"The Critic" (1994)TV series 1994-1995

Writer:

Steve Tompkins (writer) (episodes)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

26 January 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy

Plot:

Jay Sherman is a New York film critic who has to review films he doesn't like for a living.

Plot Keywords:

Breaking The Fourth Wall | Film Industry | Obesity | Father Son Relationship | Spoof

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

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)

Runtime:

30 min (23 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

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

Trivia:

According to the DVD commentary, the character of Duke Phillips was based on Ted Turner.

Goofs:

Continuity: In "A Song for Margot", when Johnny's parents come to visit and he rides off on his horse in a huff, he initially gets on a brown horse, but when he jumps the hedge in the next shot, his horse is white.

Quotes:

Theater Employee: Excuse me sir, the show is over.
Jay Sherman: But I have no where to go.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: A Star Is Burns (#6.18)" (1995)

Good show, GREAT voice acting

Though it never really becomes more than the sum of its parts (hindered by quite a few rather generic plot lines and unimaginative film parodies) `The Critic' does contain more than its share of memorable laugh-out-loud moments, generally due to the brilliant voice acting of Maurice LaMarche, who performs most of the celebrity voice impersonations. His Orson Welles impression (`Rosebud... yes, Rosebud frozen peas'), one of the show's standout moments, has to be heard to be believed – it's no wonder Tim Burton hired him to overdub D'Onofrio's voice in `Ed Wood'.

Other highlights include the many cameo appearances by film critics Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, Gene Shalit and Rex Reed. Seeing Siskel and Jay re-enact the `wig' scene from Hitchcock's `Vertigo' is heartwarming, and though I could never stand Rex Reed's reviews, he is a fabulous voice actor. His delivery of the Savvy Indian Chewing Tobacco commercial jingle still makes me laugh out loud any time I hear it.

Not a knockout show, but definitely worth watching. It's a bloody shame this was cancelled.