Review of 9-12-1998 episode Here's a review of episode #401, the season four premiere: ========================================================= ================================ Opening Segment: Ms. Swan (Alex Borstein) tells some unfunny jokes. I didn't quite get this one. There's Something About Monica: It's "There's Something About Mary" only with Monica Lewinsky instead of Cameron Diaz, this summer's hit screwball comedy. This OK but very predictable and not as funny as what I had expected, given the fact that this segment got the most publicity (full page ad in TV Guide). Keanu Reeves School of Acting: Keanu's secret to acting is to "get in touch with that empty space in your head." This looked like a pretty promising idea, although it was not hysterically funny. Good performance by Bowen. Al Gore Bedroom Tips: Al Bore (Pat Kilbane) bores us with some bedroom tips. It should have been funnier to see the wooden, emotionaless Gore giving sex advice, but this one pretty much falls flat, at least in my opinion. CNN Newstand: CNN keeps making reports based on dubious sources and then has to make retractions. It apparently is supposed to be a commentary on the lack of credibility of news organizations [especially on CNN after it was forced to retract a story alleging army use of nerve gas in Vietnam], but it doesn't work out too well, especially when you compare it too some of the other news parodies from the past: the very funny "X News" and "News at Six." Ms. Swan Phone Sex: Since I was never a big fan of this character, I'm glad they decided to do something different with it. Unfortunately, this one doesn't work too well, either. Sonny's Widow and Cher Show: Finally, halfway into the show, they put together another halfway-decent sketch. Sonny Bono's widow (Alex Borstein) and Cher trade insults and debate political issues in a parody of the old Sonny and Cher show. Special appearance by Vice President Al Gore (Pat Kilbane). I found the appearance by Chastity at the end to be particularly funny. Dorky Roommate: Cool college football player (Aries Spears) has a dorky roommate. This sketch was not bad and was even worthy of the old Mad TV. Funky Walker Dirty Talker: Desperation Lee (Phil LaMarr) is desperate because he's been cut from a film, but his spirits are revived by guest Vivica A. Fox. It was a pretty inventive twist on the old FWDT formula, and one of the better segments in the show. Spy vs. Spy: White spy digs a hole that the black spy thinks is a shadow - he falls into it. A fine bit of animation. Silvante: The character Silvante (Phil LaMarr) is revived, this time with Usher, and doing his version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." And as usual, he scores with a woman (Debra Wilson). This was OK, but not as good as the last Savante sketch. ============= ============================================================================== On the whole, this was a very disappointing beginning to the new season of Mad TV. This is possibly the weakest first episode of a "Mad TV" season ever. The fact that the most-hyped segment of the show, "There's Something About Monica," was relatively weak turned out to be but a prelude to the overall weakness of the show. If the producers set out to alienate old fans of the show, they did a pretty good job. First of all, cast changes were made that were not pre-announced. Of last season's cast, I did not see the following cast members listed in the opening credits: (1) Chris Hogan, (2) Lisa Kushell, (3) Mary Scheer, and (4) Nicole Sullivan. The following new cast members were added: (1) Andrew Bowen, (2) Mo Collins, (3) Michael McDonald. Although I heard a rumor that Hogan, Kushell and Scheer had been dropped, I heard no official word from Fox on the matter. The absence of Nicole Sullivan is a mystery; she did not say anything about it on her recent (September 8) appearance on Jay Leno, but even if she appears in subsequent episode, a Mad TV episode without Nicole Sullivan at all is a sure loser. As for the new cast, I cannot judge their talents based on this sole episode; however, their performances in this episode were not, in my opinion, as good as the usual performances we got from the old cast. The new look and feel of the show is also somewhat disconcerting, although we may get used to it given time (the new opening credits were not very good - and all reference to the magazine and Alfred E. Neuman were deleted!). I will continue to watch the show, but I found this episode to be a major disappointment. Web site update: Added exclusive coverage of Nicole Sullivan's September 8th appearance on Jay Leno on Friday, September 11. Added "Party of Five" coverage on September 5. ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ