Mad TV: Ok, It's Time to Go

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Its hard to believe how far MadTV has fallen. The show has basically been airing "best of" shows til this week. The show returned with 9 cast members now. Ike Barenholtz has left and the show has started using a Chappelle's show type introduction to skits .

But you can tell the show is on its last legs as the budget must have been cut as the skits were stretched out. Unlike the days of yesterday when MadTV would fire off 4 to 6 sketches in 25 to 30 minutes , this past Saturday by 11:30 they had only done 3.

With SNL facing budget cuts , they cut the cast to 10 people but where as SNL is live and airs sketches , MadTV is taped. And it looks worse when the budget hits them.

Last year I felt the show was struggling to stay good. This year with things going down , maybe its time to go ahead and just end it. 14 years is a good run. Its longer than what In Loving Color got or SCTV. So maybe its time they just ended MadTV and started up something new as a sketch show.

Hire Chappelle or Charlie Murphy as a writer to do a new show. Perhaps they could get Damon Wayans and Aires Spears to come on. But its time.... MadTV has likely died before us.

[The Zapper]

I'll still watch Mad TV before I'll watch SNL. The fall of SNL was/is far far greater than Mad TV's fall.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I'll still watch Mad TV before I'll watch SNL. The fall of SNL was/is far far greater than Mad TV's fall.

Except SNL has rebounded. Theres been more creative fun at SNL the last 2 seasons than many really wanna admit. From Sandberg's silly fun to a lot of the sketches.

MadTV doesn't seem to be in rebound mode. And the network seems to be in cheap mode so what they tape is few sketches...

[MaxofSteel]

I had heard an interview with Ares Spears on the radio a month or two back. He was basically saying how lame things were getting over there, and how he was glad he left or some such thing.

I still enjoy the reruns on Comedy Central from time to time, but I haven't really been keeping up with current episodes, so I can't really say how bad things are right now.

[Toku King]

Except SNL has rebounded. Theres been more creative fun at SNL the last 2 seasons than many really wanna admit. From Sandberg's silly fun to a lot of the sketches.

No. Just no. SNL is dead. They're both dead. They were cancelled years ago, in my mind. they just got replaced by ripoffs that are using their names.

[Rattlehead]

MadTV died when Will Sasso left. The original cast was great, and the second batch was good as well, but that show has just plain stunk for years. It was basically the let's see how many impressions Frank Caliendo can do show for a long time.

[Black Atom]

MadTV died when Will Sasso left. The original cast was great, and the second batch was good as well, but that show has just plain stunk for years. It was basically the let's see how many impressions Frank Caliendo can do show for a long time.

Have to agree. When the show began to revolve completely around the various cast characters, they lost their way. And that was a long time ago.

[ImpulseUCF]

Wow, I thought this show dropped like a rock after the 2nd episode.

[MaxofSteel]

When the show began to revolve completely around the various cast characters, they lost their way.

Do you mean the recurring characters? Stuart, The "uh huhuhuh" Lady, etc?

[The Zapper]

Except SNL has rebounded. Theres been more creative fun at SNL the last 2 seasons than many really wanna admit. From Sandberg's silly fun to a lot of the sketches.

With the exception of a few Sandberg videos, SNL is as bad as it's ever been. That's not to say the Mad TV is good, but overall I'll take Mad TV if I'm home on a Saturday night with nothing else to do. If Sandberg has a new funny video I can see it online the next day. It's just not worth sitting threw SNL in hopes of a "Lazy Sunday" or a "Dick in a box"....it's not really worth sitting threw Mad TV most the time either, so I guess it doesn't matter.




I miss The Kids in the Hall.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

No. Just no. SNL is dead. They're both dead. They were cancelled years ago, in my mind. they just got replaced by ripoffs that are using their names.

SNL has had its moments .... 75-80 , 86-92 , 97-2001.... its just like any sketch show that runs a long long time. Lorne has showed he can bring in young comics , turn em loose and let them go.

MadTV has one problem. They don't have a Lorne Micheals.

[Karl J Barnes]

With the exception of a few Sandberg videos, SNL is as bad as it's ever been. That's not to say the Mad TV is good, but overall I'll take Mad TV if I'm home on a Saturday night with nothing else to do. If Sandberg has a new funny video I can see it online the next day. It's just not worth sitting threw SNL in hopes of a "Lazy Sunday" or a "Dick in a box"....it's not really worth sitting threw Mad TV most the time either, so I guess it doesn't matter.




I miss The Kids in the Hall.

Agreed. The Kids In The Hall were smart,they left on a high note and went on to do their own thing.

[hoffmandu]

With the exception of a few Sandberg videos, SNL is as bad as it's ever been. That's not to say the Mad TV is good, but overall I'll take Mad TV if I'm home on a Saturday night with nothing else to do. If Sandberg has a new funny video I can see it online the next day. It's just not worth sitting threw SNL in hopes of a "Lazy Sunday" or a "Dick in a box"....it's not really worth sitting threw Mad TV most the time either, so I guess it doesn't matter.




I miss The Kids in the Hall.

Those Samberg videos are better than anything on MadTV since it's creation, man.

[The Zapper]

Agreed. The Kids In The Hall were smart,they left on a high note and went on to do their own thing.

Also, Brain Candy was so far ahead of it's time it's scary. Seriously, it's like a funny horror movie in this day of age.

[The Zapper]

Those Samberg videos are better than anything on MadTV since it's creation, man.

Kenny Rodgers Jackass is on the same level in my opinion, but yes, those Samberg videos are better than most anything Mad TV has ever done, but I'm not willing to sit threw the rest of the show to get to them...if one is going to be on. Not every episode has a "Dick in a Box".

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Those Samberg videos are better than anything on MadTV since it's creation, man.

I won't go that far. There have been a lot of funny shit MadTV would do. It was mindless fun. The whole retro X-Mas skits of Rudolph in Apcolypse Now was just awesome. There was an energy to it when the show 1st started.

I agree with the others.... once the 2nd/3rd cast left the show went into a tailspin. Sasso, Spears , Wilson ....they were very good. And MadTV just never replaced them well. Keegan is good....but if the rest of the people around him can't play characters.... its not gonna be good.

[Athena Bast]

Do you mean the recurring characters? Stuart, The "uh huhuhuh" Lady, etc?

Early on, every week seemed to have the "Cha. Know what? Uh uh" girl.

[Super Hero Guy]

Miss Swan was the best.

[Young Avenger]

I didn't even know MadTV was still around. I stopped watching around the time Cartoon Network introduced Adult Swim.

[Black Atom]

Do you mean the recurring characters? Stuart, The "uh huhuhuh" Lady, etc?

Right. I like some of those characters. Heck, some of them were even better than the recurring SNL characters, but when the skits began to revolve around the adventures of the characters themselves instead of say, a straight man interacting the characters, I think they lost their way/missed the point.

[Toku King]

I miss The Kids in the Hall.

I didn't like "Kids In The Hall", to be honest. It was just plain boring to me.
Now "Whitest Kids You Know" is the best skit show in years.

[Cyke]

I hate MadTV, but frankly, I feel like defending it at least for this week. To me, going into a Best Of week seems to be a response to the writers' strike, which I think is a fair thing for the show to do.

[Jared]

I'm more curious as to how the hell Frank Caliendo is supposed to carry his own show. It seems like all he has is a really good John Madden impression, and an ok Jack Nicholson. So many people do Bush that it shouldn't even count.

I do a mean Charlie Sheen and I don't have my own freakin' show! :evilangry

[stealthwise]

Wow, I thought this show dropped like a rock after the 2nd episode.

I'm so glad that if I die, there's someone around who can voice almost the exact same opinion as me on nearly everything. :)

[xarathos]

MadTV died when Will Sasso left. The original cast was great, and the second batch was good as well, but that show has just plain stunk for years. It was basically the let's see how many impressions Frank Caliendo can do show for a long time.

That's all that guy does is do impressions. Eventually, he pares it down to doing Bush, Madden, and Pacino. Not much else there.

[xarathos]

SNL has had its moments .... 75-80 , 86-92 , 97-2001.... its just like any sketch show that runs a long long time. Lorne has showed he can bring in young comics , turn em loose and let them go.

Why doesn't anyone play the late 80s/early 90s SNL? They played it for years on Comedy Central. It would play great today, especially the election stuff.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Why doesn't anyone play the late 80s/early 90s SNL? They played it for years on Comedy Central. It would play great today, especially the election stuff.

Its crazy sad to say. I believe its where Comedy Central has a deal with MadTV to air repeats. I'd really love it if NBC would start airing uncut SNL repeats on USA Network at 11:30pm each night. It would be pretty good.

Who knew a TV News anchor could do comedy ? Brian Williams is shocking me.

[Rattlehead]

Why doesn't anyone play the late 80s/early 90s SNL? They played it for years on Comedy Central. It would play great today, especially the election stuff.

I remember that the E! Channel had the rights to the SNL repeats for a while, but I think they dropped it for more episodes of the Hos Next Door and Keeping Up with the Prostitutes.

[Scorpion13]

I remember that the E! Channel had the rights to the SNL repeats for a while, but I think they dropped it for more episodes of the Hos Next Door and Keeping Up with the Prostitutes.


You know, intellectual stuff.

[Sean Walsh]

First off, apologies for drudging up a thread for last year.

I was looking for a general MadTV thread to post in, and in my search I found.....this particular thread's title to be quite appropriate for the news I just read.

Defamer Exclusive: MADtv Canceled (http://defamer.com/5084413/defamer-exclusive-madtv-canceled)

Though the high-profile political season has gifted Saturday Night
Live with some killer ratings, it apparently hasn't floated all sketch
comedy boats. Rumors started circulating today that Fox's MADtv was
canceled in the middle of its fourteenth season, so Defamer checked in
with one of our operatives to get the scoop:

"It's true," said the highly-placed source. "We're finishing out the
season, then we're done."

Fox had been experimenting with potential MADtv replacements over the
last few years, though none of its hush-hush, taped pilots ever made
it to series. We're hearing, though, that the network has currently
decided to keep its other late-night offering, Talk Show with Spike
Feresten. Developing!

[Conn Seanery]

They've really been floundering this season, i'm not sorry to see this show taken out back and put out of its misery. I've enjoyed the show in the past, but i'm glad someone's finally calling it. Even the few remaining cast members I did like aren't doing it for me anymore.

As long as SNL continues, this dedicated fan is happy. They have their ups and downs, but i'm consistently entertained. This season has been pretty funny, IMO.

[Bergman]

Guess we can stop saying, "that show's still on?"

[SUPERECWFAN1]

First off, apologies for drudging up a thread for last year.

I was looking for a general MadTV thread to post in, and in my search I found.....this particular thread's title to be quite appropriate for the news I just read.

Defamer Exclusive: MADtv Canceled (http://defamer.com/5084413/defamer-exclusive-madtv-canceled)

Though the high-profile political season has gifted Saturday Night
Live with some killer ratings, it apparently hasn't floated all sketch
comedy boats. Rumors started circulating today that Fox's MADtv was
canceled in the middle of its fourteenth season, so Defamer checked in
with one of our operatives to get the scoop:

"It's true," said the highly-placed source. "We're finishing out the
season, then we're done."

Fox had been experimenting with potential MADtv replacements over the
last few years, though none of its hush-hush, taped pilots ever made
it to series. We're hearing, though, that the network has currently
decided to keep its other late-night offering, Talk Show with Spike
Feresten. Developing!

MadTV was in Fox's pipeline for a season or 2 before they went ahead and gave it a go. This is sad....love or hate it...it was MadTV that made Lorne Michaels go out and recruit guys like Ferrell , Katten and Shannon for SNL. They made Lorne up his game since he had gotten lazy for a season or 2.

Its true MadTV was floundering thru the bad changes that was made the last 2 seasons. They were moved from a small studio to a theatre. They aired less taped sketches and tried doing live ones .....Michael McDonald left (and his loss was BIG....) since he hated this structure of the show. Bobby Lee was gonna leave but was lured back ...but the show was DOA.


Now Lorne if he is smart...there are 2-3 people he can come in and pluck off MadTV at the moment and strengthen his show some more. If your gonna talent raid....raid someone for some A-list talents. Lorne needs female cast members beyond Kristen Whig. So I;ll say the following ladies should be hired by Lorne...or given tryouts....


Nicole Parker : She can do impressions. They need a good female cast member to play Hillary Clinton . Parker did an ok job with it.

Arden Myrin : She has a wacky energy and Lorne needs someone to replace Phoeler's energy on SNL. Plug her in at Weekend Update. She's a very bouncy fun person if ya watch her MadTV sketches and well...SNL needs that type since they all bragged Phoeler had that.

Keegan-Michael-Key : Can play Barack Obama better than Armison. And Lorne needs a black man to play Obama good enough.


These are the 3 to sign and bring into SNL. All 3 fit roles...and Key will really become an MVP guy on SNL I feel. He's got Second City experince and thats something Lorne likes...

[cosmoboy]

Except SNL has rebounded. Theres been more creative fun at SNL the last 2 seasons than many really wanna admit. From Sandberg's silly fun to a lot of the sketches.



Quoted for Truth. Some folks are just so overly negative about SNL. That's not to say I laugh my ass off every Saturday night. I just don't think it's the massive pit of suck that others do.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Quoted for Truth. Some folks are just so overly negative about SNL. That's not to say I laugh my ass off every Saturday night. I just don't think it's the massive pit of suck that others do.

I posted that last year....it usually takes some people awhile to admit or the media. The moment Seth Myers was named head writer things suddenly changed. Sketches were made quicker , there was a push to be more daring...he wrote for everyone on the SNL cast saying that the 10 players who were left were hungry to show they could play characters and act.

Myers has more of an edge to his comedy than what Fey had. I mean just last week they aired a sketch where a man was a sex offender trick or treating. This is a daring thing to see in the 1st 20 minutes of the show...but it shows Myers will be daring as hell if he can. (SNL's main site doesn't have the sketch up....sad to say...)

They do have this one from last weeks show...

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/vincent-prices-halloween-special/794301/

[Ontir]

MadTV is about 2 years over. SNL, Sarah Palin aside, should've had a date with Kevorkian about 15 years ago. It's just horrible and such a pathetic imitation of the real thing.

[StoneGold]

MadTV is about 2 years over. SNL, Sarah Palin aside, should've had a date with Kevorkian about 15 years ago. It's just horrible and such a pathetic imitation of the real thing.

Except 15 years ago you could have said the same thing about the show. SNL: it was always funnier when you were younger, even if it wasn't.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Except 15 years ago you could have said the same thing about the show. SNL: it was always funnier when you were younger, even if it wasn't.

SNL will always have its up/down periods. Right now its riding pretty high creatively. They have for the moment won the Saturday Night Comedy Wars. But I doubt Fox will stand by and let the 11pm slot be vacant for long.

[J. Robb]

SNL will always have its up/down periods. Right now its riding pretty high creatively. They have for the moment won the Saturday Night Comedy Wars. But I doubt Fox will stand by and let the 11pm slot be vacant for long.
SNL has done well ratings-wise, but I wouldn't agree with "creatively". Tina Fey as Sarah Palin was hilarious, but it's telling that their Thursday shows kept bringing back past cast members instead of using current ones. They've been missing a "star" performer since Will Ferrell left.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

SNL has done well ratings-wise, but I wouldn't agree with "creatively". Tina Fey as Sarah Palin was hilarious, but it's telling that their Thursday shows kept bringing back past cast members instead of using current ones. They've been missing a "star" performer since Will Ferrell left.

I think for now its a "combined" effort basically. They are all working as a team to help each other. Sudakis , Forte and all. Hammond I believe is their last real "Star" player left. But they know the rest of the cast has gotta get TV time. Its likely this year or next will be his last year.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

The sketch comedy show will end its run after 14 seasons

By Michael Schneider
Variety

Fox is closing the book on "MADtv" after 14 seasons.

The network confirmed Wednesday that the Saturday night sketch series, which had barely escaped cancellation in recent years, will end its run at the end of this season.

The news comes soon after Fox announced plans to end the run of another long-running comedy franchise, "King of the Hill." But like "King," which may potentially land a new home at ABC, the producers behind "MADtv" are also mulling ways to keep their show alive.

"There's been great interest in recent years," said exec producer David Salzman. "We've had a number of networks inquire as to whether the show was coming off Fox, and saying that they'd be interested. We have not started to talk to them yet, but now is the time to begin those conversations. I think we have real prospects, but you never know, especially given the economy."

According to Salzman, production on "MADtv," which received a shortened order this season, was set to wrap by December. Fox decided to inform the show now, rather than in May, of its decision in order to give producers a chance to end the series with a bang.

"This will give us a proper send off, a chance to promote the finale and bring back old cast members," Salzman said.

Fox told Salzman the decision to ax the show was an economic one.

"They said it was too expensive for a daypart where dollars have been shrinking," he said. "Their thought was, the show is what the show is, and that essence needs to be maintained - but it's hard to produce as big and ambitious a show as ours for less money than they're paying now."

In potentially shopping the show to other broadcast or cable outlets, Salzman said he'll look at ways to modify production and bring down costs. The sketch comedy show will end its run after 14 seasons

(...Story Continued from Previous Page)

Meanwhile, Comedy Central's deal to air reruns of "MADtv" expires at the end of the year. Salzman said he hoped to find a network that would be interested both in producing new episodes of "MADtv" and airing the show's 326-episode library.

QDE - a joint venture between Salzman and Quincy Jones - launched "MADtv" in 1995, utilizing Mad magazine's irreverent brand. The show, designed as a competitor to "Saturday Night Live," was created by Fax Bahr and Adam Small, who left after its third season.

John Crane, Salzman and Jones currently serve as exec producers.

"MADtv" made a name for itself with its pop culture parodies; alums include Nicole Sullivan ("Rita Rocks") and Frank Caliendo ("Frank TV").

Current cast includes Arden Myrin, Bobby Lee, Crista Flanagan, Keegan-Michael Key, Nicole Parker and Johnny Sanchez.

Fox will likely decide the fate of its other Saturday late night franchise, "Talkshow with Spike Feresten," in May. With "MADtv" history, that makes it more likely that Fox will stick with "Talkshow" - unless it develops other projects for the time slot.

"MADtv" is, by far, Fox's most successful foray into late night programming; after several tries in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the net hasn't attempted a return to the late weeknight landscape. (That could change next year, as NBC's "Tonight Show" transition opens the door to several shuffles.)

Costs played a part. But yeah I can sense that a Cable spot is more than likely ahead in MadTV's future. The Comedy Channel is a likely destination . The producers can work a deal out to air the 326 episode catalouge beyond this season and get a 1 hour time slot during the week. They can do 12-14 episodes.

A move to cable means even more things MadTV can do to push the envelope. Of course Cable will push MadTV to cut costs and that means more than likely everyone will get the boot. Its not a bad thing though. Bobby Lee , Parker , Key and the rest have been there for years . If your jumping to cable ...and its a new start...ya need new comics.

[shades of eternity]

snl always does it's best with competition

when it was competing with sctv in the 80's, it produced two phenominal casts that eventually intermingled and made some of the best comedy movies of that era.

mad tv never had that same push even when it was good.

[Devon C.]

I stopped watching this garbage on the regular in 2000.

Way too many sketches had ZERO jokes out of potentially good concepts. I just couldn't take it.

[Ontir]

Except 15 years ago you could have said the same thing about the show. SNL: it was always funnier when you were younger, even if it wasn't.

I did say it 15 years ago. I'm THAT old! :tongue: