Mad About You

Mad About You is an American sitcom television series starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City.

For other uses, see Mad About You (disambiguation).
Mad About You
Intertitle from Seasons 5–7
GenreSitcom
Created by
Developed byPeter Tolan (2019 revival)
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme"Final Frontier" performed by Andrew Gold/The Sonora's Tucson Band (seasons 1–7)
Season 6 sung by Anita Baker, and Lyle Lovett
Season 8 (revival) sung by Kecia Lewis
Composer(s)David Kitay
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes176 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time21–22 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor
Release
Original network
Picture format
Original releaseOriginal series:
September 23, 1992 (1992-09-23) –
May 24, 1999 (1999-05-24)
Revival:
November 20 –
December 18, 2019 (2019-12-18)
Chronology
Related showsFriends
Mad About You (Chinese series)
Loco por vos (Argentine remake)
External links
Website

It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Globe Awards and twelve Primetime Emmy Awards. On March 6, 2019, a limited series revival was picked up by Spectrum Originals for 12 episodes.

Plot

The series focuses mainly on newlyweds Paul Buchman, a documentary filmmaker, 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, they have a baby daughter, whom they name Mabel.

Production

Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser were paid $1 million per episode for the last season (with their contracts calling for them to be paid equally). 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 show's theme song, "Final Frontier", was composed by Reiser and Don Was.[1] It 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 rendering, in addition to Gold's, was used on several episodes of the last two seasons, 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.

Exterior views of buildings were filmed in Manhattan. Paul and Jamie's New York City Apartment was located at 5th Avenue and 12th Street. The Old Town Bar and Restaurant on 45 E. 18th Street was used for the fictional Riff's Restaurant in the series.[2]

Revival

In April 2018, it was announced that Sony Pictures Television would revive the show with the two lead actors reprising their roles,[3] though Reiser expressed doubt about it in July 2018.[4] In September 2018, Reiser stated that the revival was still on the table, but that "the studio needs to figure out if they know how to do it."[5]

On March 6, 2019, the series was revived for an eighth season by Spectrum Originals, described as a 12-episode limited series, with Reiser and Hunt confirmed to reprise their roles.[6] On September 5, 2019, it was announced that the first six episodes of the revival would premiere on November 20, 2019, and another six episodes would be released on December 18, 2019.[7] The series is available in a traditional manner in Canada, with its episodes airing on the CTV Comedy Channel.

Many of the main and recurring cast members reprised their roles for the revival. The most notable former main cast member not to reprise her role was Leila Kenzle, who played Jamie's best friend, Fran Devanow. Kenzle retired from acting in 2003 and became a psychotherapist. Fran's husband, Mark, does return in the revival, but the character is now remarried.[8]

Cast and characters

Original run (1992–1999)

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 near Union Square, on lower Fifth Avenue.
  • Helen Hunt as Jamie "James" Buchman (née Stemple, born February 19, 1963), 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' dog. He was a puppy when Paul found him, and Paul met Jamie while walking him. He sometimes chases what the couple assume is an invisible mouse, and often ends up crashing into the bedroom wall. In a later episode, Jamie discovers that there is indeed a 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,[9] 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.[10]
  • 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's 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 obnoxious 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. Eventually, Fran also quits and goes into business with Jamie. In time, Fran and Mark 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 on to 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 (twins) as Mabel Buchman, Paul and Jamie's daughter. She was finally named when Jamie's overbearing mother proclaimed that "Mothers Always Bring Extra Love", an homage to The Dick Van Dyke Show where Rob and Laura explain Ritchie's middle name. Alyssa and Justin Baric played Mabel from the beginning of season six when Mabel was brought home from the hospital ("Coming Home"). 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 ultimately he returns to his old profession. In due course, he wins Fran back.

Recurring

  • Jerry Adler as Mr. Wicker, the apartment building superintendent (10 episodes)
  • Hank Azaria as Nat Ostertag, Jamie and Paul's dog walker (15 episodes)
  • Robin Bartlett (29 episodes) and Talia Balsam (1 episode) as Debbie Buchman, Paul's sister.
  • Patrick Bristow as Troy, Jamie's scheming office underling (5 episodes)
  • Mel Brooks as Uncle Phil, Paul's uncle (4 episodes)
  • Carol Burnett (10 episodes) and Penny Fuller (4 episodes) and Nancy Dussault (1 episode) as Theresa Stemple, Jamie's mother.
  • Mo Gaffney as Dr. Sheila Kleinman, Jamie and Paul's therapist (13 episodes)
  • Jeff Garlin as Marvin, Ira's employee and semi-pro wrestler (13 episodes)
  • Judy Geeson as Maggie Conway, British neighbor across the hall (32 episodes)
  • Tommy Hinkley as Jay Selby, Paul's college friend (13 episodes, season 1 only). The disappearance of Selby is never explained, a fact referred to in season 5, episode 21 ("Guardianhood")
  • Lisa Kudrow as Ursula Buffay, absent-minded waitress at Riff's (24 episodes)
  • Cyndi Lauper as Marianne Lugasso, Ira's on and off girlfriend/ex-wife (5 episodes)
  • Lyle Lovett (2 episodes)
  • Gates McFadden as Allison Rourke, Paul Buchman's boss (4 episodes)
  • Larry Miller as Lou Bonaparte (5 episodes)
  • Carroll O'Connor (4 episodes) and John Karlen (3 episodes) and Paul Dooley (1 episode) as Gus Stemple, Jamie's father
  • George O. Petrie as Sid, Paul's film editor colleague (10 episodes)
  • Suzie Plakson as Dr. Joan Golfinos, Debbie Buchman's life partner (and Jamie's Ob/Gyn for a while) (18 episodes)
  • Alan Ruck as Lance Brockwell (4 episodes)
  • Eric Stoltz as Alan Tofsky, Jamie's ex-boyfriend (6 episodes)
  • Paxton Whitehead as Maggie's first and third husband Hal (9 episodes)
  • Jim Piddock as Maggie's second husband Hal (7 episodes)
  • Steven Wright as Warren Mermelman (5 episodes)

Notable guest stars

Revival (2019)

Main

  • Paul Reiser as Paul Buchman
  • Helen Hunt as Jamie Buchman (née Stemple)
  • Anne Ramsay as Lisa Stemple, Jamie's older sister
  • John Pankow as Ira Buchman, Paul's cousin
  • Abby Quinn as Mabel Buchman, Paul and Jamie's daughter
  • Richard Kind as Dr. Mark Devanow
  • Kecia Lewis as Tonya, Mark's new wife[11]
  • Antoinette LaVecchia as Lucia Francavella, Ira's girlfriend then fiancée

Returning

Recurring

  • Asif Ali as Rishi
  • Sofia Hasmik as Ashta
  • Makena Lei Gordon as Shannon
  • Kimia Bellpoornia as Yasmeen

Other

  • Cloris Leachman as Mrs. Mandelbaum, one of Jamie's therapy patients[13][14]
  • Jason Alexander as himself
  • Blake Cooper Griffin as Aaron
  • Omar Adam as Craig
  • Isaac Cheung as Waiter
  • Joe Gillette as Vincent Maslin
  • Christina Marie Karis as Mara Buckland
  • Dylan Mattina as a New York City pedestrian
  • Layla Mohammadi as Meg Martin
  • Thomas Daniel Smith as Mark Buckland

Episodes
Main article: List of Mad About You episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
122September 23, 1992May 22, 1993
225September 16, 1993May 19, 1994
324September 22, 1994May 18, 1995
424September 24, 1995May 19, 1996
524September 17, 1996May 20, 1997
623September 23, 1997May 19, 1998
722September 22, 1998May 24, 1999
812November 20, 2019December 18, 2019

Crossovers

Mad About You has had numerous connections to other NBC sitcoms set in New York City, as well as various other programs.

Friends (owned by Warner Bros. Television): 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 ("The One With The Two Parts", 1st Season), 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 citywide 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. 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 ("The Apartment", 1st Season), Paul, pressured by Jamie, decides to sign over the lease of his old "bachelor pad" to the current tenant who is subleasing. When the tenant is revealed to be Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) of Seinfeld, Paul asks Kramer "What ever happened to that Jerry guy who used to live there?" Seinfeld, however, twice contradicted this connection, once even featuring a running joke about George's distaste for his fiancée 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 take on Mary Tyler Moore's character Laura Petrie's frequent refrain "Oh, Rob!" – Ten episodes earlier, Paul almost trips over a box and says, "Get me, I'm Dick Van Dyke."

Style & Substance: In the 2019 revival ("Real Estate for Beginners", 8th Season), Jean Smart appeared as Chelsea Stevens-Kobolakis,[15] a controlling, abrasive, short-tempered character that she had previously portrayed in showrunner Peter Tolan's[16] short-lived 1998 series. Paul and Jamie attend a weekend team-building workshop that Chelsea hosts, mistakenly thinking that it's the marriage counseling seminar which is being held in a nearby room.

Nielsen ratings
  • 1992–93: #54 (10.18 rating)
  • 1993–94: #31 (12.69 rating)
  • 1994–95: #11 (15.2 rating[17])
  • 1995–96: #37 (10.8 rating)
  • 1996–97: #24 (11.0 rating[18])
  • 1997–98: #32 (13.4 million viewers[19])
  • 1998–99: #85 (9.1 million viewers[20])

Awards
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Mad About You

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 (1996–99).

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:

  1. "Final Frontier (TV Theme)" – Andrew Gold
  2. "Who I Am" – Faith Hill
  3. "No Pressure" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
  4. "I've Been Lonely Too Long" – The Young Rascals
  5. "At Last" – Etta James
  6. "That's Marriage?" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
  7. "Ice Cream" – Sarah McLachlan
  8. "I Love the Way You Love Me" – Eric Martin
  9. "Nobody Knows Me" – Lyle Lovett
  10. "Sneaky Feelings" – Elvis Costello
  11. "A Talk in the Park" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
  12. "Love and Forgiveness" – Julia Fordham
  13. "A Magic Moment" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
  14. "The Things We've Handed Down" – Marc Cohn
  15. "Lullaby for You" – BeBe Winans
  16. "She Crawls Away" – Hootie & the Blowfish
  17. "My First Child" – Nil Lara
  18. "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" – John Lennon
  19. "Baby Girl" – The Tony Rich Project
  20. "Unconditional Love" – Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt
  21. "Mad About You – The Final Frontier" – Anita Baker

Home media

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.

In February 2010, Shout! Factory acquired the rights to release the remaining seasons of Mad About You on DVD. They subsequently released seasons 4 and 5 on DVD.[21][22]

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.[23] They subsequently re-released the first and second seasons on DVD on August 5, 2014.[24]

Mill Creek released the complete series on a 14-DVD set on May 3, 2016.[25]

As of August 1, 2019, the entire series has been available to Spectrum subscribers as part of the run-up to the premiere of the revival series.[26]

Season releases
DVD nameEp. #Release date
The Complete 1st Season22October 22, 2002
The Complete 2nd Season25April 22, 2003
The Complete 3rd Season24February 6, 2007
The Complete 4th Season24June 29, 2010
The Complete 5th Season24November 2, 2010
The Complete Series164May 3, 2016

Best-of releases
DVD nameRelease dateEp. #Additional information
Mad About You CollectionFebruary 8, 200522
  • Blooper Reel: The Seven Warning Signs of Madness
  • Audio commentaries: Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt on "The Final Frontier" and "The Pilot"
  • Featurette: Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt Are Mad About the Theme
  • Featurette: Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt Are Mad About the Guest Stars
  • Paul and Helen introduce and discuss each episode

Adaptations

A Chinese adaptation aired on Dragon TV on January 4, 2016.[27] An Argentine remake titled Loco por vos aired on Telefe in August, 2016.[28]

gollark: Generally, I'm pretty sure *consistently* defending (physically) against armed people when you are *not* armed is not really possible.
gollark: But there's probably a selection effect where people who both have guns and are really stupid about using them soon die/get imprisoned and no longer go around with guns.
gollark: I suppose there are a lot of stupid people.
gollark: I mean, that sort of thing might work *rarely* and/or on really stupid people, but almost certainly not consistently.
gollark: Oh yes, disarm someone with a gun while unarmed, you can DEFINITELY do that without DYING HORRIBLY.

References
  1. "Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt reprise '90s hit `Mad About You'". Associated Press. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  2. "Filming & Production". us.imdb.com. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  3. Hibberd, James (April 12, 2018). "Mad About You: Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt close deals for series revival". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  4. Petski, Denise. "Paul Reiser On 'Mad About You' Revival: "It Likely Won't Happen"". Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  5. Yang, Rachel (September 18, 2018). "Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt Are All in for the 'Mad About You' Reboot". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  6. Ausiello, Michael (March 6, 2019). "Mad About You Revival With Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt (Finally) Finds a Home". TVLine.
  7. "Spectrum Originals Limited Event Reunion Series "Mad About You" Produced by Sony Pictures Television to Debut November 20". The Futon Critic. September 5, 2019.
  8. "Lisa Kudrow Might Reprise Her Epic 'Mad About You' Character". Bustle.
  9. TV guide, Volume 46. 1998.
  10. Media Hounds: Murray on Mad About You Archived November 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Sepinwale, Alan (November 18, 2019). "'Mad About You' Revival: Banter, Bickering, and Boredom".
  12. Iannucci, Rebecca (November 4, 2019). "Mad About You Revival: Carol Burnett to Reprise Role as Jamie's Mother".
  13. Haring, Bruce (October 3, 2019). "'Mad About You': Cynthia Harris To Reprise Role, Cloris Leachman Also Joins Revival Limited Series For Spectrum Originals".
  14. Lieberman, Shana (November 13, 2019). "Mad About You revival: Everything we know so far about the limited series".
  15. Baysinger, Tim (2019-12-04). "'Mad About You': Jason Alexander and Jean Smart to Guest-Star on Spectrum Revival". The Wrap. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Smart will portray Chelsea Stevens-Kobolakis, an eccentric best-selling author, lifestyle guru and podcaster who runs a weekend seminar that Paul and Jamie attend — accidentally.
  16. Barbuto, Dana (2019-09-29). "Scituate's Peter Tolan goes 'Mad'". MSN. Retrieved 2020-01-29. Tolan is the showrunner, executive producer and writer for the series, premiering Nov. 20 on Spectrum Originals.
  17. "TV Ratings > 1990's". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
  18. "TV Ratings > 1990's". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
  19. "The Final Countdown". EW.com. 1998-05-29. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
  20. "TV WINNERS & LOSERS: NUMBERS RACKET A FINAL TALLY OF THE SEASON'S SHOWS". Web.archive.org. 2009-10-29. Archived from the original on 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
  21. "Mad About You Season 4". TV Shows on DVD. 2010-02-22. Archived from the original on 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  22. "Mad About You DVD news: Announcement for Mad About You – The Complete 5th Season". Tvshowsondvd.com. 2010-07-28. Archived from the original on 2014-07-10. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  23. "Mill Creek Entertainment Signs Deals With Sony Pictures Home Entertainment To Expand Their Distribution Partnership". Tvshowsondvd.com. 2013-08-27. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  24. "Package Art for Mill Creek's DVD Re-Releases of the First Two Seasons". Tvshowsondvd.com. 2014-05-06. Archived from the original on 2014-06-26. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  25. "Mad About You - The Complete Series - Release Information". Archived from the original on 2016-07-23. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  26. Jones, Marcus (18 July 2019). "Every episode of Mad About You headed to Spectrum ahead of revival". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  27. Littleton, Cynthia (December 17, 2015). "How Sony TV's 'Mad About You' Adaptation Broke Ground in China". Variety. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  28. "Telefe apuesta a una nueva miniserie para ganar el prime time de agosto". RatingCero.com. July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
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