| "Alive and Schticking" | |
|---|---|
| Will & Grace episode | |
 Scene where Malcolm (Alec Baldwin) is afraid of being caught talking to Will (Eric McCormack); so when Rosario (Shelley Morrison) and Karen (Megan Mullally) arrive he pretends to be Will's boyfriend and kiss him. | |
| Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | James Burrows |
| Written by | Bill Wrubel |
| Production code | 163 |
| Original air date | September 29, 2005 |
| Guest appearance | |
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"Alive and Schticking" is the season premiere of the American television series Will & Grace's eighth season. It was written by Bill Wrubel and directed by series producer James Burrows. The episode was broadcast live on NBC in the United States on September 29, 2005, and was performed twice by the actors that evening for the East and West coasts. Alec Baldwin guest starred in "Alive and Schticking" and received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance.
In the episode, Grace (Debra Messing) contemplates having an affair with a married man, while Jack (Sean Hayes) begins a new career as the host of his new talk show Jack Talk. Meanwhile, Will (Eric McCormack) tries to hide from Karen (Megan Mullally) the fact that her husband, Stan, is alive and faked his death due to troubles with the mob. Will also tries to stop his former boss, Malcolm (Baldwin), from dating Karen.
Will & Grace creators and executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick were in favor of doing a live episode, and Kevin Reilly, who at the time served as NBC Entertainment President, thought it would be a good way to inaugurate the (at the time) final season of the show. Since airing, "Alive and Schticking" has received mostly positive reviews from television critics, who enjoyed watching the mistakes made by the actors and their attempts to hide their laughter during the live broadcast. The episode acquired a Nielsen rating of 9.81 and garnered the series' highest rating in the 18–49 demographic since February 17, 2005, and biggest overall viewer total since February 24, 2005.