Don’t you hate it when you meet that perfect person, but you know there is no chance for there to ever be a romantic relationship? Generally, the other person is so perfect they are already married. Or perhaps it is you who are already married. Maybe that person is too old or too young, or they live 4,000 miles away. In the case of hot-blooded American woman Grace Adler and successful lawyer Will Truman it’s that they have too much in common. Normally that isn’t really a problem, but in this case there is one thing that keeps them apart… they both love men. There just never seems to be an end to the ironies that sit-com writers can dream up. I have only watched a handful of TV sitcoms in recent years, mostly because of the fact that I find so many of them to be poorly written or produced. Too often they fall to the lowest common denominator of humor, or end up being carbon copies of other more successful shows. “Will & Grace” was originally a show I avoided like the plague. The premise sounded promising, but I just never made the viewing plunge.

My curiosity about “Will & Grace” continued over the years as the series picked up steam and started getting multiple Emmy nominations and wins, yet I still never quite convinced myself to actually watch it. That all changed just a couple of months ago.

Lion’s Gate Home Entertainment joined the ranks of those studios releasing successful TV shows on DVD with the release of the 1st season of “Will & Grace” last year, but as a copy of the set eluded me, I never got to review it. I received the 2nd season a couple of months ago and I decided the time was right for me to finally initiate myself with a few episodes of the series. After watching it I finally understood what all the hoopla had been about.

“Will & Grace” is an extremely well-crafted show with a terrific cast. I had heard rumors that Debra Messing (Grace) was the next Lucille Ball, and I have to agree. Like Ball, Messing has that rare mix of striking beauty and comedic timing. Usually actresses have one or the other, but not both. And so convincing is Eric McCormick’s performance as Will, I’m finding it hard to believe that he is not gay in real life. He exudes a petulant nature you don’t normally find in most men. I will say as good as Messing and McCormack are the real stand out on the series has to be Sean Hayes. As Jack, he is a whirling dervish of energy. I can easily see why he was chosen to play Jerry Lewis in the recent TV biopic.

I can’t say much for the 1st season of the series, which I will definitely have to see now. But almost every episode of the 2nd season was hysterically funny. Now that I’ve had a chance to follow the cast into the 3rd season, I think I may be finally hooked. The plotlines often go way over the top, but the cast is consistently up to the challenges that the writers create. The one thing I like about the series is that it seems like no topic is taboo. Granted, this makes “Will & Grace” a bit inaccessible to younger audiences, but for adults it is about as ribald as you can get away with nowadays. Watching the series, I’m actually surprised that it doesn’t get picketed by Gay and Lesbian groups.

The 4-disc DVD release of the 3rd season comes packaged in an attractive multi-fold holder, which is in turn housed in a slipcase. All of the 3rd season episodes are available, and this time around they included a few extras that go beyond that of just ‘clip’ reels. Here we have some hilarious blooper reels from the first three seasons of the show (I assume they are catching up since there weren’t any on the first two sets). These are far more enjoyable than the ‘clip’ reels, and they really showcase how quick-witted the members of the cast are.

I was rather surprised that I ended up enjoying the series so much. If I had any idea the show was this funny I would have tuned in a long time ago.

Episodes:
New Will City
Fear and Clothing
Husbands and Trophy Wives
Girl Trouble
Grace 0, Jack 2000
Love Plus One
Gypsies, Tramps and Weed
Lows in the Mid-Eighties, Part 1
Lows in the Mid-Eighties, Part 2
Three’s a Crowd, Six is a Freak Show
Coffee & Commitment
Swimming Pools… Movie Stars
Crazy in Love
Brothers, A Love Story
My Uncle the Car
Cheaters, Part 1
Cheaters, Part 2
Mad Dogs and Average Men
Poker? I Don’t Even Like Her.
An Old-Fashioned Piano Party
The Young and the Tactless
Alice Doesn’t Lisp Here Anymore
Last of the Really Odd Lovers
Sons & Lovers, Part 1
Sons & Lovers, Part 2

Starring: Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, Megan Mullally, Shelley Morrison
Extras: Seasons 1-3 Outtake Reels, Themed Featurettes
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: Available
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Will & Grace: Season 3 a B-.