In 1974, a Mad animated television pilot using selected material from the magazine was commissioned by ABC, but the network decided not to broadcast it. Dick DeBartolo noted, "Nobody wanted to sponsor a show that made fun of products that were advertised on TV, like car manufacturers." The program was instead reworked into The Mad Magazine TV Special, which also went unbroadcast for the same reasons. The special was made by Focus Entertainment Inc., and was available for online viewing in SD quality until 2022, when a 2K resolution scan of a 16mm film print was released online; The print was provided by one of the special's animators.
In 1974, a Mad animated television pilot using selected material from the magazine was commissioned by ABC but the network decided not to broadcast it. ,Dick DeBartolo noted, "Nobody wanted to sponsor a show that made fun of products that were advertised on TV, like car manufacturers." The program was instead reworked into The Mad Magazine TV Special, which also went unbroadcast for the same reasons. The special was made by Focus Entertainment Inc., and was available for online viewing in SD quality until 2022, when a 2K resolution scan of a 16mm film print was released online; The print was provided by one of the special's animators.