http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117995723.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&s=h&p=0

Variety reports today that FOX has confirmed that the current 14th season of "Mad TV" will be its last.

The decision was made after the recent presidential campaign failed to generate a ratings boost, despite comedy segments featuring Barack Obama and John McCain, while SNL did some of its best ratings in years in that time.

I wonder What FOX will air on Saturday Night's at 10:00 pm CT some Local station's air Mad TV at 10:35 pm CT like for example WVUE airs Mad TV at 10:35 pm CT Time

what will Michael McDonald do for work now? I swear he's been with that show forever

cancelling it over the success of SNL during the election season is stupid though. SNL has always been bigger than Mad TV and the show has always been popular for it's political satire. I think SNL's ratings are gonna go downhill a lot now that Palin-bashing isn't quite as relevant, and SNL generally sucks outside of the political skits, Weekend Update and music guests.

i think its a stupid move; sure they could bring in some new poeple or make some changes, maybe they'll get some better ratings, maybe not, but did they ever really expect it to outdo SNL?

i think FOX needs it so they can maintain some variety to their schedule.

I sure do wish every one well in what every they do next.

Honestly, I watched this on November 1 with my girlfriend, and marvelled at how unfunny it was. I didn't even chuckle once at any of the sketches. They just seemed contrived and awful.

While I was never a fan of the show, I have seen bits and pieces of earlier episodes in reruns, and they were at least tolerable and had some humor to them.

It's good to see it's finally being taken out of its misery. Saturday Night Live it isn't. Nor has it ever been, or will it ever be.

I don't think I have ever seen a complete episode of Mad TV.
But it had a long run, so I guess someone was watching the show.
Well, someone used to watch the show.

;)

when did the first Mad TV air

I used to watch Mad TV back in the day. I admit I haven't watched a full episode in at least three or four seasons. But there was a time when I thought this show was hilarious - better than SNL. It was funny how once Mad TV got (to me anyways) unfunny, that's when SNL got funny again.

Maybe ABC will pick it up, lol. They seem to love to pick up other channel's cancelled shows (Scrubs, rumors of King of the Hill).

No offense, but "Mad TV" really jumped the shark last year and started becoming less funny and more stupid. I for one loved all the celeb spoofs and the original characters like Lorraine, Stewart, Bunifa, Miss Swan, the "Reality Check" ladies, Dot, Angela, Marvin, Rusty, Bible Dude, ect. But lately it seems as though they ran out of ideas and rather than having funny characters, they got all these gross and vulgar characters who aren't even funny. And, sorry, but Bobby Lee is not funny and he was getting entirely too much airtime. Another thing, when it decided to move to some sort of concert hall rather than staying in the smaller, more intimate setting, it really jumped for me. And the show hasn't been the same without Aries, Debra, Will, Frank, Mo, Alex, Phil, Stephanie, Danielle, Nicole (Sullivan) and - most of all, no disrespect to the other original players - Michael McDonald, because he was truly the greatest on that show! Also, we need to see more of Nicole Parker's hilarious dead-on celebrity impressions and less of all the silly stuff.

when did the first Mad TV air

October 14, 1995.

Most of my generation loved MadTV over the fading SNL in our middle and high school days, so I'm pretty sad to see this go.
It also launched the careers of Nicole Sullivan and Deborah Wilson, who ended up being popular for their voice acting on Kim Possible, Family Guy and American Dad. MadTV also had a sketch featuring Frank Caliendo as Denny Crane. Comedy gold!

it hard to belive that Saturday Night Live want have northing to copete with Next September like I said where I Live Mad TV airs at 10:35 pm I was trhinking where I Live Talkshow with Spike Feresten will take over Mad TV Time Shot at 10:00 pm CT or 10:35 pm CT in some Market's where they have a 10:00 pm News.

It seems to me that there's room for both shows.

what do you mean by both show's

I really do hope that FOX gives MAD TV Time Period back to the Local FOX Station's

I have to disagree with a lot of you. Mad TV, in my opinion, is EXTREMELY funny. I like SNL but I love Mad TV- the skits are funnier to me. I sure am going to miss Miss Swan! :lol:

MADtv and Talkshow with Spike Feresten will both end their runs on May 16, 2009. At least MADtv had a long run. Tim and Eric will guest star on the last episode of the Spike Feresten show.

Wow, I had no idea that Mad TV had been on for that long! That's amazing!

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MadTV would become one of history's most talked sketch-comedy series that would rival SNL. For a new episode of 'Here's Why' we take a look at the iconic show and why it ultimately was taken off the air.

Bobby Lee says the MadTV cast were “looked down on” in Hollywood (https://youtu.be/l7tmJ8Sjdhs)

If you were from MadTV you were looked down upon and most of the cast struggled to find work. He said it was hard to even get auditions because they wouldn’t even see you because you were from MadTV, so some of them went back to standup comedy to almost start from scratch again.

Years later, things are better for many of them but for years many of them struggled to find work.

Why do you think being on MadTV was looked down upon while being on SNL opened up many doors for you?

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During the time of it's premiere, MadTV was set up to be the perfect replacement for a struggling Saturday Night Live. With a fresh cast of talent, and the history of Mad Magazine behind it, MadTV started strong, but quickly lost favor among it's core audience when SNL began it's resurgence. Even though it was brought back for a brief time years after it's cancellation, MadTV never quite found it's footing with a new audience. Should Mad Magazines, MadTV have had a longer legacy? Or was Saturday Night Live just too big to go up against?

MadTV would probably have lasted longer if A. it wasn't on Saturdays at 11 PM, and B. It was on Fridays in prime time, preferably on Comedy Central.

MadTV would probably have lasted longer if A. it wasn't on Saturdays at 11 PM, and B. It was on Fridays in prime time, preferably on Comedy Central.

The video did point out that unlike NBC with Saturday Night Live, Fox did not outright own (https://www.datalounge.com/thread/31818768-%E2%80%98madtv%E2%80%99-premiered-27-years-ago-today!-10-14-1995) Mad TV (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125239/http://www.jumptheshark.com/m/madtv.htm), so there wasn't as big of an incentive (https://www.quora.com/What-is-funnier-Saturday-Night-Live-or-Mad-TV/answer/Jon-Mixon-1) to promote it or put much money (https://www.quora.com/Why-didnt-SCTV-Fridays-or-MADTV-have-the-success-of-SNL/answer/Jon-Mixon-1) into the production.

It also said that Mad TV (https://web.archive.org/web/20140406114419/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/1384938-mad-tv/?view=getnewpost) was developed at a time in which SNL was at its presumed weakest state, having recently come off its 20th season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_season_20) (1994-95), which is often considered to be among the worst (https://www.reddit.com/r/LiveFromNewYork/comments/kuruiy/why_is_season_20_considered_the_worst/) seasons in that show's history (alongside Season 6 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_(season_6)) from 1980-81 and Season 11 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_season_11) from 1985-86). But shortly thereafter, SNL brought in the likes of Will Ferrell (https://www.reddit.com/r/LiveFromNewYork/comments/13f2eo2/was_madtv_ever_a_serious_competitor_with_snl/) and company to help rejuvenate the show. So the video argues, that the "prime" years of Mad TV (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_TV) unfortunately came at the same time that SNL was becoming watchable and "good" again.

And unlike with Lorne Michaels, Mad TV (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/MadTV1995) never really had (https://www.quora.com/Why-couldnt-Mad-TV-survive-like-SNL-by-bringing-in-new-cast-members-writers-to-keep-it-going/answer/Jon-Mixon-1) a true guiding force or voice after Fax Bahr and Adam Small departed after the third season (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_TV_season_3) or so. Because of this, there was often a weird mishmash of comic styles. The writers seemingly weren't always eye to eye over how much the show should be about pop cultural parodies or how far should the show go (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/zq0dcf/mad_tv_was_a_lot_funnier_and_meaner_than_snl/) in being "mean" (https://www.quora.com/Why-couldnt-Mad-TV-survive-like-SNL-by-bringing-in-new-cast-members-writers-to-keep-it-going/answer/Peter-Gorner) for instance.

That why it should have been on Fridays, and if it HAD to be on Saturdays, 8 PM. Be the lead in to SNL.

Others have since argued (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1c6b2m5/comment/l02i5oi/) or pointed out (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1c6b2m5/comment/l02ezlr/) that perhaps the biggest shortcoming of Mad TV is that it had a tendency to overuse popular characters like Stuart (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1c6b2m5/comment/l00pe15/), the Vancome Lady, or Miss Swan. To put it in another way, the second they had a character that was even a slight hit with the audience they'd drive it into the absolute ground. Whereas on SNL in contrast, popular recurring sketches would maybe show up again six or seven times instead of every single week.

Also, for better or worse, Mad TV could have a really mean-edge in its approach to comedy (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1c6b2m5/comment/l02vq0u/) that really felt like they were just punching down on certain groups. In fairness, you could also argue (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1c6b2m5/comment/l07j3ea/) that SNL in comparison, can't really cross the line in making fun of celebrities due to its reliance on guest hosts and musical acts.