A new season of the hit sitcom has been announced, returning next month and armed with topical jokes

New season of Will and Grace: face slaps and Trump gags feature in first trailer

The first trailer for the new season of hit New York sitcom Will and Grace has arrived - with dramatic face slaps and snarky retorts announcing its return to NBC on 28 September.

The short promotional video features the series’ original cast - Eric McCormack as Will Truman, Debra Messing as Grace Adler, Megan Mullally as Karen Walker, Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland - in typically sassy form.

As well as footage of the actors behind the scenes, jokes cover celebrity splits (“Brad and Angelina announce their divorce the same week my relationship ends? Selfish!”) and American politics (“You know Donny is one of my oldest friends, I helped him pick out Melania!”).

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cast members (L-R) Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes Photograph: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

The 16 Emmy award winning Will and Grace ran for eight seasons between 1998 and 2006 and returned with a 10-minute episode in September 2016. Launched at the height of the US election campaign, the short episode touched on the ascent of Trump.

Speaking to the Guardian in March, Mullally said the new season would reference the current political climate.

“How could it not? The main goal is to be funny, first and foremost, but the writers are so smart, they’ll find ways to comment on what’s going on in the world,” she said.

“The show was never overtly politicised, it was just topical. We didn’t hammer home that Will and Jack were gay – they just were gay, among other things. Viewers enjoyed it as entertainment, but maybe some teeny part of it got a little toehold in the backs of their minds and some change grew out of that.”