SmartLess - Introducing: Just Jack & Will with Sean Hayes and Eric McCormack

Episode Date: June 22, 2023

An iconic duo is back! Sean Hayes and Eric McCormack return to host the ultimate Will & Grace rewatch podcast. Each week on JUST JACK & WILL, Sean, who has never seen it before, and Eric, who may have seen it too much, break down an episode of Will & Grace with charm and chemistry. They revisit jokes, share never before heard stories, reunite with their fellow cast members and fabulous guest stars, and showcase the team who helped Will & Grace win an astounding 18 Emmy Awards.Listen to Just Jack & Will: Wondery.fm/JJW_SMRT See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hello listeners, it's Sean Hayes. Now, even though I was one of the stars of the TV show Will & Grace, I don't think I ever watched more than a couple episodes for real. Like, out of 11 seasons, isn't that wild? Well, that's why I'm excited to tell you about my new podcast, Just Jack and Will. I'll be joined by the amazing, wonderful Eric McCormick, one of my besties, My Will & Grace co-star, to provide behind-the-scenes stories, share fun trivia, and look back on our time on the show. We're interviewing cast and

crew members on Just Jack and Will to give you the ultimate Will and Grace rewatch podcast. Maybe you're like Eric who's seen it a thousand times and we'll find new details to enjoy, or maybe you're like me and we'll experience some of the funniest moments on TV for the first time. Will and Grace of course is one of the best experiences of my life, and I can't wait to share the joy I had making it with all of you from the very first season to the lasting cultural impact the show has had. I'm about to play a clip from Just Jack and Will,

while you're listening, follow Just Jack and Will on Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. Download the Amazon Music app today! Hi, Eric. Hi, Sean. What are we up to today? Well, I'm doing a little laundry. Uh, the kitchen's the best. And then we're launching our podcast, pal.

Wait a minute, if that's today. Yes! No, I'm not wearing, I don't have anything to wear for it. You don't have to. It's a podcast. They can't see us. Oh, that's great. That's right. It's Just Jack. And Will. Theme song.

Listen up, don't make a face. We're yakin' of a Will and Grace. Just Jack. Just Jack. And Will. And Will. Just Jack. Just Jack. And Will. Oh, God.

Just sit back in. We'll show you. Cause we really wanna blow you. blow you you can't say that away hmm how do we feel about how do we how do we feel about the song um I think years from now what I'm done like like with. Like with the green acres theme. We'll be singing that song. I think it's a one and done. I think it's a one and done. We blow you away.

We'll blow you. You can't say that. Yeah, that's it. It makes me laugh. I'm going to say that. It does make me laugh. But every week should we do it every week? I know. We'll take me laugh, but every week should we do it every week? We should.

I know. Let's, we'll take a vote. Between me and you. It's a stalemate. I think regardless of those tallies, we should maybe just do an instrumental. Anyway. Hello listeners. Welcome to JustJack and Will.

This is the podcast where Eric McCormack, who you might know as me, and Sean Hayes, that's him. We'll be breaking down an episode of our classic show Will and Grace every week. I've seen these before, whether or not I remember the Mrs. is another question, but Sean, are you ready? Sean has never seen them. And now Sean, you have finally seen the pilot, I hope? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I have so much to say about it. Yeah, it's pretty well. No, wait, wait. Before I get a job all over again. But I don't know. It is, well, funny you say that, because what I was thinking about, as I was walking the dog today, was that a euphemism or? No, I actually do have a dog on your walk. And I walked it.

Okay. I was thinking about that word that was so huge in our lives, still kind of is the word pilot. Mm-hmm. I don't think the average person that doesn't know from Hollywood and how television works, how important when you're a young actor and you come here getting a pilot is.

Yeah, it's big. It's everything, it has its own season. People, you know, people used to say, I don't know how you live in LA, there's so true. There's so true. I said, that's not true. They have pilot season, they have midseason.

Yeah, uh-huh. So everyone's here from all over the place, all over the country, in LA at the same time, we're all renting apartments and sublets, and we're all going out for the same roles. And the good shows get around. So kind of January, you start to hear over the best scripts. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that script I definitely did hear about as it made its way around.

Town was the Will and Grace pilot. Like everybody was talking about it. That's right. And just in case our listeners haven't had a chance to watch the episode of Will and Grace, that particular one, let's give them a rundown of the facts about him. What do you mean? Just like talk about like the facts and stuff? Oh, just the facts. So like, so maybe we just like, that's right, it's time for just facts. So here we go, the pilot 101. Mm-hmm.

Well that was in the title of the pilot though. Yeah, though the title was Love and Marriage. Yes, and the original air date was September 21st, 1998. I mean, we can measure our whole lives, kind of like Christ, like BC and AD. This was the day. This was our Easter, I guess. I know. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was wild. The original ratings. Now, this is crazy. Every week I kind of marvel at these numbers because they're so different from today. But the original ratings were 9.2 share, which by almost 10% of televisions were watching us. Or in this case, like 13% of the audience,

we ranked number 41, not bad, we're freaking pilot. Yeah, 41, though, that's kind of down there, isn't it? Well, sure, but I mean, we're just starting on a Monday at 9 p.m. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for a first show, yeah, I'm Monday at 3 p.m. The pilot was repeated many times between 1998 and 2002 when the syndication ran begin.

A notable repeat of the episode was on Thursday, October 22, 1998, the first time Welland Grace appeared in the must-see TV block. Does anybody remember, people remember, must-see TV? I mean, I think that's one of those words from that period that one of those phrases. But yeah, we were a Monday night show. We were not necessarily must-see TV,

but they repeated us. Right, on Thursday. We'll probably just like test us out. Yeah, with the TV, but they repeated us. Right, I'm not sure. We'll probably just like test us out. Yeah, with the big shows of the time, with friends and Frazier and stuff, it was pretty exciting. It's kind of like when Scotty and I, before we got married, I tested him out, like he came to my house and was like, take it, like sleep over a night or two.

That was his test pilot. And then I picked up the show. He wasn't a pilot. He was just like a dude. Yeah. But the show ran, it's still running, 17 years later, the Scotty and Sean show. And well done, sir. But the summary was, when Grace accepts an unexpected marriage proposal from her dopey

boyfriend, Danny, will risk their friendship by telling her she's made a mistake. I love dopey. It's directed, of course, by Jim Burrows, written by the creators. risks their friendship by telling her she's made a mistake. I love Dopey. It's directed, of course, by Jim Burrows, written by the creators. David, go ahead, I max much next. The art direction by Glenda Revello, who's amazing.

Everybody's amazing. Everybody's like a top of their game. Costume designed by Laurie Eskowitz Carter. A door. All of whom will be talking to you in the coming weeks about their amazing contributions and max himself will be our first guest later on in this show. As is only right. Yes. The guest cast because we didn't have big guest cast for a while. Eventually

we were sort of famous for them, but Gary Grubs was Harlan Poke who will talk about later and eventually talk to down the road. Yeah. But also Tom Gallup as Rob and Lee Ellen Baker as Ellen who will pop up a few times in these early seasons. Yeah, a lot Tom Gallup as Rob and Lea Ellen Baker as Ellen who will pop up a few times in these early seasons. Yeah, a lot, right? Because they were like the powers of Walling Grace. Oh, yeah. They were the other sort of the straight couple friend that we had. Yeah, yeah. But this is an exciting. I'm going to love this part of the podcast because we're going to do on this day, right? So this is part where we go on this day in 1998. Guess what? Most websites list the debut of Wonder Grace as a notable event for September 21st, 1998. I'd like to think we were notable. Yeah. The number one song in the US was, I don't,

I love this. I don't want to miss the thing by Aero Smith written by Diane Warren from the movie, Armageddon. You want to do it, Sean? Yeah. Oh my God. And I don't want to miss it. I don't want to miss it. I don't remember all the words, but all I know is Armageddon excited about this podcast. Top of the US box office was saving Private Ryan. You've all heard of shaving Ryan's privates.

This is not that. This is saving Private Ryan. With House Daily got her groove back. The X-F files movie just below it I love that movie. Yeah, also small soldiers the last on screen role for the late great Phil Hartman who I loved That was a pretty good list of movies that week. Yeah, that was really good. I wonder anybody watched the pilot at all It was up the L I'm glad you're on hang well and grace by the way shares a birthday with tons of notable folks

This is cool all born on September 21st. Bill Murray, amazing, Stephen King, Ethan Cohen of the Cohen brothers, Ricky Lake, Marta Kaufman, the co-creator friends, Marta Kaufman. And my neighbor, for a while, Jerry Brookheimer, Dave Cooley, Rob Marrow, Nancy Travis, Faith Hill, Cheryl Hines, I didn't know, Luke Wilson, Liam Gallagher, Leonard Cohen, tons. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what. Yeah.

So nobody watched this pilot. The reason we were number 41 is because everyone was at birthday parties shown. Yeah, that's what it was. Clearly. Hey guys, those are all the facts. When we come back, we'll be going through the pilot. I can't believe it.

We're gonna start this, Eric. We're gonna do it. This is just Jack. And we'll. I have so much to say about it. I can't wait I can't explode hey prime members you can listen to just jack and will wherever you get your podcasts or early and add free on Amazon music download the Amazon music app

today today. Start! Blast! Mia!