When you next watch Karen Walker stir her vodka with a sleeping pill, or Grace Adler somehow scoff an entire chicken, take a deep breath and soak it all in. Commit it to memory. Because the upcoming 11th season of Will & Grace will be its last.
And they mean it this time.
The executive producers of the ground-breaking sitcom have called time after an 11-season, 246-episode run.
The series, which premiered back in 1998 and ran for eight years, was rebooted in 2017 with the original cast — Eric McCormack (Will), Debra Messing (Grace), Megan Mullally (Karen), and Sean Hayes (Jack).
It bagged a total of 18 Emmys over the years and, as one of the first primetime American shows to feature openly gay lead characters (kissing and all), it’s credited with pioneering queer representation on mainstream TV. Even former US Vice President Joe Biden once said, “I think Will & Grace did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody has ever done. People fear that which is different. Now they’re beginning to understand”.
Announcing the end of Will & Grace on Thursday, producers Max Mutchnick, David Kohan and James Burrows said they were even more proud of the show after the three season, 52-ep revival, which aired in Australia on Stan.
“We think of the Will & Grace’ reboot episodes the way Karen Walker thinks of martinis – 51 is not enough, 53 is too many.
“They say you can’t go home again, but we did. And now, three seasons and 52 episodes later, we’re even more proud of something we never thought we’d get a chance to do again. We have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience twice.”
(We’re fine with this. We’re definitely fine…)
As we brace ourselves to farewell the fussy lil' foursome — again — we must also confront the fact that it's one of many popular series that will wrap up for good in the next year.
From cult comedies, to long-running thrillers.
Including....
Modern Family
After nearly a decade on our screens, Modern Family will be coming to an end with its 11th season.
Since the sitcom’s inception in 2009, the show has detailed the lives of the Pritchett, Dunphy and Tucker-Pritchett families as they navigate parenting in the show’s signature mockumentary style.
Between the cast, Modern Family has amassed 22 Emmy Awards from 75 nominations and a Golden Globe for the Best Television Series.
The final episode will air in Australia on Channel 7 (who won the rights from Channel 10) in May 2020.
The Good Place
This heavenly, surreal comedy starring Kristen Bell, Jameela Jamil and Ted Danson developed a cult following when it premiered back in 2016. Set in the afterlife, it won critical acclaim for its hilarious writing and clever exploration of ethics and philosophy — seriously, you'll learn things.
The Good Place will wrap with season four, which is due to air in the US starting in September. We can expect it to arrive in Australia on Netflix around the same time.
Homeland
Yes, apparently it's still a thing. Well, until early next year at least. The award-winning political spy thriller hooked us in back in 2011 with its 'is Brody a terrorist, or isn't he' plotline and Claire Danes' panic eyes. (see above)
We followed along for the next seven seasons, as Dane's CIA analyst character, Carrie Mathison, performed a number of definitely sackable offences in her efforts to safeguard her country — YAY 'MURICA! — then finally went into the private sector around S5.
The upcoming eighth season, due in late 2019, will be its last.
How to Get Away with Murder
Professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) will soon be hanging up her snazzy blazers, because ABC announced this month that the upcoming sixth season of the acclaimed legal drama will be its last.
The series (produced by the legendary Shonda Rhimes of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal fame) told the story of a law professor who teaches a class called... well, How To Get Away With Murder.
Her final semester will air in the US starting September 26. Previous seasons aired in Australia on the Seven Network.
Criminal Minds
Fourteen seasons, this show has run for. Fourteen! But don't worry, they're squeezing one more in before it's case closed on the hugely popular police procedural.
Filming has already wrapped on the final episodes (there's only 10 this time), which are due later this year. It currently stars Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, and Daniel Henney, as part of an elite squad of F.B.I. profilers who analyse the US' most twisted criminals.
Criminal Minds airs in Australia on the Seven Network.
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Top Comments
Will and Grace should have ended about two seasons before the original series did, so this is long overdue. Shows like W&G are the reason I'm not sad The Good Place is ending, despite how much I love it. I'd rather it end while it's still a great show, rather than completely wear out its welcome.
I don't think I was aware any of the other shows were still on. I thought they'd all ended already!