NEW YORK - Janet Jackson will guest-star as herself in an upcoming episode of the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace."

The episode will air on Sept. 23, Jackson told syndicated entertainment TV show "Access Hollywood" in an interview that aired Monday.

Her last prime-time role was as Cleo Hewitt on NBC's "Fame" (1984-85). She also appeared in the TV comedies "Diff'rent Strokes" and "Good Times."

When asked about the upcoming "Will & Grace" episode, Jackson said it involves Sean Hayes' character, Jack McFarland, "trying out as a dancer."

"There's a little bit of a routine and they go on to do their thing from there," she said in excerpts of the interview posted on the "Access Hollywood" Web site. "It's so funny. I have to catch myself because I'm cracking up in rehearsals. It's just funny to watch them. It's hilarious."






I LOVE Will & Grace, and Janet was great on SNL so I think it'll be hilarious!

one has-been show with a tired shtick/publicity stunt joining up with a has-been act with a tired shtick/publicity stunt.


maybe there will be some sort of fiery crash, and we can do away with 2 once-classic, now-over entertainment enterprises for the price of one....

Tessa said:

Yeah, and maybe they can rerun the Madonna episode right after it.

theVelvetRoper said:

what would be better is if they ran the Cher AND Madonna re-runs right before it, just so that everyone's clear on what a brainless follower Janet is and shit, i'm even a fan....

Hey TVR, thanks for this news. Sounds good! Can't wait to see Jack try to bust the AFY or AN(DS) breakdown. LOL! Will definitely be tuning in to this.

JANFAN4L said:

I know! I think it'll be great!

...and for you attentive Janet fans, word on the street is the next single will be SloLove -- still rumours though.

JANFAN4L said:

Thank God, at least she isn't choosing a snoozer of a ballad.

I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin aborts that release, however. Exactly what they did with Come On Get Up.

JANFAN4L said:

I'm in the SloLove club! I'm soooo hoping this rumor is true, though I thought R&B Junkie was supposed to be next.

theVelvetRoper said:

Well, it was, and it went nowhere, along with All Nite (Don't Stop).

I think they should wait until November or so to release this (after ppl have forgotten about all the Superbowl shit), then give it a subtle remix for single release.

VoicesCarry said:

I don't think R&B Junkie was actually released, was it?

theVelvetRoper said:

Yup.

Actually, right now it's at #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Bubbling Under chart.

Which means it's going nowhere.

VoicesCarry said:

OK I was ready to say, you have to remember that we are 3 singles deep (JALW, IWY, AN(DS) but wait R&B Junkie was released? It's nowhere on my radio dial. I thought that was gonna be the next single too.

Slolove=Come On Get Up... Voices knooooows its fate

CinisterCee said:

Considering that All Nite (Don't Stop) and R&B Junkie have failed to move beyond the Bubbling Under, Dance Radio Airplay and Club Play charts, I don't think they're on anyone's radio dial.

I knew that R&B Junkie was on the Bubbling Under chart, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was released as a single because it was on the radio, or does it? I don't think they're planning to sell it as a single.

theVelvetRoper said:

Well, commercial availability doesn't define a single release anymore (although on vinyl it is the B-side of All Nite). Virgin didn't even issue a promo CD, they just told DJ's to play it off the album. A video was even shot. I think it's an abaondoned single.

Ironically, R&B Junkie was more popular than All Nite at radio.
[This message was edited Tue Aug 10 19:04:20 2004 by VoicesCarry]

CinisterCee said:

It would be kind of asinine for Virgin to release "R&B Junkie" so late in the game. Summer's almost over, the song has already impacted and is currently fading out. Now, if this were April or May, they could've pulled off a double-single, but the Virgin Megawhores woefully screwed that up. I said it once and I'll say it again: "SloLove" is Damita Jo's saving grace. Jan should close the project with this track and move on to her next one. She maybe can crank out a tour video in the vein of "You" or "Black Cat," but it should be relegated to DVD bonus featurette play.

JANFAN4L said:

Yeah, but don't release it now. Release it in the winter, once the superbowl din has died out and her other singles aren't competing for airtime.

And I fuckin' hate Virgin! Wish she'd stayed with A&M.
[This message was edited Tue Aug 10 19:09:52 2004 by VoicesCarry]

VoicesCarry said:

I think they abandoned it to, but I can't wait to see the video on the DVD.

Actually, I've never heard R&B Junkie on the radio here in Philly, nor have I heard All Nite.

VoicesCarry said:

"SloLove" would be a great edition to this "From Janet to Damita Jo" DVD they're planning -- I still say wait a year or more to release a career-spanning box set and stop pumping money from the diehards. I can safely see it doing well around late autumn (once the election has ceased). It's a feel-good track that fans and casual listeners can appreciate. It's not some sex-you-up track, so Janet can lay low on the eroticism. I've been waiting for another track like DRM or STCML and SloLove's the one.

Record company wise, it's one hell of a trade-off: commercial longevity and minimal money at A&M or wishy-washy promotion and $80 million from Virgin. She chose the latter and is paying the price.

JANFAN4L said:

I doubt they could do a career-spanning box set, considering that A&M owns the rights to a lot of material.

I say another hits collection, spanning 1993 and onward. That would make it exatly 10 years after Design Of A Decade.

VoicesCarry said:

I was just going to mention that she wouldn't really be able to do a box set with all of her hits, but she has enough material from janet., TVR, and AFY for a second greatest hits collection.

The tracklist should include:

01. That's The Way Love Goes
02. Again
03. If
04. You Want This
05. Anytime, Anyplace
06. Because of Love
07. Got 'til It's Gone
08. Together Again
09. I Get Lonely
10. Doesn't Really Matter
11. All For You
12. Someone to Call My Lover
13. All Nite (Don't Stop)

Along with a few new tracks, and maybe some remixes.

theVelvetRoper said:

Nice tracklist, TVR.

If I were in the Megawhore chambers, my list would go like so:

1. That's The Way Love Goes
2. If
3. You Want This
4. Again
5. Any Time, Any Place
6. Because of Love
7. Got 'Til It's Gone (featuring Q-Tip & Joni Mitchell)
8. Together Again
9. Go Deep
10. I Get Lonely
11. Everytime
12. You
13. All For You
14. Someone To Call My Lover
15. Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)
16. Doesn't Really Matter
17. Just A Little While
18. I Want You
19. All Nite (Don't Stop)
20. Just A Little While
21. [whatever the next video is]

Bonus features:
What About (Live '98 VH1 Fashion Awards performance)
I Get Lonely (Live '98 Rosie O'Donnell show performance)
All Nite (Don't Stop) (Live '04 Jay Leno performance)
Throb (Live '93 SNL performance)
Got Til It's Gone (Live '98 Oprah performance)
Strawberry Bounce (Live '04 SNL performance)
Ask For More
Time Out with the Kids (backstage in the rehearsal space, the tour, the choreography, video shoots)

Left off "Runaway" and "Twenty Foreplay" because those are A&M tracks. I doubt they'll throw them on there.

JANFAN4L said:

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot "Everytime", "Son of a Gun", and "I Want You"! I chose not to include the other ones because "You", though one of my all-time favorites, really wasn't a single, and neither was "Just a Little While". Great bonus features you listed, though, especially "What About", "Throb", "Ask for More", and Time Out with the Kids.

theVelvetRoper said:

You feel me?! I think a "Time Out with the Kids" featurette would be awesome. I loved the featurette on the Rhythm Nation VHS back in '89 when they had the dancers rehearsing the choreography in the mini-film. The classic part was when one of the dancers was doing the "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" part with their hand and they stuck up a middle finger at the camera! CLASSIC!

theVelvetRoper said:

Actually, "You" was an international single with a commercial release in Japan and promos in the UK. And JALW can definitely be called a single.

Here's my ideal tracklisting:

1. BET Awards Intro
2. That's The Way Love Goes
3. If (Radio Edit)
4. Because Of Love
5. Anytime, Anyplace (R. Kelly Mix Single Edit)
6. You Want This (LP Edit)
7. Again
8. Got 'Til It's Gone (Radio Edit)
9. Together Again (Radio Edit)
10. I Get Lonely (LP Edit)
11. Go Deep
12. Everytime (Jam & Lewis Disco Mix)
13. You (Single Edit)
14. All For You (Radio Edit)
15. Someone To Call My Lover (Single Edit)
16. Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) (Radio Edit)
17. Come On Get Up (Radio Version)
18. Just A Little While (Single Radio Edit)
19. I Want You (Radio Edit)
20. All Nite (Don't Stop)
21. R&B Junkie
22. Doesn't Really Matter (Radio Edit)

I want to close with DRM so people are more likely to remember how great Janet can be instead of leaving with memories of the relatively weak hits off DJ.
[This message was edited Tue Aug 10 20:09:22 2004 by VoicesCarry]

VoicesCarry said:

please, god, no... make it the album edit

JANFAN4L said:

I loved that! I also loved Janet and the kids on the All For You special edition DVD, when they were doing the radio interview, and the video rehearsals on the janet. video tape! I love the kids, and I miss the "old-school" RN and janet. kids! They really were like a little family, huh?

Tessa said:

There is no album edit. That was the single version. It's a really good mix .

Tessa said:

The R. Kelly mix is a jam, kiddie fixations aside, but I doubt they'll throw a non-Jam & Lewis mix on a Janet studio retrospective. Probably be good bonus disc, import material.