Frank Caliendo is one of the most talented comedians working in Hollywood today.
A member of the cast of MADtv for several seasons, Caliendo was given a show all his own last fall on TBS, Frank TV. Unfortunately, because of last year’s writer’s strike, it was limited to only five episodes, but this season it’s back in full force.
First and foremost an impressionist, Caliendo is perhaps best known for his impersonation of National Football League commentator John Madden. He also does a multitude of other impersonations ranging from Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to Jack Nicholson and Charles Barkley.
However, Caliendo can’t mimic everyone, and this season he has help in the form of fellow impressionists Freddy Lockhart and Mike MacRae. Lockhart can tackle personalities Caliendo just wouldn’t be able to pull off in a visual medium, namely presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama.
One wonders if Caliendo’s preference for our next president is influenced by the capability of his cast to parody him. Lockhart’s Obama is far superior to Caliendo’s own John McCain, as his portrayal of the Arizona senator is one of his weaker impersonations.
While not as versatile as his castmates, MacRae is very talented in his own right, capable of delivering a near perfect Tom Brokaw impression, as well as a fairly decent Alec Guinness as Ben Kenobi from the Star Wars films.
The format of the series has been altered a bit as well for the second season. No longer does Caliendo select a lucky audience member to serve as a co-host for half the program, nor has the program’s center stage remained a clich’eacute;d sitcom-esque living room.
Audience participation is relegated to merely taking part in the Hollywood Squares knock-off game "Caliendo Squares," and the set has been simplified to feature a giant video screen accompanied by minimal furniture and accessories.
This reinvention of the series helps in some respects – it’s refreshing to have skits that don’t feature only Caliendo – but regardless of the presentation, it still comes down to the writing, which hasn’t yet exceeded the mediocre expectations set by the previous season.
Frank TV still has a lot of potential, but Caliendo and his writers need to understand it’s not enough for him to simply be on screen "in character." To work on all levels, the persons being impersonated must still retain a sense of who they are in real life and stay true to their own personalities, despite the absurd circumstances they are placed in.
It is this careful balance of parody and reality that makes Caliendo’s stand-up comedy so effective, as not only is he capable of incredibly accurate vocal impressions of celebrities and the like, but is a master of creating dialogue in the spirit of his characters while not being something they may have actually said themselves.
Coming up with creative material week after week is difficult enough for ensemble shows such as Saturday Night Live and MADtv, so having a small cast and crew puts Frank TV at a notable disadvantage. One hopes the additions and alterations to the series will breathe some new life into it and Caliendo can replicate the success of his many stand-up routines.
The second season of Frank TV premieres Tuesday, October 21 on TBS at 10 p.m.
