Paul Reiser chooses to look at the failure of his recent NBC sitcom, 'The Paul Reiser Show,' in a positive light.

The actor has joked that his recent debacle with NBC was just an expensive media blitz for his third book, 'Familyhood,' and in a way he's right. Being axed by the last-place network after only two episodes gave the 'Mad About You' actor a pedestal to A) Rip on his former bosses and, B) Bring up his latest tome, which is you guessed it ... about being a dad to Ezra and Leon (ages 15 and 11).

Reiser's previous books were about marriage and becoming a dad. He spoke to AOL TV sister site PopEater about his new book, being an embarrassing father to his boys and his disappointment in being given the gong so quickly at the network he made millions for. His theory for why the Peacock-ers gave up on 'The Paul Reiser Show'?

"Literally, it could not have been a less opportune moment," to air a new show, he says. "It was bought by some people and then the entire network was sold so there was no real investment on anybody's part ... all shows are moving parts on their chessboard, they don't get particularly attached."

Booking in advance is kind of the standard for late night talk shows as it can get competitive trying to get the stars when they're promoting their newest projects. On 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' (Weeknights, 11:35PM ET on NBC), they learned that it can be difficult to book faster than the itchy trigger finger of a network executive.

Thus, Paul Reiser was booked for Monday night to promote his new NBC sitcom, 'The Paul Reiser Show.' The problem? NBC canceled the show this past Friday. To Reiser's credit, he showed up anyway.

"It turns out they said we enjoy missing you more than actually having you," he said. "When you're the last place network, you don't want to jeopardize that. You've found your niche. Stay there. So I get it."

Since Henry Rollins kicked off his acting career, he's mostly played tough, intimidating guys. Because, well let's face it, Henry Rollins looks pretty tough and intimidating. That's why it was fun seeing him on 'The Paul Reiser Show' (Thu., 8:30PM ET on NBC) exploring a different direction.

Playing a version of himself, Rollins was talking to Reiser about a comedy part he's going for. The simple glee and excitement in Rollins as he talks about the role and even reads some of the simply awful lines is infectious and funny itself.

After reading a line about a particularly lame joke about mistaking a fat woman for a beached whale, Rollins started talking about a part with more physical humor. "It's not so cerebral as that last one," he explained. "Let's see, it's right after the dance montage."

Two inexplicable comedies premiere in the next couple of days. 'The Paul Reiser Show' (8:30PM ET Thursday, NBC) is the odder of the two, and 'Happy Endings' (10PM ET Wednesday, ABC) is more conventional yet no more capable of inducing laughter.

'Happy Endings' is yet another variation on a comedy format we've seen a lot lately. It focuses on an ensemble of six characters at different stages of their relationships, and it's quite similar to 'Better With You,' 'Traffic Light' and 'Perfect Couples,' all of which premiered during the current TV season.

'Happy Endings' is really no better than any of those other comedies, which is to say, it's pretty weak.

Paul Reiser was a TV mainstay all through the '90s, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his work on 'Mad About You.' And then we kind of lost track of him.

Now he's back with a new sitcom, 'The Paul Reiser Show' (premieres Thurs., April 14, 8:30PM ET on NBC), where he plays -- you guessed it -- Paul Reiser. Well, sort of.

Like most comedians, Reiser is working off what he knows, and these days he knows three things: life as a husband, a father and a friend to the other kids' fathers from school. It's definitely not reinventing the sitcom wheel -- in fact, this same show could easily have been on circa 'Mad About You' -- but then again, the network's standards aren't quite so high these days either. (His observation, not mine.)

I caught up with Reiser to hear about his return to primetime and to welcome him to Twitter. (How does he feel about Twitter? His first tweet said it all: "This is my very first tweet and I'll be honest with you - it already makes no sense. I'm typing to myself in a room. I don't see the appeal.")

He also dished about his new castmates, not wanting to make 'Mad About You 2,' reuniting with former TV wife Helen Hunt and having some famous friends come guest star.

According to Paul Reiser, his decision to come out of semi-retirement and star in 'The Paul Reiser Show' was inspired by an innocent question from one of his two sons, he said on 'Live With Regis and Kelly' (weekdays, syndicated).

After 'Mad About You' ended its run, Reiser decided to stay home and help raise his children. But, everything changed when one of his boys asked what he does as a profession, he said.

NBC doesn't seem to be mad about 'Perfect Couples'; the Peacock is replacing it with 'The Paul Reiser Show.' Yes, Paul Reiser is returning to NBC starting Thurs., April 14 at 8:30PM.

The new series, which has been waiting on a premiere date for months now, will knock the underperforming freshman series 'Perfect Couples' off of Thursday night's comedy block.

'The Paul Reiser Show' follows Reiser as a fictionalized version of himself. The setup: Reiser's successful show has been off the air for a few years, he's been living out of the spotlight and working on TV, but behind the scenes. Reiser now finds himself with a new group of friends -- husbands of his wife's friends, parents of kids his children are friends with -- to get into adventures with.

Did you know that Steve Buscemi once wanted to be a stand-up comic? It didn't work out, so he had to fall back on the whole acting thing. But why didn't it work out? Well, according to Steve, it's all Paul Reiser's fault.

Buscemi tells his sad tale on 'The Tonight Show With Jay Leno' (weeknights, 11:35PM ET on NBC). Back in the '80s, Steve was trying to "make it" as a comic, and would show up at the Improv Comedy Club in New York City -- along with other young comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. These guys were picked to perform, but Steve never was ... because the club manager didn't like his act.

They're anticipated, but sometimes dreaded. They can be just what a show needs, or a ratings killer. They can unite or divide audiences. What has this much power in television? TV babies.

Jim and Pam on 'The Office' are just the latest fictional couple to welcome a baby into their wacky fold in tonight's special one-hour episode (9PM ET, NBC). To commemorate the occasion, we're taking a walk around the virtual nursery, looking back at some of TV's most anticipated -- for both good and bad reasons -- babies.

Did your favorite TV baby make the list? Check after the jump.

In what may be a crippling blow to future episodes of VH1's 'Where Are They Now?' series, the Hollywood Reporter is reporting that one-time television star Paul Reiser is not only alive and well but still working in the industry. The proof? A possible new series from NBC.

Yes, it's true: Resier, who fifteen years ago was headlining one of the top shows on television, is finally back, this time with a subject close to his heart: himself. According to the article, the untitled pilot, which Reiser will write and star in, is similar in tone and concept to 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and will explore the quirks of Reiser's real-life family.

Paul Reiser, one of the stars of NBC's "Must See TV" heyday of the 1990s, is reportedly returning to the Peacock Network. Thankfully, he's not producing a hokey reality game show like his pal, Jerry Seinfeld.

Reiser, co-creator and star of NBC's hit sitcom 'Mad About You', is executive producing and starring in a new single-camera pilot backed by Warner Bros. Word is that NBC has picked up the project, possibly to help fill the coming gaps in its schedule thanks to Leno's return to late night.

(S03E04) Usually the teasers for 30 Days are pretty innocuous. They give an idea about what the topic is and show some reactions from both sides. This week, however, I had the feeling I was going to be pissed.

The part that stuck out the most was the sound byte of Kati saying, "It confirms the option of becoming gay." A person who would let that comment come out of their mouth is clearly uneducated on a great many things and I hoped that we'd get to see some redeeming qualities in her.

I had to laugh when Spurlock said Kati was going from Leave it to Beaver to My Two Dads. I've seen both of those shows many times and while the Beav can certainly be classified as a kid from a "typical American home," I never got the idea that Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan played gay lovers. I guess I need to rent that show on DVD.

(S05E10) When I checked the schedule and saw the title of this episode was "Peter's Two Dads" I was a little torn. First, the Peter-centric episodes generally have a much higher chance of going off the rails. On the other hand, the possibility that it would be a play on the 80's sit-com My Two Dads, which starred Greg Evigan, Paul Reiser, and Staci Keanan, was intriguing.

Unfortunately (probably only for me), that idea never materialized, and the episode that we did see still left me with something of a mixed reaction. On the good side, it was well constructed, and I give a lot of points to the writers for a well thought out plot. Chris got a bit of the short shrift, but using Meg's birthday as the setting for offing Francis was a good choice. It involved her in what was otherwise a mostly Peter affair.

Catherine Bell (JAG) and Gary Cole (aka 'Lumbergh' on Office Space) have joined the cast of the CBS pilot Company Town, a drama about government agents who live in the same neighborhood. Already on board for the pilot are Sherry Stringfield (ER) and Blair Underwood (LA Law). You don't have to wait for next fall to see Cole on television, he'll reappear on some of the final episodes of The West Wing.

Mercedes Ruehl has joined the untitled Paul Reiser comedy pilot for CBS, about a man who takes over the family car dealership in Queens, NY. In 1991, Ruehl won an Academy award for her supporting role in The Fisher King. Ruehl joins castmates Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace) and Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope).

CBS has signed for the rights to a new sitcom pilot written and produced by Paul Reiser. The story focuses on a man who inherits a family car dealership somewhere in Queens, New York. Reiser was most recently seen in The Thing About My Folks which he co-starred in with Peter Falk. Reiser has not been involved with a television sitcom since Mad About You ended its seven year run in 1999. No news on whether or not he will have a role in the upcoming show.