The NBC sitcom "Will & Grace" is moving from Monday night to Tuesday night

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Monday, December 14, 1998 4:36:31 PM EST

From Correspondent Ron Tank

HOLLYWOOD (CNN) -- "Will & Grace" began the fall television season as a big question mark: Would audiences accept or even tolerate the NBC sitcom's premise?

At issue wasn't that Eric McCormack's character, Will, and Debra Messing's character, Grace, are roommates and best friends, but that Will and Jack, co-star Sean Hayes' character, are gay.

"We do kind of beat people over the head with, hey, welcome to the world of two gay men picking on each other," says McCormack. "But we're not beating them over the head with anything political. We're not beating them over the head with how they got that way."

McCormack is referring to "Ellen," the sitcom ABC cancelled after its story lines began revolving around the lead character's sexual orientation.

Messing and McCormack working with veteran sitcom director James Burrows

"I was really anticipating a lot of press about, this show is not gonna make it because 'Ellen' didn't make it, or some backlash if this show did make it and 'Ellen' didn't make it," says Messing.

In fact, there has been almost no criticism of the show, and while its ratings have been mediocre, NBC is still supporting it, moving "Will & Grace" from Monday to a more visible Tuesday time slot.

The reason for the confidence booster? Audiences don't see him, but "Will & Grace" has a star behind the scenes too. He's veteran director James Burrows.

"He is God," says Messing. "Jim Burrows is an icon for a reason."

Burrows co-created and directed "Cheers," sheparded "Frasier" through its pilot and early episodes and directed most of the first year of "Friends." He's also worked his television magic on shows like "3rd Rock From The Sun," "Taxi" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

"I get the advantage of getting the best writing," says Burrows. "Most people send me their scripts, so it's pretty easy to pick the best writing."

Burrows also allows his actors to improvise.

"It makes my actors feel like they're creating and not just parroting the writer's words," says Burrows. "So if you can get an actor to feel like he's part of the creative process, you'll get them to perform a lot better for you."

McCormack says with Burrows steering the sitcom, he likes its chances for a long run.

"I know you don't like to use words like 'Cheers' or the 'S' word, 'Seinfeld,' but it crosses your mind and you think, something has to last on television," he says. "Maybe it could be this."

Before discounting that, viewers might want to be recall that neither "Cheers" nor "Seinfeld" was a hit in its first year.