Will And Grace - Season 1 (Box Set) (DVD)

...Girls (1985-1992) and Friends (1994-2004), Will And Grace (1998-2005) ranks as my favourite American sitcom. This handsomely packaged 6-disc box set of the very first season of NBC's unforgetable and top-rated sitcom, contains all 22 episodes. There is also a wealth of enthralling bonus features which includes great, nostalgic interviews with the cast and crew, interesting behind the scenes footage, useful biographies of the principal actors, enjoyable ...
.../> The first season of Will And Grace commenced production in early 1998. Will & Grace had been created by masterminds David Kohan and Mat Mutchnik. All episodes of series 1 were directed by James Burrows.

Will Truman (Eric McCormack) is a handsome, hot-shot lawyer. Genuine and warm, Will became a rock for his best friend Grace Adler (Debra Messing). Grace is a beautiful, sassy and smart interior designer. On the very first scene ... more

Along with Cheers (1982-1993), The Golden Girls (1985-1992) and Friends (1994-2004), Will And Grace (1998-2005) ranks as my favourite American sitcom. This handsomely packaged 6-disc box set of the very first season of NBC's unforgetable and top-rated sitcom, contains all 22 episodes. There is also a wealth of enthralling bonus features which includes great, nostalgic interviews with the cast and crew, interesting behind the scenes footage, useful biographies of the principal actors, enjoyable themed montages and last but certainly not least some very amusing series 1 out-takes. This box set certainly gives you your moneys worth!

The first season of Will And Grace commenced production in early 1998. Will & Grace had been created by masterminds David Kohan and Mat Mutchnik. All episodes of series 1 were directed by James Burrows.

Will Truman (Eric McCormack) is a handsome, hot-shot lawyer. Genuine and warm, Will became a rock for his best friend Grace Adler (Debra Messing). Grace is a beautiful, sassy and smart interior designer. On the very first scene of the shows plot it appears as though Will and Grace are lovers but it quickly transpired that Will is infact gay. Therefore their rather intense but very close relationship remains firmly platonic, much to the disappointment of Grace who subconciously is harbouring a secret, burning desire that one day Will will "turn straight" and that they become a couple. This is only touched upon occasionally and the main premise of the series is drawn on their complex, lively and always fun to watch friendship.

In the opening episode of Will & Grace, Will had recently split up from his long term partner and Grace changes her mind about getting married, literally moments before the deed. Shortly afterwards Grace decides to move into Wills classy, high-rise apartment.

Will has an overtly flamboyant and outraeously camp gay friend, Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) who becomes a central figure in the show as this season progresses. At work, Grace is somewhat assisted by the inefficent, lazy, independently wealthy Karen Walker (Megan Mullaly) who sees working for Grace as just a mere hobby and because of her financial status, doesn't even bother cashing in her salary cheques. Were it not for Karens useful business contacts, Grace would have fired Karen as other than that her part in Grace's thriving business is useless. Another character eratically seen in the series is Karens amusing, put-upon-maid, Rosario Ynez Consuela Yolanda Salazar McFarland (yikes what a mouthful) who is played with inimitable comic flair by Shelley Morrison.

All 22 episodes in the first series are marvelous blends of skilfully played comedy. Particuarly memroable episodes include A New Lease Of Life which depicts Will and Grace desperatley trying hard to get accustomed to one another living with each other. That episode also sees the legendary first meeting of the shows wackier characters, Jack and Karen, who become just as an integral part of the show as Will and Grace. Will On Ice, Boo Humbug, Secret Lays and the seasons finale, Object Of My Rejection are amongst my own personla favourites but there are no dud episodes here and each one is wonderfully enteratining packed with LAUGHS, LAUGHS and MORE LAUGHS!

The title of episodes on series 1 are:

1: Pilot
2: A New Lease Of Life
3: Head Case
4: Between A Rock And A Harlin's Place
5: Will On Ice
6: William, Tell
7: Boo Humbug
8: Where There's A Will, There's No way
9: The Buying Game
10: The Truth ABout Will And Dogs
11: The Big Vent
12: My Fair Maid-Y
13: Secrets And Lays
14: The Unsinkable Mommy Adler
15: Wil Works Out
16: Big Brother Is Coming: Part 1
17: Big Brother Is Coming: Part 2
18: Yours, Mine Or Ours
19: Alley Cats
20: Saving Grace
21: Grace Replaced
22: Object Of My Rejection

The startling contrast of characters is what helps make Will and Grace such a KNOCKOUT classic! Whilst Will is mostly cool, calm and collected (though almost shrinks to stereotype when under pressure) Grace is deeply insecure and needy but loveable with it. Jack however is much more animated, manic, eccentric and blatantly extrovert whilst Karen is dry, witty, ever-sarcastic and like Jack, exceedingly eccentric. The neat blance of Will and Grace's relationship is considerably down to earth in comparison to the hilarious pairing of Jack and Karen. The calmer, more subtle characters of Will and Grace brilliantly compliments the zany, cartoon-like duo of Jack and karen.

Eric McCormack is very likeable in his role as the smooth and suaeve lawyer, Will Truman whilst Debra Mesing is equally as loveable as astute interior-designer, Grace Adler. The different dimensions of Grace's character are explored throughout series 1 and at times when she is at her most comically emotional, her child-like facial expressions vastly resemble that of Lucille Ball's inimitable Lucy Ricardo character in the classic sitcom, I Love Lucy (1951-1957).

Sean Hayes is totally hilarious in his performance of camp, wannabe actor/entertainer, Jack McFarland. Jack has delusions of becoming a first class entertainer and his cabaret act entitled "Just Jack" at the local gay bar provides some of the funniest parts in the whole show. His nervous energy is dynamic and his relationship with Karen is quite simply masterful comedy.

As fort Megan Mullaly as squeaky voiced Karen Walker, she is arguably (in my opinion) the funniest of the lot. Her dynamite, on screen presence steals any scene she is in with her sharp, witty delivery being perfectly timed. Her continual put downs to Grace cause vast amusement.

Special guests stars in the first season include a gloriously camp and over the top turn from Debbie Reynolds playing Grace's starry-eyed and eccentric actress mother and also a likeable performance from Gregory Hines as Will's fair-minded but occasionally awkward boss, Ben.

Will And Grace was the first U.S sitcom since Ellen (1994-1998) to feature a gay lead character. However it managed to avoid a blaze of controversy by making Will primarily low key which as a gay guy myself I found commedable as it would have been so much easier to have turned him into a steretype. However in the shows early episodes, a lot of gay men criticised the show for making (what they perceived anyhow) Will too un-gay. The flamboyant, stereotype gay role comes with Sean Hayes character. The subtelty of Wills character blended with the extrovert Jack worked extremely well. many of those notions were quickly dispensed with as series 1 progressed and audiences and critics alike recognised that Will and Grace was indeed a special, unique show of very good quality. I was absolutely GUTTED when Will and Grace finished production for good in 2005 as it seemed as though it would just go on and on and on. However the secret of a good sitcom is knowing the right time to call it a day. Season 1 takes you back to when the magical phenomenon
of Will and Grace very first started.

Will and Grace boasts a rollercoaster dialogue, riding with clever, sharp, intelligent wit and fabulous perforamnces from the four leading stars. A major landmark in American television history! A CLASSIC!!!!

Ian Phillips

August 2006

 

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