Celebrity Justice
Huuuuuge Payday for "Will & Grace" Creators

Posted Apr 28th 2007 3:07AM by TMZ Staff

NBC has settled a gigantic lawsuit in which "Will & Grace" creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan alleged NBC screwed them out of a fortune in profits by cooking the books. In a bizarre twist, the case settled after the jury rendered a verdict. TMZ knows what that verdict was -- $48.5 million plus an untold amount in punitive damages.

It all came down yesterday in Los Angeles Superior Court. After a three-month trial, the jury deliberated. Just before the verdict was read, NBC lawyers stood up and said they discovered new information about the foreman -- that he had a website which revealed he allegedly hated big corporations.

The judge ended up kicking the foreman off the jury and ordered jurors to go back in the jury room and deliberate all over again with an alternate juror.

But the stark prospect of opening the bank vault drove NBC to settle. Sources say, Mutchnick and Kohan got "a s**tload" of money."

Filed under: Celebrity Justice, TV


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1. Hooray for Gay undertone sitcoms!!!

Posted at 7:09PM on Apr 27th 2007 by Shoe

2. so lucky

Posted at 7:11PM on Apr 27th 2007 by patty cake

3. The networks have been cooking the books to rip of tv show producers. This goes back at least to the 1970's when James Garner, whose company produced The Rockford Files, was ripped off and it took more than a decade for him to get justice.

Posted at 7:12PM on Apr 27th 2007 by Diego

4. boring SHOW!!! my gay firends thought it was like watching how blacks were shown in the movies in the 1920-30's

Posted at 7:37PM on Apr 27th 2007 by who cares?

5. that stupid show reminded me of "third rock from the sun", never understood the hype & couldn't sit through 30 minutes of that crap. I think it was an old fart/who thought they were hip show.

Posted at 7:56PM on Apr 27th 2007 by sandman

6. Will and Grace was a great show. The ratings spoke for themselves...does anyone in this World E-V-E-R have anything kind, positive, or thoughtful to say? These post show what a truely miserable World we live in because of people just like you.

Posted at 8:11PM on Apr 27th 2007 by Carla Herrera

7. #4--who cares? You must, or you wouldn't have read the article, or taken the time to write!! You didn't like it, doubt if they care. They are all set for life!!!

Posted at 8:11PM on Apr 27th 2007 by Janice

8. #7--Carla--I agree with you. Why can't anyone be positive anymore. They made people laugh for years, had fabulous ratings, and made enough money to live on for the rest of their lives. How many of us can say that? Will and Grace was fabulous!!!!

Posted at 8:17PM on Apr 27th 2007 by Sandi

9. #7... I enjoyed it as escapist, fun trivia-- Will and Grace brought us a sense of caring between two characters. Basically, though, the interior Jack and Karen show was about a couple of cartoonish clowns, who experienced occasional forays into genuine-ness. Jack especially annoyed me towards the end, with his exaggerrated voice and mannerisms and TOTAL shallowness LOL !!! So many people think this was a disappointing look at gay life, but it was never meant to be serious at all... it was silly, unbelievable, over-the-top... but FUN. If people wanted a serious side of gay life, all they had to do was look at real life...

Posted at 10:39PM on Apr 27th 2007 by Jimmy

10. golly gee whiz, why we can't we all like the same crap?
grow up.

Posted at 9:02AM on Apr 28th 2007 by sandman

11. Ain't it great that people who really NEED the money seem to win the lawsuits? Now they won't have to live off "Beany Weenies" any longer. They make me puke!

Posted at 9:47AM on Apr 28th 2007 by Roger C

12. as a gay man i agree with who cares?--that show made all gay men look like fairys!

Posted at 10:50AM on Apr 28th 2007 by a?

13. Great Show, well written ... and if they owed you the money .... glad you got them to pay up. I miss the show ...

Posted at 10:27PM on Apr 28th 2007 by Catherine

14. Pipe down, anti-Semitic trash.

Posted at 9:22AM on Apr 29th 2007 by Johnny

15. Was a juror on this trial and they deserve every penny they got!!! Love you Ma x And David!!!!
Don't hate what you don't KNOW!!!!!

Posted at 1:13PM on Apr 30th 2007 by Kathy

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