MADtv: Season Eight (2002-2003)

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The Season Eight cast of MADtv. (Standing, Left to Right) Michael McDonald, Jill Michelle Meleán, Mo Collins and Frank Caliendo. (Seated) Bobby Lee, Aries Spears, Debra Wilson and Stephnie Weir. Not pictured: Ike Barinholtz, Simon Helberg, Josh Meyers, Christina Moore, Ron Pederson and Paul Vogt.

1 Season summary
2 Opening montage
3 Cast
- 3.1 Repertory players
- 3.2 Featured players
4 Episodes
5 Notes
6 DVD releases
7 External links

[edit] Season summary

Once again, more changes to MADtv would be for the better. Season 8 had arguably some of the biggest changes to the show ever. With Alex Borstein and Will Sasso's talents no longer on the show, new repertory players would be added: Ike Barinholtz, Simon Helberg, Josh Meyers, Christina Moore, Ron Pederson, and Paul Vogt. Amongst the cast, Barinholtz, Meyers, Pederson, and Vogt became the most promising of all.

Like with Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz on Saturday Night Live, long-time pals Barinholtz and Meyers would frequently appear in sketches together and play off each other's chemistry. Separately, they made the most promising: Barinholtz would do impersonations of celebrities such as Joe Millionaire's Evan Marriott and Nick Nolte, while Meyers offered offbeat impersonations of Eminem, Matthew McConaughey, and some *NSYNC members.

Ron Pederson and Paul Vogt wouldn't create any original characters until next season, but they benefited with good celebrity impersonations. Pederson played Dick Clark, Saddam Hussein, and Entertainment Tonight anchor Mark Steines. Aside from replacing Will Sasso as the James Lipton impersonator, Vogt mostly did impersonations of classic sitcom stars, such as Edward Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Jackie Gleason (The Honeymooners), and Charlotte Rae (Different Strokes).

With Will Sasso gone from the cast, Frank Caliendo would be the next cast member to play George W. Bush during his tenure. The comic also kept reprising his breakout impersonations from last seasons, including Al Pacino, John Madden, and Robin Williams.

But things weren't 100% pretty. Jill Michelle Meleán was a strong performer thanks to her impersonation of Drew Barrymore, but most of her characters were stereotypical representations of her race of women. This forced her to escape from her contract from MADtv. Additionally, featured players Moore and Helberg didn't appear much in sketches, so they were let go at the end of the season.

Another slap in the face for MADtv faithfuls would be the announcement that this would be Debra Wilson's last season. Since 1995, Wilson entertained audiences with outrageous characters (such as African-American stereotype Bunifa and BET comedienne/Reality Check hostess Tovah McQueen) and hilarious impersonations of Whitney Houston and Oprah Winfrey.

The season also featured plenty of guests. In Living Color cast member Tommy Davidson returned to MADtv seven years after his first host appearance, this time playing a frequently featured character on Real Mother****ing Talk named Woogie Jones-Johnson (Davidson and MADtv cast member Aries Spears are stars of the animated Disney Channel sticom The Proud Family). Another alumnus of the '90s sketch variety show, David Alan Grier, made his appearance in episode #806 as 60 Minutes anchor Ed Bradley. Comic actor Fred Willard would also create a repertory character, Gene St. John, a movie critic who would wind up accidentally cussing uncontrollably after every installment of Real Mother****ing Talk. That 70's Show Danny Masterson and Wilmer Valderamma returned for another installment of CHiPs, with co-star Mila Kunis joining along (Kunis is also former cast member Alex Borstein's co-star of Family Guy, maked both her and Seth Green the only two cast members of the animated sitcom to ever appear on the show, until Seth Macfarlane, the voice of Peter Griffin appeared in the Twelvth Season). And for the first time since her departure in 2001, Nicole Sullivan made a highly-applauded appearance on the season finale as Mindy Tikvah, equally randy daughter of Michael McDonald's Marvin Tikvah.

[edit] Opening montage

The title sequence starts off with a completely black screen, and then, suddenly, the MADtv logo appears across the screen. The theme song, which is performed by the hip-hop group Heavy D & the Boyz, begins and an announcer announces "It's MADtv! With...," and then he introduces (alphabetically) the name of each repertory cast member, followed by the featured cast. As he does so, the screen splits into several different screens. Each screen shows a different color live action clip of that particular cast member performing a different character. Then a line cuts across the multiple screens and it turns into a live action color photo of the cast member with his/her name appearing in caption over the photo. When the last cast member/guest is introduced, the music stops and the title sequence ends with the phrase "You are now watching MADtv..."

[edit] Cast

[edit] Repertory players

[edit] Featured players

^ Performer left mid-season.

[edit] Episodes

The eighth season of MADtv aired from September 14, 2002 to May 17, 2003. There was a total of 25 episodes produced for that season. They were as follows:

Episode	Airing Date	Host/Guest(s)	Sketches	Other notes
#801	September 14, 2002	Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Kelly Clarkson	Eminem (Josh Meyers) raps about the lackluster fall TV line-up in a parody of "Without Me." Daniel Smith (Josh Meyers) and Howard K. Stern (Michael McDonald) talk about Anna Nicole Smith (Stephnie Weir) in a parody of The Anna Nicole Show. Agent xXx (Ike Barinholtz) repairs cars for AAA in a parody of the action film xXx. Jenny Jones (Mo Collins) interviews a white trash mother (Stephnie Weir) who accuses her infant son of being a slacker. American Idol judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson appear in an All-Star American Idol sketch, where classic bands from the 80's perform their variations of Nena's "99 Red Balloons". Kelly Clarkson is interviewed by Ted Koppel (Frank Caliendo), then performs a duet with Whitney Houston (Debra Wilson). As part of his community service, Allen Iverson (Aries Spears) runs a camp for kids, forcing them to do some unorthodox services. A doctor's (Josh Meyers) attempt to remove his patient's (Ike Barinholtz) infected toenail yields gore. Now you can buy the box set for the recently deceased HBO series Arli$$	Season Premiere
#802	September 21, 2002	Jay Mohr	The Koppel family star in their own reality show that can't keep up with The Osbournes. Angela (Stephnie Weir) records a documentary about racism towards black people, and her friend Beth (Debra Wilson) is the guinea pig. Jay Mohr stars as Chris Penn in a parody of buddy comedies. Policemen chase homosexual criminals in new police reality show "World's Queeniest Criminals". Catherine Zeta-Jones (Mo Collins) fears she's selling out her A-list celebrity image by promoting more products. Dr. Kylie Johnson (Stephnie Weir) prepares to deliver a baby, but makes time to flirt with the soon-to-be father (Michael McDonald). Another episode of Oprah sees Oprah Winfrey (Debra Wilson) turn into a vampire after an audience member (Stephnie Weir) disagrees with Oprah's ways for people to save money. Martha Stewart (Mo Collins) stars in a parody of Oz where she kills fellow prisoners with her homemade crafts and recipe tips.
#803	September 28, 2002	Jackie Chan	Parody of Nelly's "Hot in Herre" focuses on pedophilic Christian camp counselors (Michael McDonald, Bobby Lee, Ike Barinholtz, and Josh Meyers) seducing young male campers. Jackie Chan stars in his own reality show a la The Anna Nicole Show, then gets hounded by his former movie star partners Chris Tucker (Debra Wilson) and Owen Wilson (Josh Meyers). Stuart Larkin (Michael McDonald) receives piano lessons. Michael McDonald and Debra Wilson interview celebrities from the 2002 Emmys. A 50's diner is authentic, right down to the racist attitudes toward black patrons. The Glamazon Huntresses must face off against acid rain. School bully Steve Wellington (Ike Barinholtz) makes friends with a nerd (Josh Meyers) in detention. Al Pacino (Frank Caliendo) and Robin Williams (Frank Caliendo, again) discuss their experience from doing Insomnia.
#804	November 2, 2002	Tony Hawk, WC, Xzibit (musical guest)	A parody of Eve's "Gangsta Lovin'" shows the harsh realities of gangster violence. A woman (Stephnie Weir) goes over her wedding story with her husband, an inflatable advertising doll. An animated parody of Charlie Brown gets an urban twist. A coach (Ike Barinholtz) finds out why his players are doing poorly. Two senators (Michael McDonald, Ron Pederson) have a heated debate. Anna Nicole Smith (Stephnie Weir) meets Tony Hawk. Xzibit performs, then appears with fellow west coast rapper WC in Real Mother**ing Talk, discussing about homeland security, the Internet, Saddam Hussein, and how Pop Tarts and Toaster Strudel is different.
#805	November 9, 2002	Bryan Cranston, Ja Rule, Shaggy (musical guest)	The stars of reality shows The Osbournes and The Anna Nicole Show come into contact on the red carpet. Bryan Cranston plays a guy who gets more than he bargained for when the woman (Mo Collins) he invites into a threesome looks like a lesbian, but claims she isn't. John Madden (Frank Caliendo) struggles with a popcorn maker that he is promoting. Leona Campbell (Stephnie Weir) wonders if the defendant (Frank Caliendo) was aware of the fat in the food he ate that was supposed to help him stay healthy. Wayne Brady (Aries Spears) interviews guest Ja Rule on The Wayne Brady Show. Promotions for Wal-Mart rollbacks involve the smiley faces killing a lot of helpless humans. Shakira (Mo Collins) signs about her hard-to-understand singing in a parody of "Objection (Tango)" Earl Scheib (Ike Barinholtz) helps police officers fix up their dented police cars after roughing up thugs.
#806	November 16, 2002	David Alan Grier, Jim Rome, The Strokes (musical guest)	A parody of Eminem's "Cleanin' Out My Closet stars George W. Bush (Frank Caliendo) and Barbara Bush (Mo Collins). Lorraine Swanson (Mo Collins) checks out a college for her son. Dr. Phil (Michael McDonald) insults guests, and unbeknownst to him, one of them is Oprah Winfrey (Debra Wilson). The remaining members of (NSYNC) unveil their new music video, set inside a volcano. Employees are curious to a "growth spurt" of one of their employees (Frank Caliendo). David Alan Grier plays 60 Minutes* reporter Ed Bradley who interviews rapper/actor Eminem (Josh Meyers). In a special Spears on Sports episode, Jim Rome interviews Shaquille O'Neil (Aries Spears) on his rival Kobe Bryant, Evander Holyfield (Aries Spears) talks nonsense, John Madden (Frank Caliendo) talks about what he had for breakfast, and Spears doesn't give his co-reporter (Mo Collins) a chance to speak.	The Strokes play their song "IS THIS IT" from their acclaimed debut album IS THIS IT and they also play "NEW YORK CITY COPS" but it was unaired.
#807	November 23, 2002	Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson, Jack Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne (musical guest), Wilmer Valderamma	Marvin Tikvah (Michael McDonald) has a heart-to-heart talk with his son Sheldon (Ike Barinholtz) and warns him not to watch MADtv. Osbourne offspring Jack and Kelly open the show, the former sings during the opening, the latter performing "Shut Up". A promo for Indiana University highlights the wild partying instead of its educational side. That 70's Show stars Danny Masterson and Wilmer Valderamma come back for another CHiPs parody, this time with co-star Mila Kunis, who plays a hot new sergeant. The Osbourne offspring appear in an episode of 7th Heaven, where they eat Thanksgiving dinner with the Camdens. Mo Collins and Debra Wilson interview celebrities at the premiere for Die Another Day, the latest James Bond installment. Stuart Larkin (Michael McDonald) has a chaotic day at the park. Animal owners (Stephnie Weir, Mo Collins, Michael McDonald) insult each other in the waiting room.
#808	December 7, 2002	Sum 41 (musical guest)	Contestants on The Price is Right are arranged to spell out a sexually-tinged sentence. In a parody of The Bachelor women fight for the love of an average joe (Frank Caliendo). Tovah (Debra Wilson and Belma (Aries Spears) host a special episode of Reality Check on an airplane. A talk show host (Ron Pederson) looks back at his short-lived show. Celebrities lend their voices to a new Snow White feature. Commercial parody for a hair salon specializes in lesbian hairstyles. A lazy clerk (Debra Wilson) doesn't do so well at the juice bar. A game show with geeky contestants and contestants who lived in a nuclear-based city. Average Asian Hideki (Bobby Lee) is assumed he's the best at musical instruments, because of his heritage. Reverend Jesse Jackson (Aries Spears) and Rosa Parks (Debra Wilson) discuss the controversy of their actions referenced in the movie Barbershop
#809	December 14, 2002	Puddle of Mudd (musical guest)	Justin Timberlake (Josh Meyers) is revealed to be a copycat of Michael Jackson in a parody of his hit single, "Like I Love You". Lil' Kim (Debra Wilson) and Sisqo (Aries Spears) continue their search for the bling in the second installment of Lord of the Blings, with Shaquille O'Neal (Aries Spears) and Bill Cosby (all played by Aries Spears) makinga cameos. Trina (Mo Collins) goes in for a job interview at IHOP. The Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority sisters invite an ugly college co-ed (Bobby Lee) to be a Kappa for a day. Bill O'Reilly (Michael McDonald) interviews Janeane Garafalo (Frank Caliendo) about military action in Iraq - and the comedienne's lackluster sense of humor - on The O'Reilly Factor. Bunifa (Debra Wilson) auditions to be a Laker girl. Dot (Stephnie Weir) claims that she saw Jesus Christ in her school photo.
#810	December 21, 2002	Bon Jovi (musical guest)	The Epstein brothers (Simon Helberg, Paul Vogt) sell Christmas tree patches. Diane Sawyer discusses the holidays - and drugs - with Whitney Houston (Debra Wilson) and Bobby Brown (Aries Spears), who are hosting a special X-mas event in an already-owned home. An animated parody of How the Grinch Stole Christmas features Winona Ryder. A very perky elf (Stephnie Weir) becomes a problem. Santa Claus (Michael McDonald) threatens to kill a young girl Stephnie Weir to keep his secret. Lorraine Swanson (Mo Collins) goes Christmas shopping. Matthew the Bible Dude has to deal with a kid (Frank Caliendo) who didn't get his favorite colored shirt. Any mention of any December holiday is against the rules at a workplace.	Special Christmas episode
#811	January 18, 2003	Tommy Davidson, Queens of the Stone Age (musical guest)	Aries Spears plays Bill Cosby, Evander Holyfield, Don King, and Little Richard, in a promotion of a special anniversary edition of Scrabble. Celebrities announce their New Year's resolutions. Oprah Winfrey (Debra Wilson) gives out free money on today's Oprah. Tommy Davidson guest stars as a news correspondent in Real Mother**ing Talk: News Edition. An intervention goes bad when the drunk (Michael McDonald) goes sober, so everyone gets him back on the bottle. Jenny Jones (Mo Collins) goes back in time whenever a clip is shown.
#812	January 25, 2003	Anthony Anderson, Jillian Barberie, Jerry O'Connell	John Madden (Frank Caliendo) previews the shoddy line-up of shows on FOX. A parody of The Love Boat has the cast and guest stars vomiting from food poisoning during the opening credits. Spishak promotes their latest product: a kids' gas oven. A mother (Stephnie Weir) shows off her baby (Bobby Lee), unbeknownst to her that he is a 30-year-old farmer from Puson. Jillian Barberie plays Glamazon Huntress Mikayla in another episode of Glamazon Huntresses, in which the heroines discover a time travel machine. A woman (Stephnie Weir) faces the consequences after visiting Las Vegas when the city starts stalking her. A mother (Stephnie Weir) demonstrates self-defense on her son (Michael McDonald). Evander Holyfield (Aries Spears) shows off his latest clothing style on QVC. Jerry O'Connell and Anthony Anderson play employees who look to discover a cure for hiccups.	Josh Meyers' first episode as the Spishak spokesperson.
#813	February 1, 2003	Jamie Kennedy, St. Lunatics (musical guest)	A new Hooked on Phonics video game only exacerbates a boy's violent tendencies. Three eligible bachelors on The Dating Game include a normal guy (Ike Barinholtz) and terrorists Saddam Hussein (Ron Pederson) and Kim Jong Il (Bobby Lee). LL Cool J (Aries Spears) raps about his rumored usage of steroids in a parody of "Luv U Better". Bunifa (Debra Wilson) switches places with an unlikely man (Michael McDonald) on an episode of Trading Spaces. The boys get their turn to go wild in a male heavy version of Girls Gone Wild. On Connie Chung Tonight, Connie Chung (Bobby Lee) interviews Evan Marriott (Ike Barinholtz) and Trista Rehn (Christina Moore). A man (Paul Vogt) gets a colonoscopy from Dr. Kylie Johnson (Stephnie Weir). The Baldacs (Mo Collins, Michael McDonald) have a dispute with - and tape incriminating evidence from - one of their neighbors, played by comedian Jamie Kennedy.
#814	February 8, 2003		Fighting Ron (Michael McDonald) testifies against Marvin Tikvah (Michael McDonald) about a porno shooting with Kathy (Mo Collins) gone awry. The Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority sisters face off against a rival sorority in a game of volleyball. A Looney Tunes parody features George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden as The Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote, respectively. Obese actors on CBS sitcoms get their special day on the titular network. Belma (Aries Spears) and Tovah (Debra Wilson) give Senator Trent Lott (Michael McDonald) a "Reality Check" after he gives the hostesses stereotypical presents. Spishak promotes a new machine to make excuses for you. Shaquille O'Neal (Aries Spears) hosts his own TV show with sportscaster Marv Albert (Frank Caliendo). Dorothy Lenier (Stephnie Weir) reports a robbery.
#815	February 15, 2003	Paul Hogan, Evan Marriott	A parody of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" has the singer outlining her plan to stop being a sleazy whore. Mofaz the Depressed Persian Tow Truck Man (Michael McDonald) whines about his ugly wife, making a bickering couple (Josh Meyers, Stephnie Weir) feel better about themselves. Another installment of Chocolate Peanuts has Chucky Brown looking for love on Valentine's Day. In a parody of Joe Millionaire, guest Evan Marriott has to choose one of three women to marry: Anna Nicole Smith (Stephnie Weir), Lorraine Swanson (Mo Collins), or Bunifa (Debra Wilson). Bill O'Reilly (Michael McDonald) has a debate with himself. Ike Barinholtz and Debra Wilson interview celebrities at the premiere for Daredevil. Connie Chung (Bobby Lee) interviews Tom Brokaw (Frank Caliendo) and a stripper-turned-reporter (Mo Collins). Dot (Stephnie Weir) is deliberately left at a nursing home where she performs tricks for the residents.	Special Valentine's Day episode
#816		Andy Dick, Ryan Seacrest, Supergrass (musical guest)	Michael Jackson (Aries Spears) abuses his children in a parody of Look Who's Talking, featuring the voices of Billy Crystal (Frank Caliendo), Roseanne Barr (Debra Wilson), and Robin Williams (Frank Caliendo). Angela (Stephnie Weir) films a video project with her cousin Natalie (Paul Vogt), who becomes instantly popular with high school jocks and cheerleaders. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest counts down MADtv's best music video parodies. The Larkins (Mo Collins, Michael McDonald) cause havoc at a Chinese restaurant. Andy Dick stars as Christina Aguilera's cousin Daphne Aguilera, who performs latest hit "Filthy." Ecstasy is used to cure depression. A suave piano player (Paul Vogt) has an effeminate singing voice.	Salute to Music Special Edition
#817	March 8, 2003	t.A.T.u.	Kim Jong-il (Bobby Lee) discusses his usage of nuclear weapons in a music video parody of "Bump, Bump, Bump" featuring P. Diddy (Aries Spears). Detectives Grissom (Michael McDonald) and Willows (Mo Collins) drag out a case in a parody of CSI. Angela (Stephnie Weir) records a love message to her next door neighbor (Michael McDonald) using his security camera. Doug Hefferman (Paul Vogt) goes from king to queen in a parody of King of Queens. Sports announcer James Brown (Aries Spears) shows commercials and clips from around the world, then speaks in an urban accent when the camera crew mess up. Saddam Hussein (Ron Pederson) throws a party with fellow French president Jacques Chirac (Michael McDonald), German chancellor Gerhard Schröder (Josh Meyers), and Asian dictator Kim Jong-Il (Bobby Lee). George W. Bush (Frank Caliendo) and Barbara Bush (Mo Collins) teach exercises. Two friends (Ike Barinholtz, Josh Meyers) reunite, and one of them has a secret.
#818	March 15, 2003	Eric Idle, Trish Stratus	Belma (Aries Spears) and Tovah (Debra Wilson) give Michael Jackson (Aries Spears) and Deborah Rowe (Frank Caliendo) a reality check. Trish Stratus plays one of the Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority sisters. On The Other Half, Danny Bonaduce (Frank Caliendo) and Dick Clark (Ron Pederson) interview a child psychologist (Mo Collins), but Clark starts losing body parts in the middle of the inverview. Two bullies (Ike Barinholtz, Josh Meyers) host a show where they give geeks swirlies. Contestants gun for prizes by use of violence on a game show based on the video game Grand Theft Auto, with The Price is Right announcer Rod Roddy (Frank Caliendo) providing additional commentary. Highlights of tonight's Entertainment Tonight include Leonard Maltin's positive review of Just Married and Evan Marriott (Ike Barinholtz) interviews the movie's stars Ashton Kutcher (Josh Meyers) and Brittany Murphy (Christina Moore). Monty Python alum Eric Idle plays a gay animal trainer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
#819	March 22, 2003	Tommy Davidson, Fred Willard	On today's Connie Chung Show, Connie Chung (Bobby Lee) interviews Academy Award nominees Catherine Zeta Jones (Mo Collins) and Queen Latifah (Aries Spears). Jack Nicholson (Frank Caliendo) introduces a clip from Oscar nominated film The Hours, which involves Leonard (Josh Meyers) fixing the nose of Virginia (Mo Collins). A teaser trailer milks itself for all its worth the longer it goes. Leona Campbell (Stephnie Weir) has a chat with a girl (Christina Moore) due to get breast implants. A trailer features all the conventions for the usual romantic comedy. Comic actors Tommy Davidson and Fred Willard play guests on Real Mother**ing Talk who discuss possible Oscar nominees with Dollar Bill Montgomery (Aries Spears) and co-host Nautica Brown (Debra Wilson). Rusty Miller (Michael McDonald) stars in a movie where he does whatever it takes to send his movie pitch to Hollywood. Al Pacino (Frank Caliendo) hosts his own version of The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, but all his targets can see through his disguises. Woody Allen (Ron Pederson) directs a new teen sex comedy where he stars alongside rapper Eminem (Josh Meyers), actress Shannon Elizabeth (Christina Moore), and his lover Soon-Yi Previn (Bobby Lee).	Oscar episode
#820	April 5, 2003	OK Go (musical guest)	Reba McEntire (Stephnie Weir), Little Richard (Aries Spears), and Oprah Winfrey (Debra Wilson) compete on Man vs. Beast. A music video from Mariah Carey (Debra Wilson) makes some outrageous claims about the R&B diva. Jenny Jones (Mo Collins) reunites mothers and siblings on her show. Johnny Woo (Bobby Lee) promotes his own liquor store On tonight's Nightline, Ted Koppel (Frank Caliendo) interviews crime syndicate bosses who are disguised in terms of visuals and audio. Bob Ross (Michael McDonald) broods about his former family while painting in a parody of Painting with Jerry. A parody of The Mary Tyler Moore Show features modern day commentary. A bratty pre-teen (Jill Michelle Meleán) fights with her mother (Stephnie Weir) to get her favorite clothes for the prom.
#821	April 12, 2003	Countess Vaughn The Folksmen (musical guest)	Dr. Phil (Michael McDonald) interviews a couple (Frank Caliendo, Christina Moore), then runs into a disguised Oprah Winfrey (Debra Wilson) and Steadman Graham. Anna Nicole Smith ranks the best commercial parodies of MADtv. Laughing scaredycat Mickey (Michael McDonald) is an eyewitness to a crime, and brags about it on the news, thus frustrating the reporter (Christina Moore). Psychic Vera Mangus (Stephnie Weir) makes a return. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer perform as their A Mighty Wind counterparts The Folksmen. Happy Folger (Michael McDonald) grosses a poetry group out with his poem "Growing Old." The Parkers' Countess Vaughn has to put up with Cloret (Debra Wilson) at the airport.
#822	April 26, 2003	Jordan Black, Mandy Moore, Godsmack (musical guest)	A man (Ron Pederson) hopes to use a pill to have an erection, but his wife (Mo Collins) might not be the one who he craves. One of Oprah Winfrey's cameras make the hostess (Debra Wilson) - and one of her guests (Paul Vogt) - look thin. Cast members dream of a wedding where the parents (Ron Pederson, Stephnie Weir) did dirty dancing at a wedding. Rusty Miller (Michael McDonald) interviews Mandy Moore on today's This 'N That with Rusty. Jordan Black, host of Star Dates, has two unlikely hopefuls (Josh Meyers, Mo Collins) respectively date former celebrities Charlotte Rae (Paul Vogt) and Nick Nolte (Ike Barinholtz). An episode of The Honeymooners deals with modern day topics, despite the black-and-white display.
#823	May 3, 2003	Missy Misdemeanor Elliott (musical guest)	A commercial for a correspondent school features plenty of bizarre job trainings. A father (Michael McDonald) and daughter (Stephnie Weir) fight while setting up for a garage sale. Stuart Larkin (Michael McDonald) has a few reservations about visiting his estranged father. On today's Inside the Actors Studio, James Lipton (Paul Vogt) interviews Matthew McConaughey (Josh Meyers), and Dorothy Lenier (Stephnie Weir) appears with him. A wall hanging pest (Michael McDonald) annoys his brother (Josh Meyers) and his date (Stephnie Weir).
#824	May 10, 2003	Tom Arnold	A mime (Ron Pederson) performs some randy acts. Mofaz (Michael McDonald) compares his problems of his mother-in-law with another traveler (Frank Caliendo). The Seven Buddy Cops head out west to fight crime, flirt with Sharon Stone (Christina Moore), and stop Indian chief Woody Allen (Ron Pederson). A Christian program ditches the Christianity. Patrick (Michael McDonald) intervenes with a man (Ike Barinholtz) trying to get a phone number. Best Damn Sports Show Period host Tom Arnold appears on Spears on Sports in which he interviews Oscar De La Hoya (Aries Spears), who sells out his boxing image. Michael McDonald and Debra Wilson offer to give a needy family gifts, but said individuals think they're at Saturday Night Live's headquarters. A rookie cop (Ron Pederson) has bad aiming, and winds up shooting his veteran partner (Michael McDonald).
#825	May 17, 2003	Steve-O, Nicole Sullivan, Wee Man	Johnny Woo (Bobby Lee) holds his own paralegal for African-Americans. Spishak Cars for Kids can be attached to real cars. Oprah Winfrey invites the cast of Jackass to her house, where they cause all kinds of ruckus. First lady of MADtv Nicole Sullivan plays Marvin Tikvah's (Michael McDonald) equally randy daughter, where both of them dance at a ball on the promise that she gets marijuana. Lorraine (Mo Collins) goes to get her teeth checked, and eventually frustrating her dentist (Michael McDonald). Two parents (Ike Barinholtz, Mo Collins) do nothing but fight, and their daughter (Stephnie Weir) is too oblivious. Ted Koppel (Frank Caliendo) goes from newscaster to Herbal Essence shampoo spokesperson.

[edit] Notes

This was the last season to feature Debra Wilson as member of the MADtv cast. Wilson's departure was significant for two reasons. First, she was the last of the original cast members from Season 1 and her departure represented to many the end of an era. Secondly, Debra Wilson's eight year stint on MADtv set the record for the longest tenure on the show at that time. Since Wilson's departure, Aries Spears (who joined MADtv during its third season and would leave MADtv at the end of the tenth season) tied her record, but it was broken by Michael McDonald (who joined MADtv during its fourth season and is still a member of the twelfth season's cast).
This was also the last season for Jill Michelle Meleán who left MADtv after having a fallout with the producers, citing her disapproval on how minorities (particularly Latin Americans) were portrayed on the show.
Out of the six featured players of Season 8, all but two members, Simon Helberg and Christina Moore, were retained and promoted to repertory status for the following season. Simon Helberg's contract was not renewed and Moore left MADtv to join the cast of That '70s Show as Laurie Forman.
Season eight had more feature players than any other season, with 6 feature players. (Except season nine, which also had 6 feature performers)

[edit] DVD releases

As of March 2007, there have been no video or DVD release of all of the MADtv episodes from Season Eight. However, several sketches from Season Eight was featured on the The Best of MADtv Seasons 8, 9 & 10 which was released on October 25, 2005. The Best of MADtv Seasons 8, 9 & 10 DVD sketch material includes celebrity impersonations, music video, commercial, movie, and TV show parodies, recurring characters, musical guests, and the occasional mock cartoons.