August 28th, 2002: Planet MADtv launched. Punch was served. Good times were had by all.
August 29th, 2002-August 27th, 2007: Nothing of note happened.
August 28th, 2007: Today, we're celebrating our fifth anniversary by taking the site to a 'hole... 'nutha... level!
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the new and improved Planet MADtv! Unified site-wide design? Check. Superior navigation? Double check. Levels of aesthetic appeal that dig up our former site, urinate on it, and bury it again upside down? Check, check, and check! It may not have been worth the five-year wait, but to be sure, today's relaunch is a major milestone in Planet MADtv history. Beyond the obvious external changes, the framework is now in place for the easy addition of new features when and where I see fit, and I'll be making extensive use of this functionality should interest and forum participation warrant it. I'm not particularly hopeful at this point, but I guess we'll see what happens over the next few months, won't we?
Please note that our new design is optimized for modern browsers and modern screen resolutions. Only those who are running Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2, Opera 9, Safari 3, or similar in a resolution of 1024x768 or higher will receive the full experience. As for the rest of you, some degree of effort has been made to preserve compatibility with as wide a range of system configurations as possible, but should you find that the site is unusable, you only have yourself to blame. Each one of the modern browsers linked above is available completely free of charge, so do yourself and your computer's security a big favor and upgrade at your earliest convenience!
If you'll indulge me, I'd now like to take a few minutes to discuss the state of the show and the site.
It's no secret that MAD lost its way somewhere along the line. Every television program has its ups and downs, but the epic gap between this show's highest highs and lowest lows is one that never has been, and indeed, likely never *will* be matched. For years, fan-favorite cast members have been moving on to greener pastures, FOX has been slashing the budget at every available opportunity, and the writing quality has been, to put it charitably, less than stellar. The seasons continued to pass by, and with the show seemingly unable to regain any of its former steam, it was only a matter of time before its core fanbase -- we, the members of Planet MADtv -- lost interest.
Well, some of us held out longer than others, but sure enough, one by one, that's exactly what happened.
Due to the show's countless flops and fumbles since our inception, Planet MADtv is now but a pale shadow of its once-flourishing self. Very little MADtv discussion takes place on our forums these days, the vast majority of our staff members haven't lifted a finger in months, and I could count the number of die-hard fans that remain here at the site on a single hand. Many of our members have stopped watching MAD entirely, and of those who haven't, most seem to have adopted an "I'll catch it if I catch it" attitude. Interest is through the floor, apathy is through the roof, and the irony of the whole situation is that, for the first time ever, our level of fandom no longer seems to mirror the show's level of quality.
In each and every subsection of life, it's easy to fall into the trap of simply going through the motions, and in terms of our MADtv viewership, I believe we've done just that -- we continue to watch because it's routine, and we continue to scorn because there's never been a clear turning point back to the positive. In other words, the show's reascension to glory has been so gradual that, viewed through the looking glass of our now-passive interest, the turnaround has yet to fully register in many of our minds. To use myself as an example, as many laughs as there were to be had over the course of Season 12, it wasn't until rumors began swirling earlier this summer about Crista's potential departure that I took a step back and came to the realization that, "Hey... I actually like this show!" I found myself worried about MADtv's future for the first time in as long as I could recall, and that could mean only one thing: there was something worth worrying about. I've since shelved my negative outlook towards the show -- an outlook that, as of late, was admittedly based more on routine than reality -- and I now find myself actively enjoying what I'm seeing once again -- not because the summer reruns have been any different than what aired throughout the season, but rather, because I no longer go into each episode expecting to be disappointed.
There's a lesson to be learned here.
I encourage those of you who've partially or completely given up on the show to wipe your slates clean and give it another shot this season. I encourage our regulars to take another look at the very thing that brought you to Planet MADtv in the first place. I encourage our lurkers and RSS readers to register a free forum account and begin interacting with your fellow fans. I encourage the staff to resume fulfilling the duties for which you were hired before I'm forced to find others who will. If we all do our part, together, we can rebuild the community that MADtv once again deserves.
Five years down, folks. Let's see if we can make it ten!
August 29th, 2002-August 27th, 2007: Nothing of note happened.
August 28th, 2007: Today, we're celebrating our fifth anniversary by taking the site to a 'hole... 'nutha... level!
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the new and improved Planet MADtv! Unified site-wide design? Check. Superior navigation? Double check. Levels of aesthetic appeal that dig up our former site, urinate on it, and bury it again upside down? Check, check, and check! It may not have been worth the five-year wait, but to be sure, today's relaunch is a major milestone in Planet MADtv history. Beyond the obvious external changes, the framework is now in place for the easy addition of new features when and where I see fit, and I'll be making extensive use of this functionality should interest and forum participation warrant it. I'm not particularly hopeful at this point, but I guess we'll see what happens over the next few months, won't we?
Please note that our new design is optimized for modern browsers and modern screen resolutions. Only those who are running Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2, Opera 9, Safari 3, or similar in a resolution of 1024x768 or higher will receive the full experience. As for the rest of you, some degree of effort has been made to preserve compatibility with as wide a range of system configurations as possible, but should you find that the site is unusable, you only have yourself to blame. Each one of the modern browsers linked above is available completely free of charge, so do yourself and your computer's security a big favor and upgrade at your earliest convenience!
If you'll indulge me, I'd now like to take a few minutes to discuss the state of the show and the site.
It's no secret that MAD lost its way somewhere along the line. Every television program has its ups and downs, but the epic gap between this show's highest highs and lowest lows is one that never has been, and indeed, likely never *will* be matched. For years, fan-favorite cast members have been moving on to greener pastures, FOX has been slashing the budget at every available opportunity, and the writing quality has been, to put it charitably, less than stellar. The seasons continued to pass by, and with the show seemingly unable to regain any of its former steam, it was only a matter of time before its core fanbase -- we, the members of Planet MADtv -- lost interest.
Well, some of us held out longer than others, but sure enough, one by one, that's exactly what happened.
Due to the show's countless flops and fumbles since our inception, Planet MADtv is now but a pale shadow of its once-flourishing self. Very little MADtv discussion takes place on our forums these days, the vast majority of our staff members haven't lifted a finger in months, and I could count the number of die-hard fans that remain here at the site on a single hand. Many of our members have stopped watching MAD entirely, and of those who haven't, most seem to have adopted an "I'll catch it if I catch it" attitude. Interest is through the floor, apathy is through the roof, and the irony of the whole situation is that, for the first time ever, our level of fandom no longer seems to mirror the show's level of quality.
In each and every subsection of life, it's easy to fall into the trap of simply going through the motions, and in terms of our MADtv viewership, I believe we've done just that -- we continue to watch because it's routine, and we continue to scorn because there's never been a clear turning point back to the positive. In other words, the show's reascension to glory has been so gradual that, viewed through the looking glass of our now-passive interest, the turnaround has yet to fully register in many of our minds. To use myself as an example, as many laughs as there were to be had over the course of Season 12, it wasn't until rumors began swirling earlier this summer about Crista's potential departure that I took a step back and came to the realization that, "Hey... I actually like this show!" I found myself worried about MADtv's future for the first time in as long as I could recall, and that could mean only one thing: there was something worth worrying about. I've since shelved my negative outlook towards the show -- an outlook that, as of late, was admittedly based more on routine than reality -- and I now find myself actively enjoying what I'm seeing once again -- not because the summer reruns have been any different than what aired throughout the season, but rather, because I no longer go into each episode expecting to be disappointed.
There's a lesson to be learned here.
I encourage those of you who've partially or completely given up on the show to wipe your slates clean and give it another shot this season. I encourage our regulars to take another look at the very thing that brought you to Planet MADtv in the first place. I encourage our lurkers and RSS readers to register a free forum account and begin interacting with your fellow fans. I encourage the staff to resume fulfilling the duties for which you were hired before I'm forced to find others who will. If we all do our part, together, we can rebuild the community that MADtv once again deserves.
Five years down, folks. Let's see if we can make it ten!
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Lisa Arch (formerly Kushell) has recently joined PlanetMADtv and is willing to answer any questions (within reason) anyone may have for her. Rather than posting a response in this thread, make your way over to the Questions for Lisa Thread and make her feel welcome. If you have been living in a shoe box for the last 8 years and don't know who Lisa is, or when she was on MADtv, you can read all about her here.
Mo Collins is also a member-through-correspondence on this forum, so if you haven't seen the Questions for Mo Thread, check it out and ask Mo a question!
In the unlikely situation that any other past (or present) MADtv castmembers are reading this and would like to chat with their fans, contact any one of our helpful staff members and we can set it up for you.
Mo Collins is also a member-through-correspondence on this forum, so if you haven't seen the Questions for Mo Thread, check it out and ask Mo a question!
In the unlikely situation that any other past (or present) MADtv castmembers are reading this and would like to chat with their fans, contact any one of our helpful staff members and we can set it up for you.
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Well, folks, the calendar, as we know it, is not the same. I have, with blackwind's help, created some useful additions to it:
- The calendar is now updating itself. That's right, it will automatically gather events, from various sources, and post them, no human intervention required.
- The "*" next to the event denotes that it is a Repeat Episode (if you haven't already seen the legend at the top).
- Last, but not least, the calendar is now searchable! Simply click the "Search" icon at the top (the black image, not the one that's at the top of all pages). You can specify whether you want to search in the Titles or the Contents of the events.
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This is it, folks. We wished. We prayed. We begged. We pleaded. We even put together a petition that garnered over 1500 signatures! To hold us over, some of us went to great lengths recording each and every MADtv episode to VHS. Some took it a step further and archived digitized copies on their computers. Others still are, to this day, in ongoing therapy, trying to deal with the anti-social tendencies they picked up spending so much time obsessing over A F***ING TV SHOW! But was that enough? Goodness no! We wanted our beloved MADtv on DVD. We NEEDED it! And now, thanks to our good friends at Warner Bros (whom we have never met, but are willing to elevate to honorary friend status nonetheless), it's finally here: MADtv - The Complete First Season.
I'm going to take a few liberties with this review. First off, I'm confident that everyone reading this knows what MADtv is. Accordingly, I won't put you through the customary formalities ("MADtv, now in its tenth season, was FOX's answer to Saturday Night Live in 1995. Yadda yadda yadda..."). Secondly, let it be known that I'm here only to explain what went right with the DVD and to point out a few things that could be done better next time around. I'm *not* here to sell the material to you. True fans of the show already know that the first season is among the best MADtv has to offer. In fact, if you're a Planet MADtv member living in North America with at least 30 bucks to your name, you have NO excuse for not owning this collection already! What are you waiting for!? Don't make me break my foot off in yo' ass, boy!
[ Article truncated. Click here to read the rest. ]
I'm going to take a few liberties with this review. First off, I'm confident that everyone reading this knows what MADtv is. Accordingly, I won't put you through the customary formalities ("MADtv, now in its tenth season, was FOX's answer to Saturday Night Live in 1995. Yadda yadda yadda..."). Secondly, let it be known that I'm here only to explain what went right with the DVD and to point out a few things that could be done better next time around. I'm *not* here to sell the material to you. True fans of the show already know that the first season is among the best MADtv has to offer. In fact, if you're a Planet MADtv member living in North America with at least 30 bucks to your name, you have NO excuse for not owning this collection already! What are you waiting for!? Don't make me break my foot off in yo' ass, boy!
[ Article truncated. Click here to read the rest. ]
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It's my pleasure to announce that, starting today, Mystere has agreed to take over maintenance of our MADtv schedule section! Once again, the schedule will be your at-a-glance guide to important upcoming MADtv-related dates, including birthdays, television appearances, and even DVD releases! So what are you waiting for? Bookmark it today!
Many thanks go out to former section head (and now Super Moderator), Cat_Named_CeCe. You did us proud, Cat!
Many thanks go out to former section head (and now Super Moderator), Cat_Named_CeCe. You did us proud, Cat!
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Posted by Cat_Named_CeCe on Wednesday, November 5th, 2003 @11:59am
Categories: General MADtv, Planet MADtv
Categories: General MADtv, Planet MADtv
Once again, we are very sorry for the problems we've been experiencing over the past few days. If you get a chance, please thank blackwind and HiVolt for getting things working again. Things might be a little bit screwy while we get things up and running, so bear with us.
Back to some MADtv-related news. We announced last week that many popular characters will be returning for the 200th episode, and this week, I'd like to elaborate on that. We now have a list of confirmed sketches. Here is the list:
Back to some MADtv-related news. We announced last week that many popular characters will be returning for the 200th episode, and this week, I'd like to elaborate on that. We now have a list of confirmed sketches. Here is the list:
- The Vancome Lady on The Bachelorette (also feat. Lorraine)
- Miss Swan VS The Department of Motor Vehicles
- Kenny Rogers gets Punk'd
- Dot gets reunited with her sister Karen
- Orlando Jones tells the history of MADtv in a parody of Outkast's Hey Ya (feat. a number of recurring characters)
- Real M**********' Talk feat. Bill Clinton (Will Sasso) and Woogie Jones Johnson (Tommy Davidson)
- Stuart gets new shoes
- Trina has a costume party
- Artie Lange toasts MADtv from New York
- Classic sketches
- Current/Former cast members together on stage
They're MAD Funny
Saturday Night Live is for suckas! So if you want to laugh check out these wild and crazy guys.
For eight seasons, Fox's MADtv has been the little sketch comedy that could - the alternative to Saturday Night Live. And even though its notoriously edgy recurring characters have not spun off feature films - no Wayne's World or Night at the Roxbury - they do have an edge over the competition. Unlike their SNL counterparts, MADtv's characters actually get funnier over time. (Yeah NBC, we said it.) So as the series gears up for a ninth season and welcomes back several alums for its 200th episode (Saturday, 11/8, 11pm/ET), we'd like to toast our five faves.
- Bunifa (Debra Wilson) - Loud, brash and constantly yakking on her cell with best friend Sonya, Bunifa is one princess you do not want to mess with. Actually, that's Miss Bunifa Latifah Halifah Sherifa Jackson to you. Can't a sister get a little respect?
- Miss Swan (Alex Borstein) - She's the owner of the Gorgeous Pretty Beauty Nail Salon. And her grasp of English can drive the perfectly sane crazy. "OK, I tell you everything," she promises, without explaining anything at all.
- Stuart (Michael McDonald) - With his whispery voice, lazy eye and shrill, controlling mother, Stuart is a disturbingly oversize kid who invariably winds up in his dingy tighty-whities crying "Look what I can do!" What can he do? Not much except make us laugh.
- Dot (Stephnie Weir) - Look how little her gloves are! Dot has the misfortune of being the twin sister of the world's smartest 8-year-old. While Sis develops technology for NASA, Dot collects knitted gloves and gum.
- The Vancome Lady (Nicole Sullivan) - No one worked the "Vancome" counter like Kathy. Sporting major gold and an Ivana upsweep, this outrageously un-PC miss offended everyone with a "Tchaa...you know?" Every time she gets fired, we laugh so hard we cry.
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Ladies and gentlemen, we now have our very own KlipFolio feed! What does this mean to you, the average user? Well, if you download and install Serence KlipFolio (388k) and the Planet MADtv klip, all the latest MADtv-related news will be delivered straight to your desktop as it happens! Plus, if you want to syndicate our news on your own site (which I know you do), you can now do just that via our brand spanking new RSS backend. Excited yet? I knew it. So what are you waiting for? Get klipping today!
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