6th Season 1997

  1. "Coming Home"
    gs: Carol Burnett [ Theresa ]

    rc: Joan, Maggie, Hal

    The first day back from the hospital finds Paul and Jamie still figuring out how to care for their daughter and what to name her, until help arrives in the form of Jamie's mother.

    b: 23 Sep 97 pc: _________ w: Victor Levin d: Gordon Hunt
  2. "Letters to Mabel"
    gs: Meredith Bishop [ Mabel at 18 ]

    rc: Joan

    Jamie kicks off a letter-writing spree by penning one to her infant daughter, to be read on her 18th birthday. Ira and Joan join in on the fun, while Paul goes through draft after draft.

    b: 30 Sep 97 pc: _________ w: Maria Semple d: Gordon Hunt
  3. "Speed Baby (a.k.a. Speed III)"
    gs: Markus Redmond [ Dr. Kekitch ], Nick Jameson [ Bruno Mir ], Elea Bartling [ Madame Mir ], Gary Grossman [ Gym Patron ], Jeff Cahill [ Keanu ], David Basulto [ Policeman ], Robert Garcia [ Trick-or-treat "Kid" ]

    rc: Joan

    Jamie stumbles upon a strange cure to Mabel's crying fits, while Paul valiantly tries to catch a few winks before an important meeting with a Belgian distributor.

    b: 28 Oct 97 pc: _________ w: Roger Director d: Gordon Hunt
  4. "Uncle Phil and the Coupons"
    gs: Mel Brooks [ Uncle Phil ], Anne-Marie Johnson [ Mrs. Paris ], Bernard Hocke [ Tattoo Artist ], David Koechner [ Store Clerk ], Peter White [ Judge Chuffa ], Robert Curtis-Brown [ The Lawyer ], Beans Morocco [ Bailiff ]

    The search for a preschool for the three-week old Mabel cannot begin soon enough, but has to compete for attention with the coupon-fraud trial of Paul's Uncle Phil and an odd caper involving Jamie and Ira.

    b: 4 Nov 97 pc: _________ w: Paul Reiser & Victor Levin d: David Steinberg
  5. "Moody Blues"
    gs: Florence Stanley [ Miriam Sass ], Sydney Bennett [ Roberta ], Billy Barnes [ Mr. Edlin ], Helen Geller [ Pirate Maiden #1 ], Rosina Pinchot [ Pirate Maiden #2 ], Charlene Simpson [ Pirate Maiden #3 ], Shannon Welles [ Pirate Maiden #4 ], Allen Bloomfield [ Pirate #1 ], Jesse Martin [ Pirate #2 ], Michael Perrotta [ Pirate #3 ], Jack Ritschel [ Pirate #4 ], Mark Sheeler [ Pirate #5 ], Jose Zuniga [ Arturo ]

    Jamie resents being tagged with the dime-store psychological cliché that is postpartum depression, and almost wrecks the wedding plans of a stranger. Meanwhile, Paul directs a charity production of "The Pirates of Penzance."

    b: 11 Nov 97 pc: _________ w: Lisa Melamed d: Gordon Hunt
  6. "The Magic Pants"
    gs: Lili Taylor [ Arley ], Earl Billings [ Security Guard ], Noel Webb [ "David Copperfield" ], Tony Trevino [ Dominic ]

    rc: Maggie, Ursula, Nat

    The Buchmans find a baby-sitter they are comfortable with, but Paul and Jamie's first evening out by themselves begins with Paul not in his pants and ends on an even more unusual note.

    b: 18 Nov 97 pc: _________ w: Mike Martineau d: Gordon Hunt
  7. "Le Sex Show"
    gs: Mo Gaffney [ Sheila ], Lewis Black [ The Pizza-Slice Guy ]

    rc: Joan

    Paul and Jamie grapple with the pressures of having and not having sex for the first time since Mabel's birth, but their therapist seems not much help

    b: 25 Nov 97 pc: _________ w: Moses Port & David Guarascio d: Gordon Hunt

    NOTE: Dedicated to the memory of George O. Petrie (1912-1997).
  8. "The New Friend"
    gs: Mare Winningham [ Sarah ], Rebecca Lobo [ Herself ]

    Paul and Jamie meet a new neighbor, Sarah, a divorced mother of three who manages to teach Jamie a more casual style of parenting. Also, Paul and Jamie conspire to set up Sarah on a blind date with Ira, but it blows up in their face when they double date at a WNBA basketball (where Sarah is a marketing executive) and Ira falls hard not for Sarah, but for basketball star Rebecca Lobo who, needless to say, towers over him. Meanwhile, Paul wins one of those genius grants (for the work on his film "Buchman") and nobody can take his new 'genius' status seriously except him--and he takes it way too seriously.

    b: 9 Dec 97 pc: _________ w: Lissa Levin & Maria Semple s: David Steven Simon d: Gordon Hunt
  9. "The Conversation"

    Paul and Jamie try to help each other get through the excruciating process of "Ferberizing" the baby--they must allow the child to cry herself to sleep without comforting her. The psychological and moral implications of this are discussed and debated in comedic length

    b: 16 Dec 97 pc: _________ w: Victor Levin d: Gordon Hunt

    NOTE: Shot in real-time (one take per act).
  10. "Breastfeeding"
    gs: Carol Burnett [ Theresa Stemple ]

    Jamie is reluctant to stop breast feeding exclusively, but she knows it's time for the baby to learn to feed from the bottle. For his part, Paul is excited to be able to feed the baby for the first time. Jamie has to leave the apartment and the baby is hungry, but Paul's afraid to feed her because Jamie hasn't completely signed off on starting the bottle. Paul realizes he's got no choice but to take care of the baby's crying needs while mom's away, and when Jamie returns home and catches him he's afraid she's going to freak. Instead, she's grateful that he took care of their baby, and is happy that the transition to the bottle has finally begun. Meanwhile, Jamie's upset to learn that her mom is dating a much younger man, a dancer from the show "Lord of the Dance" who's 26 years younger than her. Jamie's suspicious until she meets him (which leaves Paul alone with the crying baby).

    b: 6 Jan 98 pc: _________ w: Lissa Levin d: David Steinberg
  11. "Good Old Reliable Nathan"
    gs: Nathan Lane [ Nathan ]

    rc: Nat

    When Paul gives a speech at a college, he's shocked to discover that Jamie lost her virginity to the visiting professor. It's a comedy of errors as the professor believes Paul is angry and wants to do the professor harm. Meanwhile, Ira meets a woman who flirts with him only to get better burial plots.

    b: 13 Jan 98 pc: _________ w: Susan Dickes & Jonathan Leigh Solomon d: Michael Lembeck
  12. "Separate Planes"
    gs: Rita Wilson [ Lindsay Krbnsk ], Rick Overton [ Earl ], Alison Martin [ Muriel ], JoNell Kennedy [ Paul's Flight Attendant ], Hiram Kasten [ Leon ], Dean Cameron [ Irwin ], Maria Stanton [ Jamie's Flight Attendant ], Vanessa Lock [ Flight Attendant #2 ], Patricia Place [ Annoyed Passenger ]

    It's the first plane flight with the baby. Paul and Jamie take separate planes- that they are told is not uncommon for new parents to do to avoid orphaning a baby in the event of a tragedy. Anyhow, Burt and Sylvia are going to baby-sit Mabel, but Burt gets sick, so the baby has to go with one of her parents. Paul takes her and Jamie's looking forward to a break from mothering, yet she ends up mothering everyone. Paul winds up using Mabel to lead a passenger revolt on the plane to demand less heat in the cabin.

    b: 20 Jan 98 pc: _________ w: Andy Glickman d: Gordon Hunt
  13. "Cheating on Sheila"
    gs: Sydney Pollack [ Dr. Sydney Kleinman ], Mo Gaffney [ Sheila ], Eileen Brennan [ Number Ten ]

    When Paul and Jamie feel that their current therapist, Sheila, isn't quite helping out, Paul and Jamie see another therapist, Sydney. They love Sydney enough to "break up"' with Sheila--that is, until they find out that Sydney's hour of therapy is too expensive. Meanwhile, Paul grapples with how to get his father to stop suffocating Paul socially.

    b: 24 Feb 98 pc: _________ w: Sheila R. Lawrence d: Helen Hunt
  14. "Back to Work"
    gs: James Carville [ Himself ], Mary Matalin [ Herself ], Fred Willard [ Henry ], Steven Anderson [ Ricky Wrongstag ]

    Jamie decides whether to go back to work. Everything says go back to work. There's only one problem: She doesn't want to and tries to get herself fired. Meanwhile, Paul confronts the newspaper journalist who wrote an article filled with errors about his film "Buchman."

    b: 3 Mar 98 pc: _________ w: Mary Connelly d: David Steinberg
  15. "The Second Mrs. Buchman"

    Jamie discovers that Paul was married before--if only to get an old Russian woman U.S. citizenship. Jamie's upset that she is, indeed, the second Mrs. Buchman. Meanwhile, Paul is an umpire for his father's senior-citizen baseball game, and a fight erupts between father and son over a call.

    b: 17 Mar 98 pc: _________ w: David Steven Simon d: David Steinberg
  16. "The Coin of Destiny"
    gs: Larry Miller [ Lou Bonaparte ], Amy Edlin [ LuAnn ], Jeff Garlin [ Marvin ]

    When Paul innocently flips a coin to make a decision, Paul's former producer, Lou Bonaparte, overhears a conversation that puts Paul and Jamie in the limelight with the tabloid program "Hard Copy," Lou's newest project. Also, Ira finds that he's the prime suspect in a paternity case, and Paul's parents, Sylvia and Burt, try their luck in Atlantic City, only to be left high and dry by relying on the wisdom of Paul's "coin of destiny."

    b: 24 Mar 98 pc: _________ w: Christopher Case d: Michael Lembeck
  17. "The Caper"
    gs: Jeff Garlin [ Marvin ], Trista Delamere [ Ira's Girlfriend ]

    rc: Maggie, Hal, Joan

    Paul's birthday party turns into an event worthy of a detective mystery when Maggie and Hal suspect Buchman party guests of stealing a prestigious painting from their adjacent apartment. Meanwhile, Paul's friend Marvin gets into a growling match with Murray and tries to parlay his minor injury into a lawsuit against Paul.

    b: 31 Mar 98 pc: _________ w: Victor Levin d: David Steinberg
  18. "The Baby Video
    gs: Mare Winningham [ Sarah ], Caitlin Alderton [ Claire ], Mary Ostrow [ Mary ], Brooke Marie Bridges [ Brooke ], Myriam Darden [ Myriam ], Chelsea Dodson [ Chelsea ], David Carpenter [ Man on Street ], Logan Craig O'Brien [ Boy on Street ], Bonita Fredericy [ Bonita ], Nicolette Little [ Nicolette ], JB Gaynor [ JB ]

    Paul, Jamie and Ira decide to make a baby video. However, a starring Paul as the Sandman frightens kids and turns them off to the concept. And Paul's parents tell them he has a half-brother.

    b: 14 Apr 98 pc: _________ w: Roger Director d: Michael Lembeck
  19. "Fire at Riff's"
    gs: Fred Willard [ Henry Vincent ], Darcy DeMoss [ Mindy ], Ernie Vincent [ The Chef ], James Carville [ Himself ]

    rc: Ursula, Joan

    Jamie is late for lunch with Paul and Ira so Paul convinces her to quit her job. Joan is posing for "The 20 Most Eligible Bachelorettes in New York" for a magazine and Debbie is jealous. Jamie quits her job. Paul, Jamie, Ira, Joan and Debbie go to Riff's. Paul goes to the bathroom. Ira goes to talk to Ursula in the kitchen, where a menu catches on fire. Jamie, Debbie and Joan run out, leaving Paul in the bathroom. Paul is appalled that Jamie left without him. Joan asks Debbie to marry her. Ira gives Ursula mouth-to-mouth after carrying her out of the kitchen but they keep kissing after she's awake. Jamie wants to "take stock" like Debbie & Joan and Ira & Ursula by going back to work. Jamie begs for her job back and gets it.

    b: 28 Apr 98 pc: _________ w: Jonathan Leigh Solomon d: Craig Knizek
  20. "Mother's Day"
    gs: Jeff Garlin [ Marvin ], Mark Harrison [ Dr. Hill ], Joey Dente [ The Astrovision Clerk ], Jon Aragon [ The Delivery Boy ]

    Paul tries to pick a Mother's Day present for Jamie. Ira and Marvin have better ideas: a rocking chair and a message displayed on the Times Square video screen. Sylvia is jealous of Jamie's gifts and fakes injury to steal attention. However, Jamie catches her, but covers when the rest of the family catches her painting her toenails.

    b: 5 May 98 pc: _________ w: Susan Dickes d: Helen Hunt
  21. "Paul Slips in the Shower"
    gs: Mo Gaffney [ Sheila Kleinman ], Gordon Hunt [ The TV Host ], Garrett Courtney [ Young Paul ], Helen Siff [ Female Teacher ], Ajgie Kirkland [ Male Teacher ], Meghan Murphy [ Judy ], Heidi Kaufman [ Girl from Cleveland ]

    Paul's life flashes before his eyes when he takes a spill in the shower.

    b: 12 May 98 pc: _________ w: Paul Reiser & Victor Levin d: David Steinberg
  22. "Nat & Arley"
    gs: Eugene Levy [ The Doctor ], Nancy Bell [ Barbara ], Lili Taylor [ Arley ]

    rc: Nat

    Paul and Jamie act as matchmakers for dogwalker Nat and babysitter Arley. Meanwhile, Ira tries giving up sex and Paul makes a discovery about Jamie when they go to a sleep clinic.

    b: 19 May 98 pc: _________ w: ______________ d: ______________
  23. "The Finale"
    gs: Ellen DeGeneres [ Nancy Bloom ], Fred Willard [ Henry Vincent ], James Cameron [ Himself ], Steven Hack [ Maynard the Editor ], Daniel Hagen [ Skip ], Sean Smith [ Guy in Absurd Sweater ], Christopher Randolph [ Office Worker ], Mary Matalin [ Herself (voice only) ], James Carville [ Himself (voice only) ]

    Paul and Jamie search for a full-time nanny and Paul finds one in the form of Nancy Bloom, a caterer he inadvertently got fired from the production of a documentary about "The Making of 'Titanic.'"

    b: 19 May 98 pc: _________ w: Victor Levin d: Gordon Hunt

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