WILL AND GRACE - WILL AND GRACE CREATORS SETTLE

The creators of Will and Grace have settled their lawsuit with the popular US sitcom's television network, NBC.

David Kohan and Jason 'Max' Mutchnick had demanded $55 million (£27 million) from NBC in 2003 when they claimed the show had not received a fair market value during its sale to NBC Studios.

After a 2004 counter-sue the legal machinations of the case rumbled on before reaching a dramatic – and slightly absurd - climax last week.

The case was heading for a potential derailment after a motion was moved claiming that the foreman had a conflict of interest in the case.

Prior to the judge delivering the verdict of the jury on Friday morning, NBC and Kohan and Mutchnick locked horns overnight and managed to hash out a settlement, whose precise terms have not been released.

It eventually emerged that the jury had ruled in favour of the plaintiffs.

Will and Grace enjoyed critical and popular acclaim during its eight-year spell on American television. It won a plethora of Emmy awards and is viewed as being instrumental in opening up the discussion of gay issues in mainstream television.