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IMDbPro

The 5 Mrs. Buchanans

  • TV Series
  • 1994–19951994–1995
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
192
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
21,179
1,866
Charlotte Ross, Beth Broderick, Harriet Sansom Harris, Eileen Heckart, and Judith Ivey in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
Comedy
Four sisters-in-law struggle to deal with small-town life and their overbearing mother-in-law.Four sisters-in-law struggle to deal with small-town life and their overbearing mother-in-law.Four sisters-in-law struggle to deal with small-town life and their overbearing mother-in-law.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
192
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
21,179
1,866
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Creators
      • Marc Cherry
      • Jamie Wooten
    • Stars
      • Judith Ivey
      • Beth Broderick
      • Harriet Sansom Harris
    Top credits
    • Creators
      • Marc Cherry
      • Jamie Wooten
    • Stars
      • Judith Ivey
      • Beth Broderick
      • Harriet Sansom Harris
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 12User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Episodes17

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated
    1 Season

    Photos28

    Harriet Sansom Harris and Richard Poe in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Eileen Heckart and Judith Ivey in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Judith Ivey and Vicki Lewis in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Harriet Sansom Harris and Eileen Heckart in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Charlotte Ross in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Eileen Heckart and Nan Martin in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Charlotte Ross and Eileen Heckart in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Judith Ivey and Moose in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Charlotte Ross and Eileen Heckart in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    George Grizzard and Eileen Heckart in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    John Getz and Judith Ivey in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
    Kristen Johnston and Harriet Sansom Harris in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Judith Ivey
    Judith Ivey
    • Alexandria 'Alex' Buchanan
    17 episodes17 eps • 1994–1995
    Beth Broderick
    Beth Broderick
    • Delilah Buchanan
    17 episodes17 eps • 1994–1995
    Harriet Sansom Harris
    Harriet Sansom Harris
    • Vivian Buchanan
    17 episodes17 eps • 1994–1995
    Charlotte Ross
    Charlotte Ross
    • Bree Buchanan
    17 episodes17 eps • 1994–1995
    Eileen Heckart
    Eileen Heckart
    • Mother Emma Buchanan
    17 episodes17 eps • 1994–1995
    Tommy Hinkley
    Tommy Hinkley
    • Jesse Buchanan
    4 episodes4 eps • 1994–1995
    Richard Poe
    Richard Poe
    • Ed Buchanan
    3 episodes3 eps • 1994–1995
    John Getz
    John Getz
    • Roy Buchanan
    2 episodes2 eps • 1995
    Paul Johansson
    Paul Johansson
    • Jesse Buchanan
    1 episode1 ep • 1994
    Edward Hibbert
    Edward Hibbert
    • Hubert Lombard
    1 episode1 ep • 1995
    Graham Jarvis
    Graham Jarvis
    • Minister
    1 episode1 ep • 1995
    Diane Racine
    • Customer
    1 episode1 ep • 1994
    Jeff Doucette
    Jeff Doucette
    • Truck Stop Waiter
    1 episode1 ep • 1995
    Christopher Michael Moore
    • Photographer
    1 episode1 ep • 1994
    Roy Leake Jr.
    • Funeral Home Worker
    1 episode1 ep • 1995
    Kristen Johnston
    Kristen Johnston
    • Zena
    1 episode1 ep • 1994
    Frances Bay
    Frances Bay
    • Vivian's Aunt Francine
    1 episode1 ep • 1994
    Veanne Cox
    Veanne Cox
    • Katie
    1 episode1 ep • 1994
    • Creators
      • Marc Cherry
      • Jamie Wooten
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Eileen Heckart found inspiration for her portrayal of Mother Buchanan from her own domineering mother-in-law.
    • Quotes

      Mother Buchanan: I hear that Delilah is unhappy... and an unhappy Delilah makes an unhappy Charles... and an unhappy Charles makes an unhappy Mother Buchanan.

      Vivian: And a happy Mother Buchanan would look like...?

      Mother Buchanan: You may never know, Vivian.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Beast of Yucca Flats (1995)

    User reviews12

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    A light precursor to Desperate Housewives
    Four sisters-in-law with little in common share deep friendships, thanks in part to their dealings with Mother Buchanan, their cantankerous mother-in-law. Alex is a quick-witted, sharp-tongued Jew who is married to eldest son Roy, a school principal. The den-mother of the group, she delights in trading barbs with Mother Buchanan. Delilah is a ditsy, busty former stripper who fell in love with crusading preacher Charles. Status-conscious Vivian is continuously exasperated by her twin sons and is stuck in a passionless marriage to stuffy Ed. New to the group is Bree, a beautiful, self-involved, seemingly-airheaded former Disneyland employee, who's naive concerning her new marriage to Jesse, but seems to have more going on in her head than she's credited for. Mother Buchanan is a stoic, gravely-voiced passive-aggressive (sometimes without the passive part) nightmare of a woman who intentionally tries to make the people around her miserable, but she has occasional flashes of humanity.

    Co-creator Marc Cherry worked on a handful of failed sitcoms before finding success with "Desperate Housewives," but this is probably the closest to his big hit in terms of tone and story. We have a group of vastly different women living in suburbia, dealing with various real-life issues, experiencing bizarre adventures and spouting off venomous insults. Aside from the murder-mystery angle, the biggest difference in the two shows is that the Buchanan husbands, who were often spoken of, were seldom seen. Not surprisingly, several cast members went on to appear on the later series. Everyone expected the Buchanan ladies to have a hit on their hands... except CBS, which buried the show on Saturday nights.

    Interestingly, Eileen Heckart admitted she wanted the role of Mother Buchanan because it gave her the opportunity "to play the bitch," but the renowned stage actress had difficulty adjusting to the fast-paced world of sitcoms, where dialogue can be changed in an instant. You'd hardly know judging from her wonderfully campy performance, in which her every syllable seems deliberately and appropriately punched. She and the rest of the cast all had remarkable chemistry, and each of their characters were uniquely lovable.

    Looking at the show more than 20 years later, it's a little dated. Life was simpler before everyone was digitally connected which, by today's standards, makes some of the gossipy situations and revelations seem unnaturally slow to pass. There's the occasional pop-culture reference or discussed incident (such as Alex's stint streaking) which date the show to another time, and it suffers from hideous mid-90s color schemes and fashions.

    Those minor nitpicks aside, there's really sharp writing, incredible characterizations and a lot of heart. It's really quite a shame that CBS didn't have more faith in it because it certainly had the potential to have been a long-running hit.
    helpful•7
    1
    • VinnieRattolle
    • Jan 18, 2016

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 24, 1994 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Five Mrs. Buchanans
    • Production companies
      • 20th Century Fox Television
      • A Wooten & Cherry Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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    Charlotte Ross, Beth Broderick, Harriet Sansom Harris, Eileen Heckart, and Judith Ivey in The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994)
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