GIBLETS FOR MURRAY

Mad About You

Season 3 (1994)

After watching a disappointingly dull Halloween episode of this show last month I had low expectations for this Thanksgiving offering of Mad About You.  It ended up being terrific, however, perhaps because Thanksgiving is a holiday better suited to the more adult contemporary vibe of this show. 

Turkey Troubles

Manhattan couple Jamie and Paul are hosting their first Thanksgiving with both sides of their families in attendance.  As their relatives arrive and lodge their various complaints and requests the couple make repeat trips to a ubiquitous NYC deli-grocery to appease everyone: vegetable lasagna for a suddenly vegetarian sister, salad for Jamie’s mom, canned cranberry sauce (as opposed to fresh) for Paul’s dad. 

Their frantic efforts to prove their hosting abilities are thrown for a loop when their dog decimates the turkey.  Their attempts to keep it a secret from their guests as well as replace the turkey also spiral out of control as more and more relatives secretly learn of the problem and smuggle in fresh turkeys, only for all of them to meet with foul (couldn’t resist) fates-- at least one gets thrown out of a window.  Finally the entire family comes together and feigns ignorance over the turkey debacle in order to please their hosts.

The Unholy Trinity: Grumpy Aunt, Disgruntled Sister & Bitchy Mother

This episode is Thanksgiving from top to bottom, whether it’s the opening scene of the couple staggering out of bed early in the morning to cook the ill-fated bird, the frequent references to the parade, or the various neurotic relatives.  The heartwarming ending, of the family banding together despite their flaws, encapsulates the love-hate pull of family ties.  Plus you get plenty of slapstick and dashing around and hasty cover-ups, which I always enjoy.

The Menu: Several turkeys, Three Types of Potatoes, Vegetable Lasagna, Sweet Potato Soufflé (a Martha Stewart recipe), Three Bean Salad, Fresh & Canned Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving Quotient: A pleasantly surprising 5.

See It, Skip It, Own It?

Worth owning for annual holiday viewings.