The Critic

The Critic is an American animated series that was originally broadcast on ABC in 1994 (and later on the Fox in 1995). The show was created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who were two writers and producers on The Simpsons. The show was produced by Columbia Pictures Television in association with Gracie Films and Film Roman. The series revolves around the life of movie critic Jay Sherman. Each episode featured at least one or two short movie parodies based on current releases at the time or movies that were at least two or three years old. Many of these parodies were featured on Jay's show Coming Attractions. Notable examples include Howard Stern's End (Howard's End), Honey, I Ate the Kids (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids), The Cockroach King (The Lion King), and Scent of a Jackass (Scent of a Woman).

Season One Synopsis

Pilot

Episode 1x01 - Airdate: January 26, 1994

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Film critic Jay Sherman falls in love with actress Valerie Fox. Jay's family and friends worry that Valerie is using him to get a good movie review. Does she truly care for him?

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Marty's First Date

Episode 1x02 - Airdate: February 02, 1994.

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Jay's son Marty falls for a classmate: Fidel Castro's granddaughter. Jay smuggles himself into Cuba to rescue his son, and upon being captured, Castro, feeling benevolent, orders the firing squad, "shoot to wound." As the episode ends, Jay is freed by telling the guards he gave thumbs up to "The Mambo Kings."

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Dial 'M' For Mother

Episode 1x03 - Airdate: February 16, 1994

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Jay is considered to be one of the most unpopular men on Earth (ranking even worse than Hitler) so Duke attempts to spruce up the show to get more people interested. When this doesn't work, Jay decides to soften his image by going on the "Geraldo Show" with his mother but Jay gets an even worse reputation when his mother embarrasses him to the point where he tells her to "shut up".

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Miserable

Episode 1x04 - Airdate: February 16, 1994

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Jay, noticing everyone in New York has a fiancee except him, begins to feel unloved. Things change when he goes to review the movie, Indecent Proposal II, and falls in love with the projectionist screening the movie. They arrange a date at her house where she is revealed to have an obsession with Jay to the point where she kidnaps him and ties him to a bed holding him hostage.

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A Little Deb Will Do Ya

Episode 1x05 - Airdate: February 23, 1994

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Eleanor is determined to have her daughter, Margo, attend the annual debutantes ball, a tradition in her family. When Margo is reluctantly forced into it, Jay decides to accompany her. Meanwhile, Jay competes in his time slot against children's idol Humphrey the Hippo.

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Eyes on the Prize

Episode 1x06 - Airdate: March 02, 1994

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Jay gets fired and is forced to host an early morning television show, "English for Cab Drivers." Jay decides that the best way to get his old job back is to win another Pulitzer, which he does.

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Every Doris Has Her Day

Episode 1x07 - Airdate: June 01, 1994

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Jay is given two tickets to a new play based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He tries to find a date but no woman will go with him so he goes with Doris instead. Surprisingly, Jay and Doris have a good time and their relationship eventually blossoms. One day Doris recalls she has a son she put up for adoption. Jay mentions he is adopted and both start to think they are biological mother and son and must find more evidence.

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Marathon Mensch

Episode 1x08 - Airdate: June 08, 1994

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When the studio catches fire during Jay's show, he collapses and must be rescued from the fire by Doris. When the news reports Jay's being rescued, he gets a reputation as being a wimp so he tries to prove his manliness by running in the New York marathon which tends to be more tiresome than it seems.

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L.A. Jay

Episode 1x09 - Airdate: June 22, 1994

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Jay is offered to write the screenplay for a new movie, Ghostchasers III, so he takes a break from his show to go to L.A. to write the new movie and experience Hollywood life but the movie producer isn't satisfied with Jay's script.

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Dr. Jay

Episode 1x10 - Airdate: June 29, 1994

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Jay's boss, Duke, has just made a new invention, "Phillips-Vision" which alters movies to make them more "likeable". Jay is disgusted with Duke's invention but when Duke is discovered to have a fatal disease, Jay must find a cure for Duke's ailment.

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A Day at the Races and a Night at the Opera

Episode 1x11 - Airdate: July 06, 1994

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After Marty fails to win an event at his school field day, he is feeling very low so Jay tries to improve his self-confidence by getting him interested in playing guitar and putting him in the school talent show. Meanwhile, Them Magazine names Jay "the wittiest man alive" so Duke offers to pay everyone who doesn't laugh at Jay's show $100 which doesn't go over very well.

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Uneasy Rider

Episode 1x12 - Airdate: July 13, 1994

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Jay is asked by Duke to use his show to promote a new product, "Savvy Indian Chewing Tobacco". Jay doesn't want to promote tobacco so he tears up his contract and quits. He finds a new career in truck driving where he is praised by the other truckers but starts to realize the importance of his other job.

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A Pig-Boy and His Dog

Episode 1x13 - Airdate: July 20, 1994

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Eleanor is bored and feeling depressed with her life so she attempts to become an author and write a book. She writes a children's book, The Fat Little Pig, which Jay learns is modelled after him. Meanwhile, Jay tries to get along with his new pet dog.

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This was the last episode aired on ABC. The rest of the episodes were broadcast by the FOX Network.

Related Topics:
ABC - FOX Network

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