Mo Gaffney
- 2003
Former child star Joey Lawrence billed himself as "Joseph" when he accepted the starring role in the WB sitcom Run of the House. With his parents having moved from their Grand Rapids, MI, home to a warmer climate "for their health," Kurt Franklin (Lawrence) was appointed surrogate father to his three younger siblings: restless 15-year-old Brooke (Margo Harshman), slacker dropout Chris (Kyle Howard), and boy-crazy Sally (Sasha Barrese). Forever snooping on the Franklin kids in Gladys Kravitz fashion, and eternally outraged by their basically harmless shenanigans, was next-door neighbor Mrs. Norris (Mo Gaffney). Run of the House debuted September 11, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margo Harshman, Joseph Lawrence, (more)
- 2002
This two-hour spin-off of the raunchy British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous was originally telecast in the U.K. under the title Absolutely Fabulous: Gay. Now a buyer for Jeremy's, a trendy clothing store, hard-living and hard-drinking Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) comes to New York during Fashion Week in the company of her equally dissolute (and currently unemployed) chum, Edina Moonson (Jennifer Saunders). While Patsy has arrived in the Big Apple for professional reasons, Edina has a personal mission: She intends to locate her long-estranged son, Serge (Josh Hamilton). It's not that Edina is upset with Serge because he's gay -- it's simply that he's not gay enough to suit her offbeat view of the worlds. In between stopovers at fashion shows and upscale bars, Patsy and Edina contact Goldie (Whoopi Goldberg), a gay-couple counselor, hoping that she will help them track down Serge. Unfortunately, Goldie misunderstands and assumes that our two heroines want to get married. And what of the ladies' leftover friends and relatives back in England? As Absolutely Fabulous in New York, this wildly irreverent comedy special made its American cable-TV bow over Comedy Central on February 8, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Denise Richards guest stars as Cassie, the visiting cousin of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox). Cassie is a "looker," no question about, and those doing the most looking -- and longing -- are Ross' friends Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler (Matthew Perry)...not to mention Ross himself. Meanwhile, Monica's upcoming bridal shower necessitates an eleventh-hour brainstorming session by her pals Rachel (Lisa Kudrow) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). And Joey may not have the right "equipment" for a nude scene in an upcoming movie. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denise Richards, June Gable, (more)
- 2001
Edina (Jennifer Saunders) suffers a professional crisis while Patsy (Joanna Lumley) begins menopause in the final episode of Absolutely Fabulous series four. After Bubble (Jane Horrocks) accidentally emails Eddy's address book to rival PR impresario Claudia Bing (Celia Imrie), Eddy's client roster is reduced to Twiggy -- until even the waifish supermodel abandons ship. Soon even Edina's new TV partnership with Katy Grin (Jane Horrocks) is in question, and Eddy must think on her feet if she wants to retain any sort of career. Meanwhile, Patsy's brittle bones begin cracking like matchsticks, and it's up to Saffy (Julia Sawalha) to educate her about menopause and osteoporosis. Saffy organizes a Menopause Anonymous meeting to help Patsy and Eddy get in touch with their inner crones; Bo (Mo Gaffney) crashes, adding her distinctively New Age touch to the proceedings. Ultimately, hormone patches effect strange changes in Patsy's behavior, leaving Saffy with horrific visions of a lifetime spent caring for the old hag. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on October 5, 2001, Absolutely Fabulous: Menopause marked series four, episode six of this popular Britcom. Celia Imrie reprises her role as Claudia Bing from Absolutely Fabulous: Jealous. "AbFab" script editor Ruby Wax, a longtime collaborator of writer/star Jennifer Saunders, plays one of the menopausal masses; Wax previously guest-starred in Absolutely Fabulous: The End as one of the snooty New York fashion editors who snubs Patsy. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, (more)
- 2001
During a drug binge, Edina (Jennifer Saunders) commiserates with Patsy (Joanna Lumley) about her lack of fame. Soon, though, notoriety comes knocking in the form of Saffy's debut as a playwright: "Self-Raising Flower," an autobiographical drama about the girl's troubled relationship with her mother. Eddy argues savagely with Saffy (Julia Sawalha), who recalls, in flashback, her neglected childhood. Back at rehearsals, Saffy's lead actress seems to have a bit of a crush on her writer/director. Meanwhile, members of the family begin arriving, including Bo (Mo Gaffney) and Marshall (Christopher Ryan), who have converted to Judaism in order to become kabbalah-studying Hollywood insiders. Eddy tries to launch a PR campaign against Saffy's play, but the offensive fails to get off the ground because opening night is nigh. Soon, the budding auteur is off to the theater with Gran (June Whitfield), Bubble (Jane Horrocks), Sarah (Naoko Mori), Bo, Marshall, and Justin (Christopher Malcolm). Edina and Patsy, of course, can't stay away, but they're shocked at the accuracy of Saffy's portrayal of their lives. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on September 28, 2001, Absolutely Fabulous: Small Opening marked series four, episode five of this popular Britcom. The scenes -- and even the costumes -- in "Self-Raising Flower" are all lifted more or less directly from earlier episodes of "AbFab." Gaffney, Malcolm, and Ryan all make their Absolutely Fabulous series four bows with this episode. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, (more)
- 2000
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This video features the music icon Paul McCartney, with a stellar cast of performers, giving a live benefit concert for PETA. The organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was the special concern of the former Beatle's deceased wife Linda McCartney. The concert honors her memory while it raises funds for an organization that has been embraced by people around the world. The performers include Ricki Lane, Brian McKnight, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ellen DeGeneres, Chrissie Hynde, Sarah McLachlan, and the B-52's. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul McCartney, Jamie Lee Curtis, (more)
A high school football player is accused of the statutory rape of his 16-year-old girlfriend in this made-for-MTV movie. TV's Matt Frewer stars. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Mundy, Mary Gross, (more)
- 1999
Part one of Mad About You's series finale is set approximately 22 years in the future. Mabel Buchman (Janeane Garafolo), grown-up daughter of Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt), follows in her dad's footsteps by producing a documentary film about her family. The starting point is the startling revelation that, thanks to a genealogical snafu, Paul and Jamie were never really married. Originally telecast as an hour-long special, this episode has since been divided into two half hours for syndication. ~ All Movie Guide
So how far would you go to win a beauty pageant? That's the burning question of Drop Dead Gorgeous, in which the citizens of Mount Rose, Minnesota gear up for the year's biggest event, the Sarah Rose Miss Teen Princess America Pageant, in which Becky Leeman (Denise Richards) and Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst) are the contestants to beat. Becky's mother Gladys (Kirstie Alley), a former beauty queen herself, has instilled in her daughter a drive to succeed at any cost. And Gladys will do anything to help Becky's chances of success. Amber's mother Annette (Ellen Barkin) is devoted to her daughter but drinks, smokes, and swears like a sailor. And while Amber is ambitious and a skilled beautician (a talent that she uses in her part-time job at the local mortuary), her view of the pageant is pragmatic: while boys can get sports scholarships, this pageant may be her only ticket out of town. However, Amber and the other contestants may have underestimated just how badly Becky wants to win -- or just how good she is with a gun. Drop Dead Gorgeous was directed by Michael Patrick Jann, a founding member of the sketch comedy group The State (who had their own series on MTV), and written by Lorna Williams, a veteran of the beauty pageant circuit who claims that nearly everything in the film is based on an actual incident. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, (more)
- 1999
Urban paranoia gets played for laughs in the black comedy The Basement and the Kitchen. Writer and director David Frickas also stars as Lloyd, a young man who is thoroughly convinced that everyone is out to get him; as a result, he almost never comes out of his basement. But when Lloyd finally works up the courage to find his way into the kitchen, he finds out that a group of government agents is posing as his family and that he hasn't been paranoid after all. The Basement and the Kitchen was screened as part of the 1999 Seattle Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Fickas, Pam Cook, (more)
- 1999
After nearly two months of pre-emptions, Mad About You returned on April 26, 1999. with a brace of first-run episodes. In "Murray at the Dog Show," the Buchmans' pet pooch remains traumatized by the "Puma in the Kitchen" incident earlier in the seventh season. On a potentially happier note, therapist Sheila Kleinman (Mo Gaffney) declares that Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) are cured -- but Jamie doesn't buy this diagnosis. And how does Billy Joel figure into all this? ~ All Movie Guide
When Frank Sinatra sang "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere, it's up to you, New York!" he probably didn't have the same odds in mind that line up against Henry and Nancy Clark in The Out-Of-Towners. Henry (Steve Martin) is an advertising man from Ohio who runs his life on an exacting schedule. His wife Nancy (Goldie Hawn) feels the spark has gone out of their lives together. After 24 years of marriage, their children are grown and nothing is tying them to their old home, so they decide to take a stab at relocating to New York City. Henry arranges a job interview in the Big Apple, they schedule a flight into Manhattan, and from that point on, anything that can go wrong does go wrong. Henry and Nancy's flight is delayed, their luggage is lost, their hotel reservations are cancelled, they're accosted by muggers, the cab they're riding in gets in a wreck, Henry is accidentally drugged and Nancy ends up in a group therapy meeting for sex addicts. The Out-Of-Towners is an updated remake of the 1970 comedy scripted by Neil Simon; the original version starred Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis as the hapless Midwesterners. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn, (more)
Happy, Texas is a fish-out-of-water comedy about two con men who escape from prison, then pose as gay lovers to hide out in a small Texas town. Mistaken for consultants to the Little Miss Fresh Squeezed Beauty Pageant, Harry (Jeremy Northam) and Wayne (Steve Zahn) go along with the ruse so they can stake out the local bank, owned by Josephine "Joe" McClintock (Ally Walker). The story kicks into high gear as Harry starts falling in love with Joe but cannot let on about his feelings. Also complicating matters is that gay Sheriff Dent (William H. Macy) has the hots for Harry, and Harry must pretend he's interested to keep the cops off his back. Meanwhile, Wayne is getting in touch with his feminine side as he tries his best to teach dance steps and flaming baton twirling to the little girls; he's also lusting after the girls' teacher, Ms. Schaefer (Ileana Douglas). Everything leads up to the big beauty pageant, where the cops are finally on Harry and Wayne's tail. First-time director Mark Illsley received wide media attention for this commercial piece, which sold to Miramax after a very public and intense bidding war. Steve Zahn's performance won him a special acting award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, where the film premiered in dramatic competition . ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Northam, Steve Zahn, (more)
- 1999
One-time musician Martin Guigui, who played more than his share of weddings, wrote, directed and stars in this comedy based on his experiences. Guigui portrays Max Tune, whose band is playing the wedding reception of his former girlfriend, Lisa Weinstein (Deborah Gibson, better known as one-time teen pop star Debbie Gibson). Lisa is marrying Bobby Benigni (Joey Scheer), but unknown to Lisa, Bobby has already been cheating on her with Diane Dare (Susanna Voltare), Lisa's maid of honor and best friend. Diane, racked with guilt, starts easing her pain with tequila at the reception, while Lisa's mother makes her feelings about the entertainment very clear to Max. Wedding Band also features a cameo from Dom DeLuise as the priest. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deborah Gibson, Joey Scherr, (more)
- 1999
Still intent upon re-igniting the spark in their marriage, Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) go off on their long-delayed honeymoon. In their absence, pediatrician Dr. Lee (Steve Park) makes certain that baby Mabel is well cared for. Whether or not Murray the dog is safe in the hands of Jamie's mercurial sister, Lisa (Anne Elizabeth Ramsay), is another matter entirely. And then there's that cooing married couple whom Jamie "fixed up".... ~ All Movie Guide
- 1999
After nearly two months of pre-emptions, Mad About You returned on April 26, 1999, with a brace of first-run episodes. In "Millenium Bug," Paul (Paul Reiser) is worried about the worldwide computer crash predicted for January 1, 2000. As Paul tries to re-create a dream in which Albert Einstein came up with a solution to his Y2K trauma, Jamie does battle with a recalcitrant dry-cleaning establishment. Jamie Farr appears unbilled as the owner of "Zippy's." ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
In this comedy, Eve Jacobs (Corrine Bohrer) is 39 years old, and her biological clock is threatening to start running down at any moment. Eve wants to have a baby, and has decided the time is now; however, she's not having much luck conceiving, and her husband Adam (Johnathan Penner) has more than a few anxieties about the prospect of becoming a father, especially as he approaches middle age. Eve begins consulting a battery of doctors, hoping someone can help her with her problems conceiving; she also attends meetings of a support group, WOMB (Women On a Mission to have a Baby), whose leader Rachel (Mo Gaffney) encourages desperate women to take desperate measures to have the child they've of which they've been dreaming. Inconceivable was directed by Bob Weis and written by Diane Fredel-Weis; it was the first feature film for both members of this husband-and-wife team, who based the story on their own difficulties having a baby. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corinne Bohrer, Jonathan Penner, (more)
- 1998
Paul (Paul Reiser) takes a tumble in the shower, and in that split second his whole life flashes before his eyes. Highlights (or lowlights) include Paul's first kiss, and his mother Sylvia's (Cynthia Harris) outraged reaction; the sage advice of Paul's dad, Burt (Louis Zorich), specifically "you ain't ever going to win"; and the testimony of wife Jamie (Helen Hunt) regarding Paul's ability (or lack of same) to tell a lie. Gordon Hunt, frequent Mad About You director and the father of series star Helen Hunt, has a cameo role. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
Therapist Sheila Kleinman (Mo Gaffney) finally realizes that having Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) talk out their marital problems isn't working. Thus, Sheila suggests that the Buchmans might communicate better if they agreed to spend an entire day not talking at all. This experiment in silence coincides with an impromptu -- and extremely noisy -- rehearsal by the ensemble percussion group Stomp (playing themselves). ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
Dissatisfied with their regular therapist, Sheila (Mo Gaffney), Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) try out a new shrink named Sydney (played by Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack). Unfortunately, the cost of this switch cannot merely be counted in dollars -- though Paul certain tries to do so. Along the way, Sydney comes up with a new plan to deal with Paul's overbearing father, Burt (Louis Zorich), who has refused to leave his son alone since Paul's mom, Sylvia (Cynthia Harris), went back to work. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
The title of this episode refers to the comedian's basic definition of comedy -- and also, indirectly, to the unexpected demise of Alan Tofsky (Eric Stoltz), former flame of Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt). In a videotaped will, Alan leaves all his worldly goods to Jamie -- and, much to the dismay of her husband, Paul (Paul Reiser), the decedent declares his eternal love for his ex-sweetie. Equally unhappy is Paul's "outed" sister, Debbie (Robin Bartlett), whose impending marriage to her partner, Joan (Suzie Plakson), may not come off as planned. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1997
After a four-year absence, Spencer Klein returns in the role of Ryan Stemple, the son of Jamie's friend Fran (Leila Kenzle). In her efforts to compliment Ryan's violin virtuosity, Jamie (Helen Hunt) puts her politically incorrect foot into her politically incorrect mouth. On another front, Paul (Paul Reiser) plans to haggle with the Buchmans' therapist over some rather exorbitant fees. Jeff Garlin makes his first series appearance as Marvin, general factotum to Paul's cousin Ira (John Pankow). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) are anxious to have sex for the first time since baby Mabel's birth. Alas, even with the therapeutic assistance of Joan Golfinos (Suzie Plakson), the magic seems to be elusive. This episode is dedicated to former Mad About You regular George O. Petrie (1912-1997). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
