Hallelujah! Look, I don't doubt that Frank Caliendo is a great guy and I never want anyone to lose work, but for the simple fact that TBS annoyed us with Frank TV ads for the last two MLB Playoffs, this is great news. According to Broadcasting & Cable, while TBS is axing the sketch show, there is good news for Frank. He's getting re-upped by FOX! You didn't think you'd get rid of him that easy did you?

TBS will not be bringing back his sketch comedy series Frank TV for another season, but he has a signed a new deal to continue his role with Fox NFL Sunday for another two years.

The TBS comedy series, which debuted in November 2007, gained notoriety early on mostly because it was heavily promoted by the network during its baseball playoff broadcasts that year, enough so that even Caliendo would joke about it in subsequent interviews.

That success led the network to order an additional 8 episodes in February of 2008. The network never got around to airing all eight when the show returned last October, however. TBS ended up airing only four new installments, with the last airing November 11.

But Fox Sports is confirming Caliendo’s Madden will return along with his other characters – ranging from Charles Barkley to Fox’s own Terry Bradshaw -- on Fox’s NFL coverage. Caliendo will continue to provide his taped pieces, at the end of which he offers predictions of that week’s games.

I guess I can handle that. As long as I don't see another Frank TV ad, I can take two minutes of him on NFL coverage. Even if the Madden thing is old, and his picks are dreadful. Okay that was wrong, but a great day all around for Sports fans if you ask me.

One Cancellation, One New Deal For Caliendo (Broadcasting & Cable)

Overall, the first broadcast of the new season was a good one for TNT (I could do without some of the new graphics and sounds), but there was one thing I forgot to consider. TNT is part of Turner Sports, which also has TBS, which MEANS....more f'ing Frank TV spots and commercials.

Being a glutton for punishment, I decided to tune in for a brief second during the show last night, and I came across the most unbelievable minute in television history. After a skit on Frank TV, Frank Caliendo threw it to a commercial which was for Frank TV. Not only that, but the very next commercial was a Caliendo-Dish TV spot! I know it has nothing to do with announcing, but it blew my mind so much, that I just had to share it with you....

Again, I know this has nothing to do with Sports, and I KNOW that I'm just giving the show more press, but Turner's insistence on hanging its hat on Caliendo continues to amaze me. God bless the guy for making as much money as he can with his schtick, but I just can't take anymore. With that said, you have my word that this is officially the last post ever on Caliendo or Frank TV on this site. I also apologize for stealing a minute of your life with that clip.

Big League Stew conducted an amazing interview with Jeff Gregor, the chief marketing officer for TBS and TNT, and more than anything it shed some light on the thinking surrounding "Frank TV". In fact, Mr. Gregor even went so far as to tell BLS that the ads are, "so good at entertaining," that you see one it just feels, "like you just saw one not too long ago"....

"Last year, we were part of the story," Gregor admitted. "Or (the FrankTV ads) were part of the story, and we knew that even if we ran less commercials this year, it would still be part of the story, because the spots are so distinctive, so different, and are playing to a large audience inside of baseball (telecasts)."

Gregor is also of the belief that the spots are just that good, and that is why people are drawn to them.

"This is just a hypothesis on my side: You think there are a lot of (FrankTV) spots, but there's actually not as many as you think," Gregor said. "They're just so good at entertaining and engaging that when they come on you feel like you just saw one not too long ago."

Now, I love what TBS and TNT are doing with their Sports content, and even some of their shows, but you have to be kidding me. I know most of us are pretty impressionable, but to assume something like that almost comes across as borderline condescending. I, for one, won't be watching the show out of principal now, and if they actually come out of this thing with passable ratings.....I'd be surprised.

TBS exec: FrankTV ads 'good at entertaining and engaging' (Big League Stew)

I'm really enjoying the mainstream media pieces about how the can't stand the Frank TV spots on TBS during the Playoffs this year. It's almost like they didn't watch last season, or got the press release that said they were going to be doing the same thing again this October. I've personally learned to change the channel (surprising I know), but if you've tried to endure, just know that Frank Caliendo feels your pain. From the Boston Herald via TSB....

“I say to those people, ‘I’m sorry, but watch the show and maybe TBS wouldn’t have to promote it as much,’ ” said the impressionist, whose sketch-comedy show’s second season - with an expanded cast - premieres Oct. 21.

“I think I’m on TBS as much as ‘Law & Order’ is on TNT,” Caliendo told the Track yesterday morning as he chowed on scrambled eggs, bacon, wheat and white toast and Diet Coke at a Back Bay hotel.

And, baseball fans, all the Frank fun continues during the World Series on FOX, when he joins five other celebs - along with the animated Stewie from “Family Guy” - as part of the MLB’s “There’s Only One October” campaign.

Where have you gone, Dane Cook? “I think I have to go into hiding soon,” laughed Caliendo, who appears on the TV spots as a blogging President Bush and NFL loud mouth John Madden.

At this point, their marketing strategy just has to make you laugh. If Caliendo is admitting that no one is watching, doesn't that tell them that they are just annoying the crap out of people? Guess not. I have nothing against Caliendo personally, but his fifteen minutes are up. Hopefully TBS realizes that soon so we don't have to be berated with Jim Rome impressions for another Baseball season.

At Least Caliendo Knows He's Insufferable (The Sporting Blog)
Frank Caliendo makes pitch to fans (Boston Herald)

I know we're all in the same boat in thinking that the Frank TV ads that ran all of last Summer and through the Playoffs were just about the most annoying things ever created. It didn't help that the show itself only turned out six episodes when all was said and down (writer's strike) and that it was rather terrible. Well according to the man himself the campaign actually worked and they're going with it again during this year's Playoff push. Blogger Alan Sepinwall talked with Caliendo during a recent press tour....

And, of course, once you get a crowd to laugh, it's easier to keep them laughing. The volume never rose much above, say, a guffaw, but he also got good responses to impressions both familiar (Charles Barkley) and esoteric (Jeff Goldblum).

And, in between, we managed to ask a few questions. I brought up the plague-like barrage of "Frank TV" ads that aired during last year's baseball playoffs, and asked whether Caliendo had maybe asked his bosses to tone it down this fall. Sadly, the answer was no.

"They worked," he said, while acknowledging that some of that work involved annoying baseball fans with the same three clips played ad nauseum. He then apologized in advance for TBS' plan to show even more "Frank TV" spots this time around.

Ugh. There's nothing worse than running the same ad for four months with very little variation. I have a feeling this is going to be like the rapping Taco Bell guys but only more annoying and more maddening (as if that is possible).

"Wow, you guys are being really critic-y" (What's Alan Watching)
FirstCuts: Ready For More Frank TV Ads? (The Sporting Blog)