Fox Cancels 'Mad TV'
I know many of you probably didn't even realize it was still on the air, but Fox's sketch-comedy show Mad TV is actually in its 14th season as a lame would-be competitor for Saturday Night Live. While SNL has had a resurgence both in quality and in popularity during the election season, ratings for Mad TV have remained stagnant, and today Fox announced that they would finally be pulling the plug, effective at the end of this season. This seems like a long overdue decision, as the show has been limping along for years with essentially no presence in the larger pop culture, and has really never escaped its reputation as the second-rate SNL. Mad TV does have a few notable former cast members, including actor Orlando Jones, comedian and Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange, actress Nicole Sullivan, Family Guy's Alex Borstein (who voices Lois Griffin) and impressionist Frank Caliendo (star of Frank TV).
Producer David Salzman tells Variety that he hopes to move the show to another network, probably on cable (Comedy Central has been airing old episodes, but will discontinue them at the end of the year). I think it's time to just let this show die in peace, but I could definitely envision Caliendo's current employer, TBS, showing some interest. Is anyone out there still a Mad TV fan?
Photo courtesy of Fox
Comments
While Mad TV may not put out 100% genius material, compared to SNL, it’s…
Well NO comparison — SNL has been beyond dead for MANY years. Sometimes I think the writers are fully baked when writing. Then it airs, and their drivel just isn’t funny.
So, long live Mad TV.
PS: Cut your hair, it’s not 1991.
Maybe you should actually take a look at SNL; it’s had quite the resurgence in the last couple of seasons, and even though it’s still very much hit-or-miss, it’s far from “beyond dead.”
Thanks for the hairstyling tips. You might like to check out the About Men’s Hair site.