Hotchie motchie! The animated classic we all deserve is set for a reboot!
Back in 1994, The Simpsons had as close to a spin-off series as it ever would have. The Critic was created by then-former The Simpsons writers and showrunners Al Jean and Mike Reiss and focused on New York film critic Jay Sherman. The host of film review TV show Coming Attractions, he was an unlucky in love and overweight single father.
The show lasted a single season on ABC, then was picked up for a second season on Fox. It ended after a glorious 23-episode run.
While the show has a lot of The Simpsons DNA in it, the vibe of The Critic is very different – it is far more directly rooted in pop culture and satire, with a big city elitist as its main character. It is ultimately not dissimilar to the vibe difference between Cheers and its spin-off Frasier. The key difference being that while The Critic shared a lot of creative talent with The Simpsons, it was not an actual spin-off.
Jay Sherman (voiced by Jon Lovitz) did make an appearance in The Simpsons, featured in an episode with Springfield hosting a film festival. The Critic, airing on Fox at the time, was cancelled soon after the episode aired.
That wasn’t the end of The Critic. The show returned in 2000 for a 10-episode series of web shorts. There was no glory in this revival.
In the 30 years since the show aired on TV, it has largely become a trivia footnote. The show has its fans (I’m very much one of them… the show has one of my all-time favourite TV jokes, involving a debutante, Jay’s sister, wearing white to her party… but not her gloves), but mostly it has been forgotten.
Until now.
For a couple of years, Al Jean and Mike Reiss have been talking about trying to revive the show. In an interview with Brian VanHooker at Polygon, the paid revealed that there has been movement on this, with Lotitz nearing the signing of a deal to return.
“The hurdles are passed with me making my deal,” says Jean. “John 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.”
But it doesn’t seem like there’s yet an actual home for the show:
Reiss is also confident the reboot is coming though, saying, “I can’t imagine it not selling because every reboot seems to sell. So why not that?”
I’m left wondering how Jay Sherman fits into the modern world of film criticism. The original show tipped its hat to the many film critics who were gainfully employed in TV hosting and contributor roles.
But the era of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert and Gene Shalit and Rex Reed are behind us. For starters, three of those men (who guested on the show) are now dead (Shalit turned 100 in March).
But also, the number of paid critics working in media these days is, politely, limited.
I would assume Jay Sherman will be back hosting his own YouTube show. It’s one of the few reboots I’m actually eager to see happen.
You can watch the first episode on YouTube. That fantastic theme song that opens the show was composed by Hans Zimmer, FYI.
The Netflix sophomore slump
Deadline today has a story about The Four Seasons and A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder both returning with weaker second season returns then first season viewership delivered.
Neither could repeat their debut performances, ranking as No. 3 (The Four Seasons, 4.4M views) and No. 9 (A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, 1.8M) in their first week back (5/25/26 – 5/31/26).
The Four Seasons was down 63% from its Season 1 opening week; A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder was down more than 76% (Season 2 launched on a Wednesday, Season 1 on Thursday, so the 76% decline does not account for the extra day of S2 viewing which would make the drop even steeper.)
It’s an ongoing trend that many have noticed, with return shows not faring as well. Deadline suggests that part of the reason might be long gaps between seasons, noting a two year-gap for A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. It also highlights a three year gap for Beef, another show that recently returned to lower season two results.
I’d be curious to know if second season viewership just has a longer tail on Netflix than a first season return does.
Broadly, I’d suggest that the reason has less to do with the long gaps or the binge release model (another reason mooted by pundits). I’d suggest that when it comes to viewers making a choice on whether to press play on a returning show, they’re generally driven to do so by enthusiasm. After all, you think you know what you are getting when watching a second season of a show – there’s no longer a sense of discovery.
Netflix’s model of letting the algorithm do its marketing heavy-lifting fails the viewer here. After all, the viewer knows what they are seeing when the tile appears on their screen. But they need a further reason to press play. It’s impossible to get those reminder good times vibes off a static tile on the screen.
I’m positive that a more robust marketing campaign surrounding the return of well-received shows like Beef and The Four Seasons would have elevated viewership considerably.
It’s very easy on a platform like Netflix to skip past a known quantity in the search of the new.
News Desk
Tax incentives are likely to drive Tulsa King from filming in Atlanta to New York. Worth noting is that Tulsa is in neither state. Read: Variety
Great news with Netflix giving a greenlight to animated comedy Dealies. It’s a show about the staff at a big box retail store. What has me excited is that Joe Bennett is a co-creator on the show – he’s the very talented guy behind outstanding recent animated shows Common Side Effects and Scavenger’s Reign. Read: Variety
I’m not familiar with 1998 anime series Serial Experiments Lain, but this write-up about the show which is a sort-of digital Alice in Wonderland makes it seem compelling. Read: Polygon
Following pushback by advertisers, Disney is selling Super Bowl 30 sec spots for a mere $8 million, down from $10m. Read: Variety
Hulu is in development with The Handmaid’s Tale’s Bruce Miller and Marissa Jo Cerar, along with director Matt Shakman on an adaptation of the Scott Turow private detective show Suspect. As TV pushes back to the TV vibes of yesteryear, private detective shows are super hot right now. Read: Deadline
Trailer Park
Lucky debuts on Apple TV July 15.
"Lucky" is based on the New York Times bestselling novel and Reese's Book Club pick of the same name by Marissa Stapley. When a multimillion-dollar heist goes sideways, con artist Lucky (Anya Taylor-Joy) is forced to go on the run. Pursued by both the FBI and a ruthless crime boss, Lucky must fight for her life - and a way out.
Never Change debuts on Hulu June 17.
In 2008 the graduating class of North Meadows High School had their senior year cut short due to a disastrous tornado. Now in their mid 30's they're being forced to return home and finish high school once and for all. Old flames, second chances, this is what nightmares are made of.
Oasis debuts on Netflix June 19.
When a young woman mysteriously vanishes from a luxury resort, staff and guests alike become suspects - trapped inside until the truth comes out.
Marvel’s Wolverine debuts on PS5 Sept 15.
Do Not Watch This Show will return for season 2 on Australia’s ABC July 3. My daughter refuses to watch this show because the name of it suggests to her that she shouldn’t. She’s such a conformist cop.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
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