# Chicken Soup (TV series)

Chicken Soup is an American sitcom starring Jackie Mason and Lynn Redgrave. It aired on ABC from September 12 to November 7, 1989.

## Premise

The series focuses on the interfaith relationship of a middle-aged Jewish man, Jackie (Mason), and an Irish Catholic woman, Maddie (Redgrave). Episodes centered around humorous situations and obstacles caused by the couple's different religions.

## Cast

* Jackie Mason as Jackie Fisher
* Lynn Redgrave as Maddie Peerce
* Rita Karin as Bea Fisher
* Kathryn Erbe as Patricia Reece
* Johnny Pinto as Donnie Peerce
* Alisan Porter as Molly Peerce
* Brandon Maggart as Mike Donovan
* Cathy Lind Hayes as Barbara Donovan

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Pilot" | Terry Hughes | Saul Turteltaub Bernie Orenstein | September 12, 1989 (1989-09-12) | 31.0 |
| Jackie Fisher and Maddie Peerce meet and fall in love. The catch: Jackie is Jewish and Maddie is Irish Catholic. ||||||
| 2 | "The Dinner" | Alan Rafkin | Paul Perlove | September 19, 1989 (1989-09-19) | 27.4 |
| Jackie and Maddie meet some friends for a dinner full of mishaps; Donnie and Patricia are sure that the couple is doomed. ||||||
| 3 | "The Bartender" | Alan Rafkin | David Pollock & Elias Davis | September 26, 1989 (1989-09-26) | 28.6 |
| Jackie must play bartender when Maddie throws a girls-only party and the bartender fails to show up. ||||||
| 4 | "The Reservation" | Alan Rafkin | Saul Turteltaub Bernie Orenstein | October 3, 1989 (1989-10-03) | 27.7 |
| Maddie and Jackie have problems at their favorite restaurant when neither makes a reservation. ||||||
| 5 | "Double Date" | Alan Rafkin | Terri Collins & Bruce Reid Schaefer | October 10, 1989 (1989-10-10) | 27.8 |
| Maddie and Jackie set their best friends up with each other and take them on a double date. ||||||
| 6 | "Take My Kids, Please" | Alan Rafkin | Jerry Ross | October 24, 1989 (1989-10-24) | 24.3 |
| After hearing her brother tell racist jokes, Maddie decides to make Jackie the godfather of her children. ||||||
| 7 | "Bea Moves Out" | Alan Rafkin | Saul Turteltaub Bernie Orenstein | October 31, 1989 (1989-10-31) | 23.3 |
| Bea wants to be on her own and moves out of Jackie's apartment. ||||||
| 8 | "Almost Father Jackie" | Alan Rafkin | Sam Denoff & Marc Sheffler | November 7, 1989 (1989-11-07) | 22.4 |
| Bea is upset that Jackie doesn't always act like a father. ||||||
| 9 | "The Ralph Hearns Story" | Alan Rafkin | Manny Basanese | Unaired | N/A |
| 10 | "Operation Jackie" | Alan Rafkin | N/A | Unaired | N/A |
| Maddie is concerned when she learns that Jackie needs surgery. ||||||
| 11 | "Bea's Night Out" | Alan Rafkin | N/A | Unaired | N/A |
| Jackie stays up all night waiting and worrying when Bea doesn't come home. ||||||
| 12 | "Community Service" | Alan Rafkin | Paul Perlove | Unaired | N/A |
| Bea is sentenced to community service for her role in a school prank. ||||||

## Controversy and cancellation

Chicken Soup was scheduled after the #1 primetime series Roseanne, but was canceled because it could not hold a large-enough percentage of the audience from its lead-in and because of controversy over inflammatory remarks by Mason during the New York City Mayoral elections.