"The Mad Magazine TV Special" is a pilot episode of a series that was never approved. In fact, apparently this show was never seen on TV and it currently is posted to YouTube.
According to IMDB, the networks thought this show was too adult. However, as I watched it I didn't think this was the case.... I just think the show wasn't very good. The biggest problem is the animation. The cel count of the animation is VERY low...almost to the point of looking like a slide show. As a result, it looks cheap and the lips of the characters seem to have little relation to what the characters are saying. On the positive side a FEW of the cartoons look like those of famous "Mad Magazine" artists, such as Don Martin as well as Sergio Aragonés' "Spy Versus Spy", but the majority of the cartoons look nothing like what you might have seen in the magazine. The other problem is that most of them just aren't funny....though you'd think they would have put their best stuff into the show to impress the networks. If this their best....it's incredibly sad. Overall, a failed attempt at a show that really should have failed.
According to IMDB, the networks thought this show was too adult. However, as I watched it I didn't think this was the case.... I just think the show wasn't very good. The biggest problem is the animation. The cel count of the animation is VERY low...almost to the point of looking like a slide show. As a result, it looks cheap and the lips of the characters seem to have little relation to what the characters are saying. On the positive side a FEW of the cartoons look like those of famous "Mad Magazine" artists, such as Don Martin as well as Sergio Aragonés' "Spy Versus Spy", but the majority of the cartoons look nothing like what you might have seen in the magazine. The other problem is that most of them just aren't funny....though you'd think they would have put their best stuff into the show to impress the networks. If this their best....it's incredibly sad. Overall, a failed attempt at a show that really should have failed.