By By CLAIRE BICKLEY -- HOLLYWOOD -- Here's a new one: A TV show so naughty someone from the network's standards and practices department sits in on an interview.

"He's censoring this session," a MAD TV publicist jokes.

Apparently he isn't -- or there wouldn't be words we can't spell out in this story.

"It's actually a really good relationship," executive producer Adam Small says of the weekly give and take with Kevin Spicer, the Fox staffer assigned to keep an eye on the sketch show's material.

"It's usually, `Look, I'll trade you the `f---' if you give me the `penis.' `No, all right, I'll give you the `penis,' but you've got to take two `bastards' out of the next sketch.' It's a negotiation but it's a good relationship."

What helps is that the thirtyish Spicer has a sense of humor.

Asked what percentage of his time he devotes to reviewing MAD material, he cracks, "I think Martin kept me busier, actually."

Memo to Mr. Spicer: Clear your calendar.

Small and partner Fax Bahr are declaring the comedy version of `By any means necessary,' to make the show a hit in its third season, which starts on Fox tonight at 11 with guest host Sandra Bernhard. MAD must get a higher profile and higher ratings, get taken seriously as competition for Saturday Night Live -- or get off the air, says Small.

"It's time to kick ass. A lot of people don't even know we're on. We need to get a little more in your face, throw out some controversial stuff. People need to talk about us now," he says.

As part of that effort, there's new, younger blood in the ensemble replacing Artie Lang, Bryan Callen and Orlando Jones. Aries Spear, 21, is a stand-up comic whose previous series experience consists of co-starring with Glen Frey on the cop drama South Of Sunset -- one of the few shows in TV history to air only once. Will Sasso, 22, is a B.C. actor who's also a regular on the Canadian series Madison.

The two are on team with the plan to increase the show's edge.

"I'll make fun of anything -- I don't think you can go too far," says Spear.

"As far as offensive humor, offensive and funny is still funny," Sasso says.

"I think that says as much about the people who are watching the show as it does about the show. If it makes you laugh, it's funny."

But just how do you raise the shock meter when you've already aired a striptease sketch about murdered six-year-old JonBenet Ramsay and another called Suck My Freak, about an R&B benefit album for kids with deformed skulls?

"Actually, we talked about -- oh, this is a really sick idea -- Weekend At Verace's," says Bahr.

"The joke was that another serial killer came along and picked up the dead body of Andrew Cunanan and continued his killing spree. Like Weekend At Bernie's. Look, just forget it."

Except that they didn't. They just changed it to Weekend At Tupac's.