The most awkward season premier award goes to...

...Will and Grace, hands down. This "live" episode was one Will and Grace like none before, and hopefully none to follow.

The show started with a shot of the studio audience. The camera then panned over to a black curtain on which was written in white, what else but, "Will and Grace." When the curtain was raised, the familiar apartment set was revealed, and the camera zoomed in on Grace talking on the phone.

The whole episode looked visually like a soap opera. Despite the beauty of the Hi Definition signal, it looked low-budget and unprofessional, and the actors couldn't keep character at all. Not only did they keep smirking and laughing, but their rhythm and timing was totally off. They kept speaking either too fast or too slow, and often looked around awkwardly while straining to remember lines.

That said, I have to admit, the flaws and character breaks actually made the episode more interesting. And I for one, could not turn it off. I can also vouch for the fact that it is pretty true to the experience of seeing a sitcom episode shot live in person (I used to intern for a friendly neighbor of theirs), except when you are there, you have to see them do it multiple times, and not always in the show's order. The end of this episode of Will and Grace, like live sitcom tapings, was marked by the actors' names being announced and them coming out to take bows, which I also found strange to see on TV.

Technically, this show was a mess. The lighting was harsh, the sound levels were off... But, I'm still glad I tuned in. As uncomfortable as it made me feel when they broke the fourth wall, it felt kind of exciting like a reality show, and I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Did anyone else tune in?