Will and Grace creators settle dispute with NBC
David Kohan and Jason “Max” Mutchnick, who created the hit gay sitcom Will and Grace have settled a dispute with the American broadcaster NBC that claimed they were cheated out of the show’s revenue.
The pair sought sought $55m (£27.6m) from NBC after claiming did not pay them a fair market value for the series.
The case was settled but the court case ran into problems after the foreman of the jury who previously said: “We believed their testimony. NBC did not live up to their obligations, (and) we believe we made the right decision” was removed for running a website critical of NBC.
Ronald Nessim representing Mr Kohan and Mr Mutchnick sad his clients were “very satisfied” with the fact that the case was settled. NBC lawyer Henry Shields Jr echoed this view.
NBC and the creators of Will and Grace agreed to end the case before the trial judge could decide whether he should order a second jury deliberation.
Will and Grace was America’s first successful sitcom based around gay characters and has won 14 Emmy Awards during its eight years on the air.
Last year, John Barrowman, the gay star of the BBC’s Doctor Who and Torchwood revealed that he was told he was “too straight” to play the part of Will.
