The creators of “Will & Grace” are close to making a deal with NBC that would bring its longest-running current comedy series back next season.
David Kohan and Max Mutchnick have been talking with the network sporadically for several months. The negotiations have been complicated by the fact that the pair sued NBC in 2003, claiming the network and the studio that produces the show shorted them on the show’s license fee when it was last up for renewal.
Despite that, the show would likely command a lower fee–probably about $5 million per episode–should it come back next season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The smaller fee reflects a ratings drop for “Will & Grace” and the rest of NBC’s once-dominant Thursday lineup. The series is averaging 10.75 million viewers per week this season, down from more than 15 million at this time last year.
The network is expected to ask the show’s stars–Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes–to take a pay cut in line with the lower license fee.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale ([email protected]) and Kris Karnopp ([email protected])