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.
Review of Mad About You
