Suzie Plakson Movies

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

Lisa Kudrow and Fred Willard reprise their Mad About You roles as Ursula Buffay and Henry Vincent. Trouble begins smoldering when Joan (Suzie Plakson), the life partner of Paul's sister, Debbie (Robin Bartlett), is asked to pose for a "20 Most Eligible Bachelorettes in New York" magazine article. Paul (Paul Reiser) adds fuel to the flames by encouraging his wife, Jamie (Helen Hunt), to quit her job with James Carville. And Paul's cousin Ira (John Pankow) is steaming because Riff's Restaurant has slighted him. With such an incindiary situation, is it any surprise when a real fire breaks out at Riff's, permitting Ira to play the hero while Paul is stuck in the bathroom? ~ All Movie Guide

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

Though everybody thinks that they're overreacting, Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) agonize over baby Mabel's nonstop crying. Paul in particular has his undies in a bundle because he has to meet with an important European film distributor after yet another sleepless night. Then, astonishingly, Jamie stumbles upon the "cure." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After innumerable false alarms, it looks as though Jamie (Helen Hunt) is going to have her baby. But before this blessed event can take place, Jamie is unexpectedly reunited with old flame Alan (Eric Stoltz), while her husband, Paul (Paul Reiser), is given a guided hospital tour by a very big movie star. 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, All Movie Guide

With Jamie (Helen Hunt) incapacitated, Paul (Paul Reiser) must wait on her hand and foot. His already difficult job is complicated by the lack of heat in the Buchmans' apartment -- and by an unscheduled kidnapping. At one point, it appears as though this episode should have been titled "Her Houseboy, Wolfgang Puck." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In a 29-day shoot, Barry Levinson filmed this $15 million political and media satire, adapted by Hilary Henkin and David Mamet from Larry Beinhart's novel, American Hero. Two weeks prior to re-election, the President (Michael Belson) is accused of cornering an underage girl in the Oval Office. To keep the media from learning of this, Presidential adviser Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) brings in political consultant and spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro), a specialist in such salvage operations. Brean suggests fabricating denials of non-existent emergencies -- such as denials about the B-3 bomber. The denial, of course, is true, since no B-3 bomber exists. Brean visits the mansion of Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) and gives him the assignment to create a patriotic campaign centered around a war in Albania. Motss assembles a creative team -- Liz Butsky (Andrea Martin), the trend-setter Fad King (Denis Leary), and songwriter Johnny Green (Willie Nelson). Treated like an ad campaign, the songs and symbols are transmitted directly from a Hollywood soundstage to CNN. The star of their campaign is a "rescued" pilot -- in reality, a psychotic military prisoner (Woody Harrelson), who's a ticking time bomb. The flag-waving song, "The American Dream" was written for the film by Tom Bahler (who co-wrote "We Are the World"). Beinhart's original novel involved a real President (Bush), a real war (the Gulf War), and the premise that George Bush and Saddam Hussein staged it. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Jamie (Helen Hunt) reveals her pregnancy to boss Lance Brockwell (Harry Groener) and the rest of the City Hall staff. The question: Can she still maintain the hectic pace of her job? Meanwhile, Ira (John Pankow) takes over the financing of Paul's (Paul Reiser) epic documentary "Buchman" -- and manages to secure the services of a moderately famous narrator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) finds herself facing both the issues and the images of the pre-abolition American South in this episode of the popular sci-fi television series Star Trek: Voyager. As a series of supernovas rock the galaxy, Janeway is visited by an alien named Q (John de Lancie) who has a most unusual request to make of the captain -- he'd like her to be the mother of his child. Janeway is not interested, but wants to know what has prompted this offer. Q and Janeway travel to the Q Continuum, where she discovers the dress and behavior are quite similar to that of the South during the Civil War. The Q are also divided against one another over individual rights, and Q is convinced the only answer is to combine the compassion of humans with the gifts of the Q. However, Janeway's support of Q and his followers has dangerous consequences for the captain and her crew. Star Trek: Voyager 53: The Q and the Grey was first aired on November 27, 1996. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt) have decided to hold off telling everyone that Jamie is pregnant until the couple can make a formal announcement at their Thanksgiving dinner. This plan is undermined by a number of "security leaks" in the office of gynecologist Joan Golfinos (Suzie Plakson). The ending offers six degrees of surprises thanks to an unheralded guest star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A boy saves and befriends a mangy ex-circus dog and adopts him as a pet--without his father's knowledge. As the family moves across the country, the dog attempts to follow, getting into close calls and lots of adventures along the way. Will Bingo end up in the arms of his favorite boy? This spoof/adventure/comedy contains some violence and profanity. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

This pivotal episode is set in motion when everyone on the "FYI" staff is invited to attended the inaugural ball of President-Elect George Bush (the first!) Well, let's amend that a bit: Everyone has been invited except Murphy (Candice Bergen)--who can't understand why and how she has fallen from favor within the Washington beltway in so short a time. As Murphy cooks up a scheme to crash the Inaugural, her producer Miles (Grant Shaud) has a large problem on his hands...a large female problem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide