So long, MADtv. A Fox spokesperson has confirmed a Defamer report that the network will cancel the late-night series at the end of the season. Originally inspired by MAD magazine, the variety show has managed to last 14 years on Fox’s Saturday night lineup, but it never managed to eclipse NBC mainstay Saturday Night Live in the ratings or the zeitgeist. Still, the sketch show — which has averaged 2.62 million viewers this season — has created some memorable moments, including Keegan-Michael Key’s impersonations of Barack Obama and the lovable Coach Hines, and Bobby Lee’s turns as a fictitious movie reviewer named Johnny Gan and a blind Kung Fu master. Favorite guests on the show have included Susan Sarandon and Jeff Probst. Tennis champ Serena Williams will appear this weekend.
Nov 12
2008
09:16 PM ET
'MADtv' to end its 14-year run at season's end
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TV Finale Highlights
Five days at a glance*
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Tuesday, May 1
- The Biggest Loser NBC, 8-9PM
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Friday, May 4
- In Plain Sight USA, 10-11PM
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Sunday, May 6
- The Amazing Race CBS, 8-10PM
- GCB NBC, 10-11PM
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Monday, May 7
- Two Broke Girls CBS, 8-9PM
- Castle ABC, 10-11PM
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Tuesday, May 8
- Last Man Standing ABC, 8-8:30PM
- The Voice NBC, 8-10PM
- New Girl FOX, 9-9:31PM
- Unforgettable CBS, 10-11PM
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Wednesday, May 9
- CSI CBS, 10-11PM
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Thursday, May 10
- The Big Bang Theory CBS, 8-8:31PM
- The Vampire Diaries The CW, 8-9PM
- The Office NBC, 9-9:30PM
- The Secret Circle The CW, 9-10PM
- Parks and Recreation NBC, 9:30-10PM
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Friday, May 11
- The Finder FOX, 8-9PM
- Undercover Boss CBS, 8-9PM
- Fringe FOX, 9-10PM
- CSI: NY CBS, 9-10PM
- Blue Bloods CBS, 10-11PM
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Sunday, May 13
- Once Upon A Time ABC, 8-9PM
- Survivor: One World CBS, 8-10PM
- Desperate Housewives ABC, 9-11PM, SERIES FINALE
- American Dad FOX, 9:30-10PM
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Monday, May 14
- Bones FOX, 8-9PM
- How I Met Your Mother CBS, 8-9PM
- Gossip Girl The CW, 8-9PM
- Two and a Half Men CBS, 9-9:30PM
- Hart of Dixie The CW, 9-10PM
- Mike & Molly CBS, 9:30-10PM
- Hawaii Five-0 CBS, 10-11PM
- Smash NBC, 10-11PM
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Tuesday, May 15
- 90210 The CW, 8-9PM
- Cougar Town ABC, 8-9PM
- NCIS CBS, 8-9PM
- NCIS: Los Angeles CBS, 9-11PM
- Fashion Star NBC, 10-11PM
- Private Practice ABC, 10-11PM
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Wednesday, May 16
- Suburgatory ABC, 8:30-9PM
- Criminal Minds CBS, 9-11PM
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Thursday, May 17
- Missing ABC, 8-9PM
- Community NBC, 8-8:30PM, 9-10PM
- 30 Rock NBC, 8:30-9PM
- Rules of Engagement CBS, 8:30-9PM
- Awake NBC, 9-11PM
- Grey's Anatomy ABC, 9-10PM
- Person of Interest CBS, 9-10PM
- The Mentalist CBS, 10-11PM
- Scandal ABC, 10-11PM
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Friday, May 18
- Nikita The CW, 8-9PM
- Shark Tank ABC, 8-9PM
- Who Do You Think You Are NBC, 8-9PM
- Grimm NBC, 9-10PM
- Supernatural The CW, 9-10PM
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Saturday, May 19
- Saturday Night Live NBC, 11:29PM-1AM
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Sunday, May 20
- America's Funniest Home Videos ABC, 7-8PM
- The Cleveland Show FOX, 7:30-8PM
- Harry's Law NBC, 8-9PM
- The Simpsons FOX, 8-8:30PM
- Bob's Burgers FOX, 8:30-9PM
- Celebrity Apprentice NBC, 9-11PM
- Family Guy FOX, 9-10PM
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Monday, May 21
- Dancing With the Stars (Performance) ABC, 8-9PM
- House FOX, 8-10PM, SERIES FINALE
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Tuesday, May 22
- American Idol (Performance) FOX, 8-9PM
- Dancing With the Stars (Results) ABC, 9-11PM
- Glee FOX, 9-10PM
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Wednesday, May 23
- The Middle ABC, 8-8:30PM
- American Idol (Results) FOX, 8-10:07PM
- Modern Family ABC, 9-9:30PM
- Don't Trust the B— ABC, 9:30-10PM
- Revenge ABC, 10-11PM
- Law & Order: SVU NBC, 10-11PM
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Thursday, May 24
- Awake NBC, 10-11PM
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Tuesday, May 29
- Cougar Town ABC, 8-9PM
- The L.A. Complex The CW, 9-10PM
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Wednesday, May 30
- America's Next Top Model: British Invasion The CW, 9-10PM
*Times are Eastern Daylight and subject to change
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Please say it aint so! Or maybe this is the way it should be. I mean at one time MadTv was the greatest thing going for lonely stay at home on Sat.night guy’s like me. Yeah,the first five or six years were the best for that show.I loved Will Sasso,Michael McDonald,and the rest of the crew! Stuart,damn,that was funny or the Michael Jackson impersonations,hilarious!Who will forget the fake music videos like the Brittany Spears one.Too many of the good actors left the show,and even I did not care much for it in the last few years.I believe that at one time it was so much better than that snobby Sat.Night Live show.Which is a yuppie,snobby,pain in the ass show to watch anyway.It to at one time was great like MadTv in the first few years.I refuse to watch SNL and have for years now!I hate to see the end of MadTv but,it really is not that good anymore!In all reality there really isn’t a lot of good shows on this year or even the last few years.I am glad I have cable and have alot of choices
MadTV you will be missed. Even though you aren’t as funny as you used to be you still gave me many laughs. And your music video parodies were genius. We’ll miss you!
thank god
this show was awful im gald it got caned
DUDE…youre a hater…so watch your stupid glee you chode monkey
It is really obvious that “JOE” has a limited ability to know whats funny and whats not,like his comment!!
You thought the show was awful and are glad it got caned huh? Did the show graffiti or litter in Singapore or something? Maybe now Micheal McDonald can go over to SNL, seeing as he has been the funniest performer on any sketch comedy show for at least a decade now!
At least Mad TV had one of the more diverse casts on TV. It’s too bad SNL couldn’t learn that lesson.
That’s sad! I preferred MadTv to SNL. I always thought they were edgier. All time fav: Miss Swan!
It was time. Stopped watching when they switched to the current format.
I so sad. This show is so much better than SNL.
awww. they’d really found their groove the past three years. i’m going to miss ‘interventions’ and the korean soap opera.
This sucks!! I’ve watched it almost since the start, and for the last 6 or 7 years, MAD TV has been CLEARLY, CLEARLY a funnier show than SNL. SNL may do better political sketches, but MAD TV’s pop-culture and Movie/TV spoofs are much much better… I really hope another network but not one of the big 4, picks up MAD TV. I will really miss MADTV, it was so overshadowed by SNL. But people always forgot one thing: SNL IS NOT FUNNY! Mad TV was so subversive and rude, but not in a sleazy way like In Living Color. I will remember Miss Swan, Stewart, Vancome Lady, Dot, and all the others!
Hey, EW: You’ve ignored MAD TV for its entire existence. How about honoring its farewell with a spread in an upcoming issue about the best characters on the show (Stewart, Miss Swan, etc) and/or a spread about all the actors who have appeared on the show??? That’s the least you can do to honor a show that has been way way funnier and way underappreciated than the putridly unfunny SNL for the least 10 years.
FINALLY! WOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!
wow, alot of times it was alot funnier than SNL, will miss it!
I can’t believe that s**t was on for 14 years, I mean who was watching?