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Mad About You

Mad About You is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City as they navigate life together. In later seasons, the couple has a daughter.

For other uses, see Mad About You (disambiguation).

Mad About You

Peter Tolan (2019 revival)

"Final Frontier"

United States

English

8

  • 21—22 minutes
  • 23—26 minutes (revival)

NBC

September 23, 1992 (1992-09-23) –
May 24, 1999 (1999-05-24)

November 20 (2019-11-20) –
December 18, 2019 (2019-12-18)

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. In its final season, the show was dropped from its primetime slot, leading to a sharp decrease in viewership, and subsequently cancelled.


On March 6, 2019, a limited season 8 revival was picked up by Spectrum Originals for 12 episodes. Reiser and Hunt reprised their roles. The revival showed the couple as new empty nesters whose daughter was starting college at NYU. The events of the original series' finale, which showed the events of the next twenty years of the couple's lives, were retconned for the revival.

Plot[edit]

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. They live in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan. The 2019 limited series focuses on Paul and Jamie as empty nesters as Mabel starts college at New York University, five blocks away.

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.

Paul Reiser

as Jamie Buchman (née Stemple, born February 19, 1963), the younger daughter of Gus and Theresa Stemple (although in several episodes, Jamie's birthdate is portrayed as November 11 and also February 11). On moving to New York, she took a job at Farrer-Gantz Public Relations, eventually rising to the position of Regional Vice President. After leaving Farrer-Gantz to continue her education, Jamie started her own public relations firm, which was eventually consolidated into City Hall's press department, under Director of Communications Lance Brockwell. When Brockwell set his sights on the Mayor's mansion, he selected Jamie as his campaign manager. After seven boyfriends at Yale University, she met Paul Buchman at a New York newsstand shortly before Christmas in 1989 by stealing his copy of The New York Times with an implausible excuse. The two married in April 1992. Her difficult relationship with her mother-in-law is an ongoing source of jokes on the show. The character also appeared in the Friends episode "The One with Two Parts, Part 1".

Helen Hunt

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, 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]

[9]

as Lisa Stemple (seasons 1–5; recurring season 7), 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. Though billed in the opening credits of every episode of seasons 1 through 5, the character appeared less frequently over time, and was in only 22 of the 48 episodes produced in seasons 4 and 5. Anne Ramsay left the show entirely in season 6, but returned for recurring appearances in season 7.

Anne Ramsay

as Fran Devanow (seasons 1–6; guest season 7), 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. The character also appeared in the Friends episode "The One with Two Parts, Part 1".

Leila Kenzle

as Dr. Mark Devanow (season 1; recurring seasons 2–5 & 7), Fran's melodramatic 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.

Richard Kind

as Ira Buchman (seasons 2–7; recurring season 1), 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. Ira made Paul a silent partner in the store due to the mistaken belief that Paul resents his inheriting the store. Ira is a compulsive gambler and often takes Paul with him on Atlantic City junkets without Jamie's knowledge. When he remembers to, Ira attends Gamblers Anonymous meetings. Even so, he frequently appears as loving and supportive towards Paul and Jamie.

John Pankow

as Sylvia Buchman (seasons 6–7; recurring seasons 2–5), Paul's mother. Sylvia almost always gives Jamie a hard time, but occasionally does show kindness towards her daughter-in-law.

Cynthia Harris

as Burt Buchman (seasons 6–7; guest seasons 1–2; recurring seasons 3–5), 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!"

Louis Zorich

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 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 Gale 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.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

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]

Media[edit]

Soundtrack[edit]

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:

Adaptations[edit]

A Chilean adaptation under the title Loco por ti (translated as Crazy About You) aired on TVN during 2004.


An Argentine adaptation under the title Loco por vos (translated as Crazy About You) stylized as Loco x vos aired on Telefe from September 5 until December 29, 2016. The second season was originally going to air in 2017 but was scrapped later on.[27]


A British adaptation under the title Loved by You aired for two seasons on ITV from 11 March 1997 until 27 August 1998.[28]


An Italian adaptation under the title Innamorati pazzi (Crazy Lovers) aired on Italia 1 from 1998 until 2003


A Chinese adaptation aired on Dragon TV on January 4, 2016.[29]

at IMDb

Mad About You

Mad About You at faqs.org site