Just Some TV: The Tick

Hey gang. Back again. Miss me? Well after that audio review I wasn't sure. Today I wanted to talk about the phenomenon that swept Netflix reaprising The Tick. Now the buzz is impressive on the progression of the show and they are allowed a bit more leniency that the cartoon on Fox those many years ago. With the sheer oddity and dark humor of this bizarre yet highly entertaining comic book series, to see it reemerge after its last attempt is almost heartwarming. There were problems with the previous live-action series. One, it was nine episodes in total. Two, it was shot like a sitcom and three they didn't really know what to do with it. Produced for TV by Barry Sonnenfeld and Barry Jospehson, this series came and went with no real follow up. This is The Tick.

Spicy bean burrito, you've met your match with my bowels.

Released in 2001, our big blue defender of the helpless and the hopeless secures a position at a rundown bus stop, monologue and giving all those in ear shot the lowdown. The Tick (Patrick Warburton of Seinfeld, NewsRadio, Scream 3, The Emperor's New Groove, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Men in Black II, Metal Arms: Glitch in the System, Family Guy, The Venture Bros and Rules of Engagement) is told his work is done here, given a bus ticket to "The City" and is sent onto his next round of adventures.

Sorry Arthur, you still look like a bunny.

Meanwhile a mild-mannered accountant, Arthur (David Burke of The Invisible Man, The Tick, Leo, Crossing Jordan, Joan of Arcadia, Chuck, NCIS: New Orleans, Nashville and Jumping the Gun) has been informed that wearing his "body stocking" at Worldwide Fishlatter and Sons accounting spells disaster. Character actor Christopher Lloyd tells Arthur that he can be an accountant or an idiot in a body stocking but he can be both. Arthur makes the bold choice to be a hero, gets a bit bombed at his local take-out/bar and saunters out into the night. He encounters former Soviet hardasses now mailmen prepping a surprise for the Postmaster General until Arthur pukes one of them.

Hearing a girlish scream of terror, The Tick springs into action, trounces our baddies and partners up with Arthur. One of the thugs informs them that the Red Scare, a powerful killer robot was designed to attack Jimmy Carter is still unaccounted for and defaults to its original programming. Let us pause and applaud the efficiency of Soviet Science for a minute. Okay that being said, Jimmy Carter happens to be in town at the precise time the bot is on the rampage. What are the odds indeed you ask yourself.

Lock up your daughters and your soccer moms.

Up to the rooftops to discuss their plan of attack as they encounter two more heroes, the charming and flamboyant BatManuel (Nestor Carbonell of Suddenly Susan, Resurrection Blvd, Jack the Dog, Agua Dulce, Manhood, Justice League Unlimited, Killer Movie, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) and the patriotic powerhouse herself, Captain Liberty (Liz Vassey of Murder, She Wrote, Push, Nevada, The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space, Pursuit of Happiness, Nikki and Nora, Man of the House, Tru Calling, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Sexting in Suburbia and Riley Parra)

Naturally more heroes and villains appear as the series continues. Hell, we get to enjoy Ron Perlman as Fiery Blaze before he became everyone's monster hunter Hellboy. Kids in the Hall and NewsRadio own Dave Foley as a shrink/closet superhero fanboy and Missi Pyle of Two and a Half Men, Cleaners and Warehouse 13 as the girl that got away from Arthur.

My personal favorite was a Nazi war criminal/slayer of superheroes, The Terror. A geriactric genocidal madman played by Armin Shimerman of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Who knew evil could stand at what? 5'5"? 5'6"?

Somebody IMDB that for me. Must I do everything??!!!

Now there were a fair number of complaints about the show. Mostly why the hell was it ended so abruptly. American Maid and De Fledermaus were two separate characters Fox didn't have rights to , so Captain Liberty and BatManuel were born. Some call it the Puddy Curse that Warburton has hanging over his head. My thoughts were they were too bizarre and camp for the viewers to wrap their heads around at Fox studios. Budgetary concerns were there and frankly Fox just didn't have any faith in it, leaving you wonder why gamble on it at all?

With that in mind, the series would have done better on a less mainstream channel or expanded cable in the day. Now an internet series would have picked this up and these folks would still be in outrageous costumes, biffing bad guys and channeling some 1960s Batman camp to the enjoyment of all. With that in mind, I promised myself to check into the new series and see if it cuts the mustard. I relish its response. I hope it isn't complete and utter horseradish. Okay I am running out of condiment puns.

Her hips are chafing.  Listen.