Television series

The Critic

Name: The Critic
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1994
Cast: Jon Lovitz, Charles Napier, Christine Cavanaugh, Doris Grau, Gerrit Graham

Parody
Light-hearted

An animated sitcom where Jon Lovitz voices Jay Sherman, a caustic film critic stuck reviewing terrible movies for a mogul boss. It's sharp, fast-paced, packed with Hollywood parody and pop-culture riffs. A show for people who love jokes about movies, people who love jokes in general, and anyone who's ever wanted to say what they actually think.

TVMaze rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like Simpsons-school cartoon comedy built from riffs on bad movies and a sour, self-regarding lead whose vanity gets punctured on schedule.

Skip it if you need a constant stream of jokes, since the personal-life storylines about his boss, love life and family take real time between the film parodies.

What it asks of you: Twenty-two-minute episodes, three seasons, asking you to follow his professional and private life across a full run rather than a single gag.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Simpsons1989

Same creative DNA—rapid-fire gags, celebrity guests, absurdist humour layered over real character moments. The Simpsons at its peak is what The Critic aspires to be, and it'll feel familiar and comfortable.

But By now you've probably seen it. Also, it's long—committing to the whole run is its own project, and quality varies wildly across decades.

Beavis and Butt-Head1992

Same era, same irreverent energy, same love of skewering pop culture. If you love Jay's mean-spirited reviews, you'll love two teenagers tearing apart music videos with the same gleeful contempt.

But The humour is cruder and meaner-spirited, with less heart underneath. Not everyone finds the stupidity charming after the first few episodes.

NewsRadio1995

Contemporary workplace comedy with a similar smart-aleck tone and fast banter. The ensemble cast clicks brilliantly, and it mines the same vein of character-driven jokes about professional incompetence and personal chaos.

But It's live-action, so the energy is different. Also, it pivots away from the cynicism as the show goes on—not everyone wants their comedy to get sentimental.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Critic

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Mystery Science Theater 30001988

Both shows are about critics—professional and amateur—who've made a career of pointing out what's wrong with entertainment. The Critic formalizes it; MST3K democratizes it. Same impulse, opposite ends of the spectrum.

The spiritual ancestor of The Critic's whole premise: people tearing apart bad movies with jokes. But MST3K does it with three silhouettes riffing over the actual film, creating a completely different texture. Same cynical love, different delivery.

But Very long episodes (90+ minutes), very niche humour, and a lot of it lands only if you're in the exact mood for it. Can feel precious or tedious depending on your patience that day.

Futurama1999

Made by the same people who created The Simpsons, with a similar joke density and willingness to do deep cuts. It's got the same affection for its characters underneath the snark, and the animation is beautiful.

But Cancelled multiple times and resurrected. The continuity is messy if you care about watching in order, and early seasons are uneven.

Daria1997

Another brilliant comedy about a caustic observer navigating a ridiculous world. Daria's deadpan delivery and eye-roll commentary feel spiritual cousins to Jay's sneering reviews, but applied to high school instead of Hollywood.

But Slower pacing and more grounded tone than The Critic. If you're here for non-stop gags, this is too chill and character-focused.

Night Court1984

A workplace comedy with the same anarchic energy and parade of eccentric characters. Harry Anderson plays a judge dealing with absurd cases and impossible people, much like Jay dealing with terrible movies and worse colleagues.

But It's '80s network TV, so it's softer and less cutting. The humour is broader, and it hasn't aged as sharply as you might want.

WKRP in Cincinnati1978

The template for workplace comedies done right: ensemble cast, ridiculous situations, genuine warmth. Like The Critic, it finds comedy in professional failure and the personalities clashing in close quarters.

But Much gentler in tone, and the references are completely dated now. It's a period piece, which some people find charming and others find slow.

Murphy Brown1988

Candice Bergen is a news anchor with Jay's same sharp tongue and refusal to suffer fools. Workplace chaos, media satire, and character comedy from someone who knows how to deliver a cutting line.

But Heavier on topical '90s politics than comedy, and the laughs don't land as consistently. It's more interested in being important than being funny.

Just Shoot Me!1997

Fashion magazine workplace comedy with a similar ensemble, similar pace, similar willingness to do guest stars and pop-culture riffs. It's lighter than The Critic but hits the same tone of affectionate mockery.

But Genuinely silly in ways that don't always work. The chemistry carries episodes that the jokes alone couldn't, which means some feel thin.

Brazil1985

Jay's world—the studios, the bosses, the system—is a gentler version of Gilliam's totalitarian nightmare. Both are about characters crushed by the machinery of entertainment and bureaucracy, just pitched differently in tone.

Terry Gilliam's dystopian comedy about a bureaucrat trapped in a nightmarish system. It's visually dazzling, blackly funny, and filled with the same satirical fury at institutions and incompetence that drives The Critic.

But It's bleak, surreal, and deliberately difficult. The humour is buried in the absurdity, not delivered as punchlines. Some people find it exhausting rather than exhilarating.

Singin' in the Rain1952

Jay spends every episode reviewing Hollywood nonsense; Singin' in the Rain *is* Hollywood nonsense, aware of itself, ripping itself apart from inside. It's what Jay wishes the films he reviews could be—sharp, self-aware, and made by people who knew exactly what they were doing.

The greatest movie musical ever made, and a brilliant satire of early Hollywood itself. The gags are perfect, the dancing is transcendent, and it tears apart the studio system with the same gleeful contempt Jay brings to bad films.

But It's 1952, it's a musical, and it requires patience with a different comedy rhythm. If you don't love classic Hollywood, the parody won't land as hard.