FOX cancels MAD TV

[Scoobiedoo30]

what do you mean by both show's

[Scoobiedoo30]

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

[littlebelle]

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!

[James28]

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.

[Schmoopie]

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

[TMC]

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.

[TMC]

Bobby Lee says the MadTV cast were “looked down on” in Hollywood

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?

[TMC]

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?

[Dead2009]

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.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Dead2009

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 Mad TV, so there wasn't as big of an incentive to promote it or put much money into the production.

It also said that Mad TV was developed at a time in which SNL was at its presumed weakest state, having recently come off its 20th season (1994-95), which is often considered to be among the worst seasons in that show's history (alongside Season 6 from 1980-81 and Season 11 from 1985-86). But shortly thereafter, SNL brought in the likes of Will Ferrell and company to help rejuvenate the show. So the video argues, that the "prime" years of Mad TV unfortunately came at the same time that SNL was becoming watchable and "good" again.

And unlike with Lorne Michaels, Mad TV never really had a true guiding force or voice after Fax Bahr and Adam Small departed after the third season 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 in being "mean" for instance.

[Dead2009]

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

[TMC]

Others have since argued or pointed out that perhaps the biggest shortcoming of Mad TV is that it had a tendency to overuse popular characters like Stuart, 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 that really felt like they were just punching down on certain groups. In fairness, you could also argue 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.