I hate to say it, but maybe it was time for MADtv to go. Fox’s 14-year-old sketch comedy show aired its series finale last night with a mixture of previously shown clips and new bits that proved how thin its material has grown. Old friends (Alex Borstein, Will Sasso) stopped by, and the remaining cast beat a hasty retreat. It might’ve all gone down as an amusing if unmemorable exit but for one thing: the telethon.
The entire episode was presented as "MADtv Gives Back" — parodying American Idol‘s erstwhile charity show — with Fred Willard as the host. And maybe I’m making too much of this, but it seems terribly inappropriate to fake a telethon. At times like these (and yes, Lord, I know we’re all sick of saying "at times like these," but still), why would you pretend to collect for needy causes? Why not actually do it? Why not turn MADtv‘s final bow into an prime-time special to raise money for those who desperately need it? It would have been a magnanimous gesture — with Fox, viewers, and presumably, the cast ponying up to say thanks for the memories. It also would’ve been the show’s first water-cooler moment in ages.
Understand, I’m not suggesting they had to have some sort of charitable event on their way out. I’m just saying they damn sure shouldn’t have faked it. But what do you think? Am I too hard on Fox’s sketch crew? Was it time for them to go? And can we all agree that they’ve had better days, like this one?:
I think it would have been tasteless to make it a real telethon. These people just lost their jobs and they have to raise money for other people?
What is that?
Why do a parody of “Idol Gives Back” when Idol only did 2 and didn’t even do one this year? Where is the current? Where is the original?
http://americanidolexposed.wordpress.com/
Really? REALLY? Coming from a magazine that literally worships every single thing the horribly unfunny SNL does? The magazine that treats every utterance by Tina Fey as the funniest thing EVER and could write 5,000 words about the “genius” of Andy Samberg? Really. You’re busting MAD TV for doing a fake telethon when SNL hasn’t been funny 95% of the time in its entire history. Just wanted to get that straight. Considering “30 Rock” JUST did a fake (and enormously UNFUNNY) all-star charity song about needing a kidney? Really? NBC is selling “fake” merchandise for the kidney song and that’s “great.” The HOLY TINA FEY was involved. It was BEYOND GENIUS. The FUNNIEST THING EVER! But Mad TV attempts a parody of the false sincerity of the “Idol” telethon and it’s “wrong”. Really? Great to know how you think. Please, forget this Mad TV crap. Write a fawning piece on how great, fresh and funny “Celebrity Jeopardy” was last night! They had Tom Hanks! Get it? That was FUNNY!
I just watched both MAD TV and SNL from last night. I must say that SNL has lost some of its mojo as of late, but the Timberlake and Ferrell episodes were two of their best in the lat couple of years.
As for MAD TV, I used to watch regularly, hoping that I would see something funny. Once in a while they did hit the mark, but generally they have lost the humor in the lat few years.
brian wallace: the 30 rock kidney music video on iTunes and merchandise actually do benefit the National Kidney Foundation, so they were able to “parody the false sincerity of the ‘Idol’ telethon” while actually raising money for a real cause
Do you remember when Saturday night was something you looked forward to for both MADtv and SNL? Do you remember? Do you remember? No, neither do I.
I didn’t even know MadTV was still on the air.
Brian Wallace, you speaketh the truth, the whole truth and nothin’ but the truth. Well said. The Kidney song from 30 Rock tried so hard to be funny and I found it to be desperate and as inconsistent as the show itself. I enjoy the show but not it’s constant self-winking because the joke is usually only on them.
I thought this show ended a few years ago when they began the season with multiple episodes comprised of clips. Honestly, the only reason I even read this article was because I didn’t realize the show hadn’t been cancelled long ago.
I wouldn’t call it a blunder, but I was definitely hoping for something funnier. Spike Feresten’s last show was also disappointing, but I don’t think he knew it was his last show.
This is a really awful article and shouldn’t have been written. Is any of your blog material approved before it makes net? I agree with most above SNL, EW praise for crap. A telethon for people who lost their jobs and former cast members who are doing favor coming back at all. NOT!
I’m curious, does anyone know if that was the first time someone (Artie Lange) appeared on new episodes of *both* SNL & MadTv, on the same night?!? [it'll definitely be the *last* time!]
I find it amusing that last night Artie Lange, who helped start MadTv was over at SNL singing a song about vietnam with will ferrel and tom hanks. Even he didnt care that MadTv was still on.
This blogger is WAY off base. It’s one thing for “American Idol,” with its 30 million viewers each week, to want to do something constructive in the real world, apart from treating its singing competition as if the future of our civilization is riding on it–but to imply that a sketch comedy show is somehow being immoral by presenting a fake telethon instead of a real one is preposerous. An entertainment program does not need to do anything other than entertain. If the producers decide at some point to raise money for a charity, fine. But comedy sketches about telethons have existed for decades. Steve Allen did a lengthy and hilarious telethon sketch for prickly heat over 30 years ago. Should he have only done it if it was to be a real fundraiser for a serious medical malady?
Geez, get a sense of humor, blogger, whoever you are. Leave the pontificating to those who know what they’re talking about.
OVERREACTING! it’s a sketch show, let them make sketches. it may have been stupid but not insulting or out of line