Fox Hopes ‘Mad TV’ Will Replace ‘Snl’
Looking to bring down NBC’s increasingly vulnerable “Saturday Night Live,” Fox Broadcasting announced Thursday that it would introduce a new Saturday night comedy show of its own this fall, to be produced in conjunction with the venerable comedy magazine Mad.
“Mad TV” will include parodies of movies and television shows, political satire and other spoofs, John Matoian, president of the Fox Entertainment Group, told managers of Fox’s affiliated stations at a meeting in Los Angeles.
The show will also offer animated versions of some classic Mad magazine cartoons, including “Spy vs. Spy.”
The cast Matoian introduced Thursday was made up mostly of new performers, although some have appeared in other Fox shows like “Living Single,” “House of Buggin’ ” and “Roc.”
“Mad TV” will be broadcast from 11 p.m. to midnight, starting on a date this fall still to be decided, Fox executives said. The 11 p.m. start will give the show a half-hour jump on “Saturday Night Live,” which remains a 90-minute show.
New ‘seaQuest’ captain
Michael Ironside is taking over as captain of “seaQuest DSV” when the overhauled show moves to NBC’s Wednesday 8 p.m. time slot, the network confirmed Wednesday.
Roy Scheider, who helmed the vessel for two seasons as Nathan Bridger, is being relegated to a recurring role.
Ironside, a heavy in feature films “Free Willy,” “Highlander II,” “Top Gun” and “Total Recall,” did six episodes of NBC’s drama hit “ER” this past season, playing emotionally detached Dr. William Swift, the new ER chairman who questions Anthony Edwards’ (Dr. Green) abilities.
‘Outer Limits’ treat
“Outer Limits” fans get a rare treat this summer - a chance to see two versions of a favorite episode of the classic sci-fi series.
Sunday at 3 p.m., TNT kicks off an “Outer Limits” marathon with “I, Robot,” a 1964 episode in which a robot is accused of killing its creator, and faces trial for the murder.
On July 23, Showtime presents a 1995 “I Robot” remake as part of its new “Outer Limits” series, which captures the flavor and feel of the original ‘60s show.
The bonus treat: Both star Leonard Nimoy.
In the original (which preceded “Star Trek” and Mr. Spock by two years), Nimoy played a cynical reporter who questions if a non-human can have human qualities.
This time ‘round, he plays the retired, reclusive lawyer who agrees to represent the mechanical man in an attempt to prove that it/he does have human feelings.
The ‘95 episode - directed by Nimoy’s son, Adam Nimoy, a lawyer-turned-filmmaker - marks the first time Showtime has remade a former “Limits” episode. Nimoy is the first actor to appear in both series.
“What intrigued me was the issue of life - what is life, and when is life,” he said. “The most interesting, absorbing issue was whether or not this robot should be put on trial.”
Interestingly, the outcome of the legal hearing differs in each show. (Of course, we won’t ruin it for you.)