Guarantees cannot be made about the accuracy of any of the information in this document. If you wish to point out my lack of knowledge or correct a point, or wish to contribute information on new topics, please provide me the correct information via e-mail addressed to [rama@cac.stratus.com].
Included are references to episodes where facts mentioned in this document were revealed; these episode numbers are from the Mad About You Episode Guide (see section 8.5). The numbers are listed in [] after a particular reference.
Please consult the Episode Guide for titles and synopses. For quick reference, section 1.2 of this document includes a list of episode titles.
Please do not send individual requests to me for copies of this FAQ. This document, as well as the associated Episode Guide, can be retrieved with a request to a mail-server. See section 8.5 for details. A reminder notice on how to access this FAQ via anonymous FTP and WWW is posted weekly to the alt.tv.mad-about-you newsgroup, and includes all the details set forth in "Group Related Information" (Section 8).
The date of last update and version number is indicated at the top of this document, and all updated information is indicated with a change-bar (|) possibly at the left margin. All deletions are indicated by, well, deletions.
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It premiered on Wednesday September 23, 1992 at 9:30pm, and was telecast first on Wednesdays and then Saturdays in its first season, before settling in its current time-slot on Thursdays during summer reruns in 1993. The show runs 30 minutes with commercial interruptions, and about 22 minutes otherwise.
MAY is the story of a newly-wed couple, Paul and Jamie Buchman, adjusting to their daily life together in Lower Manhattan, in New York City. Other characters in their lives are Jamie's sister Lisa and friend Fran (and Fran's ex-husband Mark), Paul's cousin Ira and college buddy Selby (only in season #1), and both sets of parents. Paul's dog Murray is also featured prominently.
MAY was created by Paul Reiser and Danny Jacobson and is produced by TriStar Television. The current contract for the show is for 5 seasons.
Danny Jacobson (Executive Producer) is in-charge of the day-to-day running and production of the show. Among his earlier TV credits are "My Sister Sam," "Davis Rules" and the first 2 seasons of "Roseanne."
MAY was originally pitched to NBC by Paul Reiser as "Thirtysomething, only shorter and funnier." After co-starring with Greg Evigan in "My Two Dads" for three years, he decided to do an intelligent comedy for adults by considering what it should NOT be. He didn't want the show to be an odd-couple mixing, interplay between wacky characters, or one of those "are they going to get together or not?" gimmicks. By stripping away all the things it could not be, he got it down to its bare essence, a very low concept show about a marriage. In effect, MAY is "scenes from a marriage" that has nothing to do with Ingemar Bergman.
Episodes of MAY are put together by a group of people that were responsible for the Off-Broadway production (in New York) of "Grease." Danny Jacobson switched from acting to writing and is now associated with Paul Reiser, Jeffrey Lane, Steve Paymer (the first 2 seasons), Liz Coe, Victor Fresco and a team of other writers on MAY. The writing is always a collaborative effort, and the 'Written by' credit for an episode goes to the person doing the first draft; the rest of the team hides behind exotic titles such as Co-Executive Producer, Co-Producer, Story Editor, and the like.
Richard Hissong (first 2 seasons) and Mikel Neiers have supervised the filming, while Craig Knizek (Associate Producer, then Co-Producer) has been responsible for post-production, along with editor Sheila Amos.
Born and raised in New York, Paul is a documentary filmmaker (Buchman Films [1.6]) who attended New York University (NYU) Film School and won an NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) grant [1.11] and some awards, but hasn't yet won a Silver Sprocket (which he covets) [2.23]. He finds a collie-mix puppy in Central Park one night [2.1], adopts and names the dog Murray [2.20], who becomes a significant part of his life.
Paul lived in an apartment at 129 West 81st Street before he met Jamie. He doesn't own a car, and takes the subway or a cab, but never a bus [1.8].
Paul is quite the dutiful son, calling his mother often and then regretting telling her things. He has a typical father-son relationship with his father [1.18], who has a better understanding of Paul's abilities than Paul gives him credit for [3.5]. Paul usually gets along well with his in-laws [1.5].
Paul likes the Three Stooges [2.5], is a big Beatles fan [1.17, 2.17], hates the Opera [1.10, 1.17] and hates to shop even more [1.2, 2.12]. He loves pizza [1.10] and cinnamon toast [2.5, 2.10].
Born and raised in New Haven, Conn., Jamie graduated from Yale having gone through 2 majors and 7 boyfriends [2.10] and done some time hanging out at a biker bar, sporting a tattoo [3.11], she went to work at the Public Relations firm of Farrer and Gantz. After 5 years, she was promoted to become Regional VP, succeeding her mentor Fran Devanow [2.16], and landed many big accounts like Computron [1.6], the NY Tourism campaign [1.13] and the Central American Tourism account [2.4]. She quit her PR job because her boss Jack Farrer didn't appreciate her talents [2.4].
Jamie has gone back to school [2.21], and has now started her own PR business [3.5]. She lived in an apartment at 142 West 81st Street [1.11] (in reality, a Church is located at that address) before moving in with Paul on Valentine's Day, 1991 [2.16] and marrying him a year later. She likes to shop at sales [2.6, 2.17], and has a weakness for chocolates [2.2] and ice cream [2.20].
Jamie's unmarried older sister (by 3 years [1.19]), who spent 5 years in high school [1.16] and is a college dropout [1.5]. She has no steady employment, but somehow manages to support herself. A character with decidedly odd logic [2.8, 2.21], Lisa is able to handle her parents in a manner Jamie is not [1.5].
With a semi-permanent eating disorder and on Prozac [1.9], Lisa is under a therapist's care, who features her under the pseudonym of Edna in a book [2.11]. Among her friends in the group are two bulimics named Harriets [2.11] and a man named Gunther [1.14]. Jamie tries to fix her up from time to time [2.7] and can monitor her telepathically [1.19], while Lisa goes through a string of boyfriends.
Lisa did her laundry on Tuesdays at the Buchmans' [1.4], where her entrances are preceded by full use (or abuse) of their buzzer [2.1, 2.11, 2.12], seemingly in Morse code [3.3]. She constantly raids their fridge [2.12, 2.14]. We do not know where she lives, but her fifth floor apartment [3.1] is featured in [1.19].
Jamie's former boss and confidant, 3 years her senior and married to Mark. A Regional VP at the Public Relations firm of Farrer and Gantz for 5 years [2.4], she quit her job to spend more time with her young son [2.16]. Fran likes to shop [1.11, 1.12, 2.17], take charge in every conceivable situation, and fix up her single friends at her annual Valentine's Day parties [1.16] (at least before Mark left).
Fran's husband Mark often took his cue from her [1.1, 1.2]; in fact she proposed to him [1.8]. However, after they separate [1.21], Fran had a rough time adjusting to single life again. She had quick affairs with Jamie's ex-boyfriend Sherman [1.21] and Paul's cousin Ira [2.9], and last dated Jamie's college classmate Nick [2.22].
Fran appeared to have adequate means of support in Mark's absence, even though she was not working (in season #2). She went back to work at Farrer and Gantz [3.1], but quit because she thought Jamie resented her taking Jamie's old job at Farrer and Gantz [3.9]. She's now Jamie's partner in her PR business [3.11].
She drives in NY [2.1, 2.4, 2.21] and also joins a fitness program and jogs through New York at night [2.2]. Fran's apartment (#1925 [2.14], at 171 [3.7] on an unnamed street) is in the Upper West Side (East Side?) of New York and the subject of a re-painting exercise [2.14]. She packs off her young son Ryan to her mother's in Boca Raton, Florida from time to time [1.22].
Fran's husband, a gynecologist and obstetrician who had a considerable practice in Manhattan ($300,000 a year) [2.22]. An easy-going, good-natured person who likes opera [1.10] and eating out [1.2, 1.10], he summed up his outlook on life on the train-ride back from a Connecticut Thanksgiving [1.9]: "... gotta live in the moment, keep moving on; everything else is just riding backwards."
After 10 years of marriage [2.9], he left Fran and Ryan to lead a bohemian existence on the road [1.22], with no regard to his wife's or son's welfare. Returning a year later to attempt a reconciliation with Fran [2.22], he found her indifferent to the idea [2.24]. He now gets to spend some weekends with his son Ryan [3.1], and Thanksgiving as well [3.8].
Paul's college buddy and bachelor-at-large, who was a constant visitor at the Buchman apartment in the first months of their marriage [1.1]. An inveterate womanizer who considered donating to a sperm bank [1.9], he caused Paul great anxiety by dating Paul's ex-girlfriend [1.4]. He also counseled Paul strongly against surrendering the lease on his old apartment to Kramer [1.8]. He works for his Dad's (unnamed) business, goofing off at the first opportunity [1.4]. For $50, he posed as Lisa's boyfriend during the Thanksgiving outing at her parents' in Conn. [1.9], and one-up'd Paul by getting invited to a day of golfing with her father (Gus Stemple).
Born and raised in Sheepshead Bay, NY [1.20], Ira is Paul's fraternal cousin, older by a few years. They've competed all their lives. First referred to in [1.3], Ira was introduced in [1.15]. He is a sometime Band leader who played at Paul & Jamie's wedding, and also at their friends' wedding [1.15]. He also worked in his uncle Burt's sporting goods store [1.18, 2.3, 2.16] and has since taken over its management [3.5]. He makes Paul a silent partner in the store because of a mistaken belief that Paul resents his inheriting the store [3.9].
Ira loves to gamble, and often took Paul with him on Atlantic City junkets, without Jamie's knowledge [1.15]. On another trip to Atlantic City, he takes the house for $700 after asking Paul not to give him money [2.9]. His connections at the racetrack help find the final resting place for the ashes of Jamie's uncle Van [3.3]. Ira is now attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings [3.3].
Ira was married in 1973 to Marianne Lugaso, and they were together for all of 6 months, officially divorcing after 20 years [2.9]. But Ira has been playing the field for a long time. He has liaisons with one of Jamie's clients, Diane Caldwell ("Spy Girl") [1.20], with Lisa at Paul and Jamie's Wedding [1.18, 2.1] and then with a separated Fran [2.9], leading to Fran's possible pregnancy [2.14].
It is not known where Ira lives, but it is an apartment and he has a black leather recliner [2.8]. He also owns a car [1.18, 2.1, 2.17].
Paul's out-to-lunch 7-year-old dog is a collie-shepherd mix [1.10] that Paul found in Central Park as a puppy [2.20]. After 7 years, he meets his mother Mona [2.20]. Murray has been walked to great advantage by Paul and Ira to meet girls, and also by Lisa to meet guys [2.1].
Known primarily for his immobility ("a rug with organs" [2.20]) and lack of awareness of his surroundings (Murray-ness) [2.1], his tendency to chase an imaginary mouse [2.2] acquired legendary status in season #2. In season #1, he had an affair with Sophie [1.10], the Conways' Cairn Terrier show dog from across the hall, but love really bloomed in season #3, and they had 5 puppies [3.2].
Paul's father, who gains his 15-minutes of fame on the Regis Philbin show [1.18]. Burt is owner of Buchman's Sporting Goods store (#867 Broadway [2.16, 3.5], which in reality is the site of Paragon Sports), and had a mild angina attack when attempting to move a fibreglass pool-table in the store [2.3]. He is adored by his daughter-in-law Jamie. After running the store for 43 years, complete with an annual Midnight Madness sale, he hands over the reins to Ira [3.5].
Paul's mother, whose barbs never miss their mark, whether directed at son Paul, daughter Sharon or daughter-in-law Jamie [2.3]. Sylvia is heard only on the phone in season #1 [1.3, 1.10, 1.18] and it is at her suggestion that Freddy Statler presents Paul with Ringo's drums [1.17].
Sylvia was 19 when she married Burt Buchman [2.24], possibly in 1954 [3.2]. Paul chafes under her constant reminder of his 'bad' career choice as a filmmaker rather than a doctor [2.3], but his cousin Ira and Jamie's sister Lisa have no problem dealing with her [2.20]. And Sylvia always makes a point of calling Lisa "sweet" [2.3, 2.24, 3.1].
Jamie is always suspicious of her motives in giving gifts (an electric blanket in [2.2], an answering machine in [2.8]), forever wishing she'd move to Florida [2.3], but nevertheless admires Sylvia's spirit [2.20, 2.24]. Sylvia had similar problems in dealing with her mother- in-law as well [3.8]. She is also the force behind Burt's decision to retire and hand over his store to Ira [3.5].
Paul's older sister (by 2 years) [2.24], who is a divorcee with 2 children, one being a 4-year old daughter [2.3]. An MBA, Sharon lives on Long Island, and is not a very good driver.
Paul's sister, possibly a younger sibling, who has 2 sons, Jed and Noah. She is a working mother who drops her older son off with the Buchmans as she attends a client's funeral [2.6], and talks constantly on her cellular phone, both with co-workers and her husband [2.24]. Debbie is known to go to Barbados for her vacation [2.3]. She is not mentioned by Sylvia when discussing Paul's birth, and so was probably born after Paul [2.24].
The character of Debbie has been played by 2 different actresses (in the same season).
Debbie's 7-year old son, who spends Halloween with Paul and Jamie [2.6]. Jamie takes him trick-or-treating in an Aladdin costume she makes, with Murray in tow as a camel. Jed holds the distinction of being the best- behaved kid on MAY, making Jamie wish for a child.
Debbie's 5-year old son, whose noisy demeanor at his mother's lunch celebrating Paul & Jamie's anniversary impresses the couple no end [2.24]. His mother copes by using a trip to Disney World as the stick.
Jamie's father, who likes Paul, but has no high opinion of his tool-handling skills [1.5], and never invites his son-in-law to a golf outing [1.9]. The Stemples live comfortably in New Haven, Conn. [1.9] and drive down to New York often to spend time with the Buchmans [1.5, 2.20, 3.8].
The character of Gus Stemple has been played by two different actors (in different seasons).
Jamie's mother, who is naturally bubbly [2.20] and tortures her daughter with advice [1.5]. She also uses Lisa to get at Jamie when they are fighting [2.20]. Theresa is heard on the phone [2.2, 2.20], but like her husband Gus, has been seen infrequently [1.5, 3.8].
The character of Theresa Stemple has been played by two different actresses (in different seasons).
Fran and Mark's 5-year old "devil child" [1.16], whose tantrum prevents his parents going to the circus with the Buchmans [1.7]. Ryan can recite Hiawatha's poem [1.9] and sing the Muffin Man song [1.6], and plays Cupid at his mother's Valentine's Day parties [1.16].
Ryan is featured only in season #1. After his parents separate [1.21], he is packed off to his grandmother's in Boca Raton, Florida [1.22]. But he is back in school in NY, as Fran watches "101 Dalmatians" with him [2.4], while Paul, Jamie and Ira go with Fran to a benefit at his school [2.14]. He also gets to spend a weekend with his father Mark [3.1] and Thanksgiving as well [3.8].
Ira's long-forgotten wife of 20 years, who manages a casino in Atlantic City. They had been married and lived with both sets of parents for 6 months in 1973, and are finally divorced in season #2 so that she can legally marry her unseen beau and move to Luxembourg [2.9].
The Buchmans' neighbour in 11-C, a visiting professor at Columbia University teaching Diplomacy [1.10], who is Maggie's husband. The Conways are from Cambridge, England, and believe New York is populated by raving loons. They are undiplomatic enough to tell Paul and Jamie they don't like them, but accept an invitation from their friends (the Devanows) to go to Opera at the Met in place of the Buchmans. When rumors abound about the building going co-op, they try to buy out the rights to the Buchmans' apartment, to enlarge their own. Hal Conway had been seen once in season #1 [1.10], and then again in season #3 [3.2, 3.6], and is also heard off-camera in season #2 [2.6].
The Conways have been visiting New York for a long time now, and lately Hal has been writing a novel [3.6].
The character of Hal Conway has been played by two different actors (in different seasons).
Hal's wife, allergic to flowers, and proud owner of Sophie, a Cairn Terrier show dog [1.10]. Maggie refuses to trick-or-treat Paul's nephew Jed [2.6], but shows up with eats when mistakenly believing that Paul had died [2.12].
The Buchmans' landlord, who patiently fields their interminable questions as they look over the apartment six times before signing the lease [2.16]. When an obituary of a Paul Buchman appears in the paper, he sends around a note on a Saturday indicating the need for a 60-day notice to vacate the apartment [2.12].
The previously pageable super of the Buchman apartment building, who was first alluded to in [1.5]. Always leaving a job to get to another [2.19], he has been a super for 33 years [2.23], but his first day on the job is referred to in letters written by a former tenant in 1943-44, 50 years ago [2.19], an apparent contradiction.
He is 64 years old, and has been married for 40 years [3.4] to Claire, whose Nyquil commercial won Jamie a $5 bet [2.19]. Mrs. Wicker is now featured in a Soap opera [3.6]. The Wickers live in apartment 5-J, next to the elevator [3.4].
The doorman at the Buchman apartment building, who brings up Jamie's boxes [2.4] as well as her tossed out jersey [1.8]. He also critiques Paul's films [2.5] and offers suggestions on explaining away Jamie's outburst at Riff's regarding her boss [2.4]. Eddie is mistakenly referred to as "Lou the doorman" by Paul and Jamie in [2.5].
First seen in season #2 as an unnamed Waitress [2.4], later introduced as Ursula (a name she hates) in [2.7]. A routinely ditzy character that has been waiting tables at Riff's for at least 3 years [2.16], she has a side job as a museum tour guide [2.7].
Ursula has a brother with a gimpy car [3.6], and possibly a sister named Phoebe (a character in "Friends").
The sales clerk at the Village Vogue [2.6], later known as the Village Video [2.18], the place that has brought us the category: Comedy, Comedy. It is located next to an antiques shop. Dutch entertains Paul's nephew Jed with an impersonation of Larry, one of the Three Stooges, but is severely reprimanded by his boss.
Owner of a neighborhood mini-market [2.24, 3.8], who was also Mark's Zen Master for the short time he employed Mark as a stocker and delivery boy. Kim has a tendency to talk in triples. He and his wife Tammy now have a daughter named Rose. His market, open 23 hours daily, is located at #1120 on an unnamed street [2.24], but then again, maybe not [3.8], since no location in the neighborhood should have a 4-digit street address.
The character of Kim has been played by ... Oh well, you know the drill by now!
Paul's editor in season #1, who claims to know or have known a number of luminaries of the screen, like Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese and Orson Welles [1.4, 1.6]. He pulls no punches when criticizing Paul's work or his bumbling efforts at trying to find out what Jamie's job at Farrer and Gantz really is. Warren succeeded Art as editor/cameraman at Buchman Films.
Paul's assistant in season #1, who screens all incoming calls and is free with her opinions of his films. She deftly rebuffs Selby [1.4] and holds a low opinion of Paul as a husband [1.6]. Connie succeeded Stacey as Paul's assistant in season #1.
Paul's assistant, who appears to do a lot without getting anything done, and is in a constant state of confusion. She accompanies Warren to Paul & Jamie's first anniversary party [1.22], but is not heard of after that. All we know about her is that she has a cat that feels isolated [1.22]. Remy succeeded Connie in season #2 as Paul's assistant.
Paul's editor and cameraman, whose real name is Eddie Mermelman and whose credentials are mostly true [1.17]. He suffers Lou as much as Paul [2.5], burns for Connie [1.22], is a self-proclaimed peripheral visionary [2.1] and recognizes Lisa as Edna in her shrink's book [2.11].
Paul's new producer, who replaces an unnamed, unseen, hands-off producer [2.4]. Lou hovers around Paul and Warren, and tries to get his fingers in every aspect of production of Paul's films. He is a former accountant [2.5], who also practiced tumbling and was the class validectorian at Amherst [2.10]. His accomplishments at Buchman Films include eliminating a 3-minute montage [2.10], getting Jamie's opinion about another film [2.5], and rearranging all the camera positions for shooting a Halloween parade [2.6].
Paul's assistant in season #2, introduced in [2.4]. She is a straight-shooter and sticks to business [2.6}. Not much is known about Remy.
Jamie's assistant at Farrer and Gantz, who is heard only on the phone in season #1 [1.6], but finally featured in season #2 [2.4]. It was also his last appearance, since Jamie quit her job the very next day.
Fran's boss (and thus Jamie's as well), who hands out the Christmas bonus checks in [1.11] and bores everyone except Mark Devanow with his Rose Bowl story (he played in the game, but NOT the way anyone would think).
Yes, in season #3 a new actor plays Manny [3.9], and yes, the character mistakes Ira for Mark in Fran's office! And closing credits of the episode refer to Manny Ganz.
Jamie's boss, who unfailingly gives insipid gifts to his sub-ordinates, but never any credit, for their good ideas [2.4]. His remarks about why Jamie snagged the Central American Tourism account cause her to quit in disgust.
The Farrer and Gantz office building (Jamie's work-place) is near the 52nd St subway station [1.14], which may place it on Seventh Avenue. The drycleaning store is Lombardo's Drycleaning at 54th Street and Third Avenue [1.11].
The [Met Someone] episode [1.11], set in December 1989, describes the events of just 2 days. However there is a problem with the days of the week involved in their first meeting, as set in 1989.
December 1989 December 1991
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
31 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
* 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 * 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
* 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 29 30 31
A strong believer in fate, Jamie thinks she and Paul were meant to get together, while Paul considers their meeting at the news-stand just a big coincidence. This theme is played out in the [Natural History] episode, when memories of an earlier encounter surface under unusual circumstances.
Both anniversary shows [1.22, 2.24] have been season ending episodes, and both have production numbers that may reflect an earlier provenance. Therefore, it may not be unreasonable to discount the May air-dates of these shows as reflecting a May 1992 wedding.
It is possible that the wedding was actually a month earlier (than April), since the writers have sometimes failed to account for the usual 1-month lag between the writing/shooting and the airing of an episode. (Six episodes had already been shot by the time the Pilot was telecast).
Paul and Jamie are found doing their income tax returns in an episode telecast on April 30 [1.19]. US Tax returns are due on April 15th of each year.
There is also a reference to March 12 in [1.20], which may imply March 12, 1992 was the date of their wedding, but that was a Thursday, an unlikely wedding day. In other words... nobody knows!
As for the Wedding itself:
Paul Buchman is probably Jewish. He is concerned about "shellfish within fowl," referring to oysters stuffing at Thanksgiving, as well as the mince pie [1.9]. Paul also wonders if Mona's special meatloaf for Murray is kugel [2.20].
Jamie Stemple is a non-Catholic [1.9], possibly a Protestant. There is a side reference to having family in Israel in the Tag to [2.22], but that would appear to be a Helen Hunt reference, not necessarily a Jamie Stemple reference.
Mark and Fran were a Jewish couple; they observed Seder [1.9] and Fran made kugel for her sister-in-law.
The only holidays featured in MAY have been secular: Halloween [2.6], Thanksgiving [1.9, 3.8] and for obvious reasons, Valentine's Day [1.16, 2.16]. An office Christmas party is featured in [1.11].
When they met [1.11], Paul was living at 129 West 81st Street and Jamie was living nearby at 142 West 81st, so it is understandable that they met at a local news-stand. They moved in together on Valentine's Day, 1991.
Most of the action in MAY takes place in this apartment. Slanty floors in both the living room and kitchen are Jamie's frequent complaint [2.12, 2.16, 2.19]. Their bedroom has a piano [2.11] and there are 3 interesting (framed) photographs above the head-board [1.15, 2.2] that change from time to time. The tiled bathroom is the scene of an entire episode [1.16].
There is talk of there being no fire-escape [1.13], and all exterior shots reflect this. However, there has to be one, as Paul climbs out of the bathroom window onto one [2.13]. In the third season, the fire-escape is featured often [3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.11]. This amounts to a contradiction, since the whole premise of Paul and Jamie being locked up in the bathroom [1.16] depends on there being no fire-escape.
Selby was also in character when winning the Chelsea 10K race [1.3] by showing up first at the finish line after skipping part of the race. In real life, Rosie Ruiz pulled a similar stunt at the Boston Marathon on April 21, 1980, depriving Jackie Garreau of Canada a well-deserved victory celebration.
Selby's character was never really developed, except in [1.4] and [1.9], and written out of MAY midway through season #1. Selby picked up the maid Masha's Stroganoff to eat on the subway and went off to escort his grandmother to the Museum of Natural History [1.12], never to be seen or heard of again. A very untidy end. Rumors that he joined the Peace Corps are unfounded.
Introduced in [1.15], Ira as a character has been developed beyond the habitual womanizer/bachelor that Selby portrayed, interacting well with Jamie, Lisa and Fran in season #2 [2.1, 2.7, 2.9].
The two 'buddy' characters share another trait: both get slapped by Paul at the back of the head from time to time. But Ira reacts, both as a kid and as an adult [2.7]: "Hey! Watch the hair!"
Confusion arose in season #2 with a lead character (Fran Fine) on another show, "The Nanny," played by Fran Drescher, who is dark-haired like Leila Kenzle, but plays her character with a strong nasal accent.
There are 3 ties between MAY and "The Nanny" though:
In real life, Larry Miller is a stand-up comic and a close friend of Paul Reiser. With Jerry Seinfeld and Mark Schiff, the quartet is known as the "Funniest Men in the World Club," and meets each New Year's Day for lunch (somewhere in the world).
Mark Schiff has been featured as a subway passenger in [2.8], while the "Jerry guy" is mentioned by Paul and Kramer in [1.8].
And now for something completely different...
There is an interesting scene in [2.5] involving the name "Lou." Just after the opening credits, Paul is seen looking for a tape "to show Lou." Jamie asks if he means "Lou the doorman" to which Paul responds: "Lou the producer; Lou the doorman I've already shown! ... He had some notes!"
This amounts to either a writing error or perhaps a tongue-in-cheek plant by the writers, since the doorman is named Eddie, played by the actor Lou Cutell.
Murray has been played by 2 different actor dogs. In the Pilot [1.1], the character was played by Smiley, who was a little too alert, and so did not adequately fit the bill of being unaffected by the activity around him. Another actor dog named Maui therefore got the role [1.2].
In [1.1], Smiley is featured for 10 seconds in the last scene, lying on the rug next to Selby, as Jamie tries (playfully) to boot Selby out of the apartment.
According to Paul, Murray is a 7-year-old "rare Flatbush Pound Collie-Shepherd" [1.10]. Maui is a 6-year old Collie-mix (trained by Betty Linn) whose job is "to melt into the chair," and "just lie there, while Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt are yelling around him." Maui's favorite snack is an occasional ham bone.
In the 2 episodes, Debbie is with a different son each time, first with the older son Jed [2.6] and then with Noah [2.24]. In [2.24] Debbie talks about her older child, but not by name.
Jamie's parents have been played by different actors. Both Paul Dooley [1.5] and John Karlen [3.8] have played Gus Stemple, while Nancy Dussault [1.5] and Penny Fuller [3.8] have played Theresa Stemple.
Both Paxton Whitehead [1.10] and Jim Piddock [3.2] have played Hal Conway, the Buchmans' English neighbour.
Both Darrell Kunitomi [2.24] and Ping Wu [3.8] have played Kim, the neighborhood grocer.
Both Wayne Tippitt [1.11] and Jack Shearer [3.9] have played Manny Gantz, Fran's boss at Farrer and Gantz.
There is also the small matter of Murray, played by two dogs, Smiley in the Pilot [1.1] and Maui thereafter.
The year of Paul's birth is probably 1957.
Nothing is known about Ira's birthday, except that he is a few years older than Paul. He was married in 1973 [2.9], and one can speculate that he got married as a teenager out of high school; if so, he may have been born in 1955.
December 22, 1989
In the former:
Mark told Paul during their chat at the Department store about how Jamie had first told him about Paul: "this great guy she had met, named Paul, who dressed like a manic-depressive psych professor." This was said during a routine gynecological examination and may imply Mark heard of Paul from Jamie (NOT Fran). It may also be inferred that Jamie had met and known Paul for some time before her examination by Mark.
In the latter:
Jamie met Paul (and first knew his name: Paul) in Fran's office the afternoon of her firm's Christmas party. Fran got to know of Paul at the same time. Jamie and Paul went directly from the office to the party, where Fran introduced Mark to Paul, and Mark was effusive: "... they do look good together! ... I understand you two met at a news-stand and you tracked her down all day! ... No, it's fantastic!" Mark therefore heard about Paul from Fran.
Later, Mark pumped Paul for information on Fran and Jamie's behalf: "How much do you make? Own or rent? Previous marriages? Smoker? Drinker? Ever been with a man?" It is likely Fran told Mark to question Paul, not Jamie. Fran also had Paul's biography faxed over from the Director's Guild.
Jamie Stemple Buchman had been Regional VP at her firm for about two and a half years when she quit. In that span, she had landed some very important accounts, like Computron [1.6], the "I Still Love NY" campaign [1.13], and the Central American Tourism account [2.4].
With the last account, she had to overcome her boss's faux-pas in suggesting an insulting line to the client: "Central America! Come take your chances!" But Jack Farrer, her boss, refused to recognize her contribution, took the credit himself and sent a box of cigars to a male co-worker (Jack Erdman), whom he considered the point-man in the presentation to the client. At Riff's that evening Jamie let off steam, and Paul helped out by describing Mrs. Farrer in disparaging terms ("built like Don Shula"). Too late did the Buchmans realize they'd been overheard by the Farrers seated nearby.
The next day, Jack Farrer came over to Jamie's office with a bottle of Kristall, as per his habit of rewarding his employees with little gifts instead of giving credit where it's due. Surprised that she was not being fired, Jamie tried to put things right between them. But he offered an explanation of why they could not have landed the Central American account without her, and it had nothing to do with what actually happened. Jamie let him know her mind in no uncertain terms and quit.
After seeing how Paul has something to call his own (his documentaries), Jamie considers a number of choices and opts to go back to school [2.10], with Paul's full support. In the days leading up to the registration [2.21], she tries her hand at writing [2.19]. While still at school, she undertakes some PR work for her father-in-law and decides to launch her own business [3.5]. And Jamie's first client? It's just Ira [3.6].
[above contributed by Ali Lemer]
Columbia University may also be the medical school of Sylvia Buchman's choice. Paul thinks his mother would consider him a medical student if his donated organs were used for teaching at Columbia, rather than for transplants [1.8].
(Note: Dr. Joel Fleischman of "Northern Exposure" is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Medicine, class of 1990, 54th out of a class of 140).
Paul himself went to NYU. The Buchman daughters (Sharon and Debbie) didn't attend Columbia either. Daredevils both, they went to college "out of state" [1.11].
Jamie graduated from Yale [1.11]. It is likely she is now attending Continuing Education classes, not Graduate School, since she started school in April 1994, and registered for courses in Ethics, French, Logic, and Psychology [2.21], not really indicative of graduate studies.
A more interesting lie concerns Jamie's middle name [3.11] -- just how she signed her marriage certificate is anyone's guess!
Paul, on the other hand, is extremely uncomfortable telling lies, even when trying to retrieve his own tape from the premises of CineGroup Films [2.10]. A significant exception is episode [2.14] [The Late Show], where everyone lies to everyone else with abandon.
Likewise, in the matter of the taupe shirt [2.17], Jamie admits that she was trying to prove a point and stops at Macy's for a replacement blouse en route to Yoko Ono's party.
Paul is quite willing to backtrack in his arguments (about the fired urchin in [1.13], the steamed fish in [1.15], the first kiss in [2.22] -- "When you're right, you're right!"), and does apologize for his sulking in [1.6]:
However, in season #1, Lisa's shrink is once referred to by Jamie as a man [1.19], an apparent contradiction. In other references, gender is not disclosed [1.5, 1.16].
Two weeks before they moved in together (Valentine's Day, 1991) into the apartment at 12th Street and Fifth Avenue, as she was packing up her things (including her toaster), Jamie felt "a door closing on a whole part of her life" and panicked at the thought of sharing her life with someone else. She had an afternoon affair at work with a co-worker (Stan Franklin) she used to have a crush on, and who was about to relocate to London. Jamie quickly realized her mistake, which made her appreciate Paul all the more, and she kept the affair a secret from everyone, including Fran, until Paul forced her hand.
The facts:
However, a writing error that uses a time differential of 8 hours, as is the case between California and London, can make the post-midnight-call-from-London explanation work. Midnight in London would be 4PM in California, with plenty of daylight (and sun!) about.
There is precedence for such an error.
In an episode of "St. Elsewhere," (E-4.22 in season #4, telecast in 1985-86), Nurse Rosenthal (Christina Pickles) is talking about her daughter Marcy, who had moved to Switzerland. She mentions that "local time in Switzerland is 9 hours ahead." "St. Elsewhere" was set in Boston, but produced in Los Angeles. Switzerland would only be 6 hours ahead of local time in Boston, but 9 hours ahead of LA.
Along similar lines:
Riff's is the neighborhood restaurant introduced in [1.4], from where Selby (with Lynne Stoddard) invited Paul to "come down, meet us for a drink, pick up the check and get lost." Since then, and certainly even before [2.16], Paul and Jamie have shared many a salad and chicken or fish there, as have Lisa, Fran, Mark and Ira, not to mention Lisa's beau Michael [1.19] and Fran's dates Lou [2.5] and Nick ("he's 25!") [2.22]. Even Jamie's boss Jack Farrer comes to Riff's with his wife, a circumstance that changed Jamie's life [2.4]. And Garth Brooks can identify a song to go with a Riffsburger [2.23].
Service at Riff's was provided by anonymous waiters and waitresses [1.4, 2.5] until season #2. Then Ursula arrived on the scene and stole many more [2.4, 2.7, for starters]. But that is another story.
Riff's location is not known, but the exterior shots are of The Old Town Bar and Restaurant, 45 West 18th Street (between South Park Avenue and Broadway). Of course the interior of Riff's is a set at Culver City Studios.
While getting separated in a crush of people boarding a subway carriage is not improbable, even for experienced riders like Paul and Jamie, there are a few problems with what followed in this episode.
The Buchmans live at 12th Street and Fifth Avenue. The nearest subway stations are W 4th St and 14th St. The latter, on the Broadway Local and Lexington lines, is also the Union Square station.
The St. James Theatre is at 44th Street and 8th Avenue. The nearest subway station is 42nd St on the 8th Avenue line, with the 42nd St station on the Broadway Local or the Broadway-7th Avenue line a bit further away.
For the Buchmans, the most direct way to St. James would have been on the A,C line (8th Avenue) from the W 4th St station (Washington Square). This is also the station most often mentioned when they talk about their commutes (Jamie working at Farrer and Gantz and Paul at his studios on 655 Avenue of the Americas, aka Sixth Avenue, between 20th and 21st Streets), and the site of the encounter with Paul's 'token' friend Howie [1.7].
However their odyssey begins at the 14th St station. In the confusion following their separation, Jamie believes Paul asked her to go to Union Square station, and she asks a fellow passenger at the platform: "How do I get to Union Square?"
There are 2 problems with the question:
So while Paul rode a station up and back down to 14th St, Jamie had to go cross-town to Union Square and back. This makes the scene back at 14th St, with Paul getting on the train just as Jamie is getting off via another door of the same carriage, each oblivious of the other, quite improbable.
All in all, a conundrum.
In the other subway episode [1.7], set in W 4th St station, Jamie intentionally mis-directs a woman asking for directions to Hunter's Point (in Queens), sending her off instead to Hunt's Point.
However, in her hurried reading of the map, she gets the directions all mixed-up ("take #2 train uptown to Jackson Avenue and then transfer to the 6th.") Since the W 4th St station is not on Line 2, Jamie's directions wouldn't have been followed. The woman would have been initially confused, but not for long.
In the first season, only [Riding Backwards] did not feature this song, but lately in season #3, time-constraints have squeezed it out more than once [Legacy] and [The Ride Home]. In each case the still pictures of Jamie and Paul were not used in the opening credits either.
The following transcript is from the opening credits of [Sunday Times] and [The Painter]:
The lyrics, with minor variations, are also sung by the Sauve singers in the Tag to [Surprise]. The variations are noted with an asterisk (*) along the left-margin:
In the lyrics of the hybrid version (used since season #2), the following two lines in the middle:
have been replaced with:
The song is from the movie "White Christmas," where it is sung by Vera Ellen and Rosemary Clooney, and also by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye (in drag).
[contributed by Chris Mulvihill]
"I'm begging you to stop!" [2.20],
"Let's not go there!" [2.24] and
"You want to go THERE?" [3.4].
Born 30 March 1957, New York, NY
Born 15 June 1963, Culver City, CA
MAY is shown internationally on various broadcast networks:
For the 1992-93 season, MAY was nominated for one Emmy Award:
In 1995, Helen Hunt again received the Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Comedy series, and "Mad About You" received the Best Comedy series award (tied with "Frasier").
The closing credits on MAY indicate InFront Productions (Danny Jacobson's company) and also Nuance Productions (Paul Reiser's company), but the address for viewer comments about the show is:
To get the schedule for the next month's shooting, send a stamped self-addressed envelope to the above address.
Please note that even a previously scheduled shooting can be cancelled -- having a ticket for a particular day is no guarantee you'll see anything. It is always worth checking with the TriStar office or Audiences Unlimited before making the trip over to the studios.
The studios accomodate 196 (seated) and about 15-20 more in a holding area. About half the seating is taken up by friends and families of the cast and crew. The SRO folks are directed to seats by pages as some of the seated folks leave, for whatever reason!
Filming at the Culver City Studios begins at about 7PM and usually lasts till 11PM (but can go on as late as 3AM), with interruptions for costume changes, multiple takes, last-minute changes, etc. Try to arrive before 6PM, allowing extra time for Friday evening traffic as well. It can also get quite cold in the audience section, so be sure to bring a jacket. Security checks all bags at the door for weapons etc. No food or drink is allowed in the studios ;-) but they hand out candy between Act I and Act II.
In all fairness, the Big Apple has courteous cab-drivers (with an occasional craving for Sprite) and reasonably clean sidewalks [3.10]. But when the shopping is in the bag and Broadway is done, you may wish to relax with tapes of early MAY episodes at the Museum of Television and Radio (formerly the Museum of Broadcasting), located at 25 West 52nd Street (between Fifth and Sixth avenues). Please call (212) 621-6800 for daily information on scheduled activities and (212) 621-6600 for all other information.
The Museum library may be crowded and full; therefore your choices may not be immediately available for viewing. Please DO call ahead to ask what times are best to visit. Opening hour on weekdays is usually the best time, but once there, you may well remember dropping a pocketbook or a bag years ago, or picking one up, depending on the gender.
From Noon to closing time every day, the Museum presents a wide variety of programs in two screening rooms and two main theaters. Pick up a copy of the daily schedule at the front desk in the John E. Fetzer Lobby to see what's playing. Also available in the lobby are complete schedules for the next 6 months, showing what's up in coming months.
Projection on a big screen is in the 90-seat, plush-chair Mark Goodson theater (please call ahead for information).
Then again, you may opt to see YOUR episode on a smaller screen. The upstairs viewing library archives 12 episodes of MAY from seasons #1 and #2 and there may be more:
After finding the program you want, reserve it and then proceed to a Console room, where you may watch and listen at a monitor with headphones, with full control over the playback functions. An added bonus: all programs are commercial-free, unless you have selected a Clio-winner.
The Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from Noon to 6PM, with late hours till 8PM on Thursdays and 9PM on Fridays (theaters only). It is closed Mondays and New Year's Day, (US) Independence Day, (US) Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas. The suggested contribution at the door is $6 for adults, $4 for students and senior citizens, and $3 for kids under 13.
The Museum has no cafeteria, and eating and drinking is not permitted on the premises. There is an Au Bon Pain across the street; it has inexpensive and good food, and the Museum staff will re-admit you on being shown the ticket stub of the same day. All public areas are accessible to wheelchairs.
Recording and photography are not permitted in the Museum.
[contributed by Ali Lemer]