Review of 10-17-1998 episode (OAD: 1-3-1998) This episode was delayed by almost two hours on the East Coast (at least in the New York area) due to Game 1 of the World Series, which also aired on Fox. This pretty much dashes any hopes of this episode getting good ratings. However, if the Yankees sweep (as some are predicting), I guess next week's show will air at its regular time. ===================================== ========================================================== Titanic Happy Meal: Parody of McDonald's Happy Meals, with the theme being the Titanic disaster. Not as funny as the prior Titanic parody in my opinion, but still OK. Opening Segment: Phil LaMarr introduces Pam Grier. Not much to talk about here; she doesn't do a monologue or anything. The Swan Files: Ms. Swan (Alex Borstein) recounts an alleged alien abduction, with the help of Scully (Mary Scheer) and Mulder (Chris Hogan). The acting is good: Borstein as Swan is very good; Scheer more than adequately reprises her Scully, and although Hogan overacts as usual, he probably bears more of a physical resemblence to David Duchovny than Dave Herman (who also played Mulder). But this is still one of the weakest Ms. Swan sketches from last season. 20/20: A 20/20/Jerry Springer crossover. We end up with "20/20: Too Hot For TV." Nicole Sullivan, who has played news anchors several times on Mad TV, is good as the elderly Barbara Walters, and Chris Hogan's Hugh Downs is adequate (the part where he has his veins tied off like a heroin addict is hilarious). Tastes vary, so this segment may not win universal plaudits, but I liked it! Cabana Chat: Cabana Chat, in my opinion was one of the best recurring segments of the old Mad TV; thus, it was sad to see this segment go downhill after Poolie (Bryan Callen) left. This segment did nothing to arrest the decline but was OK; interestingly enough, they showed the "Pool Boy For a Day" finalists, even though it's irrelevant now (and actually somewhat painful to watch). The signature "moisture" made its appearance, so we can't complain. Roadkill Lunchmeat Megapress: Why throw away dead animals, when you can process them and make luncheon meat out of them? It's not as if you really know what they put in spam, anyway. This was pretty disgusting, and I loved it. Corky and the Juice Pigs: Here the Juice Pigs perform "Phone Sex Girls." I think this is probably one of their funniest songs. The lesson that we learn from this song is that phone sex girls are not pretty. The offbeat humor of the Juice Pigs complements the show pretty well, and it's somewhat sad to see they haven't been back for a return engagement in season four (especially since the rest of the show has been rather disappointing). Negro Justice League of America: Before there was the "black power" movement, there was the Negro Justice League of America. At least that's what we are supposed to think. "Uncle America" (Aries Spears) is allowed to go on missions with his white compatriots, but has to clean up after Captain Flash. Then Pam Grier arrives and incites them to liberate themselves. This sketch was actually pretty good, especially at the end where Uncle America becomes a Malcolm X wanna-be. Lowered Expectations: The first appearance of Susan Whitfield (Lisa Kushell) on the show. This is one of my favorite new recurring characters from last season. Good performance by Kushell, especially the way Whitfield looks really ghoulish. Susan Whitfield: Susan Whitfield has her own cable access show. She's basically a loser who interviews three popular kids: a student council president (Phil LaMarr), a football player (Will Sasso), and a cheerleader (Nicole Sullivan). All performances are good, and the sketch was pretty well-written; I especially liked the part where she talk's about her mother abandoning her for two days without food. Sullivan is particularly good, although I didn't know they let college graduates on high school cheerleading squads. Lowered Expectations: One of the better recurring characters from the early days of "Mad TV" was Mrs. Barone (I think it was the first episode that had a sketch about Mrs. Barone giving her daughter (Nicole Sullivan) lung cancer through secondhand smoke). It was used less frequently in seasons two and three. This segment represented the last appearance of the character and I think also it was her only appearance in season three. And this segment is pretty good although it doesn't really add much to the character. The signature "ah - there it is!" is here, as everyone's favorite chain smoker chokes, wheezes, and coughs up phlegm (disgusting!). Mad TV Big Game: Aries Spears, Chris Hogan and Will Sasso are three sports commentators. The whole idea is that Sasso's character is an ex-football player who keeps having flashbacks; he also doesn't do very good color commentary (he expresses himself largely with exclamations like "whap," "bang" and "boom." This was pretty good in my opinion. Spy vs. Spy: The Black Spy pulls a Jason Pollard (or so we think), but then he blows up the white spy. Up to the usual "Spy vs. Spy" standard, maybe a little better. ========================================================= ===================================== In conclusion, I would group this episode in the middle rank of "Mad TV" episodes from season three: that is, not especially good, but there were enough decent sketches to make it worth watching. Moreover, in my opinion it is as good as or maybe even better than any episode I've seen in season four so far. I even like the opening title graphics and little bits they do between sketches and commercials more than the new ones! Sadly, as I noted before, this episode was delayed in at least half of the continental United States (and probably parts of Canada as well) due to the baseball game, so I would assume that not many people saw it. Nevertheless, the show was OK and for those who miss their weekly fix of Nicole Sullivan, this was perhaps as good as heroin pulsating through an addict's veins. ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ