Here’s some news that most certainly does not stink: The Critic is in talks for a revival. The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean, who co-created the short-lived but still beloved animated series, told Polygon in a recent interview that he’s signed a deal to work on the show’s return, and that series star Jon Lovitz’s own deal is in the works:
“The hurdles are passed with me making my deal. [Jon Lovitz] definitely wants to do it, but his deal isn’t closed. That’s the honest, very up-to-the-minute fact. I’m sure he’ll do it, although I can’t say I’m absolutely 100% sure, but I’m confident that his deal will close. It’s never been closer to actually happening.”
The Critic starred Lovitz as a cantankerous yet lovable film critic who hosted a low-rated TV series a la Jay Siskel and Roger Ebert (who cameoed as themselves in the Season 2 episode “Siskel & Ebert & Jay & Alice”). Despite a meaty crossover with The Simpsons, the show’s niche film jokes struggled to find an audience when it originally premiered in 1994, running for only two seasons — first on ABC, then Fox. A season of web shorts was also produced for AtomFilms and Shockwave beginning in December 2000, but considering that was still a few years before the launch of YouTube, it’s fair to say the world wasn’t quite ready to watch original content on the web yet.