Remember vaudeville? Yeah, me neither. You know why? Because it’s a form of comedy that has become extinct. There actually used to be TV shows featuring a ventriloquist and his dummy. Not any more.
Humor evolves. What we found hilarious 25 years ago induces yawns today.
So can someone explain this:
It’s a dude who can do voices. Near as I can tell, that’s it. Passable impersonations of people we’ve heard done for years: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Sean Connery, George Bush. And, lo, Frank Caliendo gets himself a TV show (debuting Nov. 20 on TBS).Which I will never watch. Because I don’t live in the main ballroom of the Sands Hotel and Casino circa 1967.
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I liked Frank Caliendo on MadTV. It might be a problem with showing only one aspect of the show (hopefully there are more?) and promoting that idea too heavily (plus, while his John Madden is excellent, not much else is).
In the world of comedy, impersonators are looked down upon almost as much as rip off artists (see Carlo Mencia, Dane Cook, Robin Williams and Denis Leary). Can Caliendo do decent impressions? Sure, although his De Niro is pretty weak compared with the others, so why focus so much on that one? But will I watch the show? No chance…
Carlos Mencia, not Carlo…
I’m just glad the baseball playoffs are over so I don’t have to see his stupid ads 50 times per hour.
I think he’s decent at voices, but other then George Bush and Madden, he doesn’t look like the people he’s imitating. DeNiro has never been that chubby…
Caliendo’s impressions of John Madden and George W. Bush are spot-on, probably the best out there. Every other impression he does is TERRIBLE. In the commercials featuring his Robin Williams and his Robert De Niro, I didn’t even know who he was supposed to be. If doing a few good impressions is all it takes to get your own show, why didn’t Kevin Pollack get his own show 15 years ago (THAT guy could do Robin Williams).
It isn’t so much being able to imitate someone, as what you can do with that. Imitating Alec Baldwin? Not so funny. Imitating Alec Baldwin as a marriage counselor? Very funny.
I second Red’s comment. I would cringe every time a commercial break was coming while watching the baseball playoffs, because I knew I’d have to see the same stupid FrankTV commercial again. The SAME ONE I had just seen 2 minutes earlier.
I just don’t think that kind of oversaturation (see: Bee Movie) works. If anything, it drives me away from whatever is being advertised.
As a big fan of Frank Caliendo, I would have to strongly disagree with everyone’s opinion on this blog. Now while some of his impressions are subpar compared to others, when he has a good impression, it’s almost as if he has transformed completely. Mannerisms, voice, face, everything. On top of that, even though this commercial doesn’t show it, he writes very funny material and is a successful and well-liked stand-up comedian. And finally, his impression of Robin Williams. Now, to do an impression of Robin Williams, it is kind of funny to do an impression of his regular voice. However, to truly do a great impression of Robin Williams, you have to do the voices that ROBIN WILLIAMS makes up as well. Frank Caliendo has pulled off that feat many times, and because of that, and many more dead-on impressions, I truly respect and like him. As you can probably guess, I’m going to be watching FrankTv. If you don’t believe a word I say, just YouTube or Google him. That is all.
Embarrassing as it is to admit, I freakin’ love this guy. Come on people! Oh, but I’m still not going to watch the show. Unless I hear that it’s good. I never form my own opinions.
I agree. What’s funny about voices we’ve heard over and over again doing the same damned stitch? What makes him so funny that he warrants getting his own show?
Perhaps you are familiar with a show called “Saturday Night Live.” While it is no longer nearly as funny as it once was, it has survived for decades, largely on the ability of people to do impressions. Don’t pretend that the last funny person to do an impression was during vaudeville in the Catskills. That just is not true.
Ooh, I love Rich Little! I’ve been waiting for him to make a comeback!
Didn’t he do Fox NFL coverage after Jimmy Kimmel? He lost me there because his impressions were so mean spirited. Also an impression can be part of a solid act, but impressions on their own? Not so much so.
Impersonation is a lost art here in the US, but in other countries (especially in europe), it’s very much alike, and it can be hilarious. It’s like any other (tv) show, it has to be well written. It has to combine impressions with satire and smart social commentary. No whether this guy can do it or not… no idea.
I’ll say that some of his impressions are good, he sounds a lot like George Bush, but that alone is not funny. Impressions are only interesting when they are combined with wit and his John Madden is annoying. Notice that the show is on late night. There is a reason.
I’ll say that some of his impressions are good, he sounds a lot like George Bush, but that alone is not funny. Impressions are only interesting when they are combined with wit and his John Madden is annoying. Notice that the show is on late night. There is a reason.
I always thought he was pretty weak on Mad TV, so I won’t be watching this.
Be nice to Frank. If he was on SNL instead of the ever-underrated “Mad TV”, he’d be more beloved (like Will Ferrell is to tons of folks).
When everyone and their dog thinks they do a good Pacino, De Niro, Nicholson, Bush, it’s Caliendo who stands above the rest. With Frank Gorshin dead (R.I.P.) and Rich Little mostly in retirement, Frank’s one of the best impressionists in the game today.
Vaudeville can still be entertaining, you’re just not seeing any of it. There’s a super cool show in Chicago called uh… SHOW (which stands for “Spectacular Hour of Wonderment”). It’s always got different acts each week (comedians, dancers, burlesque, and definitely its share of oddballs). It just moved to Thursday nights, but for more info check out http://www.LakeshoreTheater.com.
And give Frank Caliendo some credit, he’s good.
Oh, aren’t we all so refined that we can’t appreciate a little old school comedy? The whining and complaining here gets old after awhile. Why don’t you tell us what kind of comedy you like?
What is wrong with bringing back something that worked in the past? They do it in every other industry, why not in entertainment? I say put the Carol Burnett show back on!!
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underrated madTV??? really???
not much else on. this might be something that i just put on in the background and hope for a laugh every once in a while since i won’t really be paying attention. some of his impressions are good and i’ll give him credit for that. still the reason behind the conception of frankTV has me a bit perplexed still.
A talent for impressions is one thing; a talent for writing is another, and it’s one that Caliendo does not possess.
You’d have to be comedically tone-deaf to think a Jack Nicholson impression is one you’d want in your repertoire. EVERYONE can do a Jack Nicholson impression, and no one is funny doing it.
I don’t know if I’ll watch it, but people do like this stuff. The trailer ran before the showing of American Gangster I saw this weekend, and the whole theater was laughing — loudly.
He’s no Will Sasso.
I went to college with Frank (UW-Milwaukee), so I can say “I knew him when…” I didn’t know him well or anything, but he’s a really nice guy. And really talented. Even back then, he was cracking up students with his impressions. He certainly deserves stardom more than the perpetually unfunny Will Farrell, Dane Cook, Adam Sandler, and Jim “My Brother Is Rolling In His Grave” Belushi.
That said, I probably won’t see his show much. If at all. It’s buried away on TBS? Had it not been for the NLDS, and the onslaught of ads each game (loved his Jack Nicholson), I wouldn’t have even known this show was being made. Doubtful I’ll remember to tune in. But I wish Frank well! Just get on a better network.
if you’re an impressionist and one of your impressions isn’t christopher walken doing something out of character, count me out.
Caliendo has talent.
Bernardin has….nothing really.
first of all i want to say 42man you are the bomb because you said everything I wanted to say. And to all you jackasses that said he sucks… you are deaf and blind you ignorant fools I hope that commercial plays in your mind over and over again till you explode. because frank is a very talented person. He plays everyone he imitates off to a tee. hate to tell all you frank hating losers that he is the bomb and I cant wait for his next show on TBS!
I love Frank Caliendo. His impressions are incredble. However, I think he needs a few more people in his show because, although he has a huge repertoire, it will eventually run out and his show will go down the toilet. To the person who says everyone can do Jack Nicholson I’d sure like to hear it. Many people think they can do impressions, but they usually can’t. And someone else said he didn’t look enough like DeNiro and Nicholson, just Madden and Bush. First of all, he doesn’t look like Bush. Second of all, it doesn’t matter what he looks like. He’s a talent to be reckoned with.
I love FrankTv