The Critic (animation): Difference between revisions

 

''The Critic'' was a short-lived prime time animated series that featured Jon Lovitz as the voice of the titular critic. It was created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who were also writers for ''[[The Simpsons]]''. The show is notable for being picked up by four different networks. It was launched on [[ABC]] in 1994, where it was cancelled after a month, but brought back in the summer to air the remaining season. It was picked up by [[FOX]] the following year and ran it for a full second season before dropping it. After this it was aired on [[Comedy Central]]. It was later picked up by [[UPN]], who never actually aired episodes of the show. In Latin America, this show was aired on Locomotion before turning into [[Animax]]. Ten short flash cartoons ([[webisode]]s) based on the series appeared on the internet over 2000-01. The DVD box set was released in 2004, which includes all the TV episodes and has the webisodes as extras. During the late 2000s, the show has aired in syndication. In September 2006, IGN ranked the show 9th in their list of the ''Top 25 Primetime Animated Series of All Time''. In January 2009, they also ranked the show 26th in their other list of the ''Top 100 Best Animated TV Series''. In December 2011, Complex ranked the show 6th in their own list of ''The 25 Most Underrated Animated TV Shows Of All Time''.

 

Jay Sherman is New York's #3 film critic, with a cable television film review show called ''Coming Attractions'', and it's his job to review some pretty horrible movies. However, it is because he heavily pans every film he reviews that he is very unpopular with the public. It also doesn't help that he's rather unsuccessful at life, overweight, and not really successful with the ladies. His ex-wife Ardeth (not pictured) despises him and keeps demanding more alimony from him, and while he does have a few dates, the women are usually either crazy or just dating him [[Casting Couch|to get a positive film review]]. His boss Duke Phillips frequently mistakes his statements for come-ons, and his elderly chain-smoking make-up lady Doris frequently verbally abuses him.

 

The show was resurrected one last time on the Internet as a flash series. The characters from the TV series are gone (except for Vlada who makes an appearance), and Jay keeps hitting on his new and younger make-up girl Jennifer (not pictured). [[Fanon Discontinuity|Most fans don't really count this one among the main series.]]

 

Not to be confused with [[wikipedia:The Critic (cartoon)|Mel Brooks' first film]] or [[wikipedia:The Critic (play)|Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play.]]

 

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* [[Actor Allusion]]

* [[Adam Westing]]: "Siskel and [[Roger Ebert|Ebert]] and Jay and Alice," in a ''big'' way.