Hulu Lands Original ‘Will & Grace’

Hulu has grabbed all 194 episodes of Will & Grace, and will debut the comedy Thursday, Sept. 21, a week before the show returns on NBC. Hulu will be the exclusive SVOD partner for the original eight seasons, which will also be available on the NBC app and pay TV providers with authentication.

The show ran from 1998 to 2006 and was nominated for 83 Emmy awards, winning 16.

“There’s no question that Will & Grace has resonated with audiences since the series made its broadcast premiere. To be able to bring such an iconic show into the streaming universe for the first time ever is an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” said Joel Stillerman, chief content officer, Hulu. “This landmark deal will allow fans to re-watch their favorite moments ahead of the series premiere, as well as bring Will & Grace and its cast of characters to a whole new audience.”

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NBC has committed to two seasons for the Will & Grace revival, with 16 episodes this season and 13 more next season.

“As we gear up for the launch of the upcoming season premiere, I can’t think of a better way to reintroduce Will & Grace to the cultural zeitgeist than by giving audiences the opportunity to watch this historic and hilarious series wherever and whenever they want,” said NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt. “With its witty comebacks, pop-culture references and social commentary, Will & Grace is one of the most binge-able comedies in television history, and I am certain fans both old and new will jump on this opportunity to devour it.”

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.