MADtv

Show name	MADtv
Format	Live action, sketch comedy, variety, Animation
Runtime	45–48 minutes;50 minutes
Rating	TV-16
Creator	Fax BahrAdam Small
Starring	see List of MADtv cast members
Directed by	Bruce LeddyDavid GrossmanAmanda Bearse
Country	United States
Language	English
Company	Quincy Jones-David Salzman Entertainment Inc. (entire run)Bahr/Small Productions (Season 1-3 only)Klasky Csupo (Spy vs. Spy animated cartoon shorts)Rough Draft Studios (Spy vs. Spy animation services)DC Comics
Distributor	WB Television Distribution
Network	Fox
Picture format	480i SDTV, 720p HDTV
First aired
Last aired
Status	Ended
Num episodes	315
Num seasons	14
Followed by	MAD (unrelated)
Website	http://www.madtv.com/

MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first TV broadcast was on October 14, 1995. The one-hour show aired Saturday nights on Fox and is in syndication on Comedy Central. In Australia the show screens on satellite and cable TV channel The Comedy Channel and in late-night timeslots on free-to-air broadcaster the Nine Network Australia and its affiliates.

It was created by Fax Bahr and Adam Small. The series was originally produced by Bahr/Small Productions and Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment (QDE). Since Bahr and Small left the series at the end of the third season (they are currently credited as "executive consultants"), the series has been handled by QDE and WB Television Distribution (its parent company Time Warner Entertainment owns Mad magazine through its DC Comics subsidiary). The series was directed by Bruce Leddy (196 episodes), as well as David Grossman, and Amanda Bearse.

On November 12, 2008, Fox announced that MADtv's 14th season would be its last. Despite this, David Salzman said that he would be exploring the continuation of the show on another channel, possibly cable (though, as of 2010, the only evidence of a MADtv cable revival can be found on the Cartoon Network series MAD). However the show did not air in the 2009–2010 season. In early 2009, the show was moved behind Talkshow with Spike Feresten, the show that normally followed MADtv, as a test, before being moved back. It was commercially successful and critically acclaimed. The show was nominated for 35 Emmy awards and won 8. The series finale aired on May 16, 2009.

Format

MADtv was taped in front of a live audience and consists of skits and musical performances. Much of its comedy parodies popular television shows, movies, and music, and covers topical, political, and pop cultural humor.

Notable tenures

Although MADtv has a rapid turnover of supporting players, some performers have had long tenures with the show. Some cast members did not appear in every episode of a season, and thus appeared in fewer episodes than other cast members who were on the show for fewer seasons. The cast members who have appeared in over 100 episodes are:

Nicole Parker is the only cast member to be nominated and win an Emmy for her work on the show (Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics), though not in an acting category.

Michael McDonald is the only cast member to have a "Best Of" compilation episode devoted to him.

History of MADtv

Historical synopsis

The following are a series of links to pages which give a detailed account of the history of MADtv.

MADtv era breakdown

For a historical overview with a detail analysis of each era of MADtv (cast members, sketches, animation, etc.) please see one of the following links below:

:*1995–2000 :*2000–2005 :*2005–2009

MADtv season breakdown

For a detailed description of each season of MADtv, with cast members, sketches, animation, etc., see below:

Season One (1995–1996)

Season Two (1996–1997)

Season Three (1997–1998)

Season Four (1998–1999)

Season Five (1999–2000)

Season Six (2000–2001)

Season Seven (2001–2002)

Season Eight (2002–2003)

Season Nine (2003–2004)

Season Ten (2004–2005)

Season Eleven (2005–2006)

Season Twelve (2006–2007)

Season Thirteen (2007–2008)

Season Fourteen (2008–2009)

Recurring characters and sketches

Home media

Warner Home Video released The Complete First Season of MADtv in 2004. However, due to poor sales, the release of the second season was cancelled (despite a preview for it in the first season DVD). MADtv: The Best of Seasons 8, 9, and 10 was released in 2005, featuring the most popular sketches from those seasons.

Syndication

Originally, reruns of MADtv aired as 30-minute reruns on local TV stations. The cable channel TNN (now Spike TV) aired the first six seasons of MADtv from 1999 to 2001. Comedy Central soon picked up the show after its syndication package of Saturday Night Live reruns was acquired by the E! Entertainment Network, and has aired 30-minute and full-hour reruns of episodes from season 1 to season 11 (though, in 2008, Comedy Central limited their reruns to episodes from seasons eight to eleven). Canada's The Comedy Network also airs MADtv reruns (starting at season eight), but, unlike Comedy Central, The Comedy Network also includes episodes from seasons 12 and 13. As of 2010, MADtv no longer airs on Comedy Central. MADtv can currently be watched on thewb.com with 20 full episodes available to watch.

Awards and nominations

This table is incomplete. You can help by expanding it.

Notes

External links

Official site

MADtv - Official MySpace

MADtv Streaming episodes on TheWB.com (Only for US viewers)

Category:1990s American television series Category:1995 television series debuts Category:2000s American television series Category:2009 American television series endings Category:American comedy television series Category:American sketch comedy television shows Category:American variety television series Category:English-language television series Category:Fox network shows Category:Mad (magazine) Category:Parodies Category:Satirical television programmes Category:Television programs based on DC Comics Category:Television programs based on magazines Category:Television series by Warner Bros. Television