Hrm somehow I didn't knwo that at all--but it makes sense. I guess they deserve credit for keeping the tone under control since it felt so different after they left (though I know some people liked that there were less "serious" issues like the baby stuff)

Addedndum: in eighth season, Gary Janetti, Tracy Poust, Jon Kinnally and Tim Kaiser served as executive producers and showrunners.

And before that Alex Herschlag and Dave Flebotte served as showrunners.

I'm glad they got rid of them thanks for the info!

Here's an announcement from Hollywood Reporter by Nellie Andreeva dated June 24th, 2004:

Alex Herschlag and David Flebotte have been tapped as co-showrunners/exec producers of NBC's veteran comedy "Will & Grace."

Additionally, "Friends" alumnus Greg Malins has come on board the NBC Universal TV show as co-executive producer.

"We couldn't be more excited about these new moves and are confident that the Emmy-winning 'Will & Grace' will be stronger and funnier than ever," NBC Uni TV co-president Angela Bromstad said.

Added studio co-president David Kissinger: "These are all proven comedy veterans with unique points of view. We're thrilled to have assembled such an all-star team."

Flebotte and "Will & Grace" veteran Herschlag first met while working on ABC's comedy "Ellen," the show that broke new ground on network TV by "outing" its central character and tackling gay-related issues.

"I think it's great that we worked on 'Ellen' and got to be there during the coming-out year and do writing where we felt we were helping people," Herschlag said. "It's great that we were part of something that led to ('Will & Grace.')"

So the two immediately sparked to the idea of taking the reins of "Will & Grace" together. To do that, Flebotte left the WB Network's new comedy "Commando Nanny" after writing and exec producing the pilot (HR 5/18).

While "Will & Grace" veered from its roots last season to accommodate star Debra Messing's pregnancy, Herschlag and Flebotte are planning to bring it back "in the tradition of what it was originally," Flebotte said.

"The focus is going back on the Will and Grace's stories, about their relationship," he said.

"Will & Grace," created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, was most recently run by Jeff Greenstein and Jhoni Marchinko, who will stay with the show in a consulting capacity.

Herschlag has been with "Will & Grace" since the first season, rising through the ranks to executive producer.

In 2000, he won a best comedy series Emmy as a member of "Will & Grace's" producing team.

Herschlag, who is under an overall deal with NBC Universal TV, is repped by the Rothman Brecher Agency.

Flebotte, whose credits also include Fox's "The Bernie Mac Show" and "The PJs," is repped by UTA.

Herschlag and Flebotte are additionally repped by attorney Phil Klein.

Edited October 7, 200817 yr by Sylph