NBC’s smash hit sitcom Will & Grace had been off the air for 11 years before being revived this past Fall. However, the show has returned without missing a beat. In the opening moments of the revival series, we get a quick recap that negates some of the things that happened during the time jump forward in the original series finale. Best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and Grace Adler (Debra Messing) both still got married, but both are now divorced from their husbands. However, neither of them had any kids, and those now non-existent kids never met and married one another. Will and Grace are once again living with one another in Will’s New York apartment—though it is supposedly temporary while Grace gets over her divorce. Will is still a laywer, while Grace runs her own interior design company. Flamboyant friend/aspiring actor Jack is still single, still obsessed with his youth, and lives across the hall. And the ridiculously wealthy, and constantly drinking Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) is still married to husband Stan, still has fun tormenting her staff (particularly making fun of servant Rosario), and still “works” as Grace’s assistant. Though Grace now has a real assistant, Tony (Anthony Ramos), as well.

As I was binging this latest season of the series on DVD, it felt like deja vu—I was instantly transported back to nearly 2 decades ago when I used to binge the original series on DVD back before Netflix made the word binge commonplace. The cast hasn’t lost any of its chemistry or comedic timing. The series is just as fun as ever, blending topical humor that doesn’t get too political—or at least has jokes on both sides of the aisle—with physical humor, witty/quippy banter, and lots of double entendres. The writers continue to find fun , fresh situations to throw these characters into. While the characters have fundamentally remained the same, they also seem to mature and grow up a little over the course of this season—even Jack—as each of the characters face some major life choices this season, an.

This first season of this revival also brings back a lot of familiar faces for longtime fans of the series. There are so many returning guest actors, such as Harry Connick Jr. as Grace’s ex-husband Leo, Michael Angarano as Jack’s son Elliot, Leslie Jordan as Karen’s frenemy Beverley Leslie, Minnie Driver as Stan’s former mistress Lorraine Finster, Bobby Cannavale as Will’s ex that got away Vince D’Angelo, Jerry Levine and Tim Bagley as married couple Joe & Larry, Laura Kightlinger as Nurse Sheila, and more. There are also lots of other hilarious guest stars, like Jane Lynch and Andrew Rannells as counselors as at gay-correction camp, Barry Bostwick, Matt Letscher, and Andy Favreau as 3 generations of men all interested in Grace, Mary McCormack and Sara Rue as Grace’s sisters, Robert Klein as Grace’s father and Blythe Danner as Will’s mother, Nick Offerman as a celebrity chef interested in both Will and Grace, Molly Shannon as a woman obsessed with Karen, Alec Baldwin as a man having an affair with Karen, Ryan Pinkston as a closeted, married cop who falls for Jack, Jennifer Lopez as herself. There are too many recognizable and amazing guests to mention them all, but the list also includes Leigh-Allyn Baker, Cheyenne Jackson, Vanessa Bayer, Kyle Bornheimer, Max Greenfield, Kate Micucci, Brian Posehn, and Mary Pat Gleason.

I was sent the DVD of the season for review. The episodes are evenly split across two discs. I originally watched this season as it aired in HD on NBC, and I did notice a slightly less crisp picture on this SD DVD release. However, it still looks quite nice and this did not affect my enjoyment of the episodes in the slightest. Fortunately the season has also been released on Blu-ray for those who would like to own it in HD. The DVD’s audio track is more than sufficient, providing clear dialogue throughout. The discs also contain a gag reel and 3 behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew. A lot of the footage for these featurettes, which have a total runtime of about 19 minutes, is compiled from a TV special that aired shortly before this new season. While this bonus material is entertaining, I was a little disappointed that the original reunion short that kicked off this whole revival wasn’t also included on the DVD. The discs come packed in a standard sized DVD keepcase along with a carboard slipcover.

What’s Included:

Episodes: (336 min)

DVD:
• All 16 episodes of The Revival Season 1:
  Disc 1: “11 Years Later”, “Who’s Your Daddy”, “Emergency Contact”, “Grandpa Jack”, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying”, “Rosario’s Quinceañera”, “A Gay Olde Christmas”, “Friends and Lover”
  Disc 2: “There’s Something About Larry”, “The Wedding”, “Staten Island Fairy”, “Three Weiss Men”, “Sweatshop Annie & the Annoying Baby Shower”, “The Beefcake & the Cake Beef”, “One Job”, “It’s a Family Affair”
• 480p / Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin America) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese (Brazil) 5.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English SDH, French (Canada), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil)

Extras:

• Gag Reel (7:43)
  A fun gag reel with the cast forgetting or flubbing their lines, cracking each other up, and having fun on set.
• Reuniting the Team (5:25)
  Writers/creators/executive producers Max Mutchnick & David Kohan, director/executive producer James Burrows, and stars Eric McCormack (“Will Truman”), Sean Hayes (“Jack McFarland”), Debra Messing (“Grace Adler”) and Megan Mullally (“Karen Walker”) talk about getting the band back together in secret to record an election promotion video, how that led to the revival series, and what it’s been like playing these characters again.
• Back to the Beginning (8:43)
  The cast and creators reminisce about how the series first came about and the casting process. Includes clips from the early seasons and interviews with director/executive producer James Burrows, writers/creators/executive producers Max Mutchnick & David Kohan, and stars Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally, Sean Hayes and Debra Messing.
• Classic Comedy (5:04)
  The cast and creators talk about working with director James Burrows and his sense for classic comedy. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with director/executive producer James Burrows, writers/creators/executive producers Max Mutchnick & David Kohan, and stars Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally, Sean Hayes and Debra Messing.

Final Thoughts:

After being off the air for 11 years, Will & Grace has returned better than ever. The series feels exactly the same, but also still fresh and hilarious. This DVD release includes all 16 episodes of the first season of the revival, along with some entertaining bonus material. The DVD presentation looks and sounds solid, and the episodes are highly rewatchable, making this an easy recommendation for longtime fans, as well as folks just looking for a fun new comedy.