NBC RENEWS EMMY-WINNING COMEDY 'WILL & GRACE' FOR EIGHTH SEASON AND NAMES SERIES' VETERANS GARY JANETTI, TRACY POUST AND JON KINNALLY AS NEW EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

NBC RENEWS EMMY-WINNING COMEDY 'WILL & GRACE' FOR EIGHTH SEASON AND NAMES SERIES' VETERANS GARY JANETTI, TRACY POUST AND JON KINNALLY AS NEW EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

BURBANK -- May 3, 2005 -- NBC has renewed its Emmy Award-winning comedy "Will & Grace" (Thursdays, 8:30-9 p.m. ET) from NBC Universal Television Studio for an eighth season -- and has named former co-executive producers Gary Janetti ("Will & Grace"), Tracy Poust ("Will & Grace") and Jon Kinnally ("Will & Grace") as new show-running executive producers, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment.

"It's incredibly exciting to have this ground-breaking, Emmy-winning comedy back for another season," said Reilly. "We're also thrilled that 'Will & Grace' veterans Janetti, Poust and Kinnally can use their experience with the series to continue the show's critical and popular success."

Janetti previously was a co-executive producer and supervising producer on "Will & Grace." Before joining the NBC series three years ago, Janetti developed for 20th Century Fox TV, where he created a pilot for Cheri Oteri. He also spent three seasons on the cult favorite "Family Guy" as a writer, consulting producer and a supervising producer. He also was a producer for the series "The Naked Truth."

Poust and Kinnally -- who write as a team and also served as co-executive producers on the series last season - began as writers on the comedy's first season and eventually became producers and supervising producers.

"Will & Grace" is averaging a 4.6 rating, 12 share among adults 18-49 and 10.4 million viewers overall for the 2004-05 season through April 17, making it the #3-ranked comedy on television in 18-49. "Will & Grace" is also among the most upscale comedies on any network schedule, delivering higher concentrations of affluent homes in its young-adult audience than all comedies on ABC, CBS and Fox.

To date, the comedy has been nominated for 49 Emmys, 24 Golden Globes, 14 Screen Actors Guild Awards and six People's Choice Awards. Among its 12 Emmy wins, the series won for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2000. In 2002 and 2003, it had more Emmy nominations than any other comedy series. Additionally, it's been nominated for an American Comedy Award, three GLAAD Media Awards and a Founders Award from the Viewers for Quality Television.

Starring Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally, "Will & Grace" continues to focus on the complicated relationships between four high-maintenance New Yorkers.

Emmy winners David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are the creators. Multi-Emmy winner James Burrows is director and also executive producer of the series from KoMut Entertainment in association with NBC Universal Television Studio and Three Sisters Entertainment.