Oddville, MTV is an American variety

Variety show

A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...

 television series starring Rich Brown. The series premiered June 16, 1997, on MTV

MTV

MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

.

History

Oddville, MTV is based on the New York City public-access television

Public-access television

Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...

 cable TV series Beyond Vaudeville

Beyond Vaudeville

Beyond Vaudeville was a Public-access television cable TV show on Time Warner Cable in New York City that ran from 1986 to 1996. The show was hosted by Frank Hope with co-host David Greene and featured regular appearances by Joey the Monkey. Guests included various celebrities and New York City...

that Rich Brown hosted from 1987 to 1996.

Cast

• Rich Brown as host Frank Hope
• David Greene as silent co-host David
• Melissa Gabriel as the announcer
• John Walsh as Joey the Dancing Monkey

As an example of a guest star, Ian McGrady made an appearance throwing grapes high into the studio ceiling and catching them in his mouth, consistently. This was after an appearance by a so-called "human carpet", who read a manifesto of why needed to be vacuumed and then summarily stretched out on the ground and was vacuumed by an assistant.

Reception

Phil Gallo of Variety

Variety (magazine)

Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...

described the show as "'stupid human tricks

Stupid Pet Tricks

"Stupid Pet Tricks", and, subsequently, "Stupid Human Tricks", are well-known segments on Late Night with David Letterman, and, later, The Late Show with David Letterman....

' on methamphetamine

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...

s as one act after another is whisked to the floor to perform before hitting the couch for a few questions". Gallo went on to describe Hope as having "an Everyman quality possessed by TV hosts from [Joe] Franklin

Joe Franklin

Joe Franklin is an American radio and television personality. From New York City, Franklin is sometimes credited with hosting the first television talk show...

 to Uncle Floyd

Floyd Vivino

Floyd Vivino aka "Uncle Floyd" is a television, film, and stage performer primarily known for his comedy/variety TV show The Uncle Floyd Show .-The Uncle Floyd Show:...

to Colin Malone", and said that announcer Gabriel has "a warm and enchanting presence".