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| Episode 1 - [Pilot] |
| Details : Michael Flaherty and his team grapple with a garbage strike and a political gaffe by the Mayor who accidentally insults gays. In addition Ashley questions Mike's commitment to their relationship when is nervous about moving in together. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Victoria Dillard | Taylor Stanley | Director : Thomas Schlamme | Writer : Bill Lawrence | Writer : Gary David Goldberg | |
| Air Date : Sep. 17, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 2 - [The Great Pretender] |
| Details : When Mike is named Sexiest Man in New York by Manhattan magazine he has difficulty living up to the notoriety at home. In the meantime the staff must deal with Mayor Winston's problematic wife during an important dinner. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Deborah Rush | Writer : Sarah Dunn | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Sep. 24, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 3 - [The Apartment] |
| Details : Michael and the Mayor work around the clock to negotiate an end to the garbage strike which leaves Stuart in charge of the office to everyone's dismay. And though they just moved into a new apartment life is so hectic that Ashley and Michael never get to see each other. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Victoria Dillard | Writer : Bill Lawrence | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Oct. 01, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 4 - [Pride And Prejudice] |
| Details : Michael allows a TV crew into the office for a profile on himself and one of his quotes lands him in hot water with Ashley. In the meantime Carter goes behind Michael's back to get the Mayor to green-light a controversial project. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Gretchen Mol | Victoria Dillard | Writer : Brian Buckner | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Oct. 08, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 5 - [The Rivals] |
| Details : The former Mayor of New York is a constant critic of the current administration and a plan to appease him has tragic consequences. Meanwhile Michael and Ashley try to avoid their annoying new neighbors. And Nikki holds a contest among the men in the office to prove that none of them could ever be fathers. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : John Harrington Bland | Bray Poor | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Oct. 15, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★ |
| Episode 6 - [A Star Is Born] |
| Details : When Mayor Winston's nominee for the Public Schools Chancellor proves an embarrassment to the administration James urges Mike to stick with the controversial candidate. In the meantime Ashley considers a career in television on a roundtable show. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Nathan Fillion | John Harrington Bland | John Bedford Lloyd | Victoria Dillard | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Oct. 22, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 7 - [Grand Illusion] |
| Details : Carter and Nikki plan a fake wedding to make a point about the mayor's stance on same-sex marriages. Meanwhile Paul is a transformed man when the eye patch he wears after a minor injury gives him unprecedented self-confidence and sex appeal. And an unsatisfied Ashley considers leaving her new TV show for the newspaper again. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : William Bogert | Victoria Dillard | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Oct. 29, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 8 - [The High And The Mighty] |
| Details : Michael needs a favor from famed real estate developer Dan Donaldson but the price Mike has to pay may not be worth it. In the meantime Paul finds it hard to crow about the city's lowered crime rate since he's just become a victim of a robbery-again. And Mike and Ashley can't agree on what show to watch when they're in bed. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : George Wendt | Andrew Daly | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Nov. 12, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 9 - [Meet Tommy Dugan] |
| Details : An opinionated school janitor becomes Mayor for a Day when he wins an essay contest intended for schoolchildren. Meanwhile the Mayor wants to change his image. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Woody Harrelson | John Harrington Bland | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | Writer : Tim Hobert | |
| Air Date : Nov. 19, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 10 - [The Competition] |
| Details : When the Mayor's office competes against City Council in an annual Thanksgiving contest the stakes are high since the losers must croon a show tune in front of the press. James has trouble breaking up with a longtime girlfriend visiting from Wisconsin. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Ed Koch | J. Smith-Cameron | Stephen Colbert | Victoria Dillard | Jennifer Garner | Writer : Sarah Dunn | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Nov. 26, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 11 - [Dog Day Afternoon] |
| Details : Mike tries to appease the disgruntled Police Commissioner by honoring a beloved police dog who has recently died. But things go awry on the way to the funeral when Paul and Carter lose the canine's body. And Mike buys an air hockey table for the staff proving Stuart a very big talker. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Robert Maschio | Jerry Adler | Victoria Dillard | Jason Antoon | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Dec. 10, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 12 - [Criss Cross] |
| Details : Michael substitutes for the Mayor on a political talk show facing off against Ashley on a hot-button issue. Meanwhile Paul plays City Hall Santa while battling a terrible bout of the flu that is sweeping the office. And everyone finds themselves going to Carter for romantic advice. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : James Murtaugh | Writer : Brian Buckner | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Dec. 17, 1996 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 13 - [Bye Bye Love] |
| Details : The office rallies to lift Mike's spirits after his break-up with Ashley but he resists their best efforts. That is until he decides he needs a friend and reaches out to Nikki in the middle of her date with the perfect man. And Paul sets a New Year's resolution to be less gullible. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Ken Marino | Writer : Bill Lawrence | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Jan. 07, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 14 - [Starting Over] |
| Details : Michael is uncomfortable with his newly single status when he realizes he's actually on a date with new assistant district attorney Danielle Brinkman. Meantime Paul meets the president of his fan club Claudia Sacks who has arranged the group's first meeting. And Carter and Stuart have a little too much to drink and end up in an awkward situation. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Courtney Thorne-Smith | Victoria Dillard | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Jan. 14, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 15 - [Gabby's Song] |
| Details : Mike butts heads with a hard-nosed new chief of staff appointee Gabby Sanchez who is unmoved by his best efforts to win her over. Meanwhile Paul ponders taking his relationship with Claudia to the next level. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Constance Marie | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | Writer : Tim Hobert | |
| Air Date : Jan. 28, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 16 - [Kiss Me Stupid] |
| Details : It's Valentine's Day and Carter's old flame Spence wants to meet with him. Meantime Mike goes on a date from hell with a beautiful friend of Nikki's and Paul's romantic evening with Claudia becomes unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Luke Perry | Kim Dickens | Writer : Sarah Dunn | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Feb. 11, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 17 - [An Affair To Remember] |
| Details : For the Mayor's 50th birthday Paul is determined to get his old friend George Stephanopoulos to attend the event; as Michael arranges for birthday wishes from David Letterman Patrick Ewing Al Michaels Dan Dierdorf Frank Gifford Rosie O'Donnell Larry King and the cast of Rent. But in the midst of the planning a scandal swirls about the Mayor's presumed affair with a staffer from the Governor's office. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Deborah Rush | George Stephanopoulos | John Harrington Bland | Anthony Rapp | Patrick Ewing | Daphne Rubin-Vega | Al Michaels | Anne Twomey | Rosie O'Donnell | Larry King | David Letterman | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | Writer : Michelle Nader | Writer : Amy Cohen | |
| Air Date : Feb. 18, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 18 - [Snowbound] |
| Details : A major snowstorm hits Manhattan causing a chain reaction of mishaps at City Hall. Mike desperately tries to meet his longtime crush on her last night in the city; Paul accidentally offends the Mayor on the radio; Carter and Stuart are locked in the boiler room; and a nudist is on the loose in the Mayor's office. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Gabriel Macht | Amanda Peet | Victoria Dillard | Writer : Brian Buckner | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | Writer : Sebastian Jones | |
| Air Date : Feb. 25, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 19 - [Striptease] |
| Details : Michael discovers that his new girlfriend Gayley is paying for law school by moonlighting as a stripper. Meantime Claudia catches Paul in a lie and Nikki plays mind games with Stuart. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : John Harrington Bland | Cynthia Watros | Victoria Dillard | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | Writer : Tim Hobert | |
| Air Date : Mar. 04, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★ |
| Episode 20 - [Deaf Becomes Her] |
| Details : It's damage control time when the Mayor's inept new sign-language interpreter inadvertently offends the deaf community and Michael rushes to appease one of its leaders Sarah Edelman. Meantime Paul is worried that Claudia wants to move in permanently. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Marlee Matlin | Sam Seder | Victoria Dillard | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Mar. 18, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 21 - [Hot In The City] |
| Details : On the personal front Mike struggles with his ex-girlfriend Carrie who is desperate to bear his child (with or without his participation). At the office he's playing peacemaker after the mayor's ill-chosen words split up a beloved band just before their reunion concert. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : J.K. Simmons | Kathleen Chalfant | Daphne Zuniga | Victoria Dillard | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Apr. 01, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 22 - [Bone Free] |
| Details : The men in the office find love-or rather lust-is in the air causing more than a few problems. And Nikki wonders whether her new heartthrob George is a struggling writer or an untalented mooch. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Ellen Bethea | Sam Seder | Anna Holbrook | Victoria Dillard | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : Apr. 29, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 23 - [The Mayor Who Came To Dinner] |
| Details : The Mayor separates from his wife and moves in with Michael much to Mike's chagrin. Meanwhile designer Isaac Mizrahi helps the Mayor's office with a charity fashion show and gives Nikki a once-in-a-lifetime chance to strut the runway in one of his creations. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Deborah Rush | Rachel York | Isaac Mizrahi | Victoria Dillard | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | Writer : Tim Hobert | |
| Air Date : May. 06, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |
| Episode 24 - [Mayor Over Miami] |
| Details : Despondent over his separation with his wife the Mayor decides on a whim to take a road trip with Paul leaving Mike in charge of New York City and scrambling to find out where they went. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : John Harrington Bland | Marin Hinkle | Victoria Dillard | Marcia DeBonis | Writer : Brian Buckner | Director : Lee Shallat Chemel | |
| Air Date : May. 13, 1997 | Rating ➦ ★★★★★★★ |