Mo Gaffney Movies

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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".... ~ Rovi

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? ~ Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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. ~ Rovi

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. ~ Rovi

After innumerable false alarms, it looks as though Jamie (Helen Hunt) is going to have her baby. This expected blessed event coincides with the unexpected film-festival triumph of Jamie's husband, Paul (Paul Reiser) -- who'da thunk that "Buchman" would win an award over a Michael Moore project? Originally telecast as the hour-long finale of Mad About You's fifth season, this episode has since been divided into two half-hour installments for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi