History Main / MadTV

* Series/MadTV, a sketch show that ran from 1995 to 2009 on the Creator/FOX Network

* Series/MadTV, a sketch show that ran from 1995 to 2009 on the FOX Network

* Series/MadTV, a sketch show that ran from 1995 to 2009

A SketchComedy show that aired on FOX on Saturday nights at 11:00 Eastern Standard Time [[hottip:*:a full 30 minutes before ''SaturdayNightLive'', a fact that was lampshaded on a "[=MADtv=]" cold opening sketch where George W. Bush [played by Will Sasso] calls out ''SNL'''s Chris Kattan for his movie "Corky Romano"]]. It was on the air for 14 seasons, running from 1995 to 2009 on the FOX Network. The show was [[InspiredBy based on]] MADMagazine [[InNameOnly despite having next to nothing to do with it]] after the third season.

The show, after serving 14 years as ''SaturdayNightLive'''s rival, was canceled by FOX in 2009, citing low ratings. There have been claims that the show will seek new life on cable TV, though, as of 2012, the only evidence of a ''{{MADtv}}'' revival on cable is in the form of a CartoonNetwork animated sketch show called ''{{WesternAnimation/MAD}}'', which, unlike its live-action predecessor, is a little more faithful to the source material and is set up as a 15-minute show [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids allegedly for children]].

''{{MADtv}}'' aired in reruns on ComedyCentral and the Canadian sister channel Comedy Network until 2010.

Unrelated to the [[VideoGame/MadTV simulation computer game]].
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!!!''{{MADtv}}'' Contained The Following Tropes:

* AcmeProducts - All the useless or dangerous products provided by Spishak Industries.
* AirGuitar - A shop sold those. A thief failed to steal one used by JimiHendrix.
** There was also a reality show parody about wannabe rockers who practice air guitar
* ArtifactTitle: The show never had much to do with MADMagazine to begin with, but at least they tried at first (the ''Spy vs. Spy'' animated sketches, Alfred E. Neuman prominently appearing in the opening titles). Before long, though, even these token references were dropped.
* BalancingDeathsBooks - in one sketch.
* BloodyHilarious - The occurring trope in sketches involving Paul Timberman.
* ButtMonkey - Bobby Lee's Yamanashi (in the Coach Hines sketches), the models in the QVC Fashion show sketches (though they do fight back against the commentators who insult them), and any character played by Crista Flanagan.
* CannotTellAJoke - The entire premise of Crista Flanagan's Luann Lockhart, the amateur stand-up comedian who has no idea how to tell a joke.
* CastingGag - One episode had [[LawAndOrderSVU Christopher Meloni]] play a resident of a gated community at a community meeting... who also happened to be a serial groper harassing one of the female residents.
* ClipShow: Much like ''SNL'', this show had episodes highlighting the best moments of the series. Unlike ''SNL'', there weren't many of them and they seemed to come on during the show's final two seasons (except for ''MADtv'''s "Best of Seasons 8, 9, and 10, which was a DVD-exclusive release). The ClipShow episodes were:
** ''MADtv Ruined My Life: The Sketches That Shocked A Nation'': A highlight of the show's raunchiest and most outrageous sketches (set up like an episode of ''The Jerry Springer Show''). Also includes information on a deleted sketch from season one called ''[[SchindlersList Schindler's Lost]]'' that was TooHotForTV and can now be seen on the Internet.
** ''Survivor MAD'': A highlight of the show's best TV show parodies
** ''I Want My MADtv'': A highlight of the show's best celebrity- and pop culture-based sketches.
** ''MADtv's Most Wanted'': A highlight of the show's best recurring character sketches.
** ''Dirty, Sexy Politics'': A highlight of the show's political and history-based sketches
** ''[[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment MADtv's Best of Holiday Sketches Spectacularly Special Spectacular]]'': A highlight of Christmas-themed sketches
* ComicBookTime - 11 years of Stuart sketches, and yet his father always left the family "last Tuesday".
* DeadBabyComedy / GallowsHumor- Had it sparingly in the first couple seasons, but was packed with it from season 3 to the end.
* DeadpanSnarker - Nicole Sullivan as the Vancome Lady and Michael [=McDonald=] as Marvin Tikvah
* {{Flanderization}} - Bobby Lee. Initially, his skits simly involve him getting into awkward situations. He gradually becomes awkwardness incarnate.
* FunWithAcronyms - The '''K'''appa '''K'''appa '''K'''appa Sorority
* {{Gayngster}}: The topic of a sketch in which two gangsters are trying to drive each other out of town, but one of them is freaked out when the other makes repeated sexual advances at him during their fight. At the end it's revealed that both of them are gay. The first gangster was just concerned that the other was still involved with another guy.
* HairTriggerTemper - Keegan-Michael Key's Coach Hines (the psycho Catholic school gym teacher [[spoiler:who's actually the heir to the Heinz ketchup company, but gave up that life so he can help out delinquent students]]).
* IThoughtEveryoneCouldDoThat - [[BiggusDickus Rusty Miller]]
* KillThePoor - One sketch had the mayor of a town addressing the press to reveal his new plan for dealing with the poor. He would give them all virtual reality helmets that would show them everything they ever wanted, allowing them to live out their lives in peace. The test subject they put one on sees a beautiful woman in the distance, holding a steak dinner and a bottle of booze. He runs towards her, which leads him into traffic where he is killed by an oncoming truck. It concludes with the mayor declaring "And that's how we'll eliminate the homeless ... problem."
* LongRunners - At 14 seasons, this show is considered ''Saturday Night Live'''s longest-running rival sketch show.
* ModernMinstrelsy - Ms. Swan
** Some of the sketches featuring the black cast members do fall under this (like "Real Motherf***ing Talk" and BET's "Reality Check").
* {{Pixellation}} - There's a sketch where a man visits the doctor, complaining that his genitals are blurred. The doctor tells him that it's normal for network TV characters to experience pixellation on their breasts, genitals, rear ends, and middle fingers.
* RefugeInVulgarity - {{Played for laughs}} with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RhXhwgeAlE Emcee Esher's "----- In The ------"]].
** The show's willingness to go farther with its RefugeInVulgarity is actually the reason why most {{MADtv}} fans claim that the show is better than ''SaturdayNightLive'' (''SNL'' is [usually] more restrained with their RefugeInVulgarity and would rather play around with RefugeInAudacity). As always, YourMileageMayVary.
* SadistShow
* SaveOurStudents: Parodied in the sketch "Nice White Lady", which features Nice White Lady teaching in an inner city school where everybody hates her because she's white.
* ShallowParody - Around the TurnOfTheMillennium, {{MADtv}} started making ''ThePriceIsRight'' parodies. By this time, Bob Barker had been hosting the show for over 30 years, so they decided to parody what the show would have been like in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7To54TBBlE the 1970s]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL_sIKL22I0 the 1980s]], if it were [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece filled to the brim with topical references]]. In reality, of course, ''ThePriceIsRight'' changed so little during Barker's lengthy tenure that the most visible change in 35+ years was his hair colour (from brown to white).
* SketchComedy
* SubvertedKidsShow - ''CLOPS'' (where cartoon characters and childhood figures are arrested for various crimes), ''The Power-Slut Girls'' (a Powerpuff Girls parody featuring Tara Reid, BrittanyMurphy, and Paris Hilton as crimefighting media whores -- now a FunnyAneurysmMoment due to Brittany Murphy's death), the parodies of the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials (''Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer'' and ''Santa Claus is Coming to Town'') that always seem to be crossed with violent Mafia films, like ''TheGodfather'' and ''Scarface'' (the 1983 version with Al Pacino), ''Dennis The Menace To Society'', the one-shot sketch ''The Ring-A-Rounds'' (a ''Wiggles'' parody that put a happy spin on such topics as divorce, post-partum depression, living with alcoholic parents, foster care, and childhood obesity) and the ''SesameStreet'' parodies they did during the last few years of the show that dealt with such kid-unfriendly topics as avian flu, childhood obesity, plastic surgery, America's economic decline, sexual predators on the Internet, and Donald Trump's greed.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLSlGmVrmuM Smith Comma John]] is totally ''not'' an alien.
* ThisTropeIsBleep - Aries Spears played a character called "Emcee Esher", a rapper whose music was so heavily censored on MTV that it consisted almost entirely of bleeps for offensive language.
* TriageTyrant - Nicole Sullivan, as the "Vancome lady", a nurse. She kept turning people away for stupid reasons. They'd describe their emergency and she'd explain, in chirpy tones, why they should head down the street. The only one I remember was a hemophiliac who was told that Sisters of Mercy didn't support [[MistakenForGay that lifestyle]]... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdyf3Ja1KaI Link to the episode]] (until it's removed)
* UncleTomfoolery - Played straight with Bobby Lee (the show's only Asian cast member, as Bobby Lee is Korean-American) and just about any character played by Debra Wilson. Even when playing Condoleeza Rice she starts to act like Bunifa.
* WishfulProjection: "The Average Asian", in which a completely ordinary Asian guy is expected to act like an Asian stereotype.
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* Flanderization - Bobby Lee. Initially, his skits simly involve him getting into awkward situations. He gradually becomes awkwardness incarnate.

A SketchComedy show that aired on FOX on Saturday nights at 11:00 Eastern Standard Time (a full 30 minutes before ''SaturdayNightLive'', a fact that was lampshaded on a "[=MADtv=]" cold opening sketch where George W. Bush [played by Will Sasso] calls out ''SNL'''s Chris Kattan for his movie "Corky Romano"). It was on the air for 14 seasons, running from 1995 to 2009 on the FOX Network. The show was [[InspiredBy based on]] MADMagazine [[InNameOnly despite having next to nothing to do with it]] after the third season.

The show, after serving 14 years as ''SaturdayNightLive'''s rival, was canceled by FOX in 2009, citing low ratings. There have been claims that the show will seek new life on cable TV, though, as of 2010, the only evidence of a ''{{MADtv}}'' revival on cable is in the form of a CartoonNetwork animated sketch show called ''{{WesternAnimation/MAD}}'', which, unlike its live action predecessor, is a little more faithful to the source material and is set up as a 15-minute show [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids allegedly for children]].

!!!''{{MADtv}}'' Has Had, Lampshaded, Averted, Parodied, or Subverted The Following Tropes:

* SaveOurStudents: Parodied in the sketch "Nice White Lady".

Unrelated to the [[Game/MadTV simulation computer game]].

* PlayingHamlet - Stuart, a creepy little boy played by a middle-aged Michael [=McDonald=].
** Also NightmareFuel, because of the CreepyChild aspects.

** ''MADtv Ruined My Life: The Sketches That Shocked A Nation'': A highlight of the show's raunchiest and most outrageous sketches (set up like an episode of ''TheJerrySpringerShow''). Also includes information on a deleted sketch from season one called ''[[SchindlersList Schindler's Lost]]'' that was TooHotForTV and can now be seen on the Internet.

* HairTriggerTemper - Coach Hines

* {{Pixellation}} - A sketch where a man visits the doctor complains that his genitals are blurred. The doctor tells him that it's normal for network TV characters to experience pixellation on their breasts, genitals, rear ends, and middle fingers.
* PlayingHamlet - Stuart, a little boy played by a middle-aged Michael [=McDonald=].

* SubvertedKidsShow - ''CLOPS'' (where cartoon characters and childhood figures are arrested for various crimes), ''The Power-Slut Girls'' (a Powerpuff Girls parody featuring Tara Reid, BrittanyMurphy, and Paris Hilton as crimefighting media whores -- now a FunnyAneurysmMoment due to Brittany Murphy's death), the parodies of the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials (''Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer'' and ''Santa Claus is Coming to Town'') that always seem to be crossed with violent Mafia films, like ''TheGodfather'' and ''Scarface'' (the 1983 version with Al Pacino), 'Dennis The Menace To Society', the one-shot sketch ''The Ring-A-Rounds'' (a ''Wiggles'' parody that put a happy spin on such topics as divorce, post-partum depression, living with alcoholic parents, foster care, and childhood obesity) and the ''SesameStreet'' parodies they did during the last few years of the show that dealt with such kid-unfriendly topics as avian flu, childhood obesity, plastic surgery, America's economic failures, Internet predators, and Donald Trump's greed.

* WishfulProjection: "The Average Asian", in which a completely ordinary fellow of stereotypically East Asian phenotype is expected to live up to all kinds of stereotypes.

** There was also a reality show parody about wannabe rockers who practice air guitar.

* SubvertedKidsShow - ''CLOPS'' (where cartoon characters and childhood figures are arrested for various crimes), ''The Power-Slut Girls'' (a Powerpuff Girls parody featuring Tara Reid, BrittanyMurphy, and Paris Hilton as crimefighting media whores -- now a FunnyAneurysmMoment due to Brittany Murphy's death), the parodies of the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials (''Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer'' and ''Santa Claus is Coming to Town'') that always seem to be crossed with violent Mafia films, like ''TheGodfather'' and ''Scarface'' (the 1983 version with Al Pacino), the one-shot sketch ''The Ring-A-Rounds'' (a ''Wiggles'' parody that put a happy spin on such topics as divorce, post-partum depression, living with alcoholic parents, foster care, and childhood obesity) and the ''SesameStreet'' parodies they did during the last few years of the show that dealt with such kid-unfriendly topics as avian flu, childhood obesity, plastic surgery, America's economic failures, Internet predators, and Donald Trump's greed.

* UncleTomfoolery - Averted by most of African-American cast. Played straight with Bobby Lee (the show's only Asian cast member, as Bobby Lee is Korean-American).

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The show, after serving 14 years as ''SaturdayNightLive'''s rival, was canceled by FOX in 2009, citing low ratings. There have been claims that the show will seek new life on cable TV, though, as of 2010, the only evidence of a ''{{MADtv}}'' revival on cable is in the form of a CartoonNetwork animated sketch show called ''MAD'', which, unlike its live action predecessor, is a little more faithful to the source material and is set up as a 15-minute show [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids allegedly for children]].

The show, after serving 14 years as ''SaturdayNightLive'''s rival, was canceled by FOX in 2009, citing low ratings. There have been claims that the show will seek new life on cable TV, though, as of 2010, the only evidence of a ''{{MADtv}}'' revival on cable is in the form of a CartoonNetwork animated sketch show called ''MAD'', which, unlike its live action predecessor, is a little more faithful to the source material.

* {{Crossover}}:
** One of the feature players (Jeff Richards) became a cast member on [=MADtv=]'s rival sketch show ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2001 to 2003 after a year (2000-2001) on [=MADtv=]. Another one (Taran Killam) has been cast as an ''SNL'' feature player for the 36th season (2010-2011 season).
** ''SNL'' cast member Seth Meyers has a younger brother named Josh (who looks like Seth, except Josh is younger, skinnier, and a redhead) who was on [=MADtv=] from season 8 to the end of season 9. Seth Meyers brought this up on a Weekend Update segment where he told his father to stop watching ''[=MADtv=]'' so he can pay attention to him.
** Artie Lange (a cast member on [=MADtv=] for the first two seasons until he was fired for abusing cocaine) not only appeared on the final episode, but also appeared on the last episode of "Saturday Night Live"'s 34th season in a musical sketch where a businessman who went to Vietnam on vacation (WillFerrell) becomes so traumatized that he sings BillyJoel's "Good Night Saigon" and is joined by ArtieLange, all the current SNL cast members at the time (SethMeyers, BillHader, FredArmisen, KenanThompson, CaseyWilson, MichaelaWatkins, AbbyElliott, JasonSudeikis, BobbyMoynihan, AndySamberg, KristenWiig, DarrellHammond, and WillForte), the musical guest for that episode (pop-punk band GreenDay), Armisen's (now ex)-wife and ''MadMen'' cast member ElisabethMoss, past ''SNL'' guest hosts AnneHathaway, PaulRudd, and TomHanks, and former SNL cast members MayaRudolph, AmyPoehler, and {{Norm MacDonald}}.

* ModernMinstrelsy - Ms. [[strike: Kwan]] Swan

* TheWesley: Stuart. The sketches were one-note (a kid who says disgusting things) and often unfunny but yet stayed on for eleven seasons due to the writers loving him so much.

** Artie Lange (a cast member on [=MADtv=] for the first two seasons until he was fired for abusing cocaine) not only appeared on the final episode, but also appeared on the last episode of "Saturday Night Live"'s 34th season in a musical sketch where a businessman who went to Vietnam on vacation (WillFerrell) becomes so traumatized that he sings BillyJoel's "Good Night Saigon" and is joined by ArtieLange, all the current SNL cast members at the time (SethMeyers, BillHader, FredArmisen, KenanThompson, CaseyWilson, MichaelaWatkins, AbbyElliot, JasonSudeikis, BobbyMoynihan, AndySamberg, KristenWiig, DarrellHammond, and WillForte), the musical guest for that episode (pop-punk band GreenDay), Armisen's (now ex)-wife and ''MadMen'' cast member ElisabethMoss, past ''SNL'' guest hosts AnneHathaway, PaulRudd, and TomHanks, and former SNL cast members MayaRudolph, AmyPoehler, and {{Norm MacDonald}}.

* UncleTomfoolery - Averted by most of African-American cast. Played straight with Bobby Lee.

** Artie Lange (a cast member on [=MADtv=] for the first two seasons until he was fired for abusing cocaine) not only appeared on the final episode, but also appeared on the last episode of "Saturday Night Live"'s 34th season in a musical sketch where a businessman who went to Vietnam on vacation (Will Ferrell) becomes so traumatized that he sings Billy Joel's "Good Night Saigon" and is joined by Artie Lange, all the current SNL cast members at the time (Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Kenan Thompson, Casey Wilson, Michaela Watkins, Abby Elliot, Jason Sudeikis, Bobby Moynihan, Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, Darrell Hammond, and Will Forte), the musical guest for that episode (pop-punk band Green Day), Armisen's (now ex)-wife and ''MadMen'' cast member Elisabeth Moss, past ''SNL'' guest hosts Anne Hathaway, Paul Rudd, and Tom Hanks, and former SNL cast members Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, and Norm [=MacDonald=].