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.

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!

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 *****

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.