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The Critic: The Complete Series (1994)


Commentaries on this disc:

Commentary 1: "The Pilot" -- Creators/executive producers/writers Mike Reiss and Al Jean, actors Maurice LaMarche and Nick Jameson and director Rich Moore Rating:8.0/10 (2 votes) [graph]Login to vote or review
Commentary 2: "Marty's First Date" -- Creators/executive producers Mike Reiss and Al Jean, writer Steve Levitan, supervising director Rich Moore, art director David Cutler and actors Nick Jameson, Charles Napier and Maurice LaMarche Rating:8.0/10 (2 votes) [graph]Login to vote or review
Commentary 3: "Eyes on the Prize" -- Creators/executive producers Mike Reiss and Al Jean, actors Maurice LaMarche and Nick Jameson and supervising director Rich Moore Rating:8.0/10 (2 votes) [graph]Login to vote or review
Commentary 4: "Every Doris Has Her Day" -- Creators/executive producers Mike Reiss and Al Jean, executive producer James L. Brooks, supervising director Rich Moore, actors Nick Jameson, David Cutler, Charles Napier and Maurice LaMarche Rating:8.0/10 (2 votes) [graph]Login to vote or review
Commentary 5: "L.A. Jay" -- Creators/executive producers Mike Reiss and Al Jean, writer Steve Levitan, supervising director Rich Moore, actors Nick Jameson, David Cutler, Charles Napier and Maurice LaMarche Rating:8.3/10 (3 votes) [graph]Login to vote or review
Reviewed by Brian Thibodeau on August 5th, 2004:Find all reviews by Brian Thibodeau
Charles Napier recounts his first reading for the series, which he believed to be a sitcom until it gradually dawned on him what he was getting in to. Al Jean points out that Napier is probably the only cast member who could play his character in a movie version of The Critic, since "Jon Lovitz looks NOTHING like Jay Sherman!" Mike Reiss also admits some on the crew were big fans of Napier's work in the films of Russ Meyer. This track maintains the pace and interest level of previous sessions, and as it was recorded the day of the California election, allows the participants to veer off into discussions of the accusations against then-candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger. Quite fun.
Commentary 6: "Sherman, Woman and Child" -- Creators/executive producers Mike Reiss and Al Jean, actors Maurice LaMarche and Nick Jameson and supervising director Rich Moore Rating:8.0/10 (2 votes) [graph]Login to vote or review
Commentary 7: "Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice" -- Creators/executive producers Mike Reiss and Al Jean, actors Maurice LaMarche and Nick Jameson and supervising director Rich Moore Rating:8.0/10 (3 votes) [graph]Login to vote or review
Reviewed by Brian Thibodeau on August 5th, 2004:Find all reviews by Brian Thibodeau
On this track, we learn that when Roger Ebert did a tribute to Gene Siskel after the latter's death, the show featured clips from this episode of THE CRITIC, for which Mike Reiss admits they got money, then decides that's probably not a great topic for discussion. We also learn that Maurice LaMarche is responsible for Jay Sherman's belches on the show, and that he really doesn't like Jon Lovitz's Woody Allen impersonation. Not surprisingly, Siskel and Ebert, who provided their own voices, constantly wanted to know who was better, and were actually eager to sing and fight. Best line: "Why'd we add color to Guernica?" As with most of the tracks in this set, the pace is consistent and the discussion rarely slows down the way it tends to on the tracks in The Simpson's box sets. Probably a sign that the participants on those sets should be limited to key epidodes.
Commentary 8: "Sherman of Arabia" -- Creators/executive producers Mike Reiss and Al Jean, actors Maurice LaMarche and Nick Jameson and supervising director Rich Moore Rating:7.0/10 (3 votes) [graph]Login to vote or review
Reviewed by Brian Thibodeau on August 5th, 2004:Find all reviews by Brian Thibodeau
This one's less chatty than the others, prone to more of those dreaded silent stretches where everyone's simply watching the show and laughing at their own gags. This is probably one of the main drawbacks, as evidenced by The Simpsons tracks, of watching half-hour shows that are nearly a decade old. Most interesting fact: Nancy Cartwright had to teach Maurice LaMarche the GREEN ACRES theme song so he could properly sing the Saddam Hussein "Brown Acres" spoof. Overall, though, probably the least interesting track on the set.