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(rating: 4 stars / 4 reviews)
Animation > TV Series
The Critic
Reviews | Write a Review
The Critic © Columbia TriStar Television / Gracie Films

Jay Sherman is a pudgy, balding, middle aged New York movie critic who hosts the show 'Coming Attractions'. Jay despises blockbuster movies and can't help insulting everyone's favourite films. This makes him terribly unpopular with just about everybody, especially the owner of the TV station, who wants to dumb the show down, or preferably get rid of it. ("Your job is to rate movies on a scale from "good" to "excellent"). This rarely works though, and Jay will inevitably break out into his signature phrase, "It stinks!" Jay's adopted parents are rich socialites, his best friend is a Paul Hogan-ish Australian, he has a son, an estranged wife and faint hopes of a new romance.

Created by: Columbia TriStar Television / Gracie Films
Released: 1994
Language: English
Country of Origin: USA
Style: 2D animation
Rated: TV-14
Viewer Warning: Some mild profanity (internet episodes only)
Number of Episodes: 23
Featuring the voices of:
Jon Lovitz ... Jay Sherman
Maurice LaMarche ... Jeremy Hawke, and countless celebrity voices
Christine Cavanaugh ... Marty Sherman
Gerrit Graham ... Franklin Sherman
Judith Ivey ... Eleanor Sherman
Nancy Cartwright ... Margo
Charles Napier ... Duke Phillips
Doris Grau ... Doris Grossman
Nick Jameson ... Vlada
Park Overall ... Alice Tomkins (1995)
Valerie Levitt ... Jennifer (2000)
Series Created by: Mike Reiss and Al Jean
Directed by: Brett Haaland, Dan Jeup, Lauren MacMullan, Alan Smart and Richard Moore
Produced by: Richard Raynis, Tom Brady, Steve Tompkins, Miles Lewis Horst, J. Michael Mendel, Richard Moore, Richard Sakai and Bill Schultz
Musical Score by: Jeff Rona and Alf Clausen
Theme Music by: Hans Zimmer
Writing Credits: Mike Reiss, Al Jean, Ken Keeler, Richard Doctorow, Tom Brady, Steve Tompkins, Patric Verrone, Jon Vitti, Judd Apatow, Jeffrey Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin, Stevan Levitan and Nell Scovell
The Critic © Columbia TriStar Television / Gracie Films
Of Interest:

'The Critic' was axed by ABC after one season, taken up and axed by Fox after another season. After a 5 year gap it returned with a series of 10 four-minute internet-only flash animation episodes, which you can view at Atom Films (see below.) They're also on the DVD set.

The show was created by writers from 'The Simpsons', and there is a 'Critic'/'Simpsons' crossover episode of 'The Simpsons'. Matt Groening was so furious he had his name removed from the credits.

Famously, 'The Critic' is the only show on which Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel appeared, as well as the only TV show they ever reviewed.

Maurice LaMarche apparently set a record during one episode of 'The Critic', by voicing 29 individual characters.

In an Andy Kaufman-esque gag, Maurice LaMarche once phoned the series' producers, impersonating star Jon Lovitz, and demanding that LaMarche be fired.

According to jumptheshark.com, 'The Critic' is one of only 3 cartoons series never to have 'jumped the shark' (the other two are 'The Tick' and 'The Simpsons')

  • Atom Films -- See all the 2000-2001 internet episodes for free at atomfilms.com
Buy The Critic
DVD
3 disc set
DVD
profile by: lupercal