TVSquad

The first season of Frank Caliendo' s Frank TV debuted with some of the strongest numbers TBS had seen with over three million viewers for its first episode. That was bolstered by a constant barrage of spots during the MLB playoffs, and although that first run was cut to five episodes by the writers' strike, the show's future seemed bright.

Now season two is in the books, and that will do it for Frank TV. Broadcasting & Cable reported yesterday that Caliendo's series has been canceled.

Caliendo entered the second season in an optimistic mood. He had made some changes with the bigger budget TBS gave him, adding people to the cast to address the major criticism from Season One that Caliendo was playing every part. When doing impressions is your main strength, you're probably going to need an ensemble cast. Caliendo is one of the most talented mimics in comedy - watch his face during his signature George W. Bush or John Madden impressions. He gets the physical tics, as well as the voice, perfect.

But you need more than a string of impressions to hold a show. Caliendo was great on MADtv, where he could bounce off of other people and hit a home run with an impression in a few sketches per episode. But his new cast wasn't terribly strong, and it was still up to Caliendo to carry the show. Thus, most of the premises for the sketches were excuses to show off a particular impression like Madden or Yoda, and wore out their welcome quickly.

Caliendo is smart enough to realize his limitations. In an interview for another source, he joked with me about how, because of his rotund form, he considered his impressions to be the South Park version of the celebrities he played. And he apologized in advance of last year's MLB playoffs, knowing that TBS was once again going to overload TV screens with his Dr. Phil, Bush, and Al Pacino spots. Someone else will tap him for his impressions, but it will be interesting to see if he can land a few roles without them. I'm curious to see what Caliendo can do as himself.

B&C also reported that Caliendo signed a new deal to stay with FOX NFL Sunday for two more years.