Creators
Danny Jacobson and Paul Riser
Cast
Paul Riser Paul Buchman
Helen Hunt Jamie Buchman
John Pankow Ira Buchman
Anne Ramsay Lisa Stemple
Maui Murray
DVD Release Date: February 6, 2007
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 548 Minutes on 3 discs
The Show
A lot of people don’t realize that Mad About You was on the air for seven full seasons. On the air at the same time as such popular shows as Friends, Family Matters, and Frasier; it had a very good chance of getting lost in the shuffle. A show that not only dealt with the funny side of marriage, since it was in fact a sitcom, but also the trials and tribulations that can come with a relationship made it unlike any other on TV.
Paul and Jamie had their relationship followed along from right before they married all the way through some of the hardest times of their lives in the later years of the franchise. It was the earlier years of the series that dealt more with the comedic aspect of the show and featured the couple and their friends in hilarious situations. Season three is a prime example of that with some great episodes such as “Purseona,” “Cake Fear,” and “Giblets For Murray.” All the secondary characters in the show provided some great moments as well in these and all episodes. Ira and Lisa are two of my personal favorites because they are essentially the even more comedic half of Paul and Jamie. Lisa’s reactions to all the things she finds in Jamie’s purse in “Purseona” are classic. She never misses a beat no matter what she pulls out of the bag.
This season was a fun time for television in general. A lot of the shows on NBC at the time had crossovers by some of their characters and carry over storylines. The waitress Ursula (Lisa Kudrow) at the Buchman’s favorite restaurant was a recurring character on Friends as Phoebe’s twin sister. Hell, you could even find Jamie and Fran popping up in Central Perk at times to accidentally run into Joey, Monica, and Ross. The episode “Pandora’s Box” made me realize how much NBC put into their shows back in the nineties. Jamie causes a blackout by trying to steal cable and it actually affected the other shows on that night. Both Friends and Madman Of The People were dealt blows due to the problems Jamie caused. It made for an even more interesting night then usual on must-see TV.
Season three is a fantastic view of how funny things can get for the couple before they start to turn really serious. Near the end of this season, you begin to see a slight touch of the more dramatic side that the show ran with for its last four years. It kept its humor of course but stories of betrayal, trust, and much more became the focal point and not the fantastic hilarity that went on when Paul and Jamie first got hitched.
Episodes
Disc One:
Escape From New York: Jamie and Paul are struggling without an A/C in the summer heat of New York City. Thinking that it may be better out of the apartment, they take to the streets to find it worse so now come up with another idea to dine at a coastal restaurant and spend the weekend. The fun getaway turns sour early though as Jamie finds out Fran has her old job.
Home: As rumors of the apartment building going co-op begin to fly, the Buchmans and their neighbors, the Conways, continue their ongoing battle. Some members of the family find love though as the Conways’ dog Sophie and Murray decide to get better acquainted.
Till Death Do Us Part: Jamie’s favorite uncle has passed away and she convinces Paul to give a speech at the funeral. Uncomfortable doing so, he accidentally insults her entire family. Now it’s his turn to be uncomfortable as Jamie brings her uncle’s ashes home until they can find a better place for them. Lisa loses the ashes at a horse track wasn’t what they had in mind either.
When I’m Sixty-Four: Paul and Jamie interfering backfires again as they cause the Wickers to have a huge fight and Mr. Wicker moving in with them after he’s kicked out. Jamie finally goes for her eye exam but can’t decide on glasses or contacts.
Legacy: Burt needs some help with a sporting goods sale so Jamie and Paul decide to help out. But wanting to draw in business, Jamie gets caught up in her public relations’ side again by wanting to bring in a pro ballplayer which trumps Paul’s idea.
Pandora’s Box: Paul is dead set against having a TV set in the bedroom, but Jamie wants something out of it. So she decides to illegally hook-up their cable, but she ends up getting busted and the unhooking of it takes out the power city-wide.
The Ride Home: One of the best episodes in this entire season. The Buchmans decide to act like less of a couple at Fran’s birthday party. Add in one of Jamie’s ex-boyfriends just happening to be there and everyone thinks that their marriage is on the rocks. It all comes together on the cab ride home as different views of the evening are shared.
Giblets For Murray: Thinking it’d be a good idea to have both their families over for Thanksgiving dinner proves to be more then they bargained for. Ten people and Murray cause the menu and meal times to change on many occasions meaning that after all is said and done, it’s a five turkey dinner.
Disc Two:
Once More, With Feeling: Another really good episode as there is something happening to everyone here. Jamie and Paul can’t decide who’s to blame for their sex life being not nearly as fun as it used to be. Meanwhile Ira gains a secret partner, Fran quits her job, and Lisa ends up with two free dinners.
The City: Paul and Jamie just can’t seem to find themselves a good time because of the rudeness of New York’s citizens. A simple double-date with Ira and his new girlfriend leads to a horrible night complete with a punch in the nose for Paul.
Our Fifteen Minutes: PBS selects six documentary filmmakers to turn the cameras around and make a 15-minute film about their own personal lives. Paul is caught off guard though when Jamie decides to spice things up and make their lives a bit different then what they actually are.
How To Fall In Love: Paul has an idea for a dating video that he thinks would be perfect for people to meet others. Jamie has differing ideas and puts herself into a hypothetical test which ends with her attracting another man which does not make Paul happy.
Mad About You, Part 1: Everything and anything in the three months leading up to Paul and Jamie’s wedding is played out in this episode including problems with the invitations at the last minute.
Mad About you, Part 2: Things continue to stay complicated as Jamie’s new love is food as she is trying to stay away from cigarettes. Paul’s tailor is turning out to be not nearly as talented as he once thought. And problems continue to arise for both bride and groom so they turn to their respective bridal party members to help them out.
Just Our Dog: Murray gets a walk-on role in one of Paul’s commercial and it all of a sudden leads to superstardom. Calls flood the Buchman’s home to get him into more commercial roles and even a possible spot on a TV series.
The Alan Brady Show: Alan Brady, legendary TV star, agrees to be the voiceover for Paul’s “history of TV” documentary. The egotistical Brady decides to make some changes to the show that he feels would make it so much better then it originally was planned. Paul stands his ground though and looks for another narrator which causes jealousy to show its ugly head.
Disc Three:
Mad Without You: Paul gets to play free-living bachelor for a weekend when Jamie goes to visit her dad in Connecticut. It proves to be his downfall though as he “accidentally” donates their bed to charity and is running out of time to get it back.
Purseona: A fantastic episode that starts with Paul having to head to the Yukon to film a dogsled race while Jamie and Fran have plans to meet an important client. Nothing gets to go according to plan as Lisa accidentally leaves with Jamie’s purse which contains Paul’s trip money and passport.
Two Tickets To Paradise: The Buchmans decide to play make-believe as Paul’s parents so an all-expense paid trip to the Caribbean doesn’t go to waste; but they must continue their charade as not to get caught. This ends up as more trouble then its worth because they can’t even enjoy their vacation while having to keep the lies alive.
Money Changes Everything: Ira has everything going his way until his ex-wife Marianne returns and things look ready for a shake-up. She wants to help finance Ira’s latest sports catalog, but Paul looks to step in and make him realize just how bad an idea accepting the loan would be.
Cake Fear: A bit of a flashback episode as Paul senses great deals of anxiety with his birthday approaching. A lot of his birthdays before and after meeting Jamie have been nothing but disaster and he is expecting nothing but the worst with the next one.
My Boyfriend’s Back: One of Jamie’s clients casually and unknowingly team her and Fran with Jamie’s ex-boyfriend Alan Tofsky. The artists has tons of ideas for the new ad campaign, but it doesn’t take long at all for Jamie to disagree with everything he brings to the table.
Up In Smoke, Part 1: The Buchman’s anniversary is almost here and Paul knows it’s time to go out present shopping. It’s a bit troublesome though as he realizes he just can’t find anything for Jamie and she can’t find anything for him. They both fear the worst wondering if that something special has already been lost in their marriage and they are right back where they started.
Up In Smoke, Part 2: Paul and Jamie wish to go back when their first days together, but the newsstand they met at has burned to the ground. Straight out of It’s A Wonderful Life, they are transported back in time and get to see what their lives would have been like if they had never met.
The Video
The show is viewed in 1.33:1 Full Screen format and looks virtually as it did when it was on the air. Mad About You always had a nice look to it and it continues in the transfer to DVD.
The Audio
It’s heard in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound and like the video; it is the same as when it was on every week in primetime. There isn’t much more to hear then the dialogue and the audience’s laughter, so you should find no complaints.
Special Features
None
The Inside Pulse
The lack of special features doesn’t hurt this set as much considering the high number of great episodes in this season. I remember catching random episodes of Mad About You when I was younger and always wanting to see more. Now I got my chance and I am thrilled about it because the show is just as good as it always was. This is a set the hardcore or casual fan should pick up because you’re bound to enjoy watching it over and over again.
