THE WANDA SYKES SHOW Canceled By FOX

FOX's attempt to replace MAD TV with a late night talk show have apparently ended in failure. Sharp tongued and quick witted comic Wanda Sykes was given the news about the cancellation of her late night talk show this weekend. The news came as a surprise because it isn't known what FOX has available to replace the show on the schedule.

While the show started off with good ratings, it eventually fell below the final season of MAD TV, and proved to be a real drag on the attempt by FOX to offer some late night comedy entry able to compete head on with SNL.

While THE WANDA SYKES SHOW had some great comedy and parody segments in the opening moments, the show quickly took a lazy turn and became an effortless panel discussion, sort of like a comedy version of THE VIEW. As brilliant as Sykes is, she just didn't keep the ball rolling and the show fresh or moving in an interesting direction, and viewers quickly tired of the show and abandoned it in the ratings.

Wanda Sykes continues to be a great comic. But, the will and effort to make THE WANDA SYKES SHOW a hit just wasn't there. And the show suffered and died for that very reason.

Wanda Sykes may be a true master at funny observations. But, why this show wasn't so much better is a real mystery. That's one important observation the great comic apparently sorely missed.

Now, the search at FOX for a decent late night show with reasonable ratings continues. But, why MAD TV was ever canceled in the first place is a very good question. FOX had their own version of SNL, but let that opportunity slip away.