Logo Acquires Non-Exclusive, Basic Cable Rights to Groundbreaking Emmy® and People's Choice® Award-Winning Comedy Series 'Will & Grace'

NEW YORK, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Logo announced today that it has acquired the non-exclusive, basic cable rights to the groundbreaking comedic series "Will & Grace" in a four-year licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.  The agreement includes all 194 episodes spanning the complete eight seasons of the Emmy® and People's Choice® Award-winning comedy.  "Will & Grace" is set to premiere on Logo in September of 2013.

"'Will & Grace' was the first television series to spotlight the unique bond between a gay man and a straight woman," said Marc Leonard, SVP of Multiplatform Programming, Logo.  "And everyone in our core audience, whether they're the gay friend or straight friend in the equation, can relate to their own inner 'Will' or 'Grace'; and if you can make self-absorption seem adorable, welcome to 'Team Jack' or 'Team Karen.'"

"Logo will provide a good television home for 'Will & Grace,'" said Ken Werner, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.  "This Emmy® Award-winning, wickedly witty comedy with its distinctive style will bring many of its loyal fans to Logo.  This sale continues to reaffirm the long term value of off-net series to attract loyal audiences."

"Will & Grace" takes place in New York City and follows the lives of Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a gay man and mostly-uptight attorney, and his best friend Grace Adler (Debra Messing), a mostly-frantic straight woman who runs her own interior design firm.  Lifelong friends brought together as roommates by Grace's abrupt divorce, the series follows the duo and their "odd couple" antics as they navigate the big city in their search for love.  Also featured are their friends Karen Walker (Megan Mullally), a rich socialite, and Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes), a struggling actor/singer/dancer who also has had brief careers as an acting teacher, back-up dancer, cater-waiter, talk-show host and student nurse.  Throughout the comedic mayhem, this unlikely foursome proves that the bonds of friendship can transcend social status, sexual orientation and gender.

"Will & Grace" stars Emmy® Award-Winners Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally.  Notable guest stars in the series include, Woody Harrelson, Harry Connick, Jr., Debbie Reynolds, Geena Davis, Gregory Hines, Bobby Cannavale, Minnie Driver, Cher, Patrick Dempsey, Lily Tomlin, among many others. 

Emmy® winners David Kohan and Mac Mutchnick were the creators and Executive Producers of "Will & Grace."  Alex Herschlag and Dave Flebotte served as executive producers and showrunners.  Multi-Emmy@ winner James Burrows (NBC's "Frasier" and "Friends") was Director and Executive Producer.  "Will & Grace" is from KoMut Entertainment in association with NBC Universal Television Studio and Three Sisters Entertainment.  "Will & Grace" is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

About Logo:

Logo is the world's leading ad-supported cable, satellite, online, mobile and digital entertainment network from MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B) for gays and lesbians, their families and friends. Launched in 2005, Logo's cable channel is in more than 46 million homes across the United States and is complemented by a federation of online properties,  including LogoTV.com, TripOutGayTravel.com, AfterEllen.com, AfterElton.com, 365Gay.com, DowneLink.com and NewNowNext.com. Logo's content is distributed across all leading download-to-own, streaming and mobile services. The most influential brand for the most influential audience, Logo provides a mix of original and acquired entertainment as well as news, social networking and community building that are authentic, smart, fun, entertaining, and inclusive. Logo joins MTV Networks' roster of popular and highly targeted brands which include MTV, Comedy Central, VH1 and Spike TV.

About Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD) is one of the leading suppliers of entertainment programming to the domestic television marketplace, distributing first-run syndicated series, off-network television programs and theatrical motion pictures to local broadcast television stations, as well as to pay, cable, satellite and broadcast networks throughout the U.S. WBDTD handles the domestic distribution of television series produced by Warner Bros. Television, Telepictures Productions, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Horizon Television; selected HBO Independent Productions and the Lorimar Television library; current feature films from Warner Bros. Pictures; and the Studio's unmatched motion picture library.

SOURCE Logo