‘Mad About You’ Delivers Hilarious Rerun
Last night featured a pair of series premieres, the season-openers for three others and a first-run network movie. Tonight, it’s back to reruns.
Among the repeats is May’s season finale of NBC’s “Mad About You” at 8, the hourlong episode welcoming the birth of Paul and Jamie’s baby.
Everyone who has been in a delivery room will chuckle. And it’s quite moving as well.
Naturally, things do not go altogether smoothly. And to some extent, the episode lacks originality.
But the expected false starts, traffic delays and jokes about painkillers are served up in ways that have become a trademark of series stars Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt.
Bruce Willis makes a guest appearance, playing himself. The actor is injured in an accident on the set of his latest film and is rushed to the same hospital where Jamie and Paul have checked in.
Willis’ arrival turns the place into a media madhouse.
Reiser and Willis hook up in some nutty slapstick when Paul has trouble getting past police and security guards in order to make it to Jamie’s side. (This makes no sense at all, because so many other family members and friends seem to get to Jamie’s room in plenty of time.) Filmmaker Michael Moore makes an appearance, as well as Carroll O’Connor and Carol Burnett as Jamie’s parents. Burnett has a spectacularly funny scene.
“Mad” has its season premiere a week from tonight.
Highlights
“Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (1991), CBS at 8: Kevin Costner stars as the popular tale gets Hollywood-epic treatment. It has a sweeping musical score, huge sets and lots of tense silences.
Alan Rickman steals scenes as a campy Sheriff of Nottingham.
“In the Line of Fire” (1993), FOX at 8: Clint Eastwood brings maturity and depth to the role of veteran Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, a man plagued by his failure to save President Kennedy.
John Malkovich plays a psychopath who’s evil to the core.
He preys on Horrigan’s insecurities in this psychological thriller that had moviegoers biting their nails.
“Home Improvement,” ABC at 8: A Valentine’s Day episode finds Tim visited by his dad’s old flame (Anne Francis), and Tim, Brad and Randy have trouble with gifts.
In another repeat at 9, Al (Richard Karn) gets cold feet on the eve of his wedding. It’s pretty sappy in the end.
“Question of Risks: Inherited Genes,” KSPS at 8: This thoughtful hour that assesses how much we really want to know about our genetic predispositions begins with a profile of a California couple that learned ahead of time that their twin daughters would have an incurable disease.
“Frasier,” NBC at 9: Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) makes like a stud with three dates in one weekend. And Sherry (Marsha Mason) makes an announcement that upsets the Cranes: She’s dumping Martin (John Mahoney). Repeat.
Cable Calls
“The Shawshank Redemption” (1994), TBS at 5:05: Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman star in this tale of an abiding friendship between inmates in a tough Illinois prison. Freeman was nominated for an Oscar for his role in this engaging film, which was nominated for Best Picture.
It’s based on a Stephen King story. “Songs in the Shadow: The Making of Carly Simon’s ‘Film Noir,”’ AMC at 6 and 9:45: Simon sings songs from “Laura,” “Key Largo” and other film noir classics. The half-hour was filmed, appropriately, in black and white.
“Laura” is screened at 4:30 and 10:15.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Michael Jordan, actor Kevin Spacey and actress Joan Cusack.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Singer-actress Cher and Los Aneles Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal. Repeat.
“Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” ABC at 12:05 a.m.: Robert Palmer, Fyvush Finkel, Damon Wayans and magazine editor Gwen Daye Richardson.
“The Late Late Show With Tom Snyder,” CBS at 12:35 a.m.: Radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlesinger.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Actor Kirk Douglas, model/pro volleyball player Gabrielle Reece and musical guest James Taylor.