This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

NBC has confirmed the long-rumored return of "Will & Grace," which signed off — supposedly for good — in 2006 after eight seasons and 194 episodes. Ten new episodes will air sometime during the 2017-18 season.

"We're thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest, and most defining comedies in NBC history is coming back," said NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt in a prepared statement. "This groundbreaking series for everything from gay rights to social and political commentary — all disguised as a high-speed train of witty pop culture — is coming back where it belongs."

Not only are all the cast members — Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally — on board, but so are the show's creators and original executive produces, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.

"Dave and I are absolutely thrilled about the opportunity to write what Will, Grace, Jack and Karen are thinking about in 2017," Mutchnick said in a statement.

Mutchnick and Kohan were not involved in "Will & Grace" for most of its run; they were busy suing NBC, claiming they had been ripped off by the network. They alleged that the network, which owned and aired the sitcom, paid too little to license the show to itself and cost them $55 million. NBC countersued, and the suit wasn't settled until after "Will & Grace" went off the air.

As a result, the pair were barred from the show. And they did not have anything to do with the finale, which flashed forward to show viewers the fates of the characters decades in the future — including when Will's son and Grace's daughter became a couple.

Whether they will ignore that in the revival remains to be seen.

It will, however, be interesting to see how the characters react to the Trump administration, among other things.