IT'S "LIVE" WITH "WILL & GRACE" AS NBC'S EMMY-WINNING COMEDY OFFERS SECOND LIVE EPISODE ON JANUARY 12 AFTER SUCCESSFUL PREMIERE EFFORT

BURBANK - December 14, 2005 - NBC's Emmy Award-winning "Will & Grace" will welcome 2006 with the second live episode of its eighth and final season on Thursday, Jan. 12 (8-8:30 p.m. ET in its new time period) as Karen (Megan Mullally) throws a birthday party - and ends up staying in the bathroom with her friends for virtually the entire episode.

As he did with the season premiere, multiple Emmy-winning director James Burrows will direct the live episode, which is only the series' second in its entire run.

As before, two versions will be telecast, one live for the East Coast and one for the West Coast, resulting in different jokes to be used in each separate broadcast. The first show will shoot at 5 p.m. (PT) for the East and again at 8 p.m. (PT) for the West.

In the storyline, all of New York's high society has been invited to Karen's birthday party - but the affair disintegrates when Will (Eric McCormack), Grace (Debra Messing) and Jack (Sean Hayes) all embarrass themselves and wind up crammed together in Karen's bathroom with the birthday girl.

The September 29 live telecast of the comedy's premiere drew a 4.4 rating and 11 share among adults18-49 -- and 9.8 million viewers overall. It scored the show's top 18-49 and total viewer results of this season. It was also the highest "Will & Grace" 18-49 rating since February 17 and biggest overall viewer total since February 24. The live telecast built on its 18-49 lead-in by a season-high 47 per cent.

David Kohan and Max Mutchnick are the creators and executive producers of "Will & Grace." Burrows is director and executive producer. Gary Janetti, Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally serve as executive producers and showrunners. "Will & Grace" is a production of KoMut Entertainment in association with NBC Universal Television Studio and Three Sisters Entertainment.