Mad About You Reboot: Everything You Need to Know About Paul and Jamie Buchman's Return
It's been 20 years since we last saw Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt portraying the iconic and lovable characters of Paul and Jamie Buchman on Mad About You. But lucky for us, Mad About You is making a return to the small screen, with the show picking up where Paul and Jamie would be in present day. Read on for everything you need to know about this highly anticipated revival including how to watch, guest stars and spoilers.
When does Mad About You return?
Let the countdown begin! Mad About You returns Nov. 20, with the first episodes being released on Spectrum’s On Demand platform. The remaining episodes will be released Dec. 18.
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Who is in the Mad About You cast?
Joining Hunt and Reiser for this reboot will be original cast members John Pankow and Richard Kind as Ira Buchman and Dr. Mark Devanow, as well as Abby Quinn as Mabel Buchman, Anne Ramsay as Lisa Stemple and Jerry Adler as Mr. Wicker. Kecia Lewis will play the wife of Mark Devanow. Guest stars include Carol Burnett, who will be reprising her award-winning role as Jamie's mother; Cynthia Harris, who will be reprising her role as Paul's mother; and Cloris Leachman, who will play one of Jamie’s therapy patients.
What will the rebooted Mad About You's theme song be?
If it ain't broken, don't fix it! The reboot will pay homage to the show's original theme song with a remixed version of "Final Frontier" performed by Lyle Lovett and Kecia Lewis.
What will happen in the Mad About You reboot and are there any spoilers?
According to Spectrum, "the series will explore the fertile ground of modern marriage through the eyes of the Buchmans as newly minted empty-nesters after dropping their unpredictable, hard-to-control daughter Mabel off at college."
Episode 1
In the first episode, titled "The Kid Leaves," Mabel is dropped off at NYU, just five blocks away from home. Paul and Jamie realize that they have very different ideas of what their lives will be like in a child-free home.
Episode 2
Following in the second episode, "Restraining Orders and Puppies," after too many uninvited dorm room visits, Mabel gives Jamie a contract to sign limiting their contact for 48 hours.
Episode 3
In the third installment, "Body Heat," Jamie makes a move to return to work while going through menopause. Meanwhile, Paul is invited to speak to Mabel's class but only if he promises to ensure that no one will know they're related.
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Where to watch and stream Mad About You on TV and online?
The Mad About You revival will air exclusively on Spectrum’s On Demand platform, with the first six episodes available Nov. 20, followed by the remaining six episodes to be released Dec. 18. Spectrum subscribers can also journey back to the original series and stream all 164 original episodes for free.
Where have Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt been all these years?
Since wrapping Mad About You in 1999, Hunt has certainly kept busy. The actress has appeared in several movies including Cast Away, What Women Want, A Good Woman, Decoding Annie Parker and The Miracle Season. She won an Oscar for her work in As Good As It Gets. She's also appeared in television series including World on Fire, as Nancy Campbell and Shots Fired, as Governor Patricia Eamons. She made her debut as a film director with Then She Found Me in 2007 and has since taken on other director roles, including episodes from the Mad About You reboot. She also welcomed a son in 1998 and a daughter in 2004, but the actress is not currently married.
The actor, who has been married since 1988, welcomed his first son in 1995 and his second in 2000. He's written three books: Couplehood, about relationships; Babyhood, about parenting; and Familyhood, which includes a collection of humorous essays. In 2004, Reiser was named by Comedy Central as one of the "100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time." Since then, he's played Dr. Sam Owens in the very popular Netflix show Stranger Things and also appeared in other series including The Kominsky Method and Red Oaks. In 2011, he starred in The Paul Reiser Show, but unfortunately it was canceled after two episodes.
How long was Mad About You on originally?
The original series ran for seven seasons—164 episodes—starting in 1992 and ending in 1999. The first episode, titled "Romantic Improvisations" aired Sept. 23, 1992 and centers around Paul and Jamie struggling to find alone time while dealing with the chaos of an unplanned dinner party.
How did Mad About You end?
The final episode, titled "The Final Frontier," aired May 24, 1999, in two installments. In the finale, viewers were brought 22 years into the future, with Mabel being seen as an actual adult for the first time. She becomes a filmmaker and creates a biopic that shows that Paul and Jamie separated. However, after the family forces them to work things out, they realize their spark is still alive and well and get back together. At the end of the biopic, we see that Paul and Jamie live "happily ever after."
The Mad About You reboot almost didn't happen! Read about the moment Hunt and Reiser decided to sign on.
