Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24,
1999.
The show stars Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City.
Plot The series focuses mainly on the newlyweds
Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker, and Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations
specialist as they deal with everything from humorous daily minutiae to major struggles.
Near the end of the show's run, the couple have a baby daughter, whom they name Mabel.
Production notes Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser were paid $1 million
per episode for the last season.
However, ratings fell sharply that year as the series was shuffled away from its Tuesday
slot to prop up a fledgling Monday night line-up of comedies on NBC.
The final episode of the series was "The Final Frontier".
The show's theme song, "Final Frontier", was composed by Reiser and Don Was.
The theme was originally performed by Andrew Gold, but a version performed by Anita Baker
made its debut at the beginning of the sixth season.
Baker's version was used on several episodes of the last two seasons, in addition to Gold's
version, and appears on the show's soundtrack album.
Gold's version is available on the collection Thank You for Being a Friend: The Best of
Andrew Gold.
Cast and characters Main
Paul Reiser as Paul Buchman, a filmmaker.
After attending the New York University Film School, he struggled for recognition before
finally succeeding in filmmaking in New York City.
He and his family reside in Union Square.
Helen Hunt as Jamie "James" Buchman, the younger daughter of Gus and Theresa Stemple.
After seven boyfriends at Yale University, she met Paul Buchman at a New York newsstand
by stealing his copy of The New York Times with an implausible excuse.
Her difficult relationship with her mother-in-law is an ongoing source of jokes on the show.
Maui as Murray, the Buchmans' collie mix dog.
He was a puppy when Paul found him, and Paul met Jamie while walking him.
He sometimes chases an invisible mouse, and often ends up crashing into the bedroom wall.
In a later episode, Jamie does discover the "real" mouse that Murray has been chasing.
In the two-part series finale, The Final Frontier, adult Mabel says that Murray died when she
was six, but she was not told until she was twelve.
Twice voted the most popular dog by the readers of TV Guide, Murray is loyal and endearing
while being very laid back and a bit thick-skulled.
Maui was originally found in a Castaic, California, animal shelter by noted Hollywood animal trainer
Boone Narr.
Maui weighed 58 pounds and was primarily trained by Betty Linn.
His first assignments came in TV commercials and as the backup for the top dog in the feature
film "Bingo."
Anne Ramsay as Lisa Stemple, Jamie's older sister.
Lisa has unfathomable psychological issues.
Jamie is referred to as "Stella" in a book written by Lisa's therapist: "It was Stella's
overprotectiveness that suffocated her ability to relate to others, and tethered her to a
lifetime of insecurity and neurosis."
After an envious rage, she blames Jamie for all of her problems in an interview with her
shrink that becomes a chapter of a book called "Manics".
With no place else to go, she does her laundry at Paul and Jamie's apartment while scavenging
through her sister's clothes and food.
Every visit from her parents triggers her eating disorder.
In between bouts of weirdness, she still cares deeply for Paul and Jamie and is often trusted
to house sit for them, usually with unfortunate results.
Leila Kenzle as Fran Devanow, Jamie's best friend.
She is the regional vice president at Farrer-Gantz Public Relations who hired Jamie as her assistant.
Near 1989, Fran quits Farrer-Gantz to spend time with her five-year-old son, Ryan, and
husband, Mark.
Jamie is then promoted to Fran's position.
Fran and Mark's relationship lasts 10 years, and their separation shocks Jamie and Paul.
After divorcing Mark, Fran returns to her old position at Farrer-Gantz, since Jamie
had quit, but she, too, eventually quits and goes into business with Jamie.
Fran and Mark eventually reconcile.
John Pankow as Ira Buchman, Paul's cousin.
He first appears in the episode "The Wedding Affair".
Ira is from the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn.
He worked for Paul's father, Burt, at Buchman's Sporting Goods.
Paul and Ira have a close friendship, but their hidden rivalry came out when Ira took
ownership of Buchman's Sporting Goods upon Burt's retirement.
Even so, he frequently appears as loving and supportive towards Paul and Jamie.
Cynthia Harris as Sylvia Buchman, Paul's mother.
Sylvia almost always gives Jamie a hard time, but occasionally does show kindness towards
her daughter-in-law.
Louis Zorich as Burt Buchman, Paul's father.
Burt runs a sporting goods store – until he passes it onto Ira upon retirement.
His signature line in the show occurs whenever he visits Paul and Jamie's apartment, exclaiming
at the door, "It's me, Burt!
Burt Buchman, your father!"
Alyssa and Justin Baric as Mabel Buchman, Paul and Jamie's daughter.
She was finally named when Jamie's overbearing mother proclaimed that "Mothers Always Bring
Extra Love."
Alyssa and Justin Baric played Mabel from the beginning of season six when Mabel was
brought home from the hospital.
They continued to play the role of Mabel for numerous episodes.
Carter and Madison Gayle play the role at a later time.
In the season six episode "Letters to Mabel", an 18-year-old Mabel is played by Meredith
Bishop.
In the series finale, a teen Mabel is played by Cara DeLizia, and an adult Mabel is played
by Janeane Garofalo.
Richard Kind as Dr. Mark Devanow, Fran's ex-husband, with whom she is on good terms.
A former obstetrician, Mark left Fran and their young son because he felt smothered
and wanted to see the world.
After returning to New York, he converts to Buddhism and works for a grocery store, although
he eventually returns to his old profession.
He eventually is able to win Fran back.
Recurring Judy Geeson as Maggie Conway, British neighbor
across the hall Robin Bartlett as Debbie Buchman, Paul's sister
Lisa Kudrow as Ursula Buffay, waitress at Riff's who frequently forgets orders
Suzie Plakson as Dr. Joan Golfinos, Debbie Buchman's life partner
Hank Azaria as Nat Ostertag, Jamie and Paul's dog walker
Tommy Hinkley as Jay Selby, Paul's college friend
Mo Gaffney as Dr. Sheila Kleinman, Jamie and Paul's therapist
Jeff Garlin as Marvin, Ira's employee and semi-pro wrestler
Jerry Adler as Mr. Wicker, the apartment building superintendent
George O. Petrie as Sid, Paul's film editor colleague
Carol Burnett as Theresa Stemple, Jamie's mother
John Karlen as Gus Stemple, Jamie's father Penny Fuller as Theresa Stemple, Jamie's mother
Carroll O'Connor as Gus Stemple, Jamie's father Paxton Whitehead as Maggie's first and third
husband Hal Jim Piddock as Maggie's second husband Hal
Eric Stoltz as Alan Tofsky, Jamie's ex-boyfriend Cyndi Lauper as Marianne Lugasso, Ira's on
and off girlfriend/ex-wife Steven Wright as Warren Mermelman
Larry Miller as Lou Bonaparte Patrick Bristow as Troy, Jamie's scheming
office underling Mel Brooks as Uncle Phil, Paul's uncle
Gates McFadden as Allison Rourke, Paul Buchman's boss
Alan Ruck as Lance Brockwell Notable guest stars
Episodes
Crossovers Mad About You has had numerous connections
to other NBC sitcoms set in New York City, as well as various other programs.
Friends: Lisa Kudrow played the recurring role of Ursula, a flaky waitress at Riff's
Bar, a local restaurant that Paul and Jamie frequented.
Kudrow went on to star in the NBC sitcom Friends, playing the also somewhat flaky character
of Phoebe Buffay, and for a time both series shared the same Thursday night line-up.
While not originally intended, the characters of Ursula and Phoebe were later found to be
identical twin sisters.
In a Friends episode, as part of a night of NBC sitcom crossovers, Jamie and Fran walk
into Central Perk and mistake Phoebe for Ursula.
Hunt and Kenzle were not identified on screen as Jamie and Fran.
In the season three episode "Pandora's Box", Jamie causes a city-wide power blackout in
New York City, and the effects of the blackout are seen in the Friends episode, "The One
with the Blackout", and there was also a blackout in the episode "Birthday in the Big House"
of the short-lived NBC sitcom Madman of the People, which leaves open the possibility
that the characters from this program may exist in the same universe as the characters
of Mad About You also.
All three episodes originally aired during the evening of November 3, 1994, alongside
a Seinfeld episode which did not incorporate the blackout premise.
Seinfeld: In one episode, Paul, pressured by Jamie, decides to sign over the lease of
his old "bachelor pad" to the current tenant who is subleasing.
This tenant is revealed to be Cosmo Kramer of Seinfeld.
Seinfeld, however, twice contradicted this connection, once even featuring a running
joke about George's distaste for his fiancee Susan's fondness for watching Mad About You.
In the Mad About You season seven episode "Season Opener", Paul, under the effects of
Viagra, ran into Jerry Seinfeld in the street, who tells Paul to go away.
At this point in Seinfeld's chronology, Jerry Seinfeld was supposed to be in prison.
The Dick Van Dyke Show: Carl Reiner reprised the role of Alan Brady from the 1960s sitcom.
The episode made several references to the older show, such as Jamie at one point crying
and whining "Oh, Paul!"
– a signature move by Mary Tyler Moore's character Laura Petrie.
Ten episodes earlier, Paul almost trips over a box and says, "Get me, I'm Dick Van Dyke."
Nielsen ratings 1992–93: #54
1993–94: #31 1994–95: #11
1995–96: #37 1996–97: #24
1997–98: #32 1998–99: #85
Awards
Mad About You won a Golden Globe Award, a Peabody Award, a Genesis Award, received five
Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, and was chosen Best Quality Comedy
by the Viewers for Quality Television.
Helen Hunt won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy Series
four years in a row.
Media Soundtrack
In 1997, Atlantic Records released a Mad About You soundtrack.
The soundtrack from and inspired by the sitcom, is composed of fun and sentimental songs and
clips from the show.
The tracks are organized chronologically marking the milestones of the couple's relationship.
The album is bookended by the two versions of Paul Reiser's song "Final Frontier"—the
first track is the classic version used in the show's opening, and the last track is
Anita Baker's jazzy, full-length rendition, with Reiser on keyboard.
The 21 tracks are as follows:
DVD releases Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released
the first three seasons of Mad About You on DVD in Region 1 and 4.
The first two seasons were also released in Region 2.
Due to poor sales, no subsequent seasons were released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
On February 22, 2010, Shout!
Factory announced that they had acquired the rights to release the remaining seasons of
Mad About You on DVD.
They subsequently released seasons 4 and 5 on DVD.
On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the
rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including Mad About
You.
They subsequently re-released the first and second seasons on DVD on August 5, 2014.
Season releases Best-of releases
References
External links Mad About You at faqs.org site
Mad About You at the Internet Movie Database Mad About You at TV.com