"Mad About You" (1992) TV series 1992-1999

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Creators:

Danny Jacobson
Paul Reiser

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

23 September 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Light television comedy featuring Paul and Jaime Buchman as a recently married couple in New York City...

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom | New York | Baby | Love | Film Making

Awards:

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 32 wins & 63 nominations

Cast

Paul Reiser	...	Paul Buchman (161 episodes, 1992-1999)
Helen Hunt	...	Jamie Stemple Buchman (161 episodes, 1992-1999)
Maui	...	Murray (106 episodes, 1992-1999)
John Pankow	...	Ira Buchman (96 episodes, 1993-1999)
Leila Kenzle	...	Fran Devanow / ... (67 episodes, 1992-1999)
Anne Ramsay	...	Lisa Stemple / ... (67 episodes, 1992-1999)

Runtime:

23 min (164 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/6 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

In Front Productions

Trivia:

Steve Buscemi appears in an episode in the first season which was inspired by an actual incident between himself and Paul Reiser. Before Buscemi began acting, he tried his hand at doing standup. One night, he bombed so badly that another comic had to take his place. That comic was Reiser and the episode pokes fun at the incident.

Goofs:

Continuity: As with any long-running show there are many inconsistencies between series. Characters' life histories, their birthdays and ages are reported differently from time to time as the writers invent new stuff for them that wasn't thought of when the series began.

Quotes:

[Paul is licking wedding invitation envelopes]
Jamie Buchman: How are you holding up?
Paul Buchman: Well, if I had two more tongues, I'd be the happiest person on Earth.
Jamie Buchman: (lights a cigarette) Second happiest.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Quest of the Delta Knights (#10.13)" (1998)

Good, not great

Mad About You follows the formula of a typical 90's NBC sitcom. All the required elements are there, a wacky character (Mark), a crazy character(Lisa), a snooty character(the neighbors), and a funny pet(Murray). However at times the writing and acting would make this show much better than the sum of these assembly line parts. Everybody knows Helen Hunt and all the awards she piled up but the contributions of Anne Ramsay are almost always overlooked. Her neurotic persona was the perfect contrast to Paul and Jamie. Although her character was an annoying and clingy personality, it often presented some excellent comic situation the more straight laced Buchman's would never engage in. The seemingly never ending series of problems Lisa would frustrate Paul and Jamie with was one of my favorite aspects of the show. The way in which Hunt and Reiser play off each other is another highlight. Unlike other couples in TV sitcoms the chemistry is undeniable in the first few seasons. So when the show would veer into more sentimental episodes, more often than not they would work. In the first few seasons the show was very subtle, no big madcap adventures making it much more interesting. They could get a lot of mileage out of simple scenarios, like a couple forced to spend New Years apart. Unfortunately after season 3's excellent 2 part finale the show took a severe dive in quality. The show became very hit or miss in season 4and by season 5 it was exhausted. Another problem is the show was written with a very choppy back and forth dialog flow which could sound very unnatural at times. It becomes more noticeable as you get into later seasons. It is a shame the show was stretched out so long because the first 3 seasons are generally excellent. A 9 for years 1-3, A 4 for years 4-7, Call it a 6 for the overall series.