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Yes, Mr. Sherman. Everything stinks.
"It stinks!"
The Critic was a short-lived animated series that featured Jon Lovitz as the voice of the titular critic. The show is notable for being picked up by four different networks. It was launched on ABC, where it was cancelled after a month, and was picked up by FOX, who ran it for a full season before dropping it, after which it was aired on Comedy Central. It was later picked up by UPN, who never actually aired episodes of the show. In Latin America, this show was aired on Locomotion before turning into ANIMAX. Ten short flash cartoons based on the series appeared on the internet.
Jay Sherman is New York's #3 film critic, with a cable television film review show called Coming Attractions, and it's his job to review some pretty horrible movies. It doesn't help that he's rather unsuccessful at life, overweight, and not really successful with the ladies (his ex-wife Ardeth can't stand him and keeps demanding more alimony from him. However, he does have a few dates, but the women are usually either crazy or sleeping with him to get a positive review). His boss Duke Phillips frequently mistook his statements for come-ons, and his make-up lady Doris frequently verbally abused him.
Jay does have a few friends, however: his best friend Jeremy Hawke (a combination of Paul Hogan and Mel Gibson), restaurant owner Vlada (well, he's nice to Jay's face, anyway), his teenage sister Margo, and his son Marty who attended United Nations High School (where one of his classmates was a Klingon, and another from Easter Island who had a head made of stone).
In the second season (after FOX picked up the show), the character of Jay was retooled. He was given a rounder face, bigger eyes, a warmer personality, and a long-term love interest (Alice Tompkins).
The show was resurrected one last time on the Internet as a flash series. The characters from the TV series are gone (except for Vlada who makes an appearance), and Jay keeps hitting on his new make-up girl Jennifer.
Not to be confused with Mel Brooks' first film.
This show uses the tropes:
- Actor Allusion
- Adam Westing : "Siskel and Ebert and Jay and Alice", in a big way.
- All Girls Like Ponies : Margo.
- All Of The Other Reindeer : Jay is a constant victim of this.
- Ambiguously Jewish : Jay. The closest to resolving the ambiguity occurs when Jay visits the orphanage he was adopted from and asks if he was Jewish. The priest answers, "Well, what do you think?" Jay crows, "I knew it!" and immediately launches into a fake Hebrew song.
- Animated Actor : Jay did this trope a few times.
- Animated Series
- Animated Shows
- Art Evolution : Most of the characters were given some slight updates to their character designs. Jay and Margo had the most changes (see show description above for Jay's).
- As Himself : One episode was noteworthy as one of the few examples of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel appearing in a work of fiction.
- Bad Ass Mustache : Duke Phillips.
- Bad Bad Acting : Valerie Fox in her film Kiss Of Death.
- Balloon Belly : Jay. He balloons himself by turning into a giant blueberry from eating a candy from Willy Wonka, is shown having one in a picture inside Alice’s diamond locket, and from eating a giant bagpipe-playing potato.
- The Barney : Humphrey the Hippo serves as this universe's analogue to the trope namer, and Jay hates him.
- Beach Bury
- Belly Dancer : Marty in the episode "A Day at the Races and a Night at the Opera."
- Betty And Veronica : Jay got into a brief Love Triangle with Alice (the Betty) and Jeremy’s twin sister Olivia (the Veronica).
- Big Applesauce : The series takes place in New York.
- Big Eater : Jay and Marty Sherman.
- Big Fancy House : The Sherman family's mansion.
- Bilingual Bonus : Vlada's restaurant L'ane Riche, which is French for "The Wealthy Jackass."
- Bill… Bill… Junk… Bill... Rat from Jay...
- Biting The Hand Humor :
- In the episode "Sherman, Woman and Child."
"I'm Jay Sherman, the famous film critic. I used to have a big show on ABC ... for about a week."
- One of Jay's voiceovers during the show's Eye Catch:
"You're watching FOX. Shame on you!"
- In the episode "A Song For Margo."
Margo: Johnny is just like you, Jay. He's not afraid of anything. Not even the TV networks.
Jay: Well, they're all pretty crummy. (Turns to the camera when the FOX logo appears) Except for FOX. The last bastion of quality programming. (Does a salute) God bless you, little logo.
- In the episode "All The Duke's Men."
"It's a giant horse's ass! (Turns to the camera) You're watching FOX. Give us 10 minutes, we'll give you an ass."
- Brand X : "Hair In A Can" and "Phlegm Fatale Cigarettes."
- Burping Contest : Between Jay and Homer Simpson.
- Can’t Hold His Liquor
- Can't You Read The Sign?
- Catch Phrase : "It Stinks!", "Hotchie Motchie!", "Acch-um!"
- Celebrity Paradox : Avoided with regard to Jon Lovitz, who exists in this show's universe — but he came to prominence on Yesterday Night Live. Jay's a big fan, but when he suggests by phone to a movie studio that in the wake of the remake Rebel Without a [Bill] Cosby they should mount Dr. Strangelovitz, he has to explain who Lovitz is: "He's a character actor!...No, I don't think he died!"
- Celebrity Voice Actor : Jon Lovitz.
- Chained To A Bed
- Cheerful Child : Alice's young daughter Penny.
- The Chew Toy : Jay.
- Clip Show : Final episode of the second season, titled "I Can't Believe It's a Clip Show".
- Cloud Cuckoolander : Franklin Sherman, Jay's adoptive father.
- When running for Vice President of the United States:
Franklin: As the first black female head of the Ku Klux Klan, I'd like to say... America stinks!
Duke: (watching) This may hurt us more than it helps us.
- Another instance:
Geraldo Rivera: I understand you can say your name backwards.
Franklin: Nilknarf.
Geraldo: What's your favorite food in the whole wide world?
Franklin: Nilknarf.
- At dinner with the family:
"Oh, son, if I've said it once I've said it a thousand times... Who are all you people?"
- Compassionate Critic : Jay.
- Couch Gag : The opening sequence rotated several mock movie clips, usually a poorly conceived sequel to an existing movie, as well as Jay Sherman waking up to a strange phone call, news report on his radio alarm clock, or message on his answering machine. There was also an end of episode gag following on from Thats All Folks below; again, the gags were reused a few times.
- Crossdressing Voices : Christine Cavanaugh as the voice of Marty Sherman.
- Cross Over : Jay was featured on several episodes of The Simpsons, all but the first after the series' run, giving the character a Fully Absorbed Finale.
- Crowning Moment Of Heartwarming : Jay confessing his love to Alice in the episode "Lady Hawke."
- Crying Indian : Duke wants "Savvy Indian Chewing Tobacco" to be a sponsor for Coming Attractions. He even has an Indian on the set holding a sign with said name on it. Refusing to take part in it, Jay rips up his contract and throws the pieces at the Indian's feet, making him shed a tear.
- Deadpan Snarker : Doris.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud? :
Jay: (after Jeremy's sister Olivia introduces herself) I wonder what she looks like naked?
Jay's brain: You idiot, you said that out loud. Better cover.
Jay: I mean uh, I wonder what she cooks like ... naked?
Jay's brain: (sarcastically) Oh, nice going.
- Discontinuity : Most folks who liked the TV series were dissatisfied with the flash version of it. This fan review
 should further explain why.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me : Jay tries to anonymously slip money under Alice’s apartment door to prevent her from getting evicted (he actually mistakenly slipped the money in the apartment of the "crazy postman" across from hers). Alice finds out about it and is not pleased about being given charity. Jay then offers her a job to be his personal assistant. At first she doesn't want to take the job because he feels sorry for her, but then decides to take it.
- Drink Order : Franklin is always seen with a glass of brandy in his hand.
- Drives Like Crazy : Franklin.
- Embarrassing Rescue
- Even Evil Has Standards : When Satan denies Wings another season.
- However, Satan claims that it's beyond even his power, not that it's an act so evil he wouldn't do it.
- Every Episode Ending
- Everything's Worse With Bears
- Everything's Better with Penguins
- Evil Eye : During his Presidential campaign, Duke uses this on a reporter to avoid answering a question. After doing so, Duke asks the reporter if he has a follow-up question, to which he replies in a low monotone voice "How may I serve you, Evil One?" Also could count as Hypnotic Eyes.
- Executive Meddling : Happens a lot in-show. Duke tries to retool Coming Attractions on more than one occasion, and in "Dr. Jay" he invents "Phillipsvision", which digitally alters classic movies to give them all happier endings. Jay also faces this in "L.A. Jay", in which he is hired to write the screenplay for Ghostchasers 3.
- GASP! : Jay does this in the pilot episode. After giving actress Valerie Fox (who was also his girlfriend at the time) a negative performance review on Coming Attractions, he returns home hoping that she will still be there. It turns out she is — only for her to slap him multiple times, call him "short", "fat", and "even for a film critic you're ugly", and leave him. Jay lets out a long shocked gasp after this.
- Femme Fatale : Valerie Fox, at least that's what she's labelled in the film industry.
- Find The Cure
- First Kiss : Marty and Carmen in the episode "Marty's First Date."
- Floating Advice Reminder
- Food Fight : An "international food fight" occurs at Marty's school cafeteria in the episode "Marty's First Date."
- Fully Automatic Clip Show : The final episode "I Can't Belive It's A Clip Show!"
- Gene Hunting : Jay and Doris discover that Doris may be Jay's biological mother, only to find out that she is not so from a DNA test.
- Genius Bonus :
- In the Philadelphia parody Schenectady, the judge is voiced by Charles Napier, Duke's voice actor. This is fitting, as Napier played the judge in the original film.
- When Jay took in a homeless puppy, he gave it the full name "Un Chien Andalou", after Luis Bunuel's famous short film; the title translates to English as "An Andalusian Dog".
- The Glorious War Of Sisterly Rivalry : Jay's girlfriend Alice and her Southern Belle sister Miranda.
- Goofy Print Underwear : Jay has pairs of underwear that include titles of bad movies printed on them.
- Hair Today Gone Tomorrow : Technically a subversion: Miranda reminds Jay of when he first started losing his hair. Flashback to Jay wearing a white judge's wig, and speaking with a horrendous English accent.
- Also, when Duke comes in and grabs the wig off his head, there's a Little Orphan Annie wig underneath, with Jay exclaiming "Leaping Lizards!"
- Heterosexual Life Partners : Jay and Jeremy.
- Hey, It's That Voice! : Jon Lovitz is the voice of Jay Sherman. This also applies to the late Doris Grau, the voice of Jay’s make-up lady Doris Grossman, for she also voiced Lunchlady Doris from The Simpsons.
- Hilarious In Hindsight : The Broadway musical Hunch appeared in a Season One episode as a parody of Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals — two years later, Disney released their own musical version of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. For that matter, it isn't even the only Real Life musical version!
- Ho Yay : See Mistaken For Gay example below; Jay also had a "date" with a fellow prisoner in one episode.
- Hot Mom : Alice Tompkins.
- Ink Suit Actor : One could argue this with regards to Jon Lovitz as Jay Sherman. Parodied twice in-show with Howard Stern as The Cockroach King and a remake of Pinocchio featuring Jeremy as Bogart the Roach, Arnold Schwartzenegger as Geppetto, Robin Williams as the Beige Fairy, and Bob Dylan as the title character.
- Instrumental Theme Tune : Played for the opening and closing credits. The theme is by Hans Zimmer.
- I Want Song : "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" sung by Jay in the episode "Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice."
- Jaw Drop
- The Khan :
William Shatner: Hello, I'm William Shatner and this is Celebrity 911. Tonight, we devote the entire hour to police calls involving James Caan...(makes face) CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
- Land Down Under : Jeremy and Olivia's country of origin.
- Long List : Deciding to wipe her slate clean, Olivia tells Jay a list of all the men she had been with. The list is so long that Jay ends up growing stubble on his face and shaving.
- Marlon Brando : Gets lampooned in the show frequently.
- Masquerade Ball : Duke holds one in the episode "Dukerella."
- Maurice La Marche : Voiced Jeremy Hawke, Orson Welles, and various others.
- Meet Cute : Alice pepper-sprays Jay in his face when they first meet on the street, but he was not harmed by the act. In fact, he rather liked it ("Mmm, jalapeño!"). However, in this case, no Strangled By The Red String is involved as their relationship has chemistry and flourishes more naturally.
- Memetic Mutation : "Buy my book! Buy my book! Buy my book!"
- The Missus And The Ex : When Jay's girlfriend Alice and his ex-wife Ardeth meet for the first time, Ardeth tells Alice a spooky warning to "beware" and attempts to place a voodoo hex on her. Jay then has to remind Ardeth that the divorce judge has forbidden her to commit such conduct.
- Mistaken For Gay : Jay's boss is convinced Jay has a crush on him, despite Jay's insistence that he's straight.
- Money Dear Boy : This is why distinguished actor Sir Roger Twicenightly did the film Howard Stern's End. And in this universe, Orson Welles not only did commercials in his waning years (such as for Rosebud Frozen Peas and Blotto Bros. Wine), but Video Wills! (See below)
- The Most Dangerous Game : In one of the opening gags during the main credits, Jay's boss Duke calls him, inviting Jay to his ranch upon the news that Duke has received a license to hunt man. Jay is advised to bring his "running shoes."
- Nancy Cartwright : Voiced Margo Sherman.
- New Job Episode :
- In the episode "Eyes on the Prize," Jay is fired from Coming Attractions due to low ratings and gets a job teaching English on the 6:00 AM TV program "English For Cab Drivers."
- In the episode "Uneasy Rider," Jay quits Coming Attractions and becomes a truck driver.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed : The Trope Namer.
Jay (during the show's closing credits): Celebrity voices are impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the filming of this episode.
- No Indoor Voice : "Stop making yourself the CENTERRRR OF ATTENTIOOOON!!!"
- No Respect Guy : Jay.
- Not Blood Siblings : Jay and Margo, but they have always treated each other as blood relatives nevertheless.
- Official Couple : Jay and Alice, Franklin and Elenor, Duke and Miranda.
- Oh Wait This Is My Grocery List
- One Liner Echo : "If the movie stinks, just don’t go!"
- Organ Autonomy : Jay's stomach.
- The Other Darrin : Rhea Pearlman replaced Brenda Vaccaro as the voice of Ardeth in the second season.
- Overly Long Gag : "Whooo." "My wife, Eleanor." "Whooo." "My wife, Eleanor." "Whooo." "My wife, Eleanor."
- The Paolo : Alice’s adulterous ex-husband Cyrus who travels to New York to win her back. He sings to her in order to do so (which is Alice’s weakness). It almost works until Jay arrives playing an accordion, snapping her out of it.
- Perfectly Cromulent Word : Duke Phillips pays Noah Webster to put the words "Quzybuk" (meaning "a big problem"), "Dukelicious", and "Duketastrophie" in the dictionary. Ignore the fact that Noah Webster has been dead for 150 years.
- Notably, he did it just so he'd get a really high score in Scrabble.
- Also notable in that a seemingly random character uses the recently-invented "Quzybuk" when talking to Jay later in that same episode.
- Pimped Out Dress : When Jay's sister Margo is forced to attend a debutante ball.
- Political Correctness Gone Mad : Savvy Indian Chewing Tobacco was going to be called Savage Indian, but was changed due to concerns over political correctness.
- The Protagonist : Jay.
- Replacement Scrappy : Jay's replacement love interest Jennifer in the webisodes.
- Rousing Speech : In the episode "Uneasy Rider," Jay aims to win another Pulitzer Prize so he could get back respectability. He writes an essay entitled "The Sorry State of Films Today" and presents it on the TV program "English For Cab Drivers."
"I am a movie critic by trade, and until recently, I got paid to tell you people which movies merely stink and which ones you shouldn’t screen near an open flame. Well, I’m putting the burden of lousy movies back on you. It’s very simple: if you stop going to bad movies, they’ll stop making bad movies. If the movie used to be a TV show, just don’t go. After Roman numeral II, give it a rest. If it's a remake of a classic, rent the classic. Tell them you want stories about people, not a hundred million dollars of stunts and explosives. People, it’s up to you. If the movie stinks, just don’t go."
- Running Gag : Duke always assuming Jay is gay, Jay's stomach having a mind of its own.
- Satan : Appears a few times.
- He takes credit for Marisa Tomei winning the Oscar, for one.
Satan (phoning Jay in the opening credits): Hello Jay, this is the Devil. Despite what you think, I am not the reason Cher won an Oscar. I am the reason Marisa Tomei won an Oscar. (Growls evilly and hangs up.)
- Also appears in an interview with Gene Siskel, disguised as a reviewer.
Reviewer: Tim Allen gives that same likeable performance we've always loved, once again proving that Disney pictures have the magical touch that may not win awards but keep America smiling. How's that?
Gene Siskel: You're Satan, aren't you?
(Reviewer transforms into his real form: Satan)
Satan: You've won another round, Siskel! But we shall meet again!
- The Schlub Pub Seduction Deduction : Valerie Fox is a suspect of this.
- Screwed By The Network
- Seinfeldian Conversation : At the end of the pilot episode, this literally happens during a scene from Seinfeld that Jay and Marty watch.
George: I thought you were taking Cathy out tonight.
Jerry: Why do they call it "taking out?" I took her to a restaurant. It wasn't out it was in. I would say I'm taking her in, but then she sounds like a pair of pants.
- Servile Snarker : The Sherman family's butler Shackleford.
- Show Within A Show : Coming Attractions, which featured the use of Ad Bumpers.
- Spork : This cutlery is mentioned at least twice throughout the show.
- Stealth Insult : Shackleford referes to Jay as "Adopted Master Jay," but in this case he says it right to Jay's face.
- Strange Minds Think Alike : In one episode, a research scientist uses the previously mentioned "Quzybuk" word.
- Straw Critic : Jay. In a minor subversion, however, he's essentially a decent guy — and in his defense, most of the movies he has to review are horrible. Still, he does attack some noteworthy films and/or performers, and this is one reason he's so unpopular with the public.
On Oscar-winner Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields: "If you ask me, he should have gone to the acting fields."
"And that's why Goldie Hawn should be shot."
- Talkative Loon : Franklin.
- The Taxi : Jay is seen travelling by taxi a few times.
- Tear Jerker : Gene Siskel pining for his reviewing partner in "Siskel and Ebert and Jay and Alice."
- Temporary Bulk Change : Marty in the episode "From Chunk to Hunk." He and Jay attend a weight-loss camp which results in Marty to lose a lot of weight and gain a lot of popularity at school. However, he gains it all back by the time the episode ends.
Soda Jerk: Our freezer is broken. We need someone to eat 50 gallons of ice cream.
(Marty immediately runs in.)
Soda Jerk: It's Jay Sherman's kid! We're saved!
- That's All, Folks!
Movie Usher (to Jay after the show's closing credits): Excuse me, sir, the show's over.
- This Loser Is You : Jay, to an extent.
- Title: The Adaptation : Parodied with Hee Haw: The Next Generation.
- Too Good To Last : The Critic is an absolute victim of this.
- Un Canceled
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist : Jay.
- Unwanted Spouse : Jay is a victim of this. His ex-wife Ardeth admitted to his face of regretting marrying him, during the wedding ceremony.
- Also Alice's husband Cyrus.
- Video Wills : Franklin and Elenor prepared their own video will, which was presented to Jay and Margo after their possible death from a plane crash. Orson Welles also took part in it (and made sure to also include his "declaration of love" to Mrs. Pell's Fishsticks at the end.)
- Viewers Are Morons : This attitude gets a lot of spoofing in-show.
- What Could Have Been : "Every Doris Has Her Day" was going to use Cat Stevens's songs from Harold and Maude instead of "A Bicycle Built for Two", to spoof the growing friendship between Jay and Doris, but the producers couldn't get the rights.
- Woody Allen : Gets lampooned in the show a few times.
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