Animated shows geared towards mature audiences have become commonplace. These cartoons often rely on edgier humor to push the boundaries of what’s considered socially acceptable. Years before South Park and others were catering to adult viewers, a short-lived animated series appealed to a different type of audience. Viewers who were familiar with the trends in mainstream entertainment and had an appreciation for directors such as Ingmar Bergman and Rainer Werner Fassbinder had a show that was perfectly suited to their interests. Brought to life through the voice of Jon Lovitz, The Critic offered intelligent humor that lampooned the film industry and spoke to the cinephile in all of us.

Streaming for free on Tubi, The Critic might have only lasted for two seasons, the first on ABC and then another on FOX, but the misadventures of Jay Sherman, a film critic based in New York City, are wildly entertaining and offer a unique glimpse of the film industry in the mid-1990s. Sherman, who would much rather enjoy films such as Citizen Kane and Eraserhead, is instead tasked with reviewing the contemporary cinema churned out by Hollywood. No matter what film is racking up high receipts at the box office, Jay Sherman dismisses each one with his famous catchphrase: “It stinks.”

An Unlikely Lead With Cinematic Chutzpa
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Jay Sherman is an unlikely lead, comparable to George Costanza from Seinfeld. That is to say, he’s an underdog who ends up being the butt of many jokes and also delivers a fair amount of self-deprecating Jewish humor. The Critic offered up a lot of jokes that cinephiles would grasp immediately. Whether it was an Eraserhead poster in his apartment or asking his son if he had any interest in renting the 13-hour version of Berlin Alexanderplatz, the highbrow and intelligent references were well played.

Jay Sherman doesn’t get to watch the films of Bergman, Welles, Cocteau, or Fassbinder. In fact, years before BoJack Horseman shed light on Hollywood’s never-ending cavalcade of sequels and cash-ins, The Critic was keen on satirizing the trends that dominate the film industry. Jay, the host of a television program entitled “Coming Attractions,” is tasked with reviewing many of the films that cater to a contemporary crowd. The setup of Jay’s show provides a way to have several film parodies that lampoon many of the popular releases from the time period.

There were plenty of recurring references, such as Dudley Moore’s portrayal of Arthur, Dustin Hoffman in Rainman, and Orson Welles’s refusal to turn down any role that offered him substantial money. Apart from the movies Jay was tasked with reviewing, there were plenty of episodes that themselves were parodies of recent or well-known films. The first season included one episode entitled “Miserable,” which found a way to parody Fatal Attraction and Misery. Many of the episodic titles were themselves named for clever cinema-related puns, such as “Sherman of Arabia,” “All The Duke’s Men,” and “Marathon Mensch.”

A Supporting Cast of Crazies
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Besides the parodies that made The Critic such a memorable show, the supporting cast around Jay Sherman was just as memorable. Jay’s boss, Duke Phillips, a southern billionaire and media mogul, an obvious parody of Ted Turner, was the ultimate megalomaniac with a consistent need for ratings to improve. Jay’s adopted family, consisting of Eleanor, a Katherine Hepburn-esque upper-class blue blood, and her husband Franklin, an eccentric scotch-drinking patriarch who resembles Joseph P. Kennedy, provided the perfect contrast to Jay.

One of the best comedic opposites to play off of Jay was his best friend, actor Jeremy Hawke, an Australian heartthrob who could be best described as a cross between Jeremy Irons and Mel Gibson. Alice was introduced in the second season as Jay’s assistant and love interest, allowing for more room to explore the relationship aspect of Jay Sherman as a character. The introduction of Alice can be seen as a “shark-jumping” moment by some, as the character of Jay Sherman works much better as an underdog, but their relationship is heartfelt and genuine.

There were more celebrity cameos, including notable guest appearances from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and the parodies of contemporary cinema were still prominent, but the show moving to Fox did provide a slightly diminished quality, especially in some of the show’s writing. The best way to describe the key difference between The Critic’s first and second seasons is that it went from jokes about Fassbinder and Bergman to being more akin to other animated sitcoms such as The Simpsons. Still, The Critic maintained a fair amount of intellectual humor that made it a unique animated show at a time when the options for the medium were limited.

Gone Too Soon and Far Ahead of Its Time
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In recent years, we’ve seen several animated shows that are not only geared toward a mature audience in terms of risqué content but also intelligent subjects that offer a subversive look at the entertainment industry. The Critic, despite only being around for a brief period of time, can be seen as an indication of which direction animated shows will take in the future. Jon Lovitz brought some much-needed chutzpa and charm to a role that was perfectly suited for him. While the entertainment industry and design of animated shows have certainly evolved since Jay Sherman graced television screens, there’s one undeniable fact that can be said about The Critic: it doesn’t stink. Stream on Tubi.