MADtv: The Complete Third Season DVD Review

The third season of MADtv is when the show really took off, due in large part to the addition of a few new cast members: Will Sasso, Alex Borstein, Aries Spears and Pat Kilbane. This season is really strong, with sketches often linked together, and the introductions of some of the series’ most famous characters (such as Ms. Swan). The cast for this season was David Herman, Phil LaMarr, Will Sasso, Mary Scheer, Aries Spears, Nicole Sullivan, Debra Wilson, Alex Borstein, Chris Hogan, Pat Kilbane, Lisa Kushell, and Craig Anton.

The third season has some really great skits. I love the skit about hunting the Spice Girls.  The Funky Walker Dirty Talker skit is usually fairly funny. I particularly like the episode where he gives advice to Lou Diamond Phillips on talking dirty on TV: “You just gotta look at that camera like it’s a woman. That’s why we put the dress on it.” I love the skit making fun of Elton John for re-writing his song for Princess Diana (which is unforgivable, Elton). In this skit, anyone with the funds can rent Elton to rewrite his songs for their dead loved ones. Also, I dig “Buffy The Umpire Slayer” (“Umpires by definition are not people. They are creatures of pure evil”). “Leaving Metropolis,” with Nicholas Cage as Superman, is hilarious. There is a bathroom skit that had me laughing for several minutes. But holy moly, my favorite skit has to be the one with Will Sasso nervous about his wedding. Seriously, it’s completely bloody hilarious.

As in previous seasons, the third season has some really funny fake ads, including those for “Flimstone” birth control pills, Titanic Happy Meals, Farah Fawcett’s Body Brush 2000, and the Needy Evie doll (the doll is revisited in a “Lowered Expectations” segment). The Spishak Baby Blaster commercial is great, and the line that really made me burst out laughing is “Spishak’s Baby Blaster comes complete with a 110-page instructional booklet and a year’s supply of prime-grade Polynesian sperm.” And hey, I want to play Switcheroo, the crossdressing game from Spishak. Who wouldn’t?

Guest stars this season include Don Most (he’s in a skit titled “Love Titanic,” a joke on Love Boat), Pam Grier (she looks so hot), Mark Hamill (he does some funky walking, dirty talking and is great, as always), and Carmen Electra (I love her wedding sketch). Oddly, there is a bit where Carmen Electra’s name is misspelled on screen as “Carmin.” Several times. Someone screwed up.

Several of the episodes feature a comedic musical group called Corky And The Juice Pigs. In the third episode Corky And The Juice Pigs do a song making fun of R.E.M., and it’s spot-on and hilarious. They appear in another five or six episodes, including one in which cast member Debra Wilson joins them on backing vocals.

One of the best episodes is the one with Jennifer Love Hewitt. It opens with a great bit ridiculing the Los Angeles new organizations for making big deals out of a little weather. One anchor says, “I’ve been wet before, and you know it’s times like those that you really cherish your children.” (By the way, Alex Borstein plays a field reporter and it’s the same voice she uses for a similar character on Family Guy.) This episode features the introduction of Ms. Swan (“he looka like a man”). There’s also a very funny cavity search sketch. This is one of the funniest skits I’ve seen, and it gets funnier the longer it goes on. Will Sasso is particularly good in it.  Jennifer Love Hewitt is so adorable, even while promoting I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Another excellent episode is the one with Jerry Springer. It opens with Jerry Springer surprising Nicole by having her boyfriend come out dressed as a girl. The actor, who looks totally hot by the way, is credited as Candy Ass (Give me a call, Candy). Mark Hamill plays a game show host in this episode, and he’s great. Ms. Swan is also in the skit, and she says “You need to use the force” to another character. Jerry Springer pokes fun at the violence that often erupts on his program. He also appears on “Lowered Expectations” (“I’ve seen it all, and normal people just don’t do it for me anymore”).

The Kirk And Spock Variety Hour sketch is bloody brilliant, and the Tribbles dancers are great. They’re four women in big furry costumes. The next girl I date needs to get one of those costumes (Are you paying attention, Candy Ass?). Of course the sketch makes fun of Shatner’s musical endeavors. It’s hilarious.

I generally dislike Christmas specials, but “MADtv’s Christmas Special Spectacular” is pretty wonderful. The commercial for GI Jew is excellent. And then later there is one for GI Junkie. The combination of Rudolph and Apocalypse Now is great, where Rudolph is ordered to terminate Santa. “The ho ho horror.”

The only big weakness of the show is its habit of reusing footage from the previous season, and even repeating stuff within this season (such as the cream or corn cop skit and the Daisy Fuentes commercial). Several of the “Spy Vs. Spy” cartoons were repeats from the previous season. And several of the sketches had been shown in the previous seasons. Sometimes the show admits to it by calling an item a “MADtv Classic” (such as “XXX Files” and “Furious George”). But keep in mind this was only the third season. Could something only one or two years old be considered “Classic”? No.

I suppose the only other negative thing is that they open the season with Sandra Bernhard hosting, and she attempts to sing. I can barely stand to listen to her talk, never mind sing. And she sings three different times. It’s rather cruel. But don’t worry – even that episode has plenty of great material (like Michael Jackson in the army barracks – “Unaccompanied children will be admitted free”).

By the way, in the season finale there is a great skit making fun of rap singers referring to God as their inspiration in their speeches. God tells them, “I think all of your music sucks.” Amen.

MADtv: The Complete Third Season is scheduled to be released on June 25, 2013 through Shout! Factory.