One Cancellation, One New Deal For Caliendo
TBS cancels 'Frank TV' while Fox Sports re-ups his NFL deal
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/5/2009 4:15:16 PM
It is good news and bad news for comedian Frank Caliendo.
TBS will not be bringing back his sketch comedy series Frank TV for another season, but he has signed a new deal to continue his role with Fox NFL Sunday for another two years.
The TBS comedy series, which debuted in November 2007, gained notoriety early on mostly because it was heavily promoted by the network during its baseball playoff broadcasts that year, enough so that even Caliendo would joke about it in subsequent interviews.
Frank TV premiered strong, garnering 3.2 million viewers its first night, and averaging 2.1 million viewers during its inaugural run of five episodes.
That success led the network to order an additional eight episodes in February of 2008, which aired beginning in October. The last of the eight new episodes, "Frank the Halls," debuted December 23.
The series featured Caliendo impersonating celebrities such as George W. Bush and John Madden in a series of sketches.
But Fox Sports is confirming Caliendo’s Madden will return along with his other characters – ranging from Charles Barkley to Fox’s own Terry Bradshaw -- on Fox’s NFL coverage. Caliendo will continue to provide his taped pieces, at the end of which he offers predictions of that week’s games.
Caliendo replaced Jimmy Kimmel on the Fox NFL studio coverage.
“Frank is an integral part of the success that has made Fox NFL Sunday the number one pregame show in NFL history,” said Scott Ackerson, the show’s coordinating producer.
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WHy was it cancelled? The ratings were great.
So stupid of tbs.
This ISNT 'very funny'.
lilkunta - 3/7/2009 8:03:18 PM EST
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