The eighth season of ''

Mad TV ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentie ...

'', an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on the

Fox Network The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...

between September 14, 2002, and May 17, 2003.

Summary

With fan-favorite cast members Alex Borstein,

Will Sasso Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and wil ...

, and

Andrew Daly Andrew J. Daly (born April 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He starred as Forrest MacNeil on the Comedy Central series ''Review'', and had a supporting role in the HBO comedy series '' Eastbound & Down'' as Terrence Cutler. ...

gone, ''MADtv'' scrambled to find new talent to fill the void. Jill-Michele Meleán and

Bobby Lee Robert Lee Jr. (born September 17, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster. From 2001 to 2009, Lee was a cast member on ''MADtv'', and he co-starred in the ABC single-camera sitcom series '' Splitting Up Together'' alongs ...

were upgraded to repertory status (though Meleán left in the middle of the season for undisclosed reasons). New faces in the cast for this season include:

Ike Barinholtz Isaac Barinholtz (born February 18, 1977) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer. He is best known for his starring roles in the comedy series ''MADtv'' (2002–2007), ''Eastbound & Down'' (2012), '' The Mindy Project'' (20 ...

Simon Helberg Simon Maxwell Helberg (born December 9, 1980) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Howard Wolowitz in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019), for which he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Sup ...

(who only lasted a short time on this show, but is now more popular in his role on the sitcom ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on C ...

''), Josh Meyers (younger brother of ''SNL'' cast member, Seth Meyers, making this the only time a ''Saturday Night Live'' cast member has had a family member be hired as a cast member on a competing sketch show),

Christina Moore Christina Moore (born April 12, 1973) is an American actress, comedian, fashion designer, model and screenwriter. She was in the main cast of the sketch comedy series ''MADtv'', played Laurie Forman on ''That '70s Show'' during its sixth sea ...

Ron Pederson Ronald Pederson (born January 8, 1978) is a Canadian ( Métis) actor, comedian and theatre director who has worked extensively throughout Canada and in the United States. He has performed with most of Canada's major theatres including The Stratf ...

(who would become the show's second Canadian cast member after

), and Paul Vogt (''MADtvs only male homosexual cast member and the second cast member after season six's Nelson Ascencio to have an identical twin brother). With Sasso gone,

Frank Caliendo Frank Caliendo Jr. (born January 19, 1974) is an American comedian, actor and impressionist, best known for his impersonations on the Fox Network television series ''MADtv'', and as the in-house prognosticator for '' Fox NFL Sunday''. In 2007 ...

became the latest cast member to play

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

. Newcomer Ron Pederson played

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting '' American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 19 ...

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...

, and '' Entertainment Tonight'' anchor

Mark Steines Mark Anthony Steines (born June 7, 1964) is an American broadcast journalist and actor who was host of the syndicated gossip and entertainment round-up program '' Entertainment Tonight'' from 2004 to 2012, joining the program on August 24, 1995. ...

. Vogt replaced Will Sasso

James Lipton Louis James Lipton (September 19, 1926 – March 2, 2020) was an American writer, lyricist, actor, and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City. He was the executive producer, writer, and host of the B ...

and impersonated classic sitcom stars, such as

Edward Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' a ...

(''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Mo ...

''),

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

(''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It fo ...

''), and

Charlotte Rae Charlotte Rae Lubotsky (April 22, 1926 – August 5, 2018) was an American character actress and singer whose career spanned six decades. Rae was known for her portrayal of Edna Garrett in the sitcoms ''Diff'rent Strokes'' and its spin-off, '' ...

(''

Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackso ...

'' and '' The Facts Of Life''). Like their counterparts Jimmy Fallon and

Horatio Sanz Horacio Sanz (born June 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Horatio Sanz, is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006. Early life Sanz was born on June 4, 1969 in Sant ...

on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

'', long-time pals Ike Barinholtz and Josh Meyers would frequently appear in sketches together and play off each other's chemistry. Separately, Barinholtz performed celebrity impersonations such as ''

Joe Millionaire ''Joe Millionaire'' is an American reality dating show that premiered on Fox in 2003. The first two seasons of the series followed a group of single women, competing for the affection of a bachelor who was falsely billed as being a millionaire ...

s Evan Marriott and

Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an American actor. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1991 film ''The Prince of Tides''. He received ...

, while Meyers offered offbeat impersonations of Eminem,

Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...

Owen Wilson Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and '' The Royal ...

, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Anna Nicole Smith's son, Daniel, and some *NSYNC members. In her short time on the show, Jill-Michele Meleán was known for her

Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, director, producer, talk show host and author. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a ...

impression and her recurring turn as one of the Glamazon Huntresses. Guests this season included: former ''In Living Color'' cast members Tommy Davidson and David Alan Grier; comic actor

Fred Willard Frederic Charles Willard (September 18, 1933 May 15, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, and writer. He was best known for his roles in the Rob Reiner mockumentary film '' This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984); the Christopher Guest mockumentaries '' W ...

, ''

That '70s Show ''That '70s Show'' is an American television period teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, ...

'' cast members Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson, and Wilmer Valderrama; and former ''MADtv'' cast member, Nicole Sullivan.

Opening montage

The title sequence begins with the ''Mad TV'' logo appearing above the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

skyline. The theme song, performed by the hip-hop group

Heavy D & the Boyz Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. ''Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heav ...

, begins and each repertory cast member is introduced alphabetically, followed by the featured cast. The screen dissolves into three live-action clips of an individual cast member. The three screens multiply until they occupy the entire screen. A shot of the cast member slightly moving appears on the screen with a caption of his/her name superimposed on it. When all cast members and guests are introduced, the music stops and the title sequence ends with the phrase "You are now watching ''Mad TV"''.

Cast

;Repertory cast members *

(23/25 episodes) *

Mo Collins Maureen Ann Collins (born July 7, 1965) is an American actress and comedian who was a member of the ensemble on FOX's sketch comedy series '' Mad TV''. Collins became well known for several characters during her tenure on the show. She was ...

(24/25 episodes) *

(20/25 episodes) * Michael McDonald (25/25 episodes) * Jill-Michele Meleán (9/25 episodes; last episode: April 5, 2003) * Aries Spears (22/25 episodes) *

Stephnie Weir Stephnie Carmel Weir (born November 28, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for being a main cast member and writer on the Fox sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV'' from 2000 to 2005, for which she got two ...

(25/25 episodes) *

Debra Wilson Debra Wilson, also known as Debra Wilson Skelton or Debra Skelton, is an American actress and comedian. She is known for being the longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series '' Mad TV'', having appeared on the show's fir ...

(25/25 episodes) ;Featured cast members *

(20/25 episodes) *

(6/25 episodes) * Josh Meyers (23/25 episodes) *

(8/25 episodes) *

(15/25 episodes) * Paul Vogt (12/25 episodes)

Writers

*Bryan Adams (eps. 1–25) *

(eps. 3, 17) * Dick Blasucci (eps. 1–25) * Kal Clarke (eps. 1–25) * Chris Cluess (eps. 1–25) * Steven Cragg (eps. 1–25) * John Crane (eps. 1–25) * Lauren Dombrowski (eps. 1–25) * Brian Hartt (ep. 20) (Season 05 Encore) *

Michael Hitchcock Michael Hitchcock (born July 28, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and television producer. Early life Hitchcock received his Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Un ...

(eps. 1–25) *

Jennifer Joyce Jennifer Joyce (born September 25, 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian hammer thrower. While growing up outside of Vancouver, Joyce excelled in multiple sports as a child. In addition to athletics, she participated in soccer and vol ...

(eps. 1–25) * Bill Kelley (eps. 1–25) *Scott King (writing supervisor) (eps. 1–25) *

Karen Maruyama Karen Maruyama (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress and comedian. Career Maruyama has appeared on television in supporting roles in a number of sitcoms, including recurring characters on ''The Jamie Foxx Show'', ''Strip Mall'', ''Suddenly ...

(ep. 8) * Bruce McCoy (eps. 1–25) * Michael McDonald (eps. 2, 3, 5, 7–9, 14–16, 19–25) * Josh Meyers (eps. 3, 17) * Sultan Pepper (eps. 1–25) *

Tami Sagher Tami Sagher is an American comedy writer, producer, and actress. Biography A native of Chicago, Sagher studied mathematics at the University of Chicago before joining Boom Chicago and then Second City. Career TV Sagher has written for the ...

(eps. 1–25) * David Salzman (eps. 12–25) * Devon Shepard (ep. 23) (Season 06 Encore) *

Dino Stamatopoulos Konstantinos Pollux Alexandros "Dino" Stamatopoulos (born December 14, 1964) is an American writer, producer, and actor. He has worked on TV programs such as ''Mr. Show'', '' TV Funhouse'', '' Mad TV'', '' The Dana Carvey Show'', ''Late Show wi ...

(eps. 1–25) * Rich Talarico (eps. 1–25) *

Bryan Tucker Bryan H. Tucker is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He has been the co-head writer for the TV program ''Saturday Night Live'' since 2014. Early life Bryan Tucker was born and raised in Chesterfield County, Virginia. After gradua ...

(ep. 24) (Season 07 Encore) *

(eps. 2, 8, 9, 15–17, 19, 22) * Maiya Williams (eps. 1–25) *

Jim Wise James M. Wise (born July 30, 1964) is an American actor, singer, writer and composer. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Coach Tugnut in the Disney Channel Original Series ''Even Stevens''. He is also known for his voice-over wo ...

(eps. 1–25)

Episodes

Home releases

There is no season 8 complete season DVD release. However, this season's best sketches and segments have been used in the compilation DVD ''Mad TV: The Best of Seasons 8, 9, and 10''. Season 8 is also available on HBO Max, with episodes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, and 23 missing.

External links

''Mad TV'' - Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mad TV (Season 8) 08 2002 American television seasons 2003 American television seasons