MTV offers a welcome escape from reality with a genuinely funny sketch comedy series that skewers pop culture without being mean about it. While "Doggy Fizzle Televizzle" owes plenty to forebears "Saturday Night Live" and "In Living Color," host Snoop Dogg brings instant hip-hop cred to this show. He and the strong writing should help make this at least a moderate summer hit.

Everything's a potential target: house-makeover shows, dopey commercials, "Girls Gone Wild." And while there's plenty of race-based humor, it's not debasing or polarizing. In the premiere, Snoop and crew rag on white wannabe homies he calls "wiggers" and spoof the Samuel L. Jackson flick with "The Negrotiator." And just try not to giggle when average black guys pull the Race Card out of their wallets at the most opportune moments.

One important factor that sets "Doggy Fizzle" apart from similar series past and present is knowing when to end a sketch. Rather than take a funny premise and stretch it until long after the joke is played out, "Doggy Fizzle's" bits are punchy and brief: Set 'em up, knock 'em down, move on to the next one.

Snoop, who also exec produces, is a droll host. Whether simply reading his lines or acting in the sketches, his wry delivery and sly charisma perfectly suit the material. And if the gags continue to be as witty and sharp as in the premiere, MTV could be unleashing a Sunday night sleeper.

"Who's Got Game?" -- a half-hour street basketball reality series featuring Magic Johnson -- debuts after "Doggy Fizzle." An advance tape was not made available for review.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter