Frank Caliendo in "Frank TV"
courtesy of TBS
"Frank TV" (TBS)

Frank Caliendo has moved from appearances on "Mad TV" and "The David Letterman Show" to hosting and starring in his own television series. Yes "Frank TV" will soon be showing up on your TV set via TBS. In this show Frank will offer you a glimpse of a variety of celebrities who live inside his body.

Frank's best imitations are of John Madden and George Bush. His take on Madden is pitch perfect but his George Bush is even better. He has the voice, the mannerisms and even the jumbled words down to perfection. He even looks like him. If anything makes his program a standout it will be his impersonation of the President.

"Frank TV" is only thirty minutes long and each show contains three or four sketches in which he impersonates a celebrity. Just about all of his material is family friendly but a few skits venture into the adult area. Some of it is very amusing but in both of the shows I previewed nothing is drop dead funny. You get a few chuckles but no guffaws.

Caliendo also has a bit in the show where he brings up an audience member to serve as his right hand man, sort of like his own personal Paul Shaffer. This gimmick doesn't work and should be abandoned as soon as possible.

Frank Caliendo is a talented man and his impersonations are spot on in many cases. But imitating someone is not enough. You have to have the funny script to make audiences enjoy themselves. So far Frank doesn't seem to be able to harness some solid laughs.

"Frank TV" premieres on TBS on Tuesday, November 20 at 11PM. With that timeslot he becomes a warmup act for Leno and Letterman. Maybe that is where he belongs since a warmup act never has to be as funny as the headliner.
 

 

 

 

 

©2007 Jackie K. Cooper

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