Will and Grace—and Jack and Karen—will return. Again. NBC announced the revival of the series, which has yet to debut, has been renewed for for a second installment of 13 episodes next season.
The cast and creators were on hand for the 2017 TCA summer press tour and addressed the biggest question about the revival: What about the finale? The finale featured the main characters, drifted apart, with kids and living their own lives. Forget that.
"I kind of think the very…that was more or less a fantasy, it was a projection, that episode, into the future," David Kohan said. He said they looked at what they missed, which was the core of the show. "And I think what we missed was the dynamic between the four of them more than we missed the possibility of what their lives would be like as parents."
"We never would've gone in that direction if we thought we weren't ending the show," Max Mutchnick said.
"Happy endings aren't really funny," Eric McCormack said. "We just took part out that little part at the end."
Will and Grace, the characters, haven't been living together since the show ended and something will bring them together (and the finale will be addressed).
"We think we came up with the right way to do that. We just want to hold off on telling you exactly what that is...but it's not anything that's going to surprise you," Mutchnick said.
The first season has also been expanded to 16 episodes. The genesis of the revival was the election PSA the cast filmed in secret. Megan Mullally revealed within 45 minutes of being asked to do the PSA, they all had said yes.
"I mean, when we all came together and read, it felt like coming home. We laughed so hard. For the last year, at least I'll speak for myself, it's been a confusing time and I haven't laughed very much...It's just a crazy, beautiful thing that's happened," Debra Messing said about returning to the world of Will & Grace.
And yes, the series will get topical. They will address Donald Trump and Messing said the "T" in "LGBT."
"When we started it, it was revolutionary to have two gay characters," Messing said. "My hope is that now we can finish the alphabet with gender identity…"
Regarding Trump, it won't be constant bashing. After all, Karen Walker is a friend of the president in the show's universe.
"I think we're lucky that we have this built into the show—we have a Trump supporter, and it's not just that one voice ... oh wow, we can really speak to the world through these voices and not have to change this architecture," Mutchnick said.
As for the fan-favorite dynamic between Sean Hayes' Jack and Megan Mullally's Karen, it just picked right back up.
"It's like riding a bike," Hayes said. "It's so easy. Fits like a glove."
"I think the main difference is that we have to stretch," Mullally cracked.
Take a look at what you missed with Will & Grace in the promo above.
Will & Grace premieres on Thursday, Sept. 28 on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)