The CW network has announced that it will be reviving the classic sketch comedy series MadTV as a primetime series with both new and returning cast members. The series originally aired late nights on Fox Saturdays, and fan interest in the series has been kept alive largely due to social media and digital availability.
MadTV is the series that just won't die, and fans of the classic long-running sketch comedy show are sure to be thrilled that the series has now been officially revived by the CW network for a primetime series run.
The show, which debuted in 1995, ran for 14 seasons on the Fox network in the Saturday night timeslot of 11 p.m. to midnight. That meant it competed against NBC's stalwart Saturday late-night comedy sketch series Saturday Night Live, and though many felt the impressions and comedy writing on MadTV often surpassed SNL in quality, it always took a backseat to its older, more popular rival. Still, despite the lack of big guest stars and musical performances, MadTV was a success and lasted an impressive 14 seasons on Fox late-night before ending its run in 2009.
Interest in the show has lived on, however, in large part due to social media buzz, and fervent viewing of YouTube clips featuring some of the show's classic impressions and characters, such as Debra Wilson's impeccable Whitney Houston and Oprah Winfrey characterizations, and original character sketches featuring fan favorites like Michael McDonald's Stuart and Alex Borstien's Miss Swan. Interest was so solid that, earlier this year, the CW network acquired the rights to stream classic episodes of the show on the CWSeed platform, and in addition, aired a reunion special featuring much of the old cast.
Interest in the special and the streaming episodes has been strong enough that eight new episodes are set to be produced and aired in primetime on the CW network, with original producer David E. Salzman at the helm.
Salzman said, "The MadTV franchise is as vibrant as ever thanks largely to social and digital media appealing to a fan base numbering in the millions that relates to the show's brand of authentic and irreverent cross-cultural comedy. We will continue to present the hard-hitting, laugh-out-loud wall-to-wall pop culture parody our fans expect, but in a fresh, new way."
The show is expected to feature a new cast, but with old cast members returning each episode as guest hosts, and hopefully reviving some of their much-loved and classic characters.
