Grace Back on TV With New Will

Former Will & Grace star Debra Messing will return to series television as leading lady opposite a gay male character in NBC's Smash, reports website Deadline.

According to the site, "Smash is an ambitious drama about the mounting of a Broadway musical, which was based on an idea by Steven Spielberg. The pilot ... follows a cross section of characters who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway. At the heart of the show are the musical's composer Tom, who is gay, and the lyricist Julia (Messing), who is somewhat against the idea of a Marilyn Monroe-themed musical."

Besides Spielberg, the series comes with an incredibly impressive pedigree. Among the executive producers are Chicago and Hairspray producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and Grammy and Tony award-winning songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who will write original songs for the show. American Idiot's Michael Mayer will direct.