became the highest-rated sitcom with adults aged 18 to 49 between the years 2001 to 2005. The last series in 2006 attracted an audience of more than 18 million.
