Entertainment
The Only TV Show Siskel & Ebert Ever Reviewed Is a 2-Part Hidden Gem Worth Revisiting
Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel are often considered to be among the top tier of film critics, particularly their TV series At The Movies (originally known as Siskel & Ebert & the Movies). The duo was known for their scathing sense of humor when it came to their reviews, along with their famous “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down” system (long before Rotten Tomatoes was a thing). In all that time, Ebert and Siskel never reviewed a television series — except for one major occasion. That review was for the short-lived animated series The Critic, which was ironically about a movie critic’s life.
Created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, The Critic follows New York movie critic Jay Sherman (Jon Lovitz). Much like Siskel and Ebert, Sherman hosted his own television series where he delivered takedowns of movies — most of them parodies of popular or classic films. He even had his own catchphrase: “It stinks!” But what did Siskel and Ebert think of the show? The answer’s a bit complicated.
It Took Siskel and Ebert Time To Warm Up to ‘The Critic’
Siskel and Ebert would review the first three episodes of The Critic, and their initial reactions were mixed. Siskel felt that The Critic had far fewer memorable characters than The Simpsons, which Jean and Reiss previously worked on. Ebert, on the other hand, felt that the show should focus on Jay’s job rather than his personal life. But the mix of Jay’s personal and professional life is what makes The Critic such a great watch. His interactions with his friends led Jean and Reiss to provide commentary on Hollywood, and he was a single father — a rarity in a sitcom, let alone an animated one.
Once Season 1 of The Critic found its groove, Ebert would eventually write a glowing review on his website. He thoroughly enjoyed it, saying that it was “impossible” not to like Jay, while praising executive producer James L. Brooks‘ work in balancing the show’s humor with character development. Ebert even delivered one of his signature witty observations regarding the pilot, which opens with a beautiful actress turning on Jay after he negatively reviews one of her movies: “In real life (in my experience of it, anyway), critics are never offered bribes for good reviews, and never wind up in bed with movie stars.”
‘The Critic’ Eventually Had an Episode Guest Starring Siskel and Ebert
It might have taken Siskel and Ebert a while to warm up to The Critic, but no one could have predicted that the duo would actually guest star on the series. In the Season 2 episode “Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice,” Jay gets invited to the Academy Awards alongside a select group of critics that includes Siskel and Ebert. But Siskel and Ebert get into a fight on the trip back, and eventually split up; Jay tries to partner with both of them before seeing how much they miss each other, and decides to repair their friendship.
Siskel and Ebert fully lean into the humor of The Critic, riffing on the fact that Jay ripped off the climax of Sleepless in Seattle to bring them together. It’s no wonder Jean and Reiss consider this to be one of their favorite episodes of The Critic.
30 Years Later, ‘The Critic’ Has Become a Classic
The Critic weathered some rough storms during its brief run; it moved from ABC to Fox, and a crossover with The Simpsons led to series creator Matt Groening denouncing said episode. It was cancelled after two seasonsbut earned a reappraisal years later. Even the cast loved it! Maurice LaMarche, who provided a multitude of voices for The Critic, says that it and Pinky and the Brain were two of his favorite projects. Lovitz had a similar reaction when conducting an interview celebrating The Critic‘s 30th anniversary:
It’s very flattering, but at the same time, it’s frustrating, because I wish the show would have kept going. It was a hit show, and they just canceled it. So it’s one of those regrets, like: What would five years’ worth of shows that should have been, instead of just 23 [episodes], look like? I’ve been trying to do it again ever since, and they tell me it’s complicated.
The Critic, along with Siskel and Ebert’s work, helped shed light on how film criticism really worked. It’s rather fitting that it was the only TV show they ever reviewed and guest-starred in.
The Critic is available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
- Release Date
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1994 – 2001-00-00
- Directors
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Bret Haaland, Lauren MacMullan, Alan Smart, Rich Moore, Dan Jeup, Brian Sheesley, David Cutler, Steven Dean Moore, Susie Dietter, Chuck Sheetz
- Writers
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Jon Vitti, Steve Tompkins, Ken Keeler, Patric M. Verrone, Tom Brady, Jennifer Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin, Steven Levitan, Max Pross, Nell Scovell
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Jon Lovitz
Jay Sherman (voice)
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Christine Cavanaugh
Marty Sherman (voice)
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