The Critic (1994–2001) User Reviews

It started great, anyway

[emdoub · 7/10 · 23 May 2009]

23 episodes on DVD, plus the webisodes. The first 12 or so episodes are worth the price of admission. All of it is watchable, but the series did indeed start slipping. The remarkable excellence of the first half should not be missed - and you'll want to watch the rest, just because they do show glimmers of the early magic through the rest of it.

It really does help to be a film buff - they do bits from lots of different movies, and part of the fun is spotting the homage (and sniping) at a wide selection of movies. Some of them appear in the opening/closing credits, and change from episode to episode. The 'films' he reviews for his show are, thankfully, collected in the special features on the third DVD, and are well worth watching just by themselves.

Jon Lovitz Born to Play Jay Sherman

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 22 December 2020]

This show was the perfect marriage between voice and character. Jay Sherman, main character of "The Critic," was tailor made for Jon Lovitz. He was this round, balding, film critic with all kinds of issues. He was hilarious.

"It stinks!"

[sportellos · 8/10 · 11 July 2009]

The tagline for this show is one that most certainly does not apply the content.

The Critic, an animated show for the older crowd, was an original and entertaining series that was shut down before it's time. It follows the story of Jay Sherman, a short pudgy, balding film critic who's job is to review bad movies for a living. Stuck with a growling boss, rich clueless stuck up parents, and almost no self-esteem, Jay tries his hardest to seem cool. This show is full of great Hollywood references, guest voices, and very funny film parodies such as "Apocalype Wow: The Musical", "A Few More Good Men" and "Forrest Gump 2: Gump Harder" just to name a few. Though there were only two seasons, this show was funny and entertaining and is most certainly worth a watch. It's available on Netflix if you're looking for it.

Short lived masterpiece

[joe-bohnenkamp · 18 September 2005]

This show was hilarious. I loved Jon Lovitz and all the other voice actors. Jay Sherman is such a comically brilliant character. As a film buff, I thought the movie parodies in the show "Coming Attractions" were amazing. I also liked the shows send up on the entertainment industry and films and actors in general I think Al Jean and Mike Reiss did an excellent job with this series. Sadly, most Simpsons personnel don't get as lucky with their own projects, even Groening had problems keeping Futurama on the air, which I also loved. I still can't believe it only lasted two seasons. I think it would be awesome if someday they would come out with more episodes or even a feature film.

It Stinks! (Just kidding)

[josephtheowl · 10/10 · 10 April 2007]

If there ever was a time we needed "The Critic", now, ladies and gentlemen, is that glorious time.

With more crap films being made now more than ever, we need a show that's unafraid to bash them mercilessly. "The Critic" was such a well-rounded cartoon with funny characters who were slinging random, situational jokes long before "Family Guy" was a twinkle in Seth MacFarlane's eye.

Sadly, "The Critic" is just one of many shows cut down in their prime. I think in the day and age of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" being on the rise and "The Simpsons" being on the wane, this show would be very successful among adults who realize how nonsensical movies have become.

Very funny show!

[gangstahippie · 10/10 · 30 September 2008]

The critic is a fairly old show which has started playing again on teletoon.I never saw it during its original run, but I am watching it now and realize its a very intelligent and funny show.It got cancelled after maybe 2 seasons like most good shows.The show is basically about a critic named Jay Sherman who is harsh(and ugly).He also dislikes most Hollywood films and likes movies normal people would consider over-long or boring.The show also involves his usually unlucky searches in finding true love while coping with his adoptive parents and his younger sister.The Critic also features plenty of funny pop-culture references.The Critic is a great show, it plays on teletoon Wednesday and Thursday nights at 10pm and if you don't have teletoon, you could find the show on DVD.

A very charming series

[jdollak · 8/10 · 12 March 2007]

I cannot in good conscience, give this series higher than the 8 I just gave it. It's a very good series, significantly better than lots of shows that maintain an audience. The humor had a difficult time reaching a certain balance. There was humor that was cerebral enough to miss most of the audience. There was unpredictable nonsensical humor, to appeal to a different audience. Then, there was more humor that was not especially clever, and too predictable or juvenile. This mix is part of what led to the downfall. Any of the audiences that would have appreciated each element separately disappeared because the show felt sub-par to them.

While I take this as a weakness, once this is an understood problem, the show is very enjoyable. There is a lot of heart inserted to the characters, the stories are far more interesting than most of the modern-era Simpsons episodes.

If you feel like you miss the golden days of the Simpsons - seasons 3-5, then go watch these, and it'll be a nice, fresh fix of that kind of writing.

Great show!

[KatiesGhost · 10/10 · 28 July 2008]

"The Critic" has got to be one of my favorite cartoons ever. I remember watching it for the first time on Comedy Central a couple years ago when I was in 4th grade or so. I rushed home from school one day and I turned on Comedy Central because I would always watch it after school. Nonetheless, I saw a cartoon called "The Critic". When I watched it, I absolutely LOVED it!!! It was so funny and cool. I loved how Jay Sherman would always say to a bad movie "It stinks!"

This is an excellent show. Jon Lovitz really put Jay Sherman to life when he voiced him. The show was created by the producers of "The Simpsons"(another great show!) and even Jay Sherman was on "The Simpsons" a couple of times! This was a great show. Al Jean and Mike Reiss did a great job making it.

Good and all but still like the original

[SonicStuart · 6/10 · 3 August 2004]

This is an updated version of The Critic where after a long absence Jay Sherman has his show come back on the internet after having his show being on ABC and then FOX, Comedy Central, then becoming Regis Philbin's sidekick and then being on the Discovery Channel and then he came back to his show Coming Attractions! We still have Jon Lovitz doing the voice of Jay Sherman and we still have Jay Sherman reviewing pathetic films and still says "It stinks". But also in this new series Jay has a new girlfriend named Jennifer and she is the make-up woman. In this series we also miss the absence of Jay's family, Marty Sherman, Duke Phillips and Jeremy Hawk. But we get to see Vlada in one of the episodes at least! These episodes didn't air on TV, they only aired on the internet and if you have The Critic on DVD these internet episodes are on the DVD. Also we still have Nick Jameson and Maurice LaMarche still doing the additional voices to this show as well as the 1994 series. Good but liked the original.

The triumph of the subtext

[GLanoue · 8/10 · 26 February 2011]

This little gem was perhaps ahead of its time, or perhaps a bit too clever for a mass audience, lasting only a couple of seasons. Unfortunately, the premise – an eccentric but honest movie critic – doesn't age well, since the script is of course locked into the movies of the time. This little trick is what made The Critic so good, that it didn't depend on characterisation or weirdness, or weird characterisation (astronaut Homer, Peter Griffin versus a giant chicken, Roger the alien in the attic), though these aspects are of course not entirely absent – Jay has a son he worries about, a younger sister, weird WASP parents incapable of showing they love him, and so on. Its charm was more in the movies that were reviewed, usually formulaic Hollywood stinkers that allowed the writers to have a lot of fun sending up the idols du jour – Schwarzenegger, Willis, Godzilla, T-Rex. Jay's Ted Turneresque boss, who is supposed to be narcissistic, greedy and cynical, is a pussycat compared to today's more faceless moguls. The main thing is that The Critic played directly into one of pop-culture's most important traits that was still a hip novelty twenty years ago: auto-referencing, playing on meaning alternating between two levels, the overt and its subtle reference to another pop culture icon. People who are adept at the name game inevitably gain hipster status, since their ability to wink every time they drop a name means they are masters of two levels of meaning, the overt and the subtextual reference; or does it? That's the hook, one never knows what level on which pop cultural communication operates. But within the terms of this genre and this culture, The Critic stands out since it also worked within a more traditional and pre-pop culture, in its avoidance of profanity and of references to body parts and fluids that came to define "funny" 15 years later. Worth watching, especially since getting the dated movie references makes the show even more iconic for its cultish audience.

IT STINKS! Well not exactly

[SonicStuart · 6/10 · 31 May 2004]

The Critic is funny series done by the same producers who also produced our favorite family from Springfield, The Simpsons! I have never heard of this show until one of my friends introduced me to it and my first episode of The Critic that I saw for the first time was the Siskel and Ebert episode which was hilarious! The Critic is about this guy named Jay Sherman (voiced by Jon Lovitz) who is a New York movie critic for this news station who is forced to review these pathetic films and he always says "It Stinks!" for his reviews. Plus in this show when Jay Sherman is reviewing the movies you see them spoofing some other famous movie. Plus this show also deals with his personal life working his tyrannical media mogul boss, Duke Phillips (who is kind of a Ted Turner kind of character where he owns a TV company and other stuff) and his love-life and family. It can believe why this show didn't go longer! It first aired on ABC for the First Season back in 1994 and then after 13 episodes ABC canceled the show because they thought it was too dirty and then in 1995 for the Second Season, FOX picked it up and aired 10 episodes for the Second Season and then FOX canceled it because they didn't think it was dirty enough. So then the show was offered to UPN but then the offer from UPN was rejected. The writers did write a third season for this show but due to the ratings or something else it didn't get to be aired. I wonder why? Well that's with most of the good TV-shows most of the good shows get canceled while the crappy ones go longer! But it is a good thing that this show has the complete series out now on DVD! I have this series on DVD! But still I wish FOX could have kept it longer and I think this show should have gone and have the same amount of seasons and episodes as The Simpsons! I enjoy the fun and laughs of this show. My favorite characters were Jay Sherman, Jeremy Hawke, Vlada, Jay's Dad and Duke Phillips. I also enjoyed all the movie parodies too! My favorite episodes were "Pilot", "Miserable", "Marathon Mensch", "L.A. Jay", "Dr. Jay", "Uneasy Rider", "Sherman, Woman and Child", "Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice", "A Song For Margo", "Lady Hawke", "All the Duke's Men", "Sherman of Arabia", "Frankie and Ellie Get Lost" and "I Can't Believe It's A Clip Show". Great Series and another one of my favorites! Wish this series would have gone longer.

Very Good

[joan6350 · 8/10 · 27 August 2010]

The Critic was a very good show!

I was so sad when it was taken off the air because I was a big fan of it and it was one of the very few shows I looked forward to seeing every single week. I am a Canadian and I try to watch Canadian TV but a few shows have come along like The Critic and The Simpsons that I thought were very good and just had to watch. Plus a lot of Canadian TV stinks so if there's nothing to watch (which happens sometimes, seems to be happening more often the last few years but that's how it goes) I'll try the U.S. stations.

Jon Lovitz was great as The Critic, a fat balding slobby guy who is trying to raise his likewise fat slobby son in New York City. His mother was very domineering and his dad was crazy. His boss was a take on Ted Turner, a network owning, southerner lunatic who only cared about his bottom line.

I'm sad it didn't last longer but got the DVD box set for Christmas and still haven't gotten tired of them.

I see dead people walking around like real people

[policy134 · 7/10 · 14 July 2006]

Bet that hasn't been quoted in a while. Anyway, the show we are talking about is The Critic. Let me first say that I am not a big Jon Lovitz fan. He strikes me as someone who is kind of the guy you met at a party and couldn't ignore even if you tried your damnedest. I know that a lot of people have wondered about Lovitz. Is he gay or isn't he and to tell you the truth, I don't give a rat's a**. That thing is milked for all of its worth by giving him a boss (brilliantly voiced by Charles Napier, you know the guy from Rambo II and a couple of Russ Meyer films) who thinks Jay Sherman (Lovitz' character) is gay.

This show has not been shown in Denmark but I was so curious about it that I had to check it out because Al Jean and Mike Reiss of The Simpsons were involved. My doubts about Lovitz were put totally to shame. Sure, he is a little shrill but he manages to make a character that you actually care a little about. Then there is the brilliant portrayal of his stuffy parents, well mostly his mother. His father is pretty out of it most of the time. I have seen Judith Ivey in a couple of films but she was most enjoyable in the Steve Martin vehicle "The Lonely Guy". Here, she perfectly nails the Katharine Hepburn'esquire mother who is kind of ashamed of her son but loves him all the same. Gerrit Graham as the father is really one-dimensional, but what are you gonna do? Nancy Cartwright as the sister, Margo is of course brilliant but the real surprise is that she is stuck with a character that doesn't have any quirks. She is just too plain nice and Cartwright has an incredible range that is kind of left unused here. And finally we have Christine Cavanaugh as Sherman's son who is even more whitewashed. Soucie and Cartwright are both skilled voice-over artists so it's a shame to hear them as only these two and a couple of additional characters in this show.

If you have compare this to another animated show (and I always do) let me say that I can understand why this didn't catch on. The characters are brilliant but the pace of the show gets a little slow and Lovitz is really not leading man material (in any form). He is best in supporting parts and if you have to base a show on a fat, bald guy you have to make him into something more than a Alan Alda or Woody Allen clone all the time. Not to dis any of those two but let me just say: "Been there, done that" and wrap it up.

Oh, one more thing. This is an animated show so let me just point out that the animation is not that brilliant either. It is much too static but I guess that wasn't really a first priority to begin with. Sorry, but better luck next time.

Well, like most of America's cultural elite, I worship Pan, goat god.

[film-critic · 1 October 2004]

Like most Simpsons watching fanatics that are also latched tightly to the Family Guy, I couldn't help but walk (never run) to buy this series when it came out. Jay Sherman is my inspiration for my excessive amounts of film reviews. He was never afraid to speak his mind about the garbage distributed by Hollywood ever week. His classic line, 'It stinks' inspired me to find those horrible films and make sure I warned others before it was too late. He is a God among Gods in my book!

Created by the same team that did The Simpsons, Sherman great to life through not only the witty banter that leapt from his mouth, but also his surrounding characters. Parodying some of cinema's finest, you cannot help but laugh at this obese critic that wants nothing more than to have respect and eat his Charleston Chew. Duke Phillips is one of the funniest characters created and provides some of the funniest social commentary on the extremely wealthy in our country. Sherman, in my eyes, represents the little man. While making $270,000 a year, he doesn't rise above anyone else. He reminds all of us of who we are, whether it would be running a marathon or trying to clean-up his hometown of New York, Sherman represents our desires and wants. One of our biggest desires is to see good cinema. We pay top dollar to see good movies, why does Hollywood continually fill our plate with all the bread we can eat before giving us the main course? Suddenly, we are too full to enjoy it.

I would like to applaud Jay Sherman for his fight against a repetitive and uncreative Hollywood. As an avid film-goer it is nice to see the battle being fought in the animated world. Sadly, I only wish this series could have lasted long enough to endure some of the garbage released today. We need a new Jay Sherman to help us wade through and poke fun of today's Hollywood.

I HIGHLY recommend this series to anyone that is as upset with Hollywood as I. This series will make you laugh at a large man that loves food and life.

He is our, and especially my, hero!

Grade: ***** out of *****

The Jon Lovitz Show

[gjmille · 10/10 · 25 June 2012]

When Jon Lovitz appears on screen or in cartoon character form (with good writing), the results are hilarity. Why? Because Jon is a talented performer--he can act and sing. But he's best at playing a nebbishy guy that isn't terribly lovable. It worked in the Benchwarmers, it worked in A League of Their Own, and it certainly worked in The Critic. When you steal a few Simpsons writers and actors, change the skin color of the characters, and make the humor more entertainment themed, you basically have this cartoon. Certainly those in the "Tribe" religion will also get some more of the jokes--like when Lovitz's Jay Sherman sings in Yiddish, but nevertheless The Critic was an unfortunate victim of ABC and FOX's quick dismissal of this very funny and underrated show.

I will note one thing about The Critic's DVD (there were so few episodes made, the DVDs are all in one purchase): why wouldn't Lovitz be in the commentary? He was in the commentary for The Simpsons episode when Jay Sherman was on the Simpsons! And that episode's commentary was mostly focused on The Critic TV show! I don't get it. BTW--that commentary was also too funny. Lovitz unsuccessfully flirting with the episode's director, numerous product references for Jim Brooks (of which Lovitz had no stake in), and merciless mocking of Simpsons writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss. Too funny.

A great show from early years

[dee.reid · 10/10 · 10 September 2010]

"The Critic" is a great show. It follows the life & times of Jay Sherman (voice of Jon Lovitz), a New York-based film critic who is forced to review films he doesn't like. He's middle-aged, overweight, and raising his son Marty (Christine Cavanaugh) alone. The show pretty much deals with his attempts at finding love in the Big Apple and trying to deal with his crazy life, crazy parents, and crazy job.

"The Critic" is one of the great shows from my early years as a young boy growing up during the early 1990s. This was a show that along with "The Simpsons," provided a lot of animated hilarity on weekday and weekend afternoons that I just never got tired of watching. Six years ago, I managed to purchase the complete series of "The Critic" on DVD from Best Buy and I'm glad that I did, since I don't think that the DVD set is in print anymore.

It was a truly one-of-a-kind show that was canceled way before its time. (Why are the really good shows always the ones getting canceled?) Lovitz, a greatly under-appreciated comedic talent, was great as Jay Sherman, who did a cross-over on "The Simpsons" once. "The Critic" was hilarious in the way that it parodied famous movies at the time. That was really one of the reasons why I loved it and why it worked so great as a comedy show that made fun of real life.

"The Critic" - 10/10

A great show which wasn't allowed to evolve into it's own.

[spooky24 · 8/10 · 12 November 2011]

This show had incredible amounts of potential. Although the timing and editing was a little awkward and jerky in the beginning they really began to hit their stride in the end of the first season/beginning of the second. The jokes are topical and very funny (although a bit dated at this point). It was by no means a perfect show, but if you look back at the first season of some TV favorites (The Simpsons, Seinfeld, etc..) the first few seasons do seem a bit rougher. Overall, I think this show was unfairly canceled and had potential to be a great show for at least a few more seasons. I have the entire series on DVD and still pop it in when I need a laugh!

A biting critique of entertainment as well as a strong character based comedy unfairly cancelled before its time.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 9/10 · 10 January 2021]

Film Critic Jay Sherman (Jon Lovitz) is the host of an unpopular movie review show Coming Attractions where he deals with the industry's creative bankruptcy day in and day out reviewing a seemingly endless parade of remakes, sequels, and rip-offs that revel in their own inanity. But outside of work Jay is dealing with issues of being a single father sharing a soft spoken son with an ex-wife who hates him, a love life that ends in disasters of all varieties, and an adoptive family of eccentrics consisting of his humorless and bitter mother Eleanor, odd father Franklin, and his sarcastic and outsider sister Margo with whom Jay has his best relationship. Throughout this, Jay maintains a friendship with Australian leading man actor Jeremy Hawke and a "frenemy" relationship with restaurant L'Ane Riche (The Wealthy Jackass) owner Vlada Veramirovich who alternates between loving Jay's expenditures on his food and hating his guts depending on the circumstance.

Released in 1994, the show produced by James L. Brooks and created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss of Simpsons, the show was the second attempt by ABC to create an animated prime sitcom following the mostly forgotten Capital Critters. The show was cancelled by ABC but was briefly resurrected by Fox who then stonewalled another attempted revival by UPN after refusing to formally cancel the show for years. While there's not much of The Critic, there's enough to say the show elevated itself above the influence of The Simpsons and was allowed to be its own thing.

Jay Sherman is much different than your typical sitcom lead, he's intelligent and sarcastic, but he's also perpetually facing hurdles in both his career and love life that often lead him feeling depressed, humiliated, defeated, or some combination of the three. But despite this he doesn't give up, he's a dedicated father to his son Marty, and supportive brother to his sister Margo, and a good friend to Jeremy Hawke despite him often having to criticize his work. While the show does take well deserved jibes at Hollywood's lackluster output (with particular attention paid to the then newish trend of recycling old TV shows as feature films) the show wisely bases itself mostly around the characters and their relationships. Charles Napier as Jay's boss, Duke Phillips, plays a Ted Turner esque media magnate who often delights in berating and belittling Jay and plays up the aggressive businessman persona to delightful absurd levels that border on God complex.

The show does undergo a noticeable change in format between seasons with the additon of Jay's girlfriend Alice and her daughter Penny which was a mandate by Fox to make Jay less pathetic. Despite their inclusion at the request of network executives I actually rather liked their inclusion and it gave the series the feeling of character development and prevented the show from feeling too one note with Jay undertaking sisyphean challenges only to be rewarded with failure and/or humiliation. While Jay would still often find himself maintaining a tenuous grasp on dignity the inclusion of Alice served as a nice point of positivity in Jay's life that I felt was relatively unintrusive to the show's trademark cynical humor.

The Critic although short lived has left an endearing legacy thanks to runs on Comedy Central that helped keep it alive in the minds of modern audiences. While I wish there were more, I'm happy we got any at all.

Decent and fun, but not enough to be considered really good

[kikiboo_8 · 6/10 · 16 October 2022]

Hmm. It's not bad. Definitely not anywhere near as good as the Simpsons, despite the same team or whatever.

But it's nice and funny here and there. I wouldn't go as far as to say it was hilarious by any means, cause for me it just wasn't. It's more on the amusing, lightly entertaining side.

Jay is likable enough although he has numerous off-putting qualities he's still funny, charming when he wants to be and seems to be a good guy that one can root for and love.

His son Marty is a typical geeky young boy but fairly likable all the same. His ex wife seems like a typical dumb harpy.

His friends seem fine but not particularly good or bad, just whatever.

A case where the public was too stupid to appreciate greatness

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 16 June 2007]

Wow, my summary is brutal. But it is the result of a lot of frustration on my part and that of many other fans of this great but very short-lived series. In so many ways it was superior to cartoon shows like KING OF THE HILL, but it somehow failed to make it. This show was a spin off from THE SIMPSONS and featured the adventures of a lovable loser, movie reviewer Jay Sherman (voiced very ably by Jon Lovitz). Week after week, the show featured many rapid-fire parodies and insights into the movie business and New York City and made me laugh even more than THE SIMPSONS--and that is no small feat. This was thanks to great writing and lots of originality. My advice is to see this show on DVD or video as soon as you can and also hang your head in shame for not watching and supporting this show when it was in its first-run!!

A Satirical Work of Art

[SimpsonsFan13 · 9/10 · 22 November 2008]

Created by ex-partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss (of Simpsons Fame), The Critic is a short-lived, satirical sitcom about a highly intelligent yet obese cable TV film critic named Jay Sherman, voiced to perfection by Jon Lovitz. Jay could carry the entire show by himself, but he's also surrounded by such a wonderful cast of supporting characters. One of my favorites has to be Duke Phillips, Jay's Ted Turner-esquire Southern boss. The level of satire and absurdism in the show is razor sharp. The real highlights are the hilarious movie parodies. My favorite episode has to be the Siskel & Ebert one, simply a classic. The animation is more well crafted than in The Simpsons, especially the backgrounds. The theme music by the always amazing Hans Zimmer is simply exquisite. The show lasted two seasons, one on ABC and one on FOX, but it could've lasted much, much longer. Overall, The Critic is great satirical series that was ahead of it's time. While The Simpsons is still my all-time favorite show, I'd rank The Critic pretty high.

Takin' down before its time

[newkidontheblock · 29 June 2004]

I love the Critc. This is a prime example of how unfairly show biz treats its good shows. The basic premise of the show is that a middle aged film critic by the name of Jay Sherman leads an miserable existence. We see him at the work place ripping bad movies a new one everytime he has to review one (plus for the people of the Crtic for having the guts to comment about this era of horrible movies made by Hollywood). We also see him in his private life as a man who's love life is in shambles, has a weird waspy (and adopted) family, and a man who just needs a break now and then. I very much enjoyed the critic, and shame on ABC and FOX executives for taking it down in its prime. And a half a shame to comedy central for not putting it on as often and at a better time. So in short, maybe ABC or Fox or some other network will wise up and bring back this cult classic from the dead.

One of the best short run Sitcom Toons!

[emasterslake · 8/10 · 10 February 2006]

This series is very funny even if it only ran for 2 seasons. I'd kept it on the air if I were in charge of Networking programs.

Anyways this is produced by the same people that made the Simpsons possible.

It's about a Short, Bald, Fat Critic name Jay Sherman. Who is a New York Critic that ranks movies that he describes "It Stinks". He has an ex-wife, a son who looks like him, has a weight problem, and is adopted.

The whole series features spoofs of movies from the 90s and older. Jon Lovitz is perfect as Jay Sherman. As well as Maurice LaMarche and Kath Soucie who play main and numerous characters in the series.

Those who like the Simpsons would like this series, since they both have a relationship in PG rated cartoons.

You're able to see the whole series on a 3 Disc DVD set that has all 23 episodes on it.

May not be too popular, but thank god it didn't end as a clip hanger!

Most Underrated Show of the Nineties

[ajkbiotech · 10/10 · 20 March 2021]

Not sure where you'll ever hear Jimmy Breslin Milton Berle Queen Latifah Bob Costas playing themselves on the riotously funny "The Critic", created & written by Al Jean & Mike Reiss of The Simpsons.

And to think, it stinks not. Jay Sherman is the greatest fictional animation creation ever. Other than Bart "Cowabunga" Simpson, natch.

This one is the epitome of American TV.

Critically Incorrect Hillarity

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 19 January 2021]

This show is another of my favorite animated shows of all time, but also, it's another under the radar gem that sadly as time went on has become forgotten. Much like any cult film or any film that wasn't a box office hit but should've been, it's a shame this show never really got to join the long line of older audience animated programs that we have today from "King of the Hill", "Futurama", "South Park" etc.

This show came out at a time when animated prime time shows/older audience animated shows weren't commonplace except for the show "The Simpsons" which was big and great in the 90's, so yeah having another beside that one was really tough act to follow; though there was also another older audience themed show which also was released about the same time which was "Duckman" another under the radar gem.

The background animation is great, I really love how the show really captures "New York City". Though I'll admit seeing the twin towers still up it really gives me that big nostalgia and sentimental feeling of the 90's, a decade that wasn't as troubled as the two decades we've lived through right now. Really makes you realize how good you had it back then. Anyway, I really like how the show got most of the locales from the city are there, if you life or have visited "New York" then you'll recognize them, it really gives the show a sense of geography. The show you can say is a bit of a fantasy as we see its sort of an alternate New York where it's one foot in reality but one foot away.

I really love the theme song, which is another of my favorite theme songs, it's a kind of simplistic tune but it surprisingly works as its relaxing and has an optimistic feel to it. As if saying despite what happens one day, there is always tomorrow.

But of course, what powers the show is the characters and the humor.

Jay Sherman played well by one of my favorite comedic actors Jon Lovitz; and of course, the character is designed to slightly look like him. He is just hilarious as he has some of the best lines in the show but how he just delivers certain line in a sly smart ass or dead pan manner. His character is loveable as he really is a decent guy that is not just doing something, he loves but at the same time he is responsible as he is raising his son as best he knows how. But also, he is trying to be and bring more to his life. Just like the movies he reviews this guy hits and misses throughout life. I really like the fact that this is a character in a career that is more my field as I am a movie critic, I always like that because it makes the characters slightly relatable let alone are actually in an interesting career, where in most sitcoms a character is in a field, I know nothing about or is generic background noise by its nature.

This guy has his wins but as we see he also has his failures but that doesn't bother him because at least he tried. He's kind of a sad clown as this guy just gets so much grief almost more than the number of bad movies he has to watch. The guy is the typical film snob but in a harmless sense. And whenever he gives a bad review to most of the films, he's not being a jerk he is just being honest to how he feels about certain films, though seeing those clips of the films myself I can understand his unfavorable reviews. But it's always funny when he roasts them he does it with style; I could easily imagine him roasting the recent "Star Wars" trilogy (episodes 7-9 to be exact).

Jay's Father, he's just really funny from how eccentric he really is, but never boring; this character could have easily been the father of Andy from "Parks and Recreation". It's just funny how this guy is always constantly just doing different things like in one episode he imitates the Hanna Barbara cartoon character El Cabong. Or another where he is driving at high speed and they think they're in the "Donkey Kong" game. I know it's nuts, and yet there is a method to this as he's a person just living the moment and doing whatever he simply feels like because life is short after all.

Jeremy voiced by Maurice LaMarche, this guy obviously parodies Mel Gibson but also the cool best friend archetype, sort of like who Fonzie is to Richie. Really like how despite his fame and good things just spontaneously happening to him he really doesn't let it get to his head (well maybe a little). And unlike Fonzie he's not always a bright bulb but he really does care about his friend Jay Sherman and really does help him out when needed.

Duke Philips voiced by the late Charles Naper is a Ted Turner like executive boss. This character is just dryly hilarious he's another of my favorite animated villains that I feel is underrated. This is a guy you just love to dislike, he's not evil per say but more a person in a gray area as he really does want to contribute and help people but the problem is so wrapped up in his ego that each cause always seems to be one big inflation of it. He also really wants to run a good company but at the same time is kind of doing some sabatoshing as he is constantly contributing to Jay's pile of grief.

The humor in this show is just fraking hilarious, from, the Film parodies are just hilarious, there are so many good ones. I'll just mention a couple of them I really liked "Speed Reading" which is a parody on "Speed" it's just hilarious on the concept, I still wonder what the rules are like how the bomb can be able to sense how many words a minute the person reads, is there some sort of speaker sensor. Let alone what happens when he finishes the books.

Home Alone 5 and Rabbi P.I.: The "Home Alone 5" is one you must see for yourself to laugh at, and that little skit is actually better than the actual sequel we got which is just sad. "Rabbi P.I." Obviously on Arnold Schwarzenegger action films, just seeing those clips I would watch that movie.

"The Red Balloon 2": This one is just great as it once again parodies on sequel fever. Making an action film sequel into a famous long ago short film wouldn't that be something. One highlight of this is Alan Rickman having a cameo voice and what he says just cracks me up.

Though other than parodying movies it also parodies and satires on film industry and counterculture. A little on what goes behind the scenes and the fight for ratings and what entertainment sells, the conflict between quantity and quality in films, just a lot of things if your familiar with the movie field. But most importantly the dialog in the show is just hilarious, there are just so many clever and memorable lines that you must hear yourself to laugh.

Like any hidden gem film this show is worth checking out, in my book this show is a critical success.

Rating: 4 stars