Season 1 • Episode 19
LatestOh Madeline was an American sitcom that was broadcast on ABC from September 27, 1983 to March 13, 1984. Starring Madeline Kahn, the show revolved around Madeline Wayne, a housewife bored after 10 years of marriage to Charlie, a sweet but square man who made his living writing steamy romance novels under the name Crystal Love. Madeline's best friend was Doris, a timid divorcee previously married to Charlie's best friend, a middle-aged swinger named Bob. Annie was Charlie's amorous editor. Madeline, bored with her predictable, sedate existence in a middle-class suburb, and wanting to put some zest back in into her life, decides to try every trendy diversion that she can find - such as seaweed-based health foods, exercise clubs, and "ladies only" clubs featuring male strippers. The show contained a lot of slapstick comedy, as well as marital misunderstandings in the tradition of I Love Lucy.
Acting
Kahn's timing so sharp it could cut glass—physical comedy mastery.
Writing
Meta-romance novel premise lets writers get deliciously unhinged.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
ABC buried this after 19 episodes despite Kahn's brilliance; she later called sitcoms 'the most exhausting work' of her career. The network replaced it with Webster.
This was Kahn's first and only sitcom lead—a fascinating misfire attempting to translate her Mel Brooks-era chaos into domestic sitcom structure.
US
