Taking inspiration from the hit that has been the Will & Grace revival, Helen Hunt and Mad About You co-star, Paul Reiser have been deep in talks about bringing back their ’90s comedy hit.
And now the pair is one step closer to making the dream a reality!
EW reports both Helen and Paul have closed deals to reprise their roles as Jamie and Paul Buchman. Also on board is co-creator Danny Jacobson.
Before anything is confirmed, however, the revival needs to find a home. In the States, Mad About You originally aired from 1992 to 1999 on NBC alongside Will & Grace. There’s no word yet on whether the shows will reunite 20 years on.
Mad About You was a comedy hit in the ’90s.
Helen has made no secret of her desire to return to her award-winning role. Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres just yesterday, Helen reveals there have been plenty of kitchen table talks with Paul over the years.
“It’s not for sure yet,” she says. “I will say that Paul Reiser is in my kitchen a good amount because we’re talking about how to make it and not wreck it, because we’re proud of what we did.”
She adds revisiting the characters so far down the track would make for compelling viewing.
“It does seem compelling to visit these characters 20 years into a marriage after raising an entire human being,” she tells ET. “So depending on some pieces falling into place, it could happen.”
Helen and Paul have remained close friends since the series ended.
Mad About You ended on a fairly definitive ending, jumping into the future to see what was in store for the beloved characters.
Paul says the ending was a deliberate attempt to quell any temptations to revisit the series.
“One of the things we did deliberately in the finale was that we jumped ahead in the future. We saw where they went,” he tells Variety in an interview last year.
“Part of why we did that was to avoid the temptation of going back…When you watch a reunion (show), all you do is say ‘Wow do they look older.'”
The show featured a number of guest stars over the years.
Perhaps the fact that both Will & Grace and Roseanne ignored, and even poked fun at, their original endings has paved the way for the Mad About You revival to go ahead.
“I’ve been watching Will & Grace and laughing so hard out loud,” Helen tells. “They’re just crushing it.”
“I just want [my character] to continue to reflect the highly imperfect nature of everybody around me,” she continues. “I don’t imagine these characters have gotten more perfect in 20 years.”
Helen says she wants to follow in the footsteps of fellow returning comedy, Will & Grace.
Mad About You followed newlywed couple Jamie, a public relations specialist, and Paul, a documentary filmmaker, as they experiences the ups and downs of married life.
During its original run, it picked up a Golden Globe for Best Television Series- Musical or Comedy and received five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Helen Hunt took home the Emmy for best comedy actress four years in a row.
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