I had a chance to sit down with Frank Caliendo from TBS's Frank TV. You've seen Frank on MAD TV, Sunday NFL football on Fox. He's known for doing some of the best impressions in the business, including John Madden and now he has his own show, Frank TV.
Nads:Hey Frank! I got a chance to watch you show, and I really think it's a lot of fun. Were you guys able to complete your series with the writer's strike?
Frank: We can't write anything with the writers strike. We're done for now, we've had to wrap in five episodes. We were supposed to do eight, but had to stop at five.
Nads: This is your first season of your very own show, and then the strike happens, what a bummer.
Frank: Hopefully we'll come back after the New Year when everything is settled and do more. We're not really worried.
Nads: How does your compare your show to Mad TV?
Frank: My show is very different. It's much more sillier than Mad TV. Mad TV was a very mean, angry show for some reason. They were always trying to rip people and my show is not about that. It's really silly and it's about having fun and being goofy. Mad TV was always trying to play to young kids and go for the easy joke. I just don't believe that your motive should be to only play to you young kids. If you play to what you think is funny then other people will find it funny too. Kids want to find something funny. I compare it to the movie Something About Mary. People always talk about the hair gel scene, but to me the comedy was Ben Stiller's reactions and silliness. It was Ben Stiller's character, and it wasn't a simple character to play, but he was so was so fun to watch. That to me is what I always like. The little things that made the movie. All of the simple things in-between the big scenes.
Nads: Also, you couldn't help but build so much empathy for Ben Stiller during that movie. Did you find that part of it?
Frank: Yeah, absolutely. It's about caring about the character and the people. That's why I don't go sketch to sketch, I introduce each sketch and each character. I introduce my show much like I do in my stand-up act.
Nads: Is Frank TV something that you envisioned for a long time?
Frank: I wanted to the show 8 or 10 years ago. TBS knew me from NFL on Fox, and from doing Madden, and that's how all of this happened. We started off with a pilot, and TBS loved it, and gave it a green light.
Nads: Where are you from originally?
Frank: I grew up in Wisconsin
Nads: Your a cheese head?
Frank: I'll wear Gouda on my top, oh yeah, I'll wear cheese with the best of them. I'm the Goudy, the Goudadome.
Nads: I was at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and saw your act. I loved it when you did Robert De Niro playing Frankenstein.
Frank: That one's a lot of fun. What a lot of people don't know is that De Niro did play Frankenstein. He played Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Nads: What about John Madden, do you guys get a long?
Frank: You know oddly enough John Madden for some reason doesn't like me at all. Actually, I think he kind of hates me. I could care less, I didn't do anything to him.
Nads: Don't worry, I think it's because you do him better than he does.
Frank: You know, you do what you do, and if people like it, you keep doing it. As long as the checks keep cashing, right?
Nads: I think you should send him a X-mas card apology, or some sort of apology sketch.
Frank: I don't do X-mas, it's all about Kwanzaa. It'll be a John Madden Kwanzaa!
Nads: You do so many impressions, is there anyone you wish you could do?
Frank: I only do the ones that I think I'm pretty good at. A lot of impressionist do 5 or 10 good ones, and pretend they have 150 in their arsenal. The first two you hear, you think to yourself, it's alright, but then as they go along, they just don't sound like anyone...not even a cartoon character. I'm a firm believer of sticking to what your good at.
Nads: Are you going to be on the road doing stand-up?
Frank: Yes, all over. My schedule is on my website. Check out: frankcaliendo.com or maddenguy.com
I want to thank Frank for taking the time and talking to me. Check out his show! This week's episode: