Mad (stylized asMAD) is an Americananimatedsketch comedy television series produced byWarner Bros. Animation.[2] The series was based onMad magazine, where each episode is a collection of short animatedparodies of television shows, films, video games, celebrities, and other media, using various types of animation (CGI,claymation,stop motion,photoshopped imagery, etc.) instead of the usual animation style thatWarner Bros. Animation is known for. The series premiered on the evening of September 6, 2010, onCartoon Network at 8:30 P.M., right after the series premiere ofRegular Show.[3] The series ended its three-year run on December 2, 2013.
Recurring sketches
The series has some recurring sketches:
A MAD Look Inside – A short piece in which viewers see a magical world inside a celebrity. This only played during Season 1.
Ask the Celebrity – Where various celebrities respond with absurd answers to questions in letters from fans. For example, whenMiley Cyrus was asked to tell what she did to put on a good concert performance, she stated that she would rub cats on herself and walk on wool carpeting.
Bad Idea # – This presents a scenario from the long list of possible bad ideas.
Commercials – There are some commercials for fictional items and programs on every episode.
DearReaper - The Grim Reaper reads and replies to letters from children regarding their deaths.
Don Martin – Adaptations to comics strips by longtimeMad cartoonist Don Martin.
Drawn-Out Dramas – After one of the primary sketches of the episode concludes, theMad "wallpaper" will appear and "rip open" to reveal aSergio Aragonés-style sketch in front of a colored background, often using a version of Alfred E. Neuman in some capacity.
Gross and Beyond Gross – Showcases the differences between "gross" and "beyond gross".
MAD News – Anewsman delivers recent news. This sketch originally began appearing randomly in the middle of an episode—usually interrupting another sketch. Starting with episode 9, the sketch served as acold opening for every episode. With Season 3 and the introduction of the MADvent Calendar, it returned to being featured as an interruption.
MADitorial – Aneditorial segment starting with episode 5 of Season 4. The sketch is animated byJorge R. Gutierrez.
MADucation 101... – Lessons in any subject.
MADvent Calendar – A series of funny and ridiculous pop culture events that happened recently. Starting with Season 3, the sketch serves as the new cold opening for every episode.
Mike Wartella – Animations by cartoonistM. Wartella.
Rejected – A segment revealing rejected ideas within various pop culture properties like RejectedTransformers, Rejected Superheroes, Rejected Audition Tapes, RejectedPokémon, RejectedToy Story 3 Characters, RejectedSmurfs, and more.
Security Cam – A presentation of surveillance footage of things that happens at public places during nightly closing hours. Each video features seemingly supernatural occurrences with the implicit suggestion that such things would never happen during the day.
Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions – An adaptation ofAl Jaffee's reoccurring magazine feature, it features a person who asks a question regarding something that was obviously presented, resulting in the person or people who were so queried to give a sarcastic response that suggests otherwise.
Spy vs. Spy – An adaptation of the long-running comic seriesSpy vs. Spy.
Super-villains for Your... – A parody of the PSA segments from theSuper Friends. Here various super-villains from theLegion of Doom present themselves as moral guidance to some child or children. However, being villains, they always manage to swindle, double cross, or betray the children, resulting in their dying at the villain's hand or suffering some unforeseen related event.
This Day in History – A look at an achievement on the day of the initial broadcast. Most cases it will involve a lesser known person of historical significance doing or coming up with something in the shadow of another well-known historical figure.
What's Wrong with this Picture? – A game inviting the viewer to recognize something which is incorrect or out-of-place within the picture shown on the screen, but then reveals the correct or least likely things shown to be the expected answer.
Where's Lady Gaga? – AWhere's Wally? type sketch featuring pop superstarLady Gaga who is hiding at a small-time public function. The viewer is asked to try to find her only to see at the end that she is always cleverly disguised as a prop to blend in perfectly with her surroundings.
The DVDMad – Season 1, Part 1 was released on September 20, 2011, with a matted 1.33:1 picture and an English stereo track. The extras on the DVD are trailers forYoung Justice, the 2011ThunderCats, andThe Looney Tunes Show.[4] The rest of the first season was released on January 17, 2012.[5]
All four seasons of the series are available on the online streaming servicesAmazon Prime andYoutube.
