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.

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.

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.

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!