Welcome back to our TV Preview series! In this half of said series, Emily, Kandis, Stephanie and I will take a look at shows featured in our TV Preview: New Friends post, and let you know what we think you should—and shouldn’t—be watching.
Warning! Possible spoilers ahead.
Will & Grace
Premiered: Sept. 28 on NBC (Watch online.)
Twitter Pitch
Catch up with Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen … who have apparently been propped up in a closet just waiting for the #RebootBandwagon to bring them back to life.
Familiar Faces
Debra Messing as Grace Adler
Eric McCormack as Will Truman
Megan Mullally as Karen Walker
Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland
Kyle Bornheimer as Lenny
Eddie Matos as Congressman Steve Sandoval
Kate Micucci as Page
Faces That Might Become Familiar (If You Keep Watching)
Anthony Ramos as Tony
Redeeming Qualities
Kandis: 2017 is hard, and could probably use more comedies. This ensemble falls back into their old characters so easily, it’s like they never left. Bonus: Everyone looks amazing.
Mandy: The cast still has excellent chemistry, and the four of them are a pretty perfect comedy quartet because of that chemistry.
Stephanie: I can’t believe, again, how good everyone looks! Did Jack even change? They really slipped back into their roles with nary a hiccup. Eleven years later and there’s still not that much gay and lesbian programming out there, and that was one of the coolest things about this show.
It's Not Me, It's You
Kandis: They’re leaning a little too heavily on the political humor. I know politics is super pervasive right now, but at the rate things happen these days, a joke can be dated pretty quickly. Speaking of dated, I just CAN’T with sitcom laugh tracks anymore. I immediately it associate with shows like The Big Bang Theory, that utilize it constantly, but are never actually funny.
Mandy: I don’t know what I expected the plot of the episode to be, but I didn’t expect it to be so political. It’s timely, I suppose, but I would prefer my fun TV not to remind me of our current situation; I get enough of that from the news and social media. Also: the laugh track? NOPE.
Stephanie: This felt SO dated; that laugh track was awful and we can’t even blame the nineties on that anymore. I hate Trump as much as the next guy, but this could’ve been renamed Jokes & Trump and would’ve felt as on-brand, and yet every joke was so obvious I think I maybe cracked one smile. I know the show is back because of nostalgia, but if the characters haven’t changed at ALL in eleven years--and I have--what exactly is the impetus to watch this show? I was tired of their schtick when they finally went off air; if it had to come back, they should’ve done like a TV movie: one and done.
Let's Do This Again
Kandis: I don’t know that I was ever a solid regular viewer, but watched enough episodes to follow along. This will probably remain a show that I’d stop on if I were flipping past, but I’m not sure I’ll be missing anything if I don’t tune in regularly. Luckily, I can depend on the the internet to keep me supplied with Karen Walker gifs.
Mandy: I wasn’t a regular watcher of Will & Grace when it first aired, and I don’t see myself becoming one. Mostly because of the laugh track, but also because it’s not quite my brand of comedy, and I think it maybe won’t translate well to 2017.
Stephanie: No, no. Let's not.
Did you watch? If so, let us know your thoughts below!