IMDb > "The Critic" (1994)

"The Critic" (1994) More at IMDbPro »TV series 1994-1995

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Overview

User Rating:
8.4/10   1,587 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Creators:
Al Jean
Mike Reiss
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Critic on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
1 | 2 full episode list
Release Date:
26 January 1994 (USA) more
Genre:
Animation | Comedy | Drama | Romance more
Plot:
Jay Sherman is a New York film critic who has to review films he doesn't like for a living. full summary
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(10 articles)
Directors of the Decade: Brad Bird
 (From FilmExperience. 19 November 2009, 5:07 PM, PST)
Gone Too Soon: The Critic
 (From AOL - TVSquad. 17 November 2009, 7:12 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Only one more season more (61 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 12 of 22)

Jon Lovitz ... Jay Sherman (23 episodes, 1994-1995)

Nancy Cartwright ... Margo Sherman / ... (23 episodes, 1994-1995)

Christine Cavanaugh ... Marty Sherman / ... (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Gerrit Graham ... Franklin Sherman (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Doris Grau ... Doris Grossman (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Judith Ivey ... Eleanor Sherman (23 episodes, 1994-1995)

Nick Jameson ... Vlada / ... (23 episodes, 1994-1995)

Maurice LaMarche ... Jeremy Hawke / ... (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Charles Napier ... Duke Phillips (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Kath Soucie ... Various Characters (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Park Overall ... Alice Tompkins (10 episodes, 1995)
Russi Taylor ... Penny Tompkins (10 episodes, 1995)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
30 min (23 episodes)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | USA:TV-14 | USA:TV-PG | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Québec) (DVD release) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) (DVD release)
Company:
Columbia Pictures Television more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
According to the DVD commentary, the character of Duke Phillips was based on Ted Turner. more
Quotes:
Duke Phillips: Jay, we need something to take the edge off of you. Hmm. How bout a sassy black kid? He can call you "Uncle J," and you can call him "Little Shabazz." more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Ziff Who Came to Dinner (#15.14)" (2004) more

FAQ

What were the stories for the Season 3 scripts about?
Were Jay's real parents ever revealed?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
17 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
Only one more season, 29 September 2004
Author: jaywriterXIII from USA

I'm both disappointed and somewhat content with the fate of this ill-received TV show. On one hand, I feel the Critic far outclasses anything on television today and thus deserved more than it received; on the other hand, I'm glad it was concluded before it could suffer the fate of the Simpsons which has grasped at straws for years (and in my opinion just needs to be put out of its misery). I think the Critic could've gone strong for one more season before the ideas started thinning.

Anyway, due to its premature cancellation, the Critic has a concise feel and no degradation in quality. I feel the Critic was cancelled at the height of its potential when its comedic timing was dead on and the most of the jokes made me at least chuckle (well, other than the final episode . . . which was disappointing because it was a reprise of all the faux film clips and little original material.)

As for the Webisodes, I really didn't care much for them due to their lack of the rest of the cast - Alice, Dorris, Duke, Vlada, Jeremy, Martin, Penny, and Jay's family. Even though I like Jay Sherman, the Critic was never a solo act, and the webisodes brings to light how important the supporting cast are – who is Jay supposed to bounce jokes off of, and who's going to make fun of the poor guy? Without the rest of the gang, Jay is just a punch line with no build up.

I really liked this quirky cast of misfits, the individual roles they play, and how jokes gain momentum through their personalities and even their art styles. Too many comedies want to depend on quick punch lines and catch phrases. Sure, Coming Attractions was funny as part of a normal TV episode, but it alone was not the episode. No one character was the episode. I think that's why the Webisodes lack the edge its full episode brethren have.

The funniest aspect of the Critic, which is also noted on one of the DVD commentaries, is that not only does Jay wind up criticizing movie-parodies on Coming Attractions, but Jay's life is a series of movie parodies. Everywhere you look is a film reference in some shape or form. From plots that parody famous films of that era, to classics to little known trivia facts featuring Maurice LaMarche impersonating Orson Welles doing a commercial for peas and fish sticks. And of course, a show about a movie critic would eventually involve a plot around Siskel & Ebert, which is perhaps one of the more entertaining episodes.

So, as a fan of films, I found the Critic to be pretty sharp and a pretty fun ride. It was a nice comedic counterpoint to the serious films being released at the time, and some of the trends in filmmaker's art and even in their lives. Part of me is disappointed that it didn't last, but then again, part of me is also glad it stopped before it could go to hell like other shows out there.

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Message Boards

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show would be better today sergioecarmona
Better than Family Guy sergioecarmona
Another episode question Pickums02
is this available on region 2 dvd neville320
The Critic vs. The Simpsons da_fridge27
More favorite Critic Lines Mgcabral16
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