Mad About You is an American television sitcom created by Paul Reiser and Danny Jacobson and starring Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City, dealing with everything from humorous daily minutiae to major struggles.
The series aired in the USA on NBC from 23 September, 1992 to 24 May, 1999. There are 164 half-hour episodes in seven seasons.
The series originally aired in South Africa on the SABC, starting on TV1 (the forerunner to SABC2) on 14 October, 1993 before switching to SABC3 in 1996, ending its run on Monday 7 February, 2000. The series later aired on e.tv.
About the Show
A recently married couple, Paul and Jamie Buchman, are the central characters of the sitcom, Mad About You. The New York City-based comedy turns everyday situations into comedy and shows the joy of domesticity... sometimes.
Paul Reiser plays Paul Buchman, a documentary maker, and his wife Jamie is portrayed by Helen Hunt, a PR specialist. They lived with their dog Murray in an apartment in the city.
Towards the end of the show's run Paul and Jamie had a baby, Mabel, that brought a new dimension to the show.
Their interaction with friends, family and strangers are always comedic, sometimes sentimental and occasionally serious.
The show gathered some comparisons to Seinfeld, also a comedy about 30-somethings living in New York. It won many awards and did much to improve the profiles of its stars.
Connections to Other Shows
Mad About You has connections to other New York sitcoms:
Friends
Flaky waitress, Ursula, is played by Lisa Kudrow, her twin sister is Phoebe, part of the sixsome of Friends (also played by Lisa Kudrow). The two characters (Ursula and Phoebe) were both seen on Friends, with Jamie and Fran also appearing as guest stars on Friends.
Seinfeld
Paul's bachelor apartment is sub-let in Mad About You. At one point, Jamie begins pressurising Paul to sign over his lease to the current tenant, Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). Paul makes a visit to his old apartment and the lessee in the episode.
Paul also runs into Jerry Seinfeld in one episode, who tells him to go away.
The Dick Van Dyke Show
This sitcom is acknowledged as inspiration for Mad About You, with some references even written into the script. Jamie cries out "Oh Paul!!!", which was a signature move by Mary Tyler Moore's character, Laura Petrie.
Carl Reiner reprised his role as Alan Brady from the 60's show in episodes of Mad About You.
Guest Stars
Mad About You features several notable guest stars, among them Eric Stoltz, John Astin, Nathan Lane, Ellen DeGeneres, Steven Wright, Al Gore, Cyndi Lauper, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Eugene Levy, Bruce Willis, Janeane Garofalo, Yoko Ono, Michael Richards, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry Miller, Carroll O'Connor, Paul Parducci, Regis Philbin, Billy Joel, Steve Buscemi, Jerry Lewis, Dan Castellaneta and John Gegenhuber.
Recurring guest stars include Lisa Kudrow (as Ursula), Suzie Plakson (as Dr Joan Golfinos), Hank Azaria (as Nat Ostertag), Mo Gaffney (as Dr Sheila Kleinman) and Carol Burnett (as Theresa Stemple).
Music
Paul Reiser and Don Was composed the theme song for the show, Final Frontier.
Paul Reiser plays the piano in the opening song. Andrew Gold performed it originally.
Half way through the 1997 season, a version performed by Anita Baker debuted. This version was used for the rest of the show's run and also was used on the show's soundtrack album.
Awards
American Comedy Awards
1994 - Helen Hunt for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series
1995 - Helen Hunt for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series
1996 - Helen Hunt for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series
1997 - Carol Burnett for Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a TV Series
1997 - Mel Brooks for Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series
1998 - Carol Burnett for Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a TV Series
2000 - Mel Brooks for Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series
Emmy Awards
1995 - Carl Reiner for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
1995 - Cyndi Lauper for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
1996 - Helen Hunt for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
1997 - Mel Brooks for Oustanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
1997 - Carol Burnett for Oustanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
1997 - Helen Hunt for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
1998 - Mel Brooks for Oustanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
1998 - Helen Hunt for Oustanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
1999 - Mel Brooks for Oustanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
1999 - Helen Hunt for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Golden Globe Awards
1994 - Helen Hunt for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical)
1995 - Helen Hunt for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical)
1997 - Helen Hunt for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical)
Screen Actors Guild Awards
1995 - Helen Hunt for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series