“MADtv” is coming back to the CW as a primetime series, with eight new one-hour episodes featuring a new cast of sketch comedians. The upcoming run will also return original cast members as individual episode hosts.
“The ‘MADtv’ franchise is as vibrant as ever thanks largely to social and digital media appealing to a fan base numbering in the millions that relates to the show’s brand of authentic and irreverent cross-cultural comedy,” executive producer and showrunner David E. Salzman said. “We will continue to present the hard-hitting, laugh-out-loud, wall-to-wall pop culture parody our fans expect, but in a fresh, new way.”
Mark Teitelbaum and John Montgomery will also executive produce the new “MADtv.” The Telepictures show will unveil a premiere date and time slot later.
Classic “MADtv” episodes from the 14 seasons of the show’s original late-night run are currently available to stream on CW Seed, the network’s digital platform. That version aired 300-plus episodes and helped launch the comedy careers of Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Ike Barinholtz and others.
The original series came from Quincy Jones and Salzman’s QDE Entertainment.
In January, a 20-year reunion special aired on the broadcast channel, banishing it to last place in both the advertiser-sought 18-49 demographic and among total viewers. The hour-long special finished in the same basement at 8 o’clock.