Will & Grace has been picked up for a third season

will-grace-paleyfest
Photo: Michae Bulbenko for the Paley Center

Happy St. Paddy’s Day, Will and Grace and Karen and Jack!

The cast of Will & Grace announced a third season order of the comedy Saturday at PaleyFest in Los Angeles.

The much-talked about revival of the sitcom, which will wrap its first season on NBC on April 5, has averaged a 3.1 rating among adults 18-49 and 9.8 million viewers. The suits were so thrilled with the hype over the show’s return that it ordered a second season before the first one even began.

And how’s this, fans? Season 2 will feature 18 episodes, up from 16 this year. The actors — Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally — must have cleared their schedules!

Season 2 will premiere in the fall.

“As far as I’m concerned, we can’t get enough of Will & Grace and 23 more episodes is music to my ears,” NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said in a statement. “We’re eternally grateful that Debra, Eric, Sean, and Megan feel the same way and wanted to keep this good thing going. I’m overwhelmed by the euphoric response the new show has received from the press and the audience, and my hat is off to the unrivaled writing team of Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, as well as the brilliant directing of Jimmy Burrows, for consistently delivering one of the best shows on television.”

At Saturday’s PaleyFest panel attended by the four actors, Kohan, Mutchnick, and Burrows and moderated by actor Dan Bucatinsky, Kohan first shared the news that order for season 2 was extended by five episodes. Then McCormack reminded him there was other news and announced the third year pickup.

Mullally then got off her chair, turned around, and shook her booty for the crowd. Naturally, everybody roared. Does that broad know how to work a room or what?

Earlier today, Hayes made note of today’s very special date via Instagram.

—With reporting by Gerrad Hall

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