"I feel like a kid who just got a TV show for Christmas."

Frank Caliendo delivers that line during the opening monologue of the premiere episode of "Frank TV," the sketch comedy show that debuted Tuesday night on TBS.

It's not hard to believe him.

It's even easier to root for him.

Caliendo, 33, who grew up in Waukesha and majored in mass communication at UW-Milwaukee, doesn't lose his "regular guy" persona -- even when he is performing one of the dozens of celebrity impressions that have made him a household name.

"Frank TV," which was promoted incessantly during the baseball playoffs, is a vehicle for Caliendo to display his skillful impressions. Because Caliendo plays virtually all the parts on screen, the bits are pre-taped and he "tosses" to them from a fake living room set that looks like it was used in a sketch from "Saturday Night Live" or "MADtv."

The vibe of the show is similar to "SNL" or "MADtv," sans co-stars, which makes its "sink or swim" equation pretty simple: if you like Caliendo, you'll like the show; if you don't...

Even Caliendo's diehard fans may find some of the sketches underwritten or some of the impressions a bit thin. But, the show moved fast enough -- between lengthy commercial breaks -- to keep viewers' attention. (The fact that "The Daily Show" is on hiatus because of the writer's strike didn't hurt).

The debut show opened with "Seinfeld, 2027," a fantasy reunion show featuring the four main cast members from the NBC mega hit. Though the George Costanza part consisted mostly of overwrought screaming, Caliendo nailed the facial expression and physical tics of Michael Richards' "Kramer."

In another sketch, Caliendo imagined three deep-voiced movie trailer guys in a live performance as the Three Tenors. He mined the political satire field with a tour through Bill Clinton's presidential library and a meeting between President Bush and his daughter, Jenna, on her wedding day. (When the President got stumped, Vice President Cheney had to fill in).

Although Caliendo's humor generally is more broad than biting, he does get in a few shots. There is a good sight gag of Clinton walking down a hallway lined with portraits and a funny line by Cheney about his daughter's lesbianism ("There is nothing I can do about it -- until they find a cure.")

The impression that put Caliendo on the national comedy radar -- and Fox's NFL pre-game show -- is John Madden. The segments with Madden cooking a turducken backstage were among the weaker points of the show.

Because of the writer's strike, only five episodes of "Frank TV" were filmed. Given the limitations inherent in doing a one-man show, it's hard to say whether that will be enough or too much.

"Frank TV" is made up of three-minute YouTube clips strung together and introduced by Caliendo and, strangely, a random member of the studio audience.

Caliendo's talent is undeniable, but you wonder if this show is the right vehicle in which to showcase it.