The Mind of the Married Man

The Mind of the Married Man
Created by	Mike Binder
Starring	Mike Binder Sonya Walger Jake Weber Ivana Miličević
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	20 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Comedy Arts Studios 3 Arts Entertainment Sunlight Productions
Release
Original network	HBO
Original release	September 23, 2001 – November 17, 2002

The Mind of the Married Man is a television series that ran on the HBO network for two seasons consisting of twenty episodes between September 2001 and November 2002.^[1] The story attempts to focus on the challenges of modern-day married life from a male perspective.^[2]

The theme song was the title song of the musical I Love My Wife (1977), written by Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart.

Cast

• Mike Binder - Micky Barnes
• Sonya Walger - Donna Barnes
• Ivana Miličević - Missy
• Jake Weber - Jake Berman
• M. Emmet Walsh - Randall Evans
• Taylor Nichols - Doug Nelson
• Doug Williams - Kevin
• Bobby Slayton - Slayton
• Brigitte Bako - Bianca
• Kate Walsh - Carol Nelson

Episodes

Season 1 (2001)

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	"The Mind of the Married Man"	Mike Binder	Mike Binder[3]	September 23, 2001	3.05[4]
Micky, Doug, and Jake are three married co-workers who work at a Chicago newspaper. The three discuss Micky's options as to how he should confront his wife, who had browsed his laptop computer and discovered pornographic pictures of college women. Jake suggests that Micky call Monica (a hooker who poses as Jake's computer consultant) and schedule a visit. Meanwhile, Micky needs a personal assistant, and after interviewing the candidates, he hires a woman whom he finds to be irresistibly attractive.
2	"The Secret of the Universe"	Roger Nygard	Mike Binder[5]	September 29, 2001	2.62[6]
Admonished by Micky for being "cold" to Missy, Donna arrives at his office to ask her out to lunch - a decision that does not sit well with her husband. Single co-worker Kevin boasts about the plethora of "crazy" women around town; Jake gets up-close-and-personal with the paper's new entertainment reporter Ilene; and Doug shares his "secret of the universe" with Micky, offering to loan Micky and Donna some self-help "marriage tapes" that he and his wife Carol watch to keep their relationship strong.
3	"The God of Marriage"	Danny Leiner	Mike Binder[7]	October 7, 2001	N/A
Micky seems peeved when Donna doesn't "get" a joke he heard at the bar about oral sex and The Three Stooges - but is it just a cover for what is really upsetting him? Jake ends his office affair with Ilene, and Doug seeks to curtail his wife Carol's excessive spending. With Micky continuing to fantasize about Missy, Jake decides the best thing for his friend is a visit to the Tokyo massage parlor for a full-body rubdown - complete with an optional "happy ending."
4	"Time on the Lake"	Danny Leiner	Mike Binder[8]	October 14, 2001	N/A
While Micky and Donna search for a hobby, the guys enlist Jake to find out whether a man is tired of his beautiful wife.
5	"Anywhere, Anytime"	Nancy Savoca	Gay Walch[9]	October 21, 2001	1.96[10]
Donna gives Micky an "electronic tether" in the form of a pager. Meanwhile, Jake's jilted girlfriend Ilene threatens to tell his wife about his extramarital indiscretion.
6	"Wonderful News"	Bruce Paltrow	Ritch Shydner[11]	October 28, 2001	N/A
Could Donna be pregnant? Faced with the possibility, Micky struggles to come to grips with his feelings. Doug's visiting mother-in-law affects his sex life.
7	"Just Thinking of You"	Bob Saget	Mike Binder[12]	November 4, 2001	N/A
Micky and Donna embark on a kitchen/marriage remodel. Jake's call girl retires, and work forces Doug to skip Carol's birthday celebration.
8	"When We Were Nice"	Danny Leiner	Katayoun A. Marciano[13]	November 11, 2001	N/A
Micky accuses Donna of having an affair with their contractor. Jake suggests an exotic cure for Doug's back problem.
9	"Lay Down Dancing"	Danny Leiner	Mike Binder[14]	November 18, 2001	N/A
Micky crosses the line with his masseuse. Jake crosses a line with Missy.
10	"Cold Splash of Truth"	Mike Binder	Mike Binder[15]	November 25, 2001	N/A
Micky considers telling Donna about his extramarital excursion. Despite Doug's wishes, Carol returns to her career.

Season 2 (2002)

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
11	"Peter Pan"	Roger Nygard	Mike Binder[16]	September 15, 2002	3.92[17]
Micky, racked with guilt over his extramarital excursion, is dead set on making things right as the "New Micky." Meanwhile, Donna is gung-ho about Bobby attending a posh pre-school, in the process scheduling a play-date for a less-than-enthused Micky.
12	"The Cream of the Crop"	Bruce Paltrow	Mike Binder[18]	September 22, 2002	N/A
Micky has a problem programming his TiVo, and wonders if it's a metaphor for his relationship with his mind. Meanwhile, Donna considers her role as a parent, and Jake leads Micky to a startling discovery about pre-school.
13	"The Plan"	Danny Leiner	Mike Binder[19]	September 29, 2002	2.82[20]
During a night out at the movies, Donna is inspired to rethink her career, causing her and Micky to discuss her shift from "full-time writer" to "full-time mother." Meanwhile, Jake continues his dogged pursuit of Missy, and Randall teaches the youngsters a thing or two about cards.
14	"Full-Time Mom"	Roger Nygard	Mike Binder[21]	October 6, 2002	3.00[22]
Donna decides the family needs to start attending church; Jake is nearly caught with Missy; and Micky reacquaints himself with a face from the past.
15	"20/20"	Neal Israel	Bruce Kirschbaum[23]	October 13, 2002	2.98[24]
The anniversary party of Doug's parents causes everyone to evaluate their relationships with their own parents; Doug buys Carol a mysterious brand of coffee; and Micky has an eye exam with a beautiful optometrist.
16	"The Perfect Babysitter"	Danny Leiner	Tom Leopold[25]	October 20, 2002	3.09[26]
Micky reluctantly agrees to begin therapy; the Nelsons debate whether to buy a new car or remodel their kitchen; and Jake continues his pursuit of Missy.
17	"The Corvette"	Neal Israel	Ritch Shydner and Leah Krinsky Atkins[27]	October 27, 2002	2.90[28]
Micky thinks a new baby will remedy their marital problems, but Donna has her own solution; against Carol's wishes, Doug buys a Corvette; and Bianca (Brigitte Bako) suspects something between Jake and Missy.
18	"The Pony Ride"	Stephen Herek	Mike Binder[29]	November 3, 2002	N/A
Micky plans a surprise party for Randall to get back in his good graces, but finds himself distracted by a new dilemma at home.
19	"A Hard Pill to Swallow"	Roger Nygard	Mike Binder[30]	November 10, 2002	3.17[31]
Micky starts to see progress in therapy, but finds his relationship with Donna tested; Jake finally runs out of alibis with Bianca; and Carol decides to trade in Doug's Corvette.
20	"Never Stop"	Mike Binder	Kevin Garnett & Lee Eisenberg[32]	November 17, 2002	3.64[33]
Micky suggests couple's therapy in order to draw Donna back into the relationship; after a few nights on Slayton's couch, Jake tries to talk his way back into Bianca's life.

References

1. Tomashoff, Craig (September 22, 2002). "TELEVISION/RADIO; A Few Brave Husbands Have Sex on Their Minds". The New York Times.
2. Salamon, Julie (September 11, 2001). "On a New HBO Series, Three Guys With One Thought". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
3. "Episode Guide: #1 - The Mind of the Married Man (Pilot)". HBO. Archived from the original on June 25, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
4. Downey, Kevin (October 3, 2001). "UPN's 'Enterprise,' most likely to succeed". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
5. "Episode Guide: #2 - The Secret of the Universe". HBO. Archived from the original on December 14, 2002. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
6. Downey, Kevin (October 10, 2001). "Viewers pick season's winners and losers". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
7. "Episode Guide: #3 - The God of Marriage". HBO. Archived from the original on December 14, 2002. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
8. "Episode Guide: #4 - Time on the Lake". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
9. "Episode Guide: #5 - Anywhere, Anytime". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
10. Downey, Kevin (October 31, 2001). "The two hit shows TV buyers dissed". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
11. "Episode Guide: #6 - Wonderful News". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
12. "Episode Guide: #7 - Just Thinking of You". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
13. "Episode Guide: #8 - When We Were Nice". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
14. "Episode Guide: #9 - Lay Down Dancing". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
15. "Episode Guide: #10 - Cold Splash of Truth". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
16. "Episode Guide: #11 - Peter Pan". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
17. Downey, Kevin (September 25, 2002). "Network race tightens or 18-49 viewers". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
18. "Episode Guide: #12 - The Cream of the Crop". HBO. Archived from the original on April 4, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
19. "Episode Guide: #13 - The Plan". HBO. Archived from the original on December 14, 2002. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
20. Fitzgerald, Toni (October 9, 2002). "NBC's grip weakens as CBS and ABC rise". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
21. "Episode Guide: #14 - Full-Time Mom". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
22. Fitzgerald, Toni (October 16, 2002). "'Cedric' and 'George' show up their lead-ins". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
23. "Episode Guide: #15 - 20/20". HBO. Archived from the original on December 14, 2002. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
24. Fitzgerald, Toni (October 23, 2002). "UPN=Under a Pile of No-shows". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
25. "Episode Guide: #16 - The Perfect Babysitter". HBO. Archived from the original on December 14, 2002. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
26. Fitzgerald, Toni (October 30, 2002). "Dud series scores in a duller TV week". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
27. "Episode Guide: #17 - The Corvette". HBO. Archived from the original on December 14, 2002. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
28. Fitzgerald, Toni (November 6, 2002). "Fox's Sunday night is a sweeps stunner". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
29. "Episode Guide: #18 - The Pony Ride". HBO. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
30. "Episode Guide: #19 - A Hard Pill to Swallow". HBO. Archived from the original on December 2, 2002. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
31. Fitzgerald, Toni (November 20, 2002). "A romantic score for ABC". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
32. "Episode Guide: #20 - Never Stop". HBO. Archived from the original on December 2, 2002. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
33. Fitzgerald, Toni (November 27, 2002). "NBC is No. 1 but ABC wins big gains". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2015.

External links

• The Mind of the Married Man at the Internet Movie Database
• The Mind of the Married Man at epguides.com
• The Mind of the Married Man at TV.com