After 14 years on the air, Fox has finally decided to pull the plug on Mad TV. I can't say I was an overwhelming fan but I did watch one or two of their early shows and got a chuckle out of it. The sudden revitalization of SNL's popularity was probably the final nail in that coffin (thank you, Tina Fey).Let me eulogize for a moment. Others have tried to take on the Saturday Night Live juggernaut through the years and failed much more quickly. This show lasted 14 years against it. Pretty impressive, if you ask me. It also helped launch the careers of several comedians/actors, including Alex Borstein, Orlando Jones and Artie Lange.
While I don't think Mad TV was the worst show on television, it wasn't the best either. It amazes me that this show lasted 14 years on Fox while Firefly was canceled before the first season finished broadcasting.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-12-2008 @ 8:54PM
Jen said...
Some years, especially recent ones, I've preferred MadTV to SNL. Maybe SNL can snag some of their writers...and trade out a few actors (particularly the new woman on SNL...she needs to go.)
I'll always love Stewart. (played by Michael McDonald - the "kid" who was always in his underpants.)
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11-12-2008 @ 11:07PM
WhatI said...
I agree...Mad TV has been far more innovative than SNL over the years and only the overuse of recurring characters has been the downside - but at least they've tried to put the characters in different situations, unlike SNL. If Lorne Michael doesn't try and snag some of these writers, it may mean the demise of SNL also - this year's opening skits have been good, as they have been in the past, but the rest of the the skits have been just as tired as any other year.
11-12-2008 @ 9:03PM
Tony said...
MadTV circa 5 years ago was the funniest show on TV IMO. This current season and the last one was pretty pathetic ever since they switched to the new format for the stage and after many of the good actors left (notably Stephanie Weir and Michael McDonald). I didn't even crack a single smile throughout all of last week's episode. One unfunny skit after another. So long MadTV.
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11-16-2008 @ 5:47PM
andy said...
Well, maybe now we can get back to the good old days of Comedy Central showing classic SNL multiple times a day again (assuming they can re-acquire the rights or strike some deal with E!, which apparently believes the show didn't start until 2004).
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11-12-2008 @ 9:56PM
Alex said...
Well, this is sad. MADtv has always been the better show between itself and SNL. SNL always gains popularity every presidential election and then fades off into awkward pauses where laughs should be.
MADtv, you will be missed.
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11-12-2008 @ 9:57PM
Basketcase456 said...
It is about time that Mad TV gets the boot. The show is hardly ever funny. The recurring characters are annoying. The sketches, although inventive, are not funny. Occasionally there was a sketch that was clever and funny, such as one a few years ago making fun of Steve Jobs introducing the iRac and the iRan.
Now if we can get those countless reruns on Comedy Central to go away and make room for good comedy, the world may begin to correct itself.
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11-12-2008 @ 10:04PM
Susan said...
Find this: Mad TV Season 8
http://www.dealstudio.com/deallink.php?deal_id=148542&ru=283
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11-12-2008 @ 10:12PM
Jeff said...
Pretty sure that Firefly was canceled before the first season was even finished airing. Seem to recall watching 'never aired' episodes.
As far as Mad TV goes: I am very sorry to see it go. I agree last week was not that funny, but I loved almost everything that Bobby Lee was in, and their Obama was a hell of a lot better than SNLs.
On many occasions, MAD TV took sketch comedy to a
Whole.
'notha.
Level.
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11-13-2008 @ 8:03AM
Boo Radley said...
wow.... that's totally what the article said. Good Job!
11-13-2008 @ 1:40AM
Miss Teacher said...
Mad TV was amazing when it first started! They had Debra Wilson, Phil Lamar, Orlando Jones, Nicole Sullivan and many other's I'm forgetting. Oh yeah the guy from Office Space was great-I forgot his name. The current season is horrible. I think I watched like a minute of it and it was so not funny. SNL is funny...sometimes. I wonder what sketch comedy show Fox will put out next...
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11-12-2008 @ 11:05PM
Edward said...
This is a great chance for Lourne Michaels to snatch up the best that MadTV has to offer in terms of actors and writers. Boost up its ranks and produce some real quality skits going forward.
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11-12-2008 @ 11:41PM
Chris Shifty said...
They better sign Keegan-Michael Key for Barrack Obama. He's much better than Fred Armisen's.
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11-12-2008 @ 11:43PM
Rich said...
Years back, I thought MadTV was more risky and immensely more hilarious than newer SNL. Especially Stephnie Weir. She was a real find.
Also Nicole Parker is really talented.
And Keegan Michael Key's Obama is way better than SNL's.
But this season has been abysmal. Michael MacDonald is gone and the new Latino guy and Crista Flanagan flat out sucks.
I'll say that any time they made fun of Wizard of Oz, it was comic gold.
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11-13-2008 @ 12:25AM
Terry said...
Well I still like madtv to some of the stuff snl has on.... I have laughed alot watching it....I will miss madtv :(
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11-13-2008 @ 12:29AM
Paul said...
I marginally liked MADtv back in 1995. Either it was because it was actually funny for a bit, or because I was in high school at the time and lacked proper intelligence.
Either way, I won't notice the difference, since I haven't watched it this decade.
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11-13-2008 @ 5:29AM
scotty said...
God why does every injustice in the TV world have to be connected to Firefly? Let. It. Go. Already.
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11-13-2008 @ 6:17AM
Ed U Kator said...
Amen!
11-13-2008 @ 8:03AM
Boo Radley said...
No.
11-13-2008 @ 3:05PM
Thom said...
I second the "no."
11-13-2008 @ 8:27AM
Jim said...
It's like World War I and II - we must never forget the sins of the past, so we must keep reminding Fox never to mis-manage another Firefly or Arrested Development again.