‘Smash’ to deliver a ‘Will & Grace’ reunion in Season 2

Well, you can’t blame NBC for trying.

With the Broadway-focused musical series “Smash” yielding only middling ratings after a debut powered by a $30-million promotional blitz, the network is looking to build buzz for Season 2 with a little bit of sitcom nostalgia by reuniting star Debra Messing with former “Will & Grace” costar Sean Hayes.

Hayes, an Emmy winner for his role as Jack on the popular 1998-2006 sitcom, will appear in a multiple-episode arc as a comic with film and TV experience preparing for his Broadway debut -- which unfortunately ends any speculation that the storyline might involve Messing’s character co-writing an adaptation of “Just Jack” (a one-man show by Hayes’ “Will & Grace” character).

PHOTOS: ‘Will & Grace’: Where are they now?

Hayes joins Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson as the second high-profile guest star scheduled for the second season of “Smash,” which will be led by a new showrunner with the departure of Theresa Rebeck, who created the series. The first season featured guest turns from Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters and Nick Jonas.

NBC has scheduled “Smash” to return as a midseason replacement for 2012-13. Whether it will finally live up to its name remains to be seen.

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Jennifer Hudson scheduled for multiple episodes on “Smash”