Frank TV Sparkles, Sputters

Frank Caliendo is brilliant. His appeal is universal. His impressions are fabulous. His timing is marvelous. Given Caliendo’s versatility, television was obvious. When TBS signed him, I assumed Caliendo would shine.

Last night, I viewed TBS’s “Frank TV.” The program is watchable. However, I expected better. Caliendo’s Charles Barkley and John Madden were exemplary. His Dick Cheney was lame. His Seinfeld was apocryphal. Caliendo’s sketches require improvement. They severely limited him.

Caliendo rivals Bill Maher. He supercedes Dane Cook. He trumps D.L. Hughley. Unfortunately, they possess platforms. Expectations, hype, and success are not mutually exclusive. Caliendo may have succeeded. Regrettably, his hype did not equal expectations.