Customer Reviews

MADtv - The Complete First Season

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

19 hour long episodes, one three double-sided/dual-layer discs, at a reasonable price that's not out to fleece the customers, unlike so many other season sets of hour-long shows (or, indeed, the multitude of half-hour shows where they stuff 8, 9, or 10 half-hour episodes on a single-sided/single-layer disc and look like crap and have the unmitigated audacity to sell for the same ~$33 price.)

Not just that, the bloopers and 200th episode extras were a great joy to watch, as were the 'best of' clips and unreleased skits. Not to forget knowing that Warner Bros (the distributer) has enough faith to announce on disc 3 that season 2 will be coming!!

These episodes look and sound great as well (how could they not?)

No other TV show has been given this excellent level of treatment on DVD, and MadTV itself is a worthy enough of a show (at least to me).

Big kudos to Warner Bros on the quality of this release! Now if only they would release their 'Doctor Who' titles in dual-layer. :-)

While I tend to look more at disc quality, I should say something about the show's quality. MadTV was FOX's latest attempt (1995) to create an edgy show, after In Living Color was put to sleep and The Edge not meeting expectations. Many skits are brash and envelope pushing, but only in a good way. (okay, some are distasteful, as is typical for the genre, but most will leave you with a smile on your face.)

The show also has a modern day feel to Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In (1968). Naturally, as Laugh-In paved the way for all subsequent skit shows, including Saturday Night Live. (Indeed, Lorne Michaels of SNL fame started with Laugh-In as well.)

Standout actors are Orlando Jones, Debra Wilson, and Nicole Sullivan, but there's not a bad actor of the bunch.

Am looking forward to seeing more seasons released, hopefully with the same amount of quality and extras put into them!

When Mad TV premiered on Fox in 1995, it provided a great alternative to a then duller than usual Saturday Night Live. While there are a number of skits that are as equally dull on this first season set, Mad TV made a name for itself with it's scathing and irreverant sense of humor and parodies of commercials and general pop culture. While the first season's cast didn't feature many of the familiar and hilarious faces that fans of the show would come to love (Michael MacDonald, Alex Borstein, Mo Colins, Aries Spears, and Stephanie Weir would come in later seasons), it did feature some breakout talent like comedians Orlando Jones and Phil LaMar, Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange, fan favorites Nicole Sullivan and Debra Wilson, and Office Space's David Herman. Dull moments aside, the cast mostly does some great work, and the claymation and animation shorts are laugh out loud hilarious. All in all, longtime fans of the series will want to check this out for a nostalgia trip down memory lane, and new viewers will want to give this a look as well to see where it all began.

This is one of the funniest late night sketch shows in the world. Who cares about SNL. I mean SNL's funny but not as good as MAD TV. Plus the MAD magazine came out in 1952 and SNL came out 1975. I didn't see this DVD season 1 but I see it LIVE on Fox every Saturday nights at 11/10 PM central. My favorite character is Michael McDonald. He's real funny in the show. I like those episodes where he plays as Stuart. And sometimes, he comes out in his underpants. I hope they make a MAD movie one day. If they do, they should call it "The MAD movie." And they should show the picture of the original guy on the MAD magazine Alfred E. Neuman but they should have the original characters playing in it. But I'd have to say, this is 10x better than SNL.

It's rude, it's crude, it's utterly insane and hilarious! Like others, I saw this when it first aired and laughed my hindquarters off... However, I worried that the DVD treatment would be poor or that it wouldn't stack up as well as I'd remembered it.

Mercifully, I was not disappointed at all. Even from the first episode, I was laughing myself silly, and feeling guilty about it the whole time (it's a very guilty pleasure). Some of the sketches were a bit off-color, or off-kilter (I've only gotten through a couple so far, since it just got here last week), but for the most part it was on par with the best of Saturday Night Live. It's a great pop-culture send-up. Some of the material is dated, but that happens with any semi-topical show dealing with then-current events.

Still, the picture and music is good, it's got all the original lead-ins and lead outs (going from/to commercial and back), and music, and some special features to boot.

Fan-freakin'-tastic! And the price is right (appx $9 on sale over the holidays; can't beat that for a full season release)!

Now, if they'll just start releasing the other seasons! Perhaps, in the meanwhile, I'll hop over to In Living Color for a while, and catch up on my vintage comedy...

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Addendum:
Forgot to mention packaging, so heere goes. It's pretty attractively packaged. However, I'll add the caveat that they used double-sided discs, which I'm NOT a fan of. An extra side to try keeping fingerprints off of, and to keep from scratching. I'd rather see subsequent releases utilize single-sided discs with print on one side and data on the other. It's generally more attractive, and less problematic, even if it costs a fe extra pennies to mass-produce.

I also noted that the clips used on the inside were the push-button-to-release type, however, sometimes pushing the button doesn't seem sufficient, and it feels like the discs get "stuck." A few Highlander fold-outs behaved that way too... Anyway, it's worrisome, 'cause I tend to worry about breaking discs or chipping the inner ring of the disc on the holder, which might lead to a larger crack forming... So, if they could remedy that on the next release, that would be good. Otherwise, the fold-out seemed attractive and not ungainly. Likewise the outer box was attractive, as well.

Otherwise I would be forced to spend my hard-earned cash buying them! With the other seasons unreleased I can maintain a healthier savings account. With the economy currently in the doldrums that's important! The rest of the seasons with Will Sasso, Mo Collins, Phil LaMarr, Alex Boorstein, Debra Wilson, Nicole Sullivan are currently unavailable on DVD so Fox needn't worry about any substantial decline in my bank account. I'm certain that's a big concern for them. Also the fact that I might spend inordinate amounts of time re-enjoying Spishak commercials, the Vancome Lady, Ms. Swan, Darlene McBride, Paul Timberman, Lorraine, and the parodies of Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Prince, Michael Jackson(yes, I know he's gone), and all the rest of the gang. Thanks again, Fox!

I love MAD TV and have so for years. I thought I had been watching it from the beginning but I didn't seem to remember anything from season 1 while watching it. I gotta admit, season 1 isn't one of there best seasons of comedy, but it blows these days SNL out of the water. There are few "great" sketches, but it really picks up in the next couple of seasons to come, so my ratings are only going to get higher, and higher, the louder I laugh.

The original MAD line up and all the first season shows are presented nicely on 3 double sided discs. The first 2 discs (4 sides) contain just episodes and the last disc has 4 episodes and some unaired sketches, bloopers and the season 2 promo. The flip side contains a 30 minute "best of" MAD TV. As usual, I don't agree it's anywhere near the "best of" but lets have one review without anyone saying that. And also the 200th episode that does not reunite the first season cast, it reunites a about 5 previous MAD TV'rs, Nicole Sullivan, Alex Bornstein, Will Sasso, Artie Lange says hello from non-live satellite and Orlando Jones wasn't on set, but he did shoot a clip for the intro. Clips of most of the other cast members are shown tho.

Overall I give this DVD 3 stars. It is presented great, I don't think there is anything they missed, they included some good bonus goodies, even tho the bloopers aren't funny, and only about 2 of the unaired sketches proved other wise to why they weren't aired.

But judging by the quality and presentation of this first TV, heres the welcome mat for looking forward to season 2 when the MAD team kick the comedy into overdrive.

EGGS:
Santa On Cops promoe for season 2: On disc 3a highlight
"season 2 promo" and click left. You will see a yellow
target icon on Orlando Jones. Then press enter.

Pool Boy Promo for Season 2; On disc five (same spot as
above egg) highlight "main menu" and press left. You will
highlight him with a yellow 'X' icon. Click enter.

Heres to awaiting more madness to come.

P.S: To Amazon.com Michael McDonald isnt in this season, and Episode #200 from 2003 is NOT the season cast reunions, only about 4 from the original season showed up. and also, List Price: $408.23
Price: $326.58 & This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. See details.
You Save: $81.65

I think that is an error, it's not even $30 RRP, I think you guys need to check a few things.

Saturday Night Live pioneered the art of sketch comedy with its debut in 1975. MADtv first appeared on FOX in the mid-1990s, based on Mad Magazine and ever since people say that its nothing more than a badly-imitated SNL with far less celebrities. Whatever. I believe SNL has lost that essential ingredient in making people laugh: HUMOR. I can hardly recall any sketches that truly made me laugh my ass off, although some did manage chuckles here and there. Maybe it's New York's version of British humor, maybe its humor for adults, I don't know... MADtv has far more brilliant and clever writing. Granted, the show hasn't had many star celebrities visit its set, but it honestly doesn't need them (though it helps). Lately, it seems that SNL has gone totally dependant on its "What current famous star will be hosting this week?" roster and forgotten about trying to forge wit and hilarity into its sketches. MADtv has had an excellent forray of cast members, with some exceptions; Pat Kilbane, Andrew Daly, Lisa Kushell just seem like the last-minute comedians tacked on the list. Some left the show I think much too soon since the people in this category (Alex Borstein, Will Sasso, Nicole Sullivan) left a legacy of memorable characters like Ms. Swan, the Vancome Lady, and Sasso's hilarious and brutal portrayal of Steven Seagal. Some may say the show goes for cheap laughs, and yes, sometimes they do. But, hey, at least I laugh. The sketches aren't afraid to cross that politically-correct boundary that those liberal-idiots invented, with political satire, racial and ethnic parodies, and just overall fun. Besides, how can you resist a total lovable idiot child like Stuart?

If Mad TV really does end in 2009, fans of Mad TV should deserve a special treat.

That special treat should be the Long-Awaited Second Season on DVD!

It has been over 5 years after Season 1 was released.

Despite poor sales of Season 1, Season 2 should be released after the show ends!

Please release Mad TV The Complete 2nd Season (1996-1997) in the near future!

If you had asked me, I would have said I was watching MadTV from the first episode and hung with it off and on for many years. There are several very funny sketches from that first season I remember fondly, especially Dixie Wentworth, Dentist in a Box, the OJ bloopers video and an Artie Lange putting his parents out to pasture skit that ranks as my favorite one ever.

Imagine my surprise when only OJ was in Season 1. And not until episode 18. Dixie appears, though not by name, in a couple of forced and mostly unfunny sketches. Bryan Callen mugs his way through a number of slight bits, though no Australian pitchman, and Artie is largely a no show (though My White Momma is as funny as I remember.) Debra Wilson, an amazing actress, and Nicole Sullivan, a gifted comedian, carried the show for that year, and with great material could have done wonderful things. But given the mostly lukewarm stuff they got, it's not bad. And David Herman is the standout on the male side....I really didn't remember just how good he was. He soon left for work with Mike Judge that has not used his talents very well--the guy was very clever and skilled.

I kept awaiting the side-splitting convulsing laughter that would make me choke. But it never came. My reaction to nearly all of this was a mild smile. And there were lots of non-smiles. The Spy vs Spy cartoons are even less funny today, if that is possible, and the guests were guys I've never heard of (not surprising, considering how weak they were.) The occasional laugh out loud moment is mixed with far too much tepid chuckling. It just didn't get going...not bad, but nothing to commemorate and watch again. Maybe Season 2 is better and those hysterical moments I thought I saw appear then. Or maybe I'm hallucinating the whole thing. Whatever; this has its moments, but far too few of them. Sketch comedy is dicey stuff. The greatest of all, Monty Python, produced whole shows that are unwatchable today. These guys have nothing to reach the heights of MP, and a few that sink to their most discouraging depths.

The extras are far too slight to add much, a couple each of various animations and parodies, and the 200th show that wasn't all that great. This set is a minor disappointment, though it is the hours invested in rewatching awaiting those never-coming riotous moments, rather than the modest cost, that disappoint most.

Mad TV is one of the funniest sketch comedy shows around. It's nice to see the orginal cast members again. Since the show probably didn't pick up steam untill the 3rd season, I wasn't expecting too much. But this DVD exceeded my expectations. The special featurees were "CLASSIC!" Although I found the best ofs extremely funny, I do think there needed to be more. Like the sng paradoides were funny, but I wouldn't the BEST OF. Maybe the best of the CURRENT, but what about "Real Lady mad TV," or the HILARIOUS "Keep Posin'"? Those were thre BEST OFs. but I understand. If you find the Easter Eggs by clicking on either David Herman or Orlando Jones in the cast picture. You'll find that there DEFINATELY will be a season 2 (soon I hope!) So, they are probably just saving some for then. The bbloopers were HILARIOUS, and the 200th episode was nice. Then, there's the actual show! First of all, we get to see the FIRST appareance of the favorites charecters like the UBS Guy or the Vancome Lady. I mean, the modern day mad TV is pretty funny, but it can't compare to "RUN DADDY RUN!" I think I speak for everyone who's seen this DVD when I say, season 2 BETTER dang well not come out like 2 years from now. Can we have it now???????? Because we have attention spans that can only be measured in nano-seconds. ooo look at that........... What? What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Mad TV. Anyway, I seriously recommend this DVD to anyone who 1. is a big mad tv fan or 2. has yet to see mad tv. If you haven't seen it, buy this before watching todays episodes. They're better. If you don't like mad TV, well...you've fallen helpless and are a hopeless case to something I call.....maturity. Ugh. Glad I never got it. Keep up the good work mad TV! And keep up the fart joke. ha ha ha....FART!