The television series Mad About You was a sitcom about a married couple, Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt). The series followed the pair as they dealt with the ups and downs of marriage. The series first aired in 1992 and ran for a total of seven seasons. During its run, the series was nominated (and won) several Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Mad About You also features a variety of guest stars who add a nice balance to the show. Overall, it is one of those sitcoms that is hard not too love. It's a great series and years later, it is still quite fun to watch Paul and Jamie turn everyday situations into something bizarre and comical.

The Mad About You Collection is a compilation of assorted episodes from series' seven seasons. Unlike most 'Best Of' DVD releases, the episodes were handpicked by stars Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. They represent some of their favorite episodes from the series. One thing I really liked about watching this DVD box set was having the chance to watch the cast and show progress through its entire seven seasons. Since this release essentially samples some of the series' best moments, it was a quick journey watching the couple grow together. I really enjoyed this opportunity, because it clearly outlined just how wonderful Reiser and Hunt were together.

There were some great moments covered in this release. They included the beginning and the end of the series (the pilot and series finale), the couple first getting together and later getting accustomed as newlyweds, and dealing with other fun things like marital problems, annoying in-laws, and parenting. Overall, there are plenty of great looks into the lives of Paul and Jamie. My favorite episode was "The Birth", which was due to the guest star Bruce Willis. In the second part of the episode, there was a really funny interaction between Willis and Reiser. The three part season four finale was also a great episode. It had a much more serious tone than the series normally has. It was about Paul and Jamie facing problems with their marriage. "Citizen Buchman" is also a great episode. In it, the last words of Paul's deceased uncle were 'hoo moos'. What makes this episode funny is watching Paul attempt to uncover what he meant by the odd phrase. Of course, during his endeavors, he happens to unravel a bunch of family secrets. There was also a fun episode called "Virtual Reality" that starred model Christie Brinkley. Drool.

Overall, I thought that this 'Best Of' DVD release was done very well. It included some great episodes from this wonderful series and had plenty of great extras. This release is clearly for the fans of Mad About You and anyone looking for a good laugh.

Episode Guide
1. Mad About You - The Pilot (Season 1)
2. Met Someone (Season 1)
3. Virtual Reality (Season 2)
4. Cold Feet (Season 2)
5. Giblets for Murray (Season 3)
6. Our Fifteen Minutes (Season 3)
7. The Alan Brady Show (Season 3)
8. Yoko Said (Season 4)
9. The Finale Part 1 (Season 4)
10. The Finale Part 2 (Season 4)
11. The Finale Part 3 (Season 4)
12. Citizen Buchman (Season 4)
13. The Penis (Season 5)
14. The Birth Part 1 (Season 5)
15. The Birth Part 2 (Season 5)
16. Letters to Mabel (Season 6)
17. Mood Blues (Season 6)
18. Le Sex Show (Season 6)
19. The Conversation (Season 7)
20. Paved with Good Intentions (Season 7)
21. The Final Frontier (Season 7)

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in its original television aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame color. The video quality seemed to vary slightly, but for the most part the quality seemed to be fairly good. There were minor traces of grain and some noticeable compression artifacts.

Audio:
The audio in this release is given in English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo. The sound quality is quite good and can be easily heard throughout the season. I had no difficulty hearing dialogue. This release also supports closed captioning and has subtitles in Spanish and Portuguese.

Extras:
This box set has a nice set of extras included with it. Each episode has a brief introduction with the two main stars, Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. The introductions are hosted by Professor Richard Brown, N.Y.U. The next extras are two audio commentaries for "The Pilot" and "The Final Frontier" with Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. Then there is "The 7 Warning Signs of Madness (Bloopers)", which is a pretty funny blooper reel. "Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt Are Mad About Guest Stars" is a montage of clips from the series that have various celebrity guest stars. "Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt Are Mad About the Theme" is a short featurette where Reiser, Hunt, and Brown talk about the development of the series' theme song. Finally, there is "Mad About You... The Promos", which is 17 television promos. Overall, there are plenty of extras for everyone. I personally enjoyed the scene introductions the most.

Final Thoughts:
The Mad About You Collection is a very nice look into the lives of Paul and Jamie Buchman. It includes some hilarious and great moments in this married couple's life. I enjoyed how the collection progressed from the beginning to the end of the series. This 'Best Of' DVD release really outlined how fantastic the series is. With plenty of comical episodes and a great set of extras, this is a DVD release that is definitely worth checking out.