It's a very rare occasion when I actually give a 9 out of 10 to a TV series. It's also very unusual for a live-action television series to accurately embody the feel of a graphic novel. In the case of the live- action version of The Tick, it's as if every element that goes into making a syndicated production work was present in full-force: strong acting, good production, solid editing, good sound mix, and -- of course -- excellent writing.
The actors really seemed to understand and personalize the material. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a pretty good hunch that this series would be cancelled. Regardless, they gave it their all, and it shows.
This series aired soon after Seinfeld came to a close. Personally, I feel that, had The Tick been placed in the same time-slot that Seinfeld had originally occupied, it would have been a success. A series about the everyday concerns of metropolitan people is common to both shows. Part of the charm of The Tick is that it explores the more day-to-day realities of what anyone brave enough (or insane enough) to choose to be a superhero would have to deal with. Whether it's picking up the dry-cleaning, dating issues, money issues, or simply trying to balance two jobs and a personal life, this series addresses them all. It's one of the few series that actually had the potential to appeal to a wider audience than superhero comic fans alone. There's enough human drama and seriously funny comedy in here to keep people interested.
Finally, this show has replay value. That's saying a lot when only a total of nine episodes were shot. Impressive, to say the least.
So, this review is partly here to recommend this show for people to check out. And, it's also partly a thankyou note to the cast and crew who worked on it for doing such a great job. Sometimes even the shortest runs are fondly remembered.
The actors really seemed to understand and personalize the material. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a pretty good hunch that this series would be cancelled. Regardless, they gave it their all, and it shows.
This series aired soon after Seinfeld came to a close. Personally, I feel that, had The Tick been placed in the same time-slot that Seinfeld had originally occupied, it would have been a success. A series about the everyday concerns of metropolitan people is common to both shows. Part of the charm of The Tick is that it explores the more day-to-day realities of what anyone brave enough (or insane enough) to choose to be a superhero would have to deal with. Whether it's picking up the dry-cleaning, dating issues, money issues, or simply trying to balance two jobs and a personal life, this series addresses them all. It's one of the few series that actually had the potential to appeal to a wider audience than superhero comic fans alone. There's enough human drama and seriously funny comedy in here to keep people interested.
Finally, this show has replay value. That's saying a lot when only a total of nine episodes were shot. Impressive, to say the least.
So, this review is partly here to recommend this show for people to check out. And, it's also partly a thankyou note to the cast and crew who worked on it for doing such a great job. Sometimes even the shortest runs are fondly remembered.