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Poster for The Critic

The Critic

7.4/10 134 votes
AnimationComedyDrama

Jay Sherman is a TV movie critic who is forced to review the most pathetic films which he always rates as "It stinks." In addition to the film parodies, the show also deals with his personal life: working for a tyrannical media mogul boss, his lovelife and his family.

Created by:
Mike Reiss, Al Jean
Cast:
Jon Lovitz, Christine Cavanaugh, Park Overall, Russi Taylor
Language:
English
Country:
United States of America
Network:
ABC, FOX

Episode guide

Seasons

3 available

Season 1

Episodes

Episode 1 selected
Still from Pilot E01

Episode 1

Pilot

1994-01-26 · 22m

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?

Current episode
Still from Marty's First Date E02

Episode 2

Marty's First Date

1994-02-02 · 22m

Marty invites his Jay to career day at his school where Marty develops a crush on a Cuban girl named Carmen. They go on a date but when Carmen decides to fly back to Cuba, Marty follows her and Jay must get his son back.

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Still from Dial 'M' For Mother E03

Episode 3

Dial 'M' For Mother

1994-02-09 · 22m

Jay is considered to be one of the most unpopular men on Earth (ranking even worse than Adolph 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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Still from Miserable E04

Episode 4

Miserable

1994-02-16 · 22m

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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Still from A Little Deb Will Do You E05

Episode 5

A Little Deb Will Do You

1994-02-23 · 22m

Eleanor is determined to have her daughter, Margo, attend the annual debutantes ball as it is 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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Still from Eyes on the Prize E06

Episode 6

Eyes on the Prize

1994-03-02 · 22m

Jay celebrates his 1000th episode but the episode is less than successful. Ratings get worse so Jay seeks image consultant, Adolph Hitmaker, for advice. The advice is unsuccessful and Jay is fired. Jay gets a new job on a show which teaches English for cab drivers but Jay is unhappy so he decides to win himself another Pulitzer Prize.

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Still from Every Doris Has Her Day E07

Episode 7

Every Doris Has Her Day

1994-06-01 · 22m

Jay befriends his make-up lady Doris after they attend a musical adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and thinks that she may be the mother who gave him up for adoption years ago.

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Still from Marathon Mensch E08

Episode 8

Marathon Mensch

1994-06-08 · 22m

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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Still from L.A. Jay E09

Episode 9

L.A. Jay

1994-06-22 · 22m

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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Still from Dr. Jay E10

Episode 10

Dr. Jay

1994-06-29 · 22m

Jay's boss, Duke, has just made a new invention, "Phillips-o-Vision" which alters movies to make them more "like-able". 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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Still from A Day at the Races and a Night at the Opera E11

Episode 11

A Day at the Races and a Night at the Opera

1994-07-06 · 22m

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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Still from Uneasy Rider E12

Episode 12

Uneasy Rider

1994-07-13 · 22m

After refusing to plug chewing tobacco on his show, Jay quits his job and becomes a truck driver.

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Still from A Pig Boy and His Dog E13

Episode 13

A Pig Boy and His Dog

1994-07-20 · 22m

"A Pig-Boy and His Dog" is the 13th episode of The Critic. This was the final episode to air on ABC.

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Cast

Jon Lovitz

Jon Lovitz

Jay Sherman (voice)

Christine Cavanaugh

Christine Cavanaugh

Marty Sherman (voice)

Park Overall

Park Overall

Alice Tompkins (voice)

Russi Taylor

Russi Taylor

Penny Tompkins (voice)

Charles Napier

Charles Napier

Duke Phillips (voice)

Judith Ivey

Judith Ivey

Eleanor Sherman (voice)

Gerrit Graham

Gerrit Graham

Franklin Sherman (voice)

Nancy Cartwright

Nancy Cartwright

Margo Sherman (voice)

Doris Grau

Doris Grossman (voice)

Maurice LaMarche

Maurice LaMarche

Jeremy Hawke (voice)

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