Review of 12-19-1998 episode (OAD 12-14-1996) Since I didn't review this one when it first aired, I thought I'd review it this time around. ============================================================================== ================= Opening Segment: Two reverends (Orlando Jones, Dave Herman) hawk Harry Connick, Jr. CDs in order that we might rediscover "Chrima." Since they were initially decrying the commercialization of Christmas, this segment qualifies as being "ironic," which is a word the current writing staff might consider looking up in the dictionary someday. If memory serves the Orlando Jones character was a recurring one (I remember this guy being hauled into court for using his church as a front for taking trips to Hawaii, etc.), and it is a fine performance. Herman is good, too, and on the whole it's a good segment. The UBS Guy: UBS vs. Sped Ex! The UBS Guy (Phil LaMarr) goes to pick up packages in an office building, where he encounters the Sped Ex guy (Bryan Callen). Sped Ex is more state-of-the art than UBS, but the UBS Guy gets the last laugh. This is one of the better UBS Guy sketches. It was good to see Callen again, and Nicole Sullivan was good as the receptionist. The Greatest Action Story Ever Told: The Greatest Movie Parody Ever Aired? Maybe not, but it's still quite funny, and if not the best Mad TV movie parody, it's at least a good example of the kind of clever crossover that the show in more recent days has been lacking. In this segment, the Terminator (Bryan Callen) travels back in time to about 30 A.D. to save Jesus (Dave Herman), who does not want to be saved. Callen doesn't really look that much like Schwartzenegger, but they did a really good job with makeup on this segment, and he's muscular enough to pull it off. Dave Herman as Jesus looks suspiciously like his Joe Eszterhas, but it's a plausible performance anyway. Cabana Chat: Those who have missed this segment since Mary Scheer left the show must have enjoyed this. We even get the Dance of the Pool Boy (Bryan Callen)! But what may make this one of the most memorable Cabana Chats ever is the presence of Harry Connick, Jr. - albeit in drag. And don't forget Orlando Jones as Dexter, gushing over his Christmas gift (a piece of Barbara Streisand's back). Spy vs. Spy: It's the one where the white spy tries to use karate on the black spy. I think they've used this one in other episodes. Good animation. Unfortunately, I don't think they show "Spy vs. Spy" much anymore - in fact, it's as if they're expurgating all connections to Mad Magazine. The Reinfather: The second part of the Rudolph trilogy. Rudolph is now a mafia don, and the different reindeer are heads of mafia families. The dentist elf, of course, is his capo. A memorable moment here is when the abominable snowman bites off one of the reindeer's head. And the christening was quite funny, too ("Do you reject the Grinch and all his works?"). Leave it to Mad TV to come up with the idea of a Rudolph/gangster film crossover and then carry it out with such effectiveness. Harry Connick Jr.: This was one of the rare occassions where they had a musical guest on the show (if you don't count Corky and the Juice Pigs). He sings a song about Santa Claus. This was OK, but personally I always thought Billy Squier's "Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You" was the definitive Christmas song. Vancome Lady: This time, Kathy (Nicole Sullivan) is the Virgin Mary in a Christmas pageant. This is in my opinion the best Vancome sketch ever. Yes, Christmas is the one time of year when we're supposed to be more compassionate, etc., but who better to shatter Christmas spirit than one of the most rude recurring characters ever (she denounces the Wise Men as "cheap bastards" for not getting her any gifts)? Kathy makes fun of foreigners, alcoholics, and the sexually promiscuous and even children in this excellent sketch. Phil LaMarr also enhances this sketch by expertly playing the Vancome Lady's main foil. Granny's Liver: Married couple (Nicole Sullivan, Harry Connick Jr.) give their grandmother (Mary Scheer) a series of Christmas presents. She barely veils her disappointment as each gift turns out to be something other than a liver - but the last gift is the eagerly-anticipated liver. A decent sketch, and well-executed by all the cast - even Harry Connick. Harry Connick Jr.: He sings "That Guy's in Love with You." Not really my cup of tea (now imagine if they had Billy Squier as the musical guest - or Rush doing the full "2112" suite? THAT would be a show.), but entertaining in it's own way (in its own Frank Sinatra retro way). ============ ================================================================================ == In conclusion, I thought this was an excellent show. Several segments from the show could legitmately be considered to be all-time classic Mad TV segments (e.g., Cabana Chat, Vancome Lady, the Reinfather), etc. One could argue that the musical segments distract from the comedy, but there's only two of them and it's rare enough that Mad TV has a musical guest anyway. If I had to choose which of the four Christmas specials is the best, I suppose I would choose the first one (1995), especially since it made a stronger impression on me, the show being relatively new. But this is a close second, and I should note that it's the first Christmas special where the WHOLE show consisted of Christmas-related sketches (the 1995 episode did not, although most of the stuff was related to Christmas). Noticable here too is the conspicuous absence of Artie Lange, although he is listed in the opening credits and although he supposedly was not off the cast until after MD-210 (this was MD-209). Next Week: MD-311 (OAD: 12-16-1997). Howie Long on Cabana Chat; A Pack of Gifts Now; Antonia Santa Claus. Two Weeks From Now: MD-401 (OAD: 9-12-1998). Keanu Reeves School of Acting; There's Something About Mary; Vivica A. Fox on Funky Walker Dirty Talker. [Note that the TV listings still erroneously list Nicole Sullivan as being in the cast of this episode!] Since they decided to show a rerun this week, it's too bad they didn't choose an older, better episode. ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ