Why Is ‘Will & Grace’ Ending? Revival To Air Series Finale Thursday

“Will & Grace” originally ran for eight seasons, but the reboot will end its run before even covering half of that. The third season of the revived show serves as its final chapter with the series finale airing Thursday, April 23. Some might be wondering why it is ending, and there are mixed reports.

Officially, the show is ending because the writers feel like they have reached an organic stopping point. They are resisting the urge to keep the show going beyond its expiration date.

“Some things come to a natural end,” NBC Chairman Paul Telegdy explained to TVLine last year. “[Series creators] Max [Mutchnick] and David [Kohan] told the story they wanted to tell. Just wait for the finale. It’s epic; it ties together so many threads. It is coming to a great, natural end.”

Other reports suggest it was a more dramatic road to cancellation, with the show’s two feuding stars unable to go on any longer. Megan Mullally, who plays Karen, and Debra Messing, who plays Grace, are allegedly feuding, though it isn’t clear why. It supposedly led to Mullally taking a two-episode leave of absence from the show in its final season (though an official reason was never given).

However, Eric McCormack, who plays Will, denied any such reports. “It seems crazy. It is crazy!” the actor told Us Weekly in September. “I think people worried about that entirely too much…The four of us get along like a house on fire, we always have.”

Whatever the reason, “Will & Grace” will come to an end Thursday at the end of Season 11, the third season of the revival. The finale, titled “It’s Time,” will show Will trying to get over McCoy (Matt Bomer), Grace waiting to go into labor, Karen getting some closure and Jack (Sean Hayes) getting closer to his Broadway dreams.

At 8:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, McCormack will host a retrospective special featuring appearances from Norman Lear and Elton John. Then, the "Will & Grace" series finale will air at 9 p.m. EDT on NBC.