SCRAPPY JACK

A court battle over the origin of the "Jack" character on "Will & Grace" has been called off. Max Mutchnick, one of the executive producers of the show and a former boss of mine, was being sued by his long-time friend Jack Deamer, who contends he is the basis for TV's "Jack," played by Sean Hayes. Deamer claimed that Max promised him a house and car if the show became a hit, then reneged on his promise even after receiving a syndication windfall. I'm not taking sides or claiming to know what actually happened, but I will say this, I met Jack many times during my tenure on "Boston Common" and he was most definitely a character the likes of which you base a character on. The "Jack" we know is revolutionary in his prime-time flamboyance and represents a breakthrough in television tolerance. While I don't really doubt that Jack inspired the creation of "Jack," it saddens me that this tremendous success brought such a bitter end to a seemingly strong friendship. Instead of a cause for celebration, "Jack" became a matter for litigation.