Saturday Night Changes

Saturday Night Live adds some fresh blood while MADtv takes its last bow.

NBC's "Saturday Night Live" has its own post-election "transition team" gearing up as the show begins adding new faces Abby Elliott (pictured) and Michaela Watkins as featured players. They will begin appearing on the show this weekend.

Meanwhile, FOX has announced the final season of Emmy Award-winning sketch comedy series MADtv. Now in its 14th year, MADtv will air its 326th and final original episode in May 2009. MADtv airs Saturdays (11:00 PM-Midnight) on FOX.

“MADtv has been one of the longest running series in recent television history,” said Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “The fact that this Emmy Award-winning show has been a FOX mainstay in late-night for 14 years is a testament to the creativity and dedication put forth each week by the talented cast, writers and crew. This was a very difficult decision and we would like to give our heartfelt thanks to everyone at MADtv for making us laugh for over 300 irreverent episodes.”

Jerry O'Connell Opens MADtv

Jerry O’Connell, star of the new FOX comedy DO NOT DISTURB, will make a special appearance on the season premiere of MADtv airing Saturday, Sept. 13 (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT) on FOX. O’Connell will spoof Senator John Edwards in “Viva La Cheat,” a music video parody of Coldplay’s hit song “Viva La Vida.” Also on the 14th season premiere, MADtv cast member Keegan-Michael Key returns as “Fauxbama,” newcomer Erica Ash unveils her “Michelle Obama,” and returning cast members Bobby Lee and Arden Myrin will premiere their own versions of “John and Cindy McCain.”

FOX Upfront Announcements - Fall 08-09 Schedules

Peter Liguori, Chairman, Entertainment; and Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, today unveiled the FOX primetime schedule for the 2008-2009 television season speaking before the national advertising community at New York City Center.

“Broadcast television needs a jolt. We feel it’s our responsibility, as the No. 1 network for the last four seasons, to provide that electricity,” said Liguori. “The goal of our business is entertaining viewers…they’re our lifeblood, and it’s incumbent upon us to make sure their first and favorite entertainment destination is FOX.”

Continue Reading for New Show Descriptions, Schedule and More...

Sarandon To Host Madtv "Best Of"

Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon returns to host “MADtv’s Most Wanted” on Saturday, October 6 (11:00-Midnight ET/PT) on FOX. Sarandon (“Mr. Woodcock,” “Stepmom,” “Dead Man Walking” and “Thelma and Louise”) and MADtv’s Michael McDonald pair up in New York City to present a night of fan-favorite sketches featuring cast members McDonald (“Stuart”), Alex Borstein (“Miss Swan”), Mo Collins (“Lorraine”), Keegan-Michael Key (“Coach Hines”), Stephnie Weir (“Dot”) and Nicole Sullivan (“The Vancome Lady”).

MADtv Kicks Off This Weekend

FOX’s Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy series MADtv kicks off its 13th season with three special episodes to be hosted by Jerry Springer, Jeff Probst and Perez Hilton, respectively, on Saturdays, Sept. 15, Sept. 22 and Sept. 29 (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT) on FOX.

During the season premiere airing Saturday, Sept. 15 (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT), Springer (“The Jerry Springer Show,” “America’s Got Talent,” “Dancing With the Stars”), the king of outrageous behavior, hosts “MADtv Ruined My Life: The Outrageous Sketches That Shocked a Nation.” From the set of his talk show, Springer and his audience examine MADtv’s most controversial classics, including “The Wizard of Oz: The Lost Footage,” Michael McDonald’s “Secret Skill” and “Hot In Here,” a music video lampooning the church sex scandals.

Then Probst, the host of “Survivor,” takes a break from “reality” and gets his hands dirty hosting “Survivor: MADtv” on Saturday, Sept. 22 (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT). Straight from the streets of Hollywood, Probst checks out the cream of MADtv’s television satires, including “The Sopranos” (featuring Will Sasso as “Tony Soprano”) and “Grey’s Anatomy” (featuring Bobby Lee as “Dr. Cristina Yan”), as well as a parody of himself (starring Michael McDonald as the ultimate “Survivor” host).

The self-proclaimed “Queen of All Media,” Perez Hilton, hosts “I WANT My MADtv” – a special pop-culture episode featuring popular music videos, celebrity impersonations and commercial parodies airing Saturday, Sept. 29 (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT). Hilton is a famed blogger and TV personality (www.perezhilton.com).

MADtv’s edgy comedy has made this award-winning sketch comedy show a FOX Saturday-night staple. Noted for its signature characters, celebrity impersonations and biting pop-culture commentaries, MADtv welcomes returning cast members Michael McDonald, Bobby Lee, Nicole Parker, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Arden Myrin and Crista Flanagan. Four new cast members include Anjelah Johnson, Johnny Sanchez III, Daheli Hall and Dan Oster. The returning cast has created such wildly popular characters as McDonald’s “Stuart,” Lee’s “Blind Kung Fu Master,” Parker’s “Ellen DeGeneres,” Key’s “Coach Hines,” Peele’s “Morgan Freeman,” Myrin’s “Tara Reid” and Flanagan’s “LuAnn” and will soon introduce Johnson’s “Tammy, the Nail Lady,” Sanchez’s “Farhid, the Kite Salesman from the Middle East,” Hall’s “Oprah” and Oster’s “American Jerk.”

MADtv Get Some Fresh Blood

Next season on MADtv, Johnny Sanchez III, Anjelah N. Johnson and Dan Oster join the returning ensemble, and the late-night series will celebrate its 300th episode milestone Saturday, Nov. 17 (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT) on FOX. The 13th season of the Emmy-nominated series, best known for its music, film and television parodies, premieres Saturday, Sept. 15 (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT).

“MADtv enters Season 13 with the goal of setting the template for the next 13,” said executive producer David Salzman. “Our plan is to preserve the fast-paced, cutting-edge pop culture parodies and audience-favorite characters while adding more topicality, fresh new elements and a real theater setting.”

Sanchez, Johnson and Oster join the returning cast, which includes Michael McDonald, Bobby Lee, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Nicole Parker, Arden Myrin and Crista Flanagan.

Sanchez starred in his own half-hour special on Comedy Central and continues to travel the country as a headlining stand-up comic. Johnson’s credits include numerous television and film appearances and traveling overseas to perform for the troops in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Oster has spent over two years in Amsterdam with famed improv/sketch comedy group Boom Chicago, which was also home to current MADtv cast members Peele and Parker.

Among behind-the-scenes changes planned for Season 13, the show will be taped at the famed Henry Fonda Music Box Theater in Hollywood, which will enhance its live-event feeling. In addition, head writer John Crane and director Bruce Leddy are the new show runners, joining David Salzman and Quincy Jones as executive producers.