Eric McCormack doesn’t believe an actor’s sexuality should get in the way of the characters they play onscreen. The Will & Grace star said this week he feels “the best person for the role” should be cast in all projects, regardless of the actor’s personal identity.
McCormack, who is straight, played protagonist Will, who is gay, on NBC’s beloved Will & Grace. The actor said during a Monday appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain reported by Out magazine that “I didn’t become an actor so that I could play an actor.”
“There’s no part I’ve ever played where I wasn’t playing something I’m not,” McCormack continued. “It’s part of the gig. And I’ve always said, if gay actors weren’t allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over.”
He added, “So this is what we do. I...
McCormack, who is straight, played protagonist Will, who is gay, on NBC’s beloved Will & Grace. The actor said during a Monday appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain reported by Out magazine that “I didn’t become an actor so that I could play an actor.”
“There’s no part I’ve ever played where I wasn’t playing something I’m not,” McCormack continued. “It’s part of the gig. And I’ve always said, if gay actors weren’t allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over.”
He added, “So this is what we do. I...
- 3/19/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Eric McCormack’s wife, Janet Leigh Holden, has filed for divorce from the Will & Grace star after 26 years of marriage.
Holden filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court on November 22, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the cause for separation. She is seeking spousal support and has requested that the court terminate the actor’s eligibility to be awarded spousal support.
McCormack and Holden met on the set of Lonesome Dove in 1994. The couple married in August 1997 and share one son, 21-year-old Finnigan Holden McCormack.
“I met my wife, Janet, in 1994 on the set of a TV series,” McCormack wrote in an essay for The Guardian in 2007. “I was just coming out of a relationship, and not to be trusted. I’d been dating actresses but Janet was different. She wore jeans, drove a pick-up truck.”
“At first, she wasn’t too keen,” he continued. “She knew actors are a...
Holden filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court on November 22, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the cause for separation. She is seeking spousal support and has requested that the court terminate the actor’s eligibility to be awarded spousal support.
McCormack and Holden met on the set of Lonesome Dove in 1994. The couple married in August 1997 and share one son, 21-year-old Finnigan Holden McCormack.
“I met my wife, Janet, in 1994 on the set of a TV series,” McCormack wrote in an essay for The Guardian in 2007. “I was just coming out of a relationship, and not to be trusted. I’d been dating actresses but Janet was different. She wore jeans, drove a pick-up truck.”
“At first, she wasn’t too keen,” he continued. “She knew actors are a...
- 11/28/2023
- by Ava Lombardi
- Uinterview
One small step for NBC made one giant leap for gay representation 25 years ago, when Will & Grace debuted on September 21, 1998. Created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the sitcom starred Eric McCormack as gay lawyer Will Truman and Debra Messing as straight interior designer Grace Adler, Will’s longtime best friend and roommate. But the scene-stealers of the show, arguably, were Sean Hayes as Will’s high-spirited friend Jack McFarland and Megan Mullally as Grace’s very rich, very boozy assistant, Karen Walker. Will & Grace aired eight seasons in its original run — and returned for three more at the end of the 2010s — and “did more to educate the American public” on gay rights “than almost anything anybody has ever done,” as Joe Biden once said on CNN. But the show was also fantastically funny, as the following clips show. A quarter-century after Will & Grace’s debut, these...
- 9/21/2023
- TV Insider
“Will & Grace” broke new ground on television for its depiction of LGBTQ+ characters, and involved the exploits of a group of four friends: Eric McCormack’s Will, Debra Messing’s Grace, Sean Hayes’ Jack and Megan Mullally’s Karen.
However, fans of the show might be surprised to learn that when the pilot was shot, there was a fifth pal thrown in the mix.
McCormack made that revelation during the inaugural episode of “Just Jack & Will”, the new podcast he co-hosts with Hayes (as reported by Deadline).
Read More: Madonna Wore Her Own Wardrobe On ‘Will & Grace’ After Refusing To Wear The Pre-Selected Outfit For Her Cameo
That character, McCormack recalled, was played by actor Cress Williams, who would later go on to star in The CW’s superhero series “Black Lightning”.
Bob Mahoney/The CW © 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved — Bob Mahoney/The CW © 2017 The CW Network,...
However, fans of the show might be surprised to learn that when the pilot was shot, there was a fifth pal thrown in the mix.
McCormack made that revelation during the inaugural episode of “Just Jack & Will”, the new podcast he co-hosts with Hayes (as reported by Deadline).
Read More: Madonna Wore Her Own Wardrobe On ‘Will & Grace’ After Refusing To Wear The Pre-Selected Outfit For Her Cameo
That character, McCormack recalled, was played by actor Cress Williams, who would later go on to star in The CW’s superhero series “Black Lightning”.
Bob Mahoney/The CW © 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved — Bob Mahoney/The CW © 2017 The CW Network,...
- 6/24/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Will & Grace almost had a fifth wheel.
The first episode of the new podcast Just Jack & Will saw the show’s Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes reveal that the pilot featured them, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and – wait for it — Cress Williams.
“There were five characters as regulars,” McCormack recalled. “And the fifth was my partner at my small law firm.” Describing the character as a “straight guy” who was “probably written as Jewish” initially, McCormack claimed that Will’s friendship with Williams’s character was meant to be “just as important” as Messing’s Grace and Hayes’s Jack.
That lasted a beat.
Director James Burrows told Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick that five people was too many. “I felt so terrible,” McCormack said. “It was nothing he did or didn’t do… It just didn’t fit what the show is supposed to be.
The first episode of the new podcast Just Jack & Will saw the show’s Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes reveal that the pilot featured them, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and – wait for it — Cress Williams.
“There were five characters as regulars,” McCormack recalled. “And the fifth was my partner at my small law firm.” Describing the character as a “straight guy” who was “probably written as Jewish” initially, McCormack claimed that Will’s friendship with Williams’s character was meant to be “just as important” as Messing’s Grace and Hayes’s Jack.
That lasted a beat.
Director James Burrows told Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick that five people was too many. “I felt so terrible,” McCormack said. “It was nothing he did or didn’t do… It just didn’t fit what the show is supposed to be.
- 6/24/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
When Max Mutchnick and David Kohan pitched “Will & Grace” to NBC, the pair were tasked with creating a replacement for “Mad About You.”
“We went and wrote a basic heterosexual love story and their neighbors were these two,” Mutchnick said, referring to stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing. “And [former NBC entertainment president] Warren Littlefield, to his credit, said, ‘You two seem to really have a vibe on [those friends] next door.’ That’s how the show came to be. They were part of a different ensemble.”
“Our objective was to write an entertaining show about these people that we knew. That was really it,” Kohan added. “We also weren’t trying to be bold. We were actually trying to just say on the air.”
Initially, McCormack was paired with Marin Hinkle.
“I was given the impression by everybody that they like the two of you together or they don’t and that’s it,...
“We went and wrote a basic heterosexual love story and their neighbors were these two,” Mutchnick said, referring to stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing. “And [former NBC entertainment president] Warren Littlefield, to his credit, said, ‘You two seem to really have a vibe on [those friends] next door.’ That’s how the show came to be. They were part of a different ensemble.”
“Our objective was to write an entertaining show about these people that we knew. That was really it,” Kohan added. “We also weren’t trying to be bold. We were actually trying to just say on the air.”
Initially, McCormack was paired with Marin Hinkle.
“I was given the impression by everybody that they like the two of you together or they don’t and that’s it,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
The “Will & Grace” reboot’s political focus almost cost the hit NBC sitcom its syndication rights, co-creator Max Mutchnick revealed during a 25th anniversary panel discussion at the Paley Center for Media on Monday night.
“What was built into the architecture of the show was that we had Karen who was obviously going to be a Trump supporter. And it’s like, ‘Oh, this will be such a good, fertile place to write.’ And we shot this thing and I sent it to our lawyer and he said, ‘Just get ready to lose all of your syndication,'” Mutchnick said. “There’s a thing that if you change the essence of the show, that it no longer stands for what it originally stood for, then you tamper with the possibility of its earning potential.”
He came up with the idea for the revival while on a trip to London with his husband.
“What was built into the architecture of the show was that we had Karen who was obviously going to be a Trump supporter. And it’s like, ‘Oh, this will be such a good, fertile place to write.’ And we shot this thing and I sent it to our lawyer and he said, ‘Just get ready to lose all of your syndication,'” Mutchnick said. “There’s a thing that if you change the essence of the show, that it no longer stands for what it originally stood for, then you tamper with the possibility of its earning potential.”
He came up with the idea for the revival while on a trip to London with his husband.
- 6/6/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Will & Grace’s 25th anniversary is getting the Paley Museum treatment.
The groundbreaking NBC sitcom will be celebrated with an exhibit at the center’s New York location that will feature costumes, original props and social-media-friendly interactive installations (like Café Jacques). Programming will also include trivia challenges, screenings of classic episodes and arts and crafts activations. The exhibit, which runs June 2-July 9, is timed to serve as the centerpiece of Paley Museum’s Pride Month programming.
It will kick off on June 5 with a special conversation about the show, its impact and legacy that will feature the talent responsible for making it such a beloved piece of television history. The event, The Impact of Will & Grace: 25 Years Later, is set for June 5 and will feature stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing alongside co-creators and executive producers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is on board to moderate.
The groundbreaking NBC sitcom will be celebrated with an exhibit at the center’s New York location that will feature costumes, original props and social-media-friendly interactive installations (like Café Jacques). Programming will also include trivia challenges, screenings of classic episodes and arts and crafts activations. The exhibit, which runs June 2-July 9, is timed to serve as the centerpiece of Paley Museum’s Pride Month programming.
It will kick off on June 5 with a special conversation about the show, its impact and legacy that will feature the talent responsible for making it such a beloved piece of television history. The event, The Impact of Will & Grace: 25 Years Later, is set for June 5 and will feature stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing alongside co-creators and executive producers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is on board to moderate.
- 5/11/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
As 2022 drew to a close, some stars and Hollywood executives leaned into the luxury of staying home for the holidays, while many others ventured further afield to celebrate. Among the hot spots were perennial getaway favorites Aspen, Cabo, Maui and St. Barts along with destinations from Fiji and Taiwan to Dubai and Madagascar. Here are highlights of the Hollywood crowd’s globe-trotting merrymaking.
Home in L.A.
Topping haute L.A. holiday parties was Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s soirée, complete with a gingerbread rendering of their Bel-Air residence, where Kim Kardashian, Jane Fonda, Billie Eilish and Vanessa Hudgens mingled. North West joined Sia to sing “Santa’s Coming for Us” at the Kardashian-Jenner Christmas Eve bash in Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s home in Calabasas, with Machine Gun Kelly, Addison Rae, Charli D’Amelio and Kathy Hilton among guests and red Christmas trees as decor.
As 2022 drew to a close, some stars and Hollywood executives leaned into the luxury of staying home for the holidays, while many others ventured further afield to celebrate. Among the hot spots were perennial getaway favorites Aspen, Cabo, Maui and St. Barts along with destinations from Fiji and Taiwan to Dubai and Madagascar. Here are highlights of the Hollywood crowd’s globe-trotting merrymaking.
Home in L.A.
Topping haute L.A. holiday parties was Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s soirée, complete with a gingerbread rendering of their Bel-Air residence, where Kim Kardashian, Jane Fonda, Billie Eilish and Vanessa Hudgens mingled. North West joined Sia to sing “Santa’s Coming for Us” at the Kardashian-Jenner Christmas Eve bash in Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s home in Calabasas, with Machine Gun Kelly, Addison Rae, Charli D’Amelio and Kathy Hilton among guests and red Christmas trees as decor.
- 12/31/2022
- by Ingrid Schmidt
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Will & Grace fans have Joan Collins to thank for the gift that was Beverley Leslie.
In the wake of Leslie Jordan‘s sudden death this week, former Will & Grace exec producer Jeff Greenstein is revealing the surprising story behind the creation of the late actor’s signature, Emmy-winning role.
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“I’ve been thinking a lot about Leslie Jordan, obviously, reflecting upon his brilliance,...
In the wake of Leslie Jordan‘s sudden death this week, former Will & Grace exec producer Jeff Greenstein is revealing the surprising story behind the creation of the late actor’s signature, Emmy-winning role.
More from TVLineMelissa Villaseñor Reveals Why She Left Saturday Night Live After 6 SeasonsLa Brea Recap: Future Shock -- Plus, Will Eve Ever Get Back Her Shearling?!The Voice's Last Battles Axe (Argh!) Two Especially Promising Contestants
“I’ve been thinking a lot about Leslie Jordan, obviously, reflecting upon his brilliance,...
- 10/26/2022
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Leslie Jordan was one of the most beloved comic actors of his generation, which was more than evident after news of his death in a car accident at age 67 came on Monday. His many celebrity co-stars, friends and admirers and mourned on social media, posting notes about his kindness and humor.
One of Jordan’s best-known credits was playing Beverly Leslie in “Will & Grace.” His co-star Sean Hayes tweeted, “My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him. There will never be anyone like him. A unique talent with an enormous, caring heart. You will be missed, my dear friend.”
My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him. There will never be anyone like him.
One of Jordan’s best-known credits was playing Beverly Leslie in “Will & Grace.” His co-star Sean Hayes tweeted, “My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him. There will never be anyone like him. A unique talent with an enormous, caring heart. You will be missed, my dear friend.”
My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him. There will never be anyone like him.
- 10/24/2022
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
"Will & Grace" premiered on September 21, 1998. Its depiction of gay characters was revolutionary for the time, allowing a wider audience to see the LGBTQ+ community as people with real dreams and desires. Created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the comedy followed interior designer Grace Adler (Debra Messing), Manhattan lawyer Will Truman (Eric McCormack), actor-singer-dancer Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes), and drunken socialite Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) through various shenanigans. Love, life, and friendship are common themes in the show.
As with many of our favorite series, the hilarious saga was rebooted in 2017 with a new storyline largely ignoring the Season 8 finale. That was certainly a brave choice,...
The post The 20 Best Will & Grace Episodes, Ranked appeared first on /Film.
As with many of our favorite series, the hilarious saga was rebooted in 2017 with a new storyline largely ignoring the Season 8 finale. That was certainly a brave choice,...
The post The 20 Best Will & Grace Episodes, Ranked appeared first on /Film.
- 3/31/2022
- by Jason Scott
- Slash Film
As one of the first shows to resume production after the pandemic brought life to a stand-still, the show was learning protocols as they went along. But according to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” producer, Tom Campbell (nominated for Best Competition Program), it was a minor inconvenience that everyone was happy to go along with. “Everyone, I think, was so excited to be back together, to be able to work, that people were very compliant, wore masks, paid attention to the distancing,” he tells Gold Derby in our Meet the Experts: Documentary and Nonfiction panel (watch the exclusive video interview above). It didn’t strike them how seriously they were taking the safety measures until a very secure site became a Covid hotspot. “When we finished our last episode, it was the same time that the Covid invaded the White House and we realized that we had a better Covid protocol at...
- 8/10/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Let’s Make a Deal host Wayne Brady is set to topline an autobiographical hybrid comedy, which is in development at CBS.
Brady is collaborating on the project with his ex-wife, Mandie Taketa, as well as veteran Will & Grace writer-producers Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally.
I hear the untitled comedy written and executive produced by the quartet is about a divorced couple who successfully co-parent in a blended multiracial family. CBS Studios is the studio.
In an interview with Access Hollywood, Brady spoke how his personal experience being part of a blended family during the pandemic helped shape the idea for the series.
He said that he has been spending a lot of time with his ex-wife, her boyfriend and their daughter while in quarantine. “It’s been natural for us. We didn’t need a quarantine to do this, we’ve been doing it for Maile’s whole life,...
Brady is collaborating on the project with his ex-wife, Mandie Taketa, as well as veteran Will & Grace writer-producers Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally.
I hear the untitled comedy written and executive produced by the quartet is about a divorced couple who successfully co-parent in a blended multiracial family. CBS Studios is the studio.
In an interview with Access Hollywood, Brady spoke how his personal experience being part of a blended family during the pandemic helped shape the idea for the series.
He said that he has been spending a lot of time with his ex-wife, her boyfriend and their daughter while in quarantine. “It’s been natural for us. We didn’t need a quarantine to do this, we’ve been doing it for Maile’s whole life,...
- 12/17/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Over 100 actors, directors, writers, and more have signed an open letter protesting tonight’s NBC town hall with Donald Trump. The event is scheduled to begin at 8pm Et and air in direct conflict with ABC’s town hall with Joe Biden. The Trump town hall is set to run for 60 minutes and will cut into the first hour of Biden’s 90 minute town hall. The petition letter is signed by the likes of Seth Rogen, J.J. Abrams, Ava DuVernay, Sarah Silverman, Adam McKay, Kumail Nanjiani, Aaron Sorkin, and more.
“We have been devastated to learn that [NBCUniversal] has chosen to air President Trump’s town hall this Thursday night at 8 p.m., directly opposite Vice President Biden’s town hall,” the petition states. “This is not a partisan issue. This is about the political health of our democracy.
Trump and Biden were originally scheduled to take part in an in-person debate tonight,...
“We have been devastated to learn that [NBCUniversal] has chosen to air President Trump’s town hall this Thursday night at 8 p.m., directly opposite Vice President Biden’s town hall,” the petition states. “This is not a partisan issue. This is about the political health of our democracy.
Trump and Biden were originally scheduled to take part in an in-person debate tonight,...
- 10/15/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Sandy’s ex-wife will be making her presence known on The Kominsky Method: The Netflix comedy has added Kathleen Turner as a series regular for the third and final season, our sister site Deadline reports.
Turner previously guest-starred in a Season 2 episode as Roz Volander, a doctor who has a very volatile relationship with her former husband Sandy (Michael Douglas). The gig extends Turner and Douglas’ on-screen history: The pair starred together in the films Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile and War of the Roses.
More from TVLineKominsky Method Shocker: Alan Arkin Exits Ahead of Third and...
Turner previously guest-starred in a Season 2 episode as Roz Volander, a doctor who has a very volatile relationship with her former husband Sandy (Michael Douglas). The gig extends Turner and Douglas’ on-screen history: The pair starred together in the films Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile and War of the Roses.
More from TVLineKominsky Method Shocker: Alan Arkin Exits Ahead of Third and...
- 10/14/2020
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Childrens Hospital alum Ken Marino, Milan Carter (Dolemite Is My Name), in a recasting, and Juliet Donenfeld (The Big Show Show) are set as series regulars opposite Julie Bowen and Stephanie Koenig in Wilde Things (fka The Big Bad Wolfes), CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Written and exec produced by Kohan and Mutchnick, Wilde Things centers on Frankie Wilde (Bowen), a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time — Quinn (Donenfeld), an 11-year-old girl whom she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister, Mary (Koenig).
Marino will play Joe, Frankie’s friend-with-benefits who is convinced he’s going to be the guy who finally will...
Written and exec produced by Kohan and Mutchnick, Wilde Things centers on Frankie Wilde (Bowen), a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time — Quinn (Donenfeld), an 11-year-old girl whom she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister, Mary (Koenig).
Marino will play Joe, Frankie’s friend-with-benefits who is convinced he’s going to be the guy who finally will...
- 10/13/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Jeremy D. Howard (Black Lady Sketch Show) is set as a series regular opposite Julie Bowen and Stephanie Koenig in The Big Bad Wolfes (fka Please Hold for Frankie Wolfe), CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Written and exec produced by Kohan and Mutchnick, The Big Bad Wolfes centers on Frankie Wolfe (Bowen) a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time — an 11-year-old girl whom she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister, Maria (Koenig).
Howard will play Lenny, Frankie’s (Bowen) off-center, cosmically attuned assistant who also happens to be her AA sponsor. Attracted to “people, not gender,” Lenny balances roles as both doting assistant and harsh critic,...
Written and exec produced by Kohan and Mutchnick, The Big Bad Wolfes centers on Frankie Wolfe (Bowen) a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time — an 11-year-old girl whom she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister, Maria (Koenig).
Howard will play Lenny, Frankie’s (Bowen) off-center, cosmically attuned assistant who also happens to be her AA sponsor. Attracted to “people, not gender,” Lenny balances roles as both doting assistant and harsh critic,...
- 9/8/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Stephanie Koenig (Swedish Dicks) is set as a lead opposite Julie Bowen in The Big Bad Wolfes (fka Raised by Wolves and Please Hold for Frankie Wolfe), CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Written and exec produced by Kohan and Mutchnick, The Big Bad Wolfes centers on Frankie Wolfe (Bowen) a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time — an 11-year-old girl whom she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister, Maria (Koenig).
2020 CBS Pilots & Series Orders
Koenig’s Maria is Frankie’s younger sister. Distracted, brittle, with a history of chronic anxiety, Maria is damaged but trying to be a good person. She comes to...
Written and exec produced by Kohan and Mutchnick, The Big Bad Wolfes centers on Frankie Wolfe (Bowen) a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time — an 11-year-old girl whom she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister, Maria (Koenig).
2020 CBS Pilots & Series Orders
Koenig’s Maria is Frankie’s younger sister. Distracted, brittle, with a history of chronic anxiety, Maria is damaged but trying to be a good person. She comes to...
- 9/1/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
If comedy pilots are hard, bringing an established laffer to a satisfying conclusion is nearly impossible. Yet that’s the task many series, from “The Good Place,” “Fresh off the Boat,” “Silicon Valley” and “Modern Family,” to “Schitt’s Creek,” “Vida” and “Will & Grace” faced this season.
The pressure to end “Vida” unexpectedly with a shortened third season left showrunner Tanya Saracho nauseous at first, she says. But the season overall became the easiest to write because they could “pick the best fruit” of their ideas, she continues. The ending itself was inspired by the song “Luna Llena”; once Saracho heard it, the scribe knew the feeling with which she wanted to leave viewers and the song became the finale pitch.
“A great final season has a feeling of satisfaction,” she says. “It’s an essence. It’s not always story or that the things get resolved. It’s not necessarily a formula.
The pressure to end “Vida” unexpectedly with a shortened third season left showrunner Tanya Saracho nauseous at first, she says. But the season overall became the easiest to write because they could “pick the best fruit” of their ideas, she continues. The ending itself was inspired by the song “Luna Llena”; once Saracho heard it, the scribe knew the feeling with which she wanted to leave viewers and the song became the finale pitch.
“A great final season has a feeling of satisfaction,” she says. “It’s an essence. It’s not always story or that the things get resolved. It’s not necessarily a formula.
- 6/25/2020
- by Amber Dowling
- Variety Film + TV
Will & Grace is one of the most successful comedies in TV history, but according to reports, the final season was almost ruined as a result of an alleged feud between Debra Messing and Megan Mullally.
Series David Kohan and Max Mutchnick teased that there were some issues on the set of the NBC series to Entertainment Weekly.
“It was not an easy year,” Mutchnick admitted, “but the permanent legacy of the show is much more important to us than any temporary squabble that would take place on the stage.”
Mullally was not part of some of the episodes of the series' 11th and final season, with reports stating that her fraught relationship with Messer was to blame.
Still, neither of the actresses have confirmed a feud, so these are just rumors for now.
The creators obviously wanted to stay silent on the reports of a feud between the two stars,...
Series David Kohan and Max Mutchnick teased that there were some issues on the set of the NBC series to Entertainment Weekly.
“It was not an easy year,” Mutchnick admitted, “but the permanent legacy of the show is much more important to us than any temporary squabble that would take place on the stage.”
Mullally was not part of some of the episodes of the series' 11th and final season, with reports stating that her fraught relationship with Messer was to blame.
Still, neither of the actresses have confirmed a feud, so these are just rumors for now.
The creators obviously wanted to stay silent on the reports of a feud between the two stars,...
- 4/27/2020
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The last thing that the creators of Will & Grace could have wanted to do as their NBC hitcom ended its long run last week was discuss rumors of on-set tensions between leading ladies Debra Messing and Megan Mullally. But David Kohan and Max Mutchnick did open up at least a little bit about goings-on behind the scenes in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“It was not an easy year,” Mutchnick admitted, “but the permanent legacy of the show is much more important to us than any temporary squabble that would take place on the stage.”
More from TVLineWill...
“It was not an easy year,” Mutchnick admitted, “but the permanent legacy of the show is much more important to us than any temporary squabble that would take place on the stage.”
More from TVLineWill...
- 4/27/2020
- TVLine.com
Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick titled the revival’s finale “It’s Time” but could have just as easily called it “It’s the Last Time” — because that’s what it was.
In an interview with our sister site Deadline, the duo made clear that there would be no re-revival a few years down the road. “We’re not coming back. There’s no version of us coming back,” said Mutchnick. “David and I don’t want to do it anymore.”
More from TVLineWill & Grace Creators Address Rumors of a Feud: 'It Was Not an Easy Year'Good...
In an interview with our sister site Deadline, the duo made clear that there would be no re-revival a few years down the road. “We’re not coming back. There’s no version of us coming back,” said Mutchnick. “David and I don’t want to do it anymore.”
More from TVLineWill & Grace Creators Address Rumors of a Feud: 'It Was Not an Easy Year'Good...
- 4/26/2020
- TVLine.com
We are headed into what may be the most surreal couple of weeks yet in the TV business during the coronavirus pandemic. The broadcast networks are expected to step up their renewals for next season while also making some straight-to-series orders to (mostly) unproduced pilots.
But, as the Covid-19-related Hollywood shutdown is approaching the two-month mark, there are more cuts looming. Creators and producers, who normally sit by the phone this time of year, anxiously waiting to find out whether their pilot has been picked up or whether their show has been renewed, may be dreading calls from their studios even more this time because it could be the news that their overall deal has been terminated. The force majeure axe is expected to start falling soon, with dozens of writer and non-writing producer pacts possibly suspended or killed.
More from DeadlineJerry Bishop Dies: 'Judge Judy' Announcer...
But, as the Covid-19-related Hollywood shutdown is approaching the two-month mark, there are more cuts looming. Creators and producers, who normally sit by the phone this time of year, anxiously waiting to find out whether their pilot has been picked up or whether their show has been renewed, may be dreading calls from their studios even more this time because it could be the news that their overall deal has been terminated. The force majeure axe is expected to start falling soon, with dozens of writer and non-writing producer pacts possibly suspended or killed.
More from DeadlineJerry Bishop Dies: 'Judge Judy' Announcer...
- 4/25/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
NBC has made some scheduling moves to accommodate the Parks and Recreation Covid-19 benefit special, which airs at 8:30 pm on April 30.
Council of Dads, which was scheduled to air its second episode at 8 pm, will move to 10 pm Et/Pt Thursday, April 30. It will be preceded at 9 pm Et/Pt with an encore of the pilot episode.
More from DeadlineJerry Bishop Dies: 'Judge Judy' Announcer & Radio/Voice-Over Veteran Was 84'Will & Grace' Finale: David Kohan & Max Mutchnick On Ending On Their Terms For The Final Time & Teasing Grace's Baby's Father'Superstore' Season Finale: America Ferrera, Showrunners Talk Navigating Unexpected Shortened Season, Return Of Amy And Season 6
Council of Dads had its series premiere on March 24 following the season finale of This Is Us, then went back on the bench until its scheduled April 30 return. Going forward, the series will air at 8 Pm Thursdays, beginning May 7.
Blindspot will now premiere...
Council of Dads, which was scheduled to air its second episode at 8 pm, will move to 10 pm Et/Pt Thursday, April 30. It will be preceded at 9 pm Et/Pt with an encore of the pilot episode.
More from DeadlineJerry Bishop Dies: 'Judge Judy' Announcer & Radio/Voice-Over Veteran Was 84'Will & Grace' Finale: David Kohan & Max Mutchnick On Ending On Their Terms For The Final Time & Teasing Grace's Baby's Father'Superstore' Season Finale: America Ferrera, Showrunners Talk Navigating Unexpected Shortened Season, Return Of Amy And Season 6
Council of Dads had its series premiere on March 24 following the season finale of This Is Us, then went back on the bench until its scheduled April 30 return. Going forward, the series will air at 8 Pm Thursdays, beginning May 7.
Blindspot will now premiere...
- 4/24/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the few questions that was left unanswered by Thursday’s series finale of Will & Grace — who is the father of Grace’s baby? — has now been answered. Well, sort of.
Speaking with our sister site Deadline, the long-running NBC comedy’s creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick revealed that they knew exactly who ought to be passing out cigars. That they didn’t let viewers in on the secret, Kohan said, “was intentional.”
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Speaking with our sister site Deadline, the long-running NBC comedy’s creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick revealed that they knew exactly who ought to be passing out cigars. That they didn’t let viewers in on the secret, Kohan said, “was intentional.”
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- 4/24/2020
- TVLine.com
It’s all over for the second time for Will & Grace, as hugs, tearful goodbyes and an empty apartment ushered out the second era for the sitcom.
The cast and creators have taken to social media to bid fans a real-life goodbye after the televised version. We’ll add more as they roll in, but leads Debra Messing and Eric McCormack have already weighed-in.
More from Deadline‘Will & Grace’ Finale: David Kohan & Max Mutchnick On Ending On Their Terms For The Final Time & Teasing Grace’s Baby’s Father'Will & Grace' Series Finale Date Set; NBC Also Will Air Retrospective SpecialHollywood And Fans Pay Tribute To 'Will & Grace's Shelley Morrison
Here’s a few of the goodbyes:
One final bow. ❤️ #WillAndGraceFarewell pic.twitter.com/Aev4F3qvT4
— Will & Grace (@WillAndGrace) April 24, 2020
The time has come! Thank you all for making these #WillandGrace years the most memorable ones.
The cast and creators have taken to social media to bid fans a real-life goodbye after the televised version. We’ll add more as they roll in, but leads Debra Messing and Eric McCormack have already weighed-in.
More from Deadline‘Will & Grace’ Finale: David Kohan & Max Mutchnick On Ending On Their Terms For The Final Time & Teasing Grace’s Baby’s Father'Will & Grace' Series Finale Date Set; NBC Also Will Air Retrospective SpecialHollywood And Fans Pay Tribute To 'Will & Grace's Shelley Morrison
Here’s a few of the goodbyes:
One final bow. ❤️ #WillAndGraceFarewell pic.twitter.com/Aev4F3qvT4
— Will & Grace (@WillAndGrace) April 24, 2020
The time has come! Thank you all for making these #WillandGrace years the most memorable ones.
- 4/24/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: The story includes details about the finale of NBC’s Will & Grace
Will and Grace have left their apartment for the final time.
More from Deadline'Will & Grace' Cast, Creators Bid A Heartfelt Farewell To Its Fans After Series Finale'Superstore' Season Finale: America Ferrera, Showrunners Talk Navigating Unexpected Shortened Season, Return Of Amy And Season 6'Parks And Recreation' Returns To NBC As Cast Reunites For Benefit Special Amid Pandemic
“We’ve always just been Will and Grace,” says Debra Messing’s Grace. “That’s ok. Maybe we’ve been Will and Grace long enough,” adds Eric McCormack’s Will. Then just as the pair, joined by Megan Mullally’s Karen and Sean Hayes’s Jack, head for the door, Grace reveals she is about to go into labor.
The final episode of the NBC sitcom, written by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, consists of a few false alarms by Grace.
Will and Grace have left their apartment for the final time.
More from Deadline'Will & Grace' Cast, Creators Bid A Heartfelt Farewell To Its Fans After Series Finale'Superstore' Season Finale: America Ferrera, Showrunners Talk Navigating Unexpected Shortened Season, Return Of Amy And Season 6'Parks And Recreation' Returns To NBC As Cast Reunites For Benefit Special Amid Pandemic
“We’ve always just been Will and Grace,” says Debra Messing’s Grace. “That’s ok. Maybe we’ve been Will and Grace long enough,” adds Eric McCormack’s Will. Then just as the pair, joined by Megan Mullally’s Karen and Sean Hayes’s Jack, head for the door, Grace reveals she is about to go into labor.
The final episode of the NBC sitcom, written by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, consists of a few false alarms by Grace.
- 4/24/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: This article contains details about the season five finale of Superstore.
Due to the pandemic and the subsequent shut down of Hollywood, Cloud 9 had to close its doors earlier than expected. Yup, the NBC comedy Superstore had to cut its fifth season short — and it threw a wrench in the plans considering America Ferrera was going to bid farewell as the character of Amy.
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Even so, co-showrunners Jonathan Green and Gabe Miller managed to make it work and give Ferrera’s Amy part one of a goodbye that will eventually go into season six.
In the episode titled “California Part 1”, the story centers on Amy,...
Due to the pandemic and the subsequent shut down of Hollywood, Cloud 9 had to close its doors earlier than expected. Yup, the NBC comedy Superstore had to cut its fifth season short — and it threw a wrench in the plans considering America Ferrera was going to bid farewell as the character of Amy.
More from Deadline'Will & Grace' Finale: David Kohan & Max Mutchnick On Ending On Their Terms For The Final Time & Teasing Grace's Baby's Father'Parks And Recreation' Returns To NBC As Cast Reunites For Benefit Special Amid Pandemic'Saturday Night Live' To Air Second 'At Home' Broadcast
Even so, co-showrunners Jonathan Green and Gabe Miller managed to make it work and give Ferrera’s Amy part one of a goodbye that will eventually go into season six.
In the episode titled “California Part 1”, the story centers on Amy,...
- 4/24/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
[This story contains spoilers from the series finale of Will & Grace, "It's Time."]
There aren't many series that get the chance to say goodbye for a second time. On Thursday night, Will & Grace — a staple of NBC's "Must-See TV" block in the '90s that came back with a three-season revival — joined that elite television club.
After an 11-season and 246-episode run, the Emmy-winning David Kohan and Max Mutchnick sitcom delivered a series finale that both embraced the future for starring duo Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing), and righted their ...
There aren't many series that get the chance to say goodbye for a second time. On Thursday night, Will & Grace — a staple of NBC's "Must-See TV" block in the '90s that came back with a three-season revival — joined that elite television club.
After an 11-season and 246-episode run, the Emmy-winning David Kohan and Max Mutchnick sitcom delivered a series finale that both embraced the future for starring duo Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing), and righted their ...
- 4/23/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Fourteen years after originally saying goodbye to Jack (Sean Hayes), Karen (Megan Mullally) and the titular “Will & Grace”, series co-creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are delivering quite the do-over of a series finale.
The NBC sitcom first signed off in May 2006, after an eight-year run that included amassing 16 Emmy Awards wins. The show had featured dating ups and downs for its titular characters that culminated in them being in loving romantic relationships and raising children of their own but no longer in each other’s lives. It wasn’t until the final minutes of that finale episode (aptly titled “The Finale”) for the duo to reunite, thrust back together by chance when their teenage kids moved into dorm rooms across the hall from each other.
“The first time, it felt like we were doing this thing that we were quote-unquote supposed to do, which was to send them...
The NBC sitcom first signed off in May 2006, after an eight-year run that included amassing 16 Emmy Awards wins. The show had featured dating ups and downs for its titular characters that culminated in them being in loving romantic relationships and raising children of their own but no longer in each other’s lives. It wasn’t until the final minutes of that finale episode (aptly titled “The Finale”) for the duo to reunite, thrust back together by chance when their teenage kids moved into dorm rooms across the hall from each other.
“The first time, it felt like we were doing this thing that we were quote-unquote supposed to do, which was to send them...
- 4/23/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
While broadcast networks struggle to decide what to do with all the TV series that didn’t manage to finish production on their current seasons before the coronavirus outbreak forced them to wrap things up early, they’re simultaneously trying to sort out the situation with their shows that aren’t even shows yet, a.k.a. pilots.
During “TheWrap’s Survival Guide for TV Pilot Season” webinar on Tuesday, TheWrap’s TV editor Tony Maglio spoke with “Will & Grace” creator Max Mutchnick, “Arrow” star Katherine McNamara and “Good Girls” producer Carla Banks-Waddles about the state that each of their respective broadcast pilots were in when the Covid-19 pandemic grounded filming on all the potential series earlier this month — and how they’re trying to keep working on those projects during the shutdown.
McNamara is in a different boat than both Banks-Waddles and Mutchnick, not just because she’s...
During “TheWrap’s Survival Guide for TV Pilot Season” webinar on Tuesday, TheWrap’s TV editor Tony Maglio spoke with “Will & Grace” creator Max Mutchnick, “Arrow” star Katherine McNamara and “Good Girls” producer Carla Banks-Waddles about the state that each of their respective broadcast pilots were in when the Covid-19 pandemic grounded filming on all the potential series earlier this month — and how they’re trying to keep working on those projects during the shutdown.
McNamara is in a different boat than both Banks-Waddles and Mutchnick, not just because she’s...
- 4/1/2020
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
This time it’s really ending. NBC has set 9 p.m. Thursday, April 23, for the series finale of Will & Grace and will precede it with a half-hour retrospective special.
Hosted by Eric McCormack, the look back also will include reactions from Will & Grace fans and celebrities who will share stories about what the show — which originally aired from 1998-2006 and whose revival launched in 2017 — has meant to them. The special will chronicle the series’ guest stars and its history-making moments from over the years, including the first male-to-male kiss on network television. Elton John and Norman Lear also will appear.
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Hosted by Eric McCormack, the look back also will include reactions from Will & Grace fans and celebrities who will share stories about what the show — which originally aired from 1998-2006 and whose revival launched in 2017 — has meant to them. The special will chronicle the series’ guest stars and its history-making moments from over the years, including the first male-to-male kiss on network television. Elton John and Norman Lear also will appear.
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- 3/26/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Julie Bowen might not be off your TV screen for long: The two-time Emmy winner and Modern Family star has signed on to play the lead in the CBS comedy pilot Raised by Wolves, according to our sister site Deadline.
Bowen will star as crisis manager Frankie Wolfe, a highly successful career woman whose life is turned upside down when she adopts an 11-year-old girl and raises her, with help from Frankie’s nervous wreck of a sister. Frankie is described as “a totally put-together powerhouse whose aggressive, blunt-talking style belies the damage incurred by literally being raised by Wolfes,...
Bowen will star as crisis manager Frankie Wolfe, a highly successful career woman whose life is turned upside down when she adopts an 11-year-old girl and raises her, with help from Frankie’s nervous wreck of a sister. Frankie is described as “a totally put-together powerhouse whose aggressive, blunt-talking style belies the damage incurred by literally being raised by Wolfes,...
- 3/6/2020
- TVLine.com
Julie Bowen will topline the CBS multi-camera comedy pilot “Raised by Wolves,” formerly titled “Please Hold for Frankie Wolfe.”
In the show, a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager’s (Bowen) world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time—an 11-year-old girl who she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister.
Bowen’s character, Frankie Wolfe, is described as a successful, totally put-together powerhouse whose aggressive, blunt-talking style belies the damage incurred by literally being raised by Wolfes (Barbara and Arnie).
The news comes as Bowen prepares to sign off of the critically-acclaimed ABC comedy “Modern Family,” which is about to conclude after 11 seasons on the network in April. Bowen won two Emmy Awards for best supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on the show in addition to directing two episodes.
In the show, a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager’s (Bowen) world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time—an 11-year-old girl who she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister.
Bowen’s character, Frankie Wolfe, is described as a successful, totally put-together powerhouse whose aggressive, blunt-talking style belies the damage incurred by literally being raised by Wolfes (Barbara and Arnie).
The news comes as Bowen prepares to sign off of the critically-acclaimed ABC comedy “Modern Family,” which is about to conclude after 11 seasons on the network in April. Bowen won two Emmy Awards for best supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on the show in addition to directing two episodes.
- 3/6/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
“Modern Family” star Julie Bowen has signed on to star in the CBS comedy pilot “Raised by Wolves.”
The role follows her 11-season run starring on ABC’s “Modern Family,” which will air its season finale on April 8.
Written by “Will & Grace” duo Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, “Raised by Wolves” centers on a successful and fiercely independent crisis manager’s world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time–an 11-year-old girl who she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister.
Also Read: Isla Fisher to Star in CBS All Access Dark Comedy Series 'Guilty Party'
Bowen’s character, Frankie Wolfe, is described as “a successful, totally put-together powerhouse whose aggressive, blunt-talking style belies the damage incurred by literally being raised by Wolfes (Barbara and Arnie).”
Bowen has earned...
The role follows her 11-season run starring on ABC’s “Modern Family,” which will air its season finale on April 8.
Written by “Will & Grace” duo Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, “Raised by Wolves” centers on a successful and fiercely independent crisis manager’s world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time–an 11-year-old girl who she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister.
Also Read: Isla Fisher to Star in CBS All Access Dark Comedy Series 'Guilty Party'
Bowen’s character, Frankie Wolfe, is described as “a successful, totally put-together powerhouse whose aggressive, blunt-talking style belies the damage incurred by literally being raised by Wolfes (Barbara and Arnie).”
Bowen has earned...
- 3/6/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Modern Family star Julie Bowen has been tapped as the lead in Raised By Wolves (fka Please Hold For Frankie Wolfe), CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan and Universal TV.
I hear CBS and Universal TV landed Bowen in a premium deal that would pay the two-time Emmy winner $250,000+ an episode.
Written and exec produced by Kohan and Mutchnick, Raised By Wolves centers on Frankie Wolfe (Bowen), a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time—an 11-year-old girl who she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister.
Bowen’s Frankie is a totally put-together powerhouse whose aggressive, blunt-talking style belies the damage incurred by literally being raised by Wolfes (Barbara and Arnie).
I hear...
I hear CBS and Universal TV landed Bowen in a premium deal that would pay the two-time Emmy winner $250,000+ an episode.
Written and exec produced by Kohan and Mutchnick, Raised By Wolves centers on Frankie Wolfe (Bowen), a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time—an 11-year-old girl who she adopts and raises with the occasional help of her fragile, nervous wreck of a sister.
Bowen’s Frankie is a totally put-together powerhouse whose aggressive, blunt-talking style belies the damage incurred by literally being raised by Wolfes (Barbara and Arnie).
I hear...
- 3/6/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Modern Family star Julie Bowen has lined up her next TV role,
Bowen will star in a CBS comedy pilot from Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. She will play a crisis manager who adopts an 11-year-old girl in Raised by Wolves, which hails from Universal TV.
The multicamera pilot, formerly called Please Hold for Frankie Wolfe, centers on Bowen's character, Frankie, a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time — an 11-year-old girl she adopts and raises with the ...
Bowen will star in a CBS comedy pilot from Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. She will play a crisis manager who adopts an 11-year-old girl in Raised by Wolves, which hails from Universal TV.
The multicamera pilot, formerly called Please Hold for Frankie Wolfe, centers on Bowen's character, Frankie, a very successful and fiercely independent crisis manager whose world is turned upside down when she decides to let someone into her life for the first time — an 11-year-old girl she adopts and raises with the ...
CBS Orders 4 Comedy Pilots From Corinne Kingsbury, Frank Pines, Kohan & Mutchnick And Port & Wiseman
CBS made the bulk of its comedy pilot orders Tuesday with nods to four projects from established writers and producers. That includes a multi-camera mother-daughter project from Fam and In the Dark creator Corinne Kingsbury and Spider-Man: Homecoming writers John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein, Trill TV and Kapital Entertainment; multi-camera Please Hold For Frankie Wolfe, from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan; multi-camera siblings comedy The Three of Us, from writer Frank Pines (The New Adventures of Old Christine) and Fulwell 73; as well as single-camera Ghosts from New Girl alums Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, an adaptation of the British series.
Of the four two, the Kingsbury/Daley/Goldstein project and The Three of Us are produced by CBS TV Studios. Ghosts, which was developed by Lionsgate through its deal with BBC Studios and was sold to CBS as a co-production with CBS TV Studios, will now...
Of the four two, the Kingsbury/Daley/Goldstein project and The Three of Us are produced by CBS TV Studios. Ghosts, which was developed by Lionsgate through its deal with BBC Studios and was sold to CBS as a co-production with CBS TV Studios, will now...
- 2/5/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS has picked up three more multi-camera pilots and one single-camera comedy pilot for the 2020-2021 season.
The first hails from writers and executive producers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, the co-creators of “Will & Grace.” Their CBS pilot is titled “Please Hold for Frankie Wolfe.” Wolfe is described as an unfiltered, irreverent, powerful businesswoman with no personal life. When Frankie’s impossibly fragile and neurotic sister, Tommie, abandons Quincy – an incredibly bright inner-city child who Tommie attempted to foster – Frankie is faced with the choice of taking him in or casting him back out. Universal Television will produce the project.
The next pilot is an untitled comedy from executive producers and writers Corinne Kingsbury, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein. Kingsbury most recently created the CW series “In the Dark,” while Daley and Goldstein are best known for writing the screenplay for the blockbuster Marvel film “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
In the pilot,...
The first hails from writers and executive producers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, the co-creators of “Will & Grace.” Their CBS pilot is titled “Please Hold for Frankie Wolfe.” Wolfe is described as an unfiltered, irreverent, powerful businesswoman with no personal life. When Frankie’s impossibly fragile and neurotic sister, Tommie, abandons Quincy – an incredibly bright inner-city child who Tommie attempted to foster – Frankie is faced with the choice of taking him in or casting him back out. Universal Television will produce the project.
The next pilot is an untitled comedy from executive producers and writers Corinne Kingsbury, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein. Kingsbury most recently created the CW series “In the Dark,” while Daley and Goldstein are best known for writing the screenplay for the blockbuster Marvel film “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
In the pilot,...
- 2/5/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Demi Lovato is taking on the mother of all Will & Grace roles — and we have an exclusive first look at the actress-singer’s very first scene.
Making her debut in the NBC sitcom’s winter premiere on Thursday, Jan. 9 (9:30/8:30c), Lovato plays a young woman on wannabe papa Will’s very short list of potential surrogates. Despite Jenny’s stellar reviews, Will begins to have doubts about her maternal abilities after visiting her at home (watch her first scene above).
More from TVLineSNL: TVLine Readers Rank Every Season 45 Episode, From Worst to BestMidseason Report Card: What Are NBC's Best and Worst Rated Shows?...
Making her debut in the NBC sitcom’s winter premiere on Thursday, Jan. 9 (9:30/8:30c), Lovato plays a young woman on wannabe papa Will’s very short list of potential surrogates. Despite Jenny’s stellar reviews, Will begins to have doubts about her maternal abilities after visiting her at home (watch her first scene above).
More from TVLineSNL: TVLine Readers Rank Every Season 45 Episode, From Worst to BestMidseason Report Card: What Are NBC's Best and Worst Rated Shows?...
- 12/27/2019
- TVLine.com
The Will & Grace cast is saying goodbye all over again.
The NBC comedy first said goodbye in 2006 when the original series concluded after 8 seasons.
However, the series made a splashy return to the air in 2017, and the series will end its run in 2020.
This week, filming wrapped on the series finale, and members of the cast and crew took to social media to respond to the final curtain.
“And that’s a wrap from Stage 22 on the backlot of Universal Studios,” Hayes captioned a photo with co-stars Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Eric McCormack.
“What a glorious end to an amazing experience. Thanks to all of the fans. This was all for you.”
View this post on Instagram
And that’s a wrap from Stage 22 on the backlot of Universal Studios. What a glorious end to an amazing experience. Thanks to all of the fans. This was all for you.
The NBC comedy first said goodbye in 2006 when the original series concluded after 8 seasons.
However, the series made a splashy return to the air in 2017, and the series will end its run in 2020.
This week, filming wrapped on the series finale, and members of the cast and crew took to social media to respond to the final curtain.
“And that’s a wrap from Stage 22 on the backlot of Universal Studios,” Hayes captioned a photo with co-stars Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Eric McCormack.
“What a glorious end to an amazing experience. Thanks to all of the fans. This was all for you.”
View this post on Instagram
And that’s a wrap from Stage 22 on the backlot of Universal Studios. What a glorious end to an amazing experience. Thanks to all of the fans. This was all for you.
- 12/19/2019
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The cast of “Will and Grace” took to social media Sunday night to share their heartbreak of the death of one of their own — Shelley Morrison, who played Karen’s maid, Rosario.
“My heart is heavy,” wrote Megan Mullally, who worked the closest with Morrison for the seven seasons she was on the show.
just got a bulletin on my phone that shelley morrison has passed. my heart is heavy. putting shelley, her beloved husband walter & their children in the light. thank you for your friendship & partnership, shell. you accomplished wonderful things in this world. you will be missed. pic.twitter.com/WeLGrWlRye
— Megan Mullally (@MeganMullally) December 2, 2019
Also Read: Shelley Morrison, 'Will and Grace' Star, Dies at 83
Morrison died Sunday of heart failure after a brief illness at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, her publicist said in a statement. She was 83.
“Oh, Shelley… what a loss,” Debra Messing posted on Instagram,...
“My heart is heavy,” wrote Megan Mullally, who worked the closest with Morrison for the seven seasons she was on the show.
just got a bulletin on my phone that shelley morrison has passed. my heart is heavy. putting shelley, her beloved husband walter & their children in the light. thank you for your friendship & partnership, shell. you accomplished wonderful things in this world. you will be missed. pic.twitter.com/WeLGrWlRye
— Megan Mullally (@MeganMullally) December 2, 2019
Also Read: Shelley Morrison, 'Will and Grace' Star, Dies at 83
Morrison died Sunday of heart failure after a brief illness at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, her publicist said in a statement. She was 83.
“Oh, Shelley… what a loss,” Debra Messing posted on Instagram,...
- 12/2/2019
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
Shelley Morrison, who passed away Sunday at the age of 83, was best known for playing Karen Walker’s (Megan Mullally) opinionated maid Rosario Salazar during the original run of the Emmy-winning NBC comedy.
Morrison made her debut as Rosario in the season one finale. She quickly became a fan favorite and was promoted to a series regular at the start of Season 3, the only actor ever to join the original series regular quartet of Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Mullally and Sean Hayes. Morrison briefly reprised her role on the 2016 election-themed Will & Grace reunion video, which led to the series’ revival on NBC.
While the creators wanted Morrison to be in the new seasons, she had retired from acting. “It was with a heavy heart that she gave us that information and that we received it,” Will & Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick said in August 2017.
The series wrote off Rosario...
Morrison made her debut as Rosario in the season one finale. She quickly became a fan favorite and was promoted to a series regular at the start of Season 3, the only actor ever to join the original series regular quartet of Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Mullally and Sean Hayes. Morrison briefly reprised her role on the 2016 election-themed Will & Grace reunion video, which led to the series’ revival on NBC.
While the creators wanted Morrison to be in the new seasons, she had retired from acting. “It was with a heavy heart that she gave us that information and that we received it,” Will & Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick said in August 2017.
The series wrote off Rosario...
- 12/2/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Shelley Morrison, who played Karen Walker’s sharp-tongued yet endearing maid Rosario Salazar on “Will & Grace” from 1999-2006, has died. She was 83.
Morrison died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from heart failure after a brief illness, Morrison’s publicist, Lori DeWaal, told The Associated Press.
Rosario, who hailed from El Salvador, was originally written to appear in just one episode of the hit NBC series, but her dynamic with Megan Mullally’s Karen resonated so well with audiences that the charater went on to appear in 68 episodes over eight seasons of the original series. According to co-creator Max Mutchnick, Morrison was asked to reprise her role for the revival of “Will & Grace,” but had decided to retire from acting completely.
Sean Hayes, who played Jack McFarland on “Will & Grace,” remembered Morrison in an Instagram post.
“She was absolutely hilarious and had the biggest heart,...
Morrison died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from heart failure after a brief illness, Morrison’s publicist, Lori DeWaal, told The Associated Press.
Rosario, who hailed from El Salvador, was originally written to appear in just one episode of the hit NBC series, but her dynamic with Megan Mullally’s Karen resonated so well with audiences that the charater went on to appear in 68 episodes over eight seasons of the original series. According to co-creator Max Mutchnick, Morrison was asked to reprise her role for the revival of “Will & Grace,” but had decided to retire from acting completely.
Sean Hayes, who played Jack McFarland on “Will & Grace,” remembered Morrison in an Instagram post.
“She was absolutely hilarious and had the biggest heart,...
- 12/2/2019
- by Erin Nyren
- Variety Film + TV
The Glsen Respect Awards – Los Angeles took place on Friday at the Beverly Wilshire.
Octavia Spencer at The Glsen Respect Awards - Los Angeles
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images
Among those who attended the event were Glsen Executive Director Eliza Byard, Honorees Octavia Spencer (Inspiration Award), Apple CEO Tim Cook (Champion Award), the cast and producers of the Warner Bros. Television/The CW television series “Riverdale” including Madelaine Petsch (Gamechanger Award), and Amazon Studios Chief Jennifer Salke (accepting the Visionary Award on behalf of Amazon Studios), Elle Smith (Student Advocate of the Year); Presenters and additional special guests including Kalen Allen, Jonathan Bennett, Shannon Beveridge, Bruce Bozzi, Raymond Braun, Connor Franta, August Getty, Liv Hewson, Our Lady J, Jeffrey & Marilyn Katzenberg, Juan Ramon Law-Valdez, Chelsea Kane, Judith Light, Mary McCormack, Max Mutchnick & Erik Hyman, Melissa Peterman, Glen Powell, and Cammie Scott.
The Glsen Respect Awards, introduced in 2004 and held annually in Los Angeles and New York,...
Octavia Spencer at The Glsen Respect Awards - Los Angeles
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images
Among those who attended the event were Glsen Executive Director Eliza Byard, Honorees Octavia Spencer (Inspiration Award), Apple CEO Tim Cook (Champion Award), the cast and producers of the Warner Bros. Television/The CW television series “Riverdale” including Madelaine Petsch (Gamechanger Award), and Amazon Studios Chief Jennifer Salke (accepting the Visionary Award on behalf of Amazon Studios), Elle Smith (Student Advocate of the Year); Presenters and additional special guests including Kalen Allen, Jonathan Bennett, Shannon Beveridge, Bruce Bozzi, Raymond Braun, Connor Franta, August Getty, Liv Hewson, Our Lady J, Jeffrey & Marilyn Katzenberg, Juan Ramon Law-Valdez, Chelsea Kane, Judith Light, Mary McCormack, Max Mutchnick & Erik Hyman, Melissa Peterman, Glen Powell, and Cammie Scott.
The Glsen Respect Awards, introduced in 2004 and held annually in Los Angeles and New York,...
- 11/5/2019
- Look to the Stars
Glsen, the leading education organization working to create safe and inclusive K-12 schools for Lgbtq youth, is proud to announce that Elle Smith (they/them), a high school senior from Round Rock, Texas, will be honored as the 2019 Student Advocate of the Year at this year’s Glsen Respect Awards – Los Angeles.
Glsen’s Student Advocate of the Year Award honors an outstanding young person who has helped create a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students and has served as a voice of change in their school and community. Smith joins previously announced honorees Octavia Spencer (Inspiration Award), Apple CEO Tim Cook (Champion Award), the cast and producers of the Warner Bros. Television/The CW television series “Riverdale” (Gamechanger Award), and Amazon Studios Chief Jennifer Salke (accepting the Visionary Award on behalf of Amazon Studios). The Glsen Respect Awards – Los Angeles will take place on Friday, October 25 at the Beverly Wilshire.
Glsen’s Student Advocate of the Year Award honors an outstanding young person who has helped create a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students and has served as a voice of change in their school and community. Smith joins previously announced honorees Octavia Spencer (Inspiration Award), Apple CEO Tim Cook (Champion Award), the cast and producers of the Warner Bros. Television/The CW television series “Riverdale” (Gamechanger Award), and Amazon Studios Chief Jennifer Salke (accepting the Visionary Award on behalf of Amazon Studios). The Glsen Respect Awards – Los Angeles will take place on Friday, October 25 at the Beverly Wilshire.
- 10/18/2019
- Look to the Stars
Will & Grace fans were given some reasons to celebrate on Tuesday:
1. The show's final season premiere date has been moved up from midseason to This month.
2. One of the major characters are with child.
Mere moments after the network dropped the bomb that Will & Grace Season 11 was coming off the bench following the cancellation of Sunnyside, the official trailer dropped.
The trailer in question drops quite the bombshell on fans as Grace realizes that she's pregnant.
Despite having a meltdown on a subway to a random stranger, the soon-to-be mother quickly changes focus and realizes that this is a positive thing for her.
But Jack just can't seem to refrain from lobbing some age jokes at her. Oh yes, Grace's initial concern with being pregnant was that she felt she was too old to carry a child.
Related: Sunnyside Canceled as Will & Grace Final Season Gets Earlier Return Date...
1. The show's final season premiere date has been moved up from midseason to This month.
2. One of the major characters are with child.
Mere moments after the network dropped the bomb that Will & Grace Season 11 was coming off the bench following the cancellation of Sunnyside, the official trailer dropped.
The trailer in question drops quite the bombshell on fans as Grace realizes that she's pregnant.
Despite having a meltdown on a subway to a random stranger, the soon-to-be mother quickly changes focus and realizes that this is a positive thing for her.
But Jack just can't seem to refrain from lobbing some age jokes at her. Oh yes, Grace's initial concern with being pregnant was that she felt she was too old to carry a child.
Related: Sunnyside Canceled as Will & Grace Final Season Gets Earlier Return Date...
- 10/16/2019
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Mere moments after NBC announced it was bringing Will & Grace off the bench early, the network revealed the big twist at the center of the sitcom’s farewell season: Grace is pregnant.
As we reported late Tuesday, Will & Grace‘s 11th and final season — which was originally slated to premiere at midseason — will now launch on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 9:30 pm, filling the void left by ill-fated rookie sitcom Sunnyside. A subsequent promo announcing the new, earlier return date contained the pregnancy bombshell and teased the ensuing fallout (basically Grace is freaking out about being a first-time mom so...
As we reported late Tuesday, Will & Grace‘s 11th and final season — which was originally slated to premiere at midseason — will now launch on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 9:30 pm, filling the void left by ill-fated rookie sitcom Sunnyside. A subsequent promo announcing the new, earlier return date contained the pregnancy bombshell and teased the ensuing fallout (basically Grace is freaking out about being a first-time mom so...
- 10/16/2019
- TVLine.com
This week’s upcoming fourth episode of new NBC comedy Sunnyside will be the last on the linear network. Starting the following Thursday, October 24, NBC will debut the 11th and final season of Will & Grace in Sunnyside‘s Thursday 9:30 Pm slot.
NBC has ordered an additional episode of Sunnyside, bringing its order from 10 to 11. The remaining seven episodes will air weekly on the NBC app, other digital platforms and NBC.com. The series currently is in production on Episode 9 and will complete all 11 episodes.
Sunnyside opened to a 0.4 18-49 rating and 1.78 million viewers in L+Sd, numbers that had never been seen for a Big 4 in-season scripted series debut.
Especially with its comedies, NBC is playing the long game, searching for another The Good Place — a smart, single-camera comedy that is a modest linear performer but a digital hit and has the markings of another streaming blockbuster down...
NBC has ordered an additional episode of Sunnyside, bringing its order from 10 to 11. The remaining seven episodes will air weekly on the NBC app, other digital platforms and NBC.com. The series currently is in production on Episode 9 and will complete all 11 episodes.
Sunnyside opened to a 0.4 18-49 rating and 1.78 million viewers in L+Sd, numbers that had never been seen for a Big 4 in-season scripted series debut.
Especially with its comedies, NBC is playing the long game, searching for another The Good Place — a smart, single-camera comedy that is a modest linear performer but a digital hit and has the markings of another streaming blockbuster down...
- 10/16/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
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