NBC Gives Full Season Order to Debra Messing's MYSTERIES OF LAURA

NBC has given a full-season 22-episode order to its 8 p.m. Wednesday drama "The Mysteries of Laura."

Emmy Award winner Debra Messing stars as NYPD homicide Det. Laura Diamond, who manages to balance her time between being a police officer and that of a harried mom with two unruly young boys.

"Debra has effortlessly infused Laura with a relatability that is captivating audiences," said Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment. "We can't wait to see how Laura will continue to evolve throughout the entire season."

Through its first six telecasts, "The Mysteries of Laura" has averaged a 1.8 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 10.4 million viewers overall in "most current" figures from Nielsen Media Research. In "live plus same day" results, "The Mysteries of Laura" has improved the Wednesday 8-9 p.m. ET/PT hour by +58% or 3.3 million persons versus NBC's results in THE HOUR one year earlier.

"The Mysteries of Laura" is the only new drama on the Big 4 networks so far this season to remain with 0.2 of a rating point in 18-49 of its regular-slot debut through its next four telecasts in L+SD results.

The series also stars Josh Lucas, Laz Alonso, Janina Gavankar and Max Jenkins.

Writer Jeff Rake ("Boston Legal") and director McG ("Supernatural") serve as executive producers with Greg Berlanti ("Brothers & Sisters"), Aaron Kaplan ("The Neighbors"), Todd Lituchy and Sarah Schechter. "The Mysteries of Laura" is a production of Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions and Kapital Entertainment.

Announcements on other new NBC series will come at a later date.

Debra Messing stars as Laura Diamond on NBC's "The Mysteries of Laura."

Messing is best known for her role on NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy series "Will & Grace." Messing captivated television audiences worldwide for eight seasons with her comedic brilliance as Grace Adler, an interior designer whose best friend and soul mate is gay. For her work on the popular sitcom, Messing won the 2003 Emmy Award and received five additional Emmy nominations. She earned a total of seven Golden Globe nominations, seven Screen Actors Guild nominations (winning the ensemble award in 2001), two American Comedy Award nominations and one individual People's Choice Award nomination. She also collected TV Guide's Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series honor in 2001.

Most recently, Messing was seen for two seasons (2012-13) on NBC's "Smash," which chronicled the struggles of getting a Broadway production up and running. The drama was executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

After "Will & Grace" ended its lengthy run, Messing starred in USA Network's six-hour television event "The Starter Wife." The miniseries, directed by Jon Avnet and based on Gigi Levangie Grazer's bestselling novel, drew 5.4 million viewers in its two-hour debut on May 31, 2007 to give the cable network its best launch for an original series in three years. It picked up 10 Emmy nominations, including one for Messing. She also received a Golden Globe nomination.

Messing reprised her role in the 2008 "The Starter Wife" series, for which she received another Golden Globe nomination. Previous TV credits include "Jesus," "Prey" and "Ned and Stacey."

Earlier this year Messing appeared in the Manhattan Theater Club's winter production of "Outside Mullingar," opposite Brian F. O'Byrne. The play, which opened Jan. 23, 2014 and had its final performance March 16, was nominated for a 2014 Tony Award for best play.

Messing portrayed Harper Pitt in the pre-Broadway workshop of Tony Kushner's Tony Award-winning play "Angels in America: Perestroika." She then left New York for Seattle to star as Cecily in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and, upon her return, was cast as both Mary-Louise Parker's and Polly Draper's understudy in the New York premiere of John Patrick Shanley's critically acclaimed Off-Broadway play "Four Dogs and a Bone." She next went on to co-star in Paul Rudnick's Off-Broadway play "The Naked Truth."

Messing also co-starred with Maria Tucci in the highly acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Donald Margulies' "Collected Stories," which premiered at the Manhattan Theatre Club and was chosen as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

On the big screen, Messing was last seen in "Nothing Like the Holidays" and "The Women," both of which were released in 2008. Messing's film work also includes two romantic comedies, "The Wedding Date," opposite Dermot Mulroney, and the box office hit "Along Came Polly," with Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston. In 2002, she co-starred in Woody Allen's comedy "Hollywood Ending."