When I heard back in 2001 that THE TICK was going to become
a live action series on TV I was thrilled. The comic, that would be considered
underground by some, was hilarious as had been the animated series back in
1994. My expectations were high and fortunately they were well placed. The show
was hilarious and I loved it. Apparently I was in a minority though because it
sadly lasted only one season. Luckily the entire series has been available on
DVD, first for a steep price that eventually dropped and now for just $9.74
(amazon.com price).
If you aren't aware of the series or haven't heard of the
Tick then you're truly missing out on one funny show. With super heroes all the
rage these days, the series was obviously well ahead of it's time. But the
superheroes on display here are not the average ordinary types that we have
today. Sure, they may be found in colorful tights, but they are not the
successful bunch found in most movies now.
No one knows where the Tick came from. As played by Patrick
Wharburton he is central to the success of the show in a role that I can't
imagine anyone else playing now. Dressed in what appears to be a latex blue one
piece outfit with wiggling antennae (one of the funniest visual things in the
show), the Tick leaves a bus station he's been guarding to head to the big
city. His goal is to put a stop to crime. The Tick has several things going
wrong for him though. The first is that he has no clue of his own strength and
with that the ability to be aware of the things that he does around him. Like
knock out portions of roofs as he leaps from one to the next. He also has a
tendency to try and make everything he says sound profound. His tone may make
it so but not his choice of words. My favorite takes place in the opening of
the pilot where the Tick is "fighting" a coin operated coffee machine
that refuses to give a patron the cup of coffee he purchased. Grabbing the
machine he lifts and shakes it yelling "So vending menace we meet
again...Armless bandit! Empty your bladder of that bitter, black urine men call
coffee!"
Once the Tick arrives in the city he meets a hero wannabe,
accountant Arthur, just released from his job because he wants to be a
hero...and dresses in a white spandex suit with wings. Until he meets the Tick
no one recognizes that the outfit is that of a moth. The pair then meets two
other heroes, Bat-Manuel and Captain Liberty. Discovering a plot to kill Jimmy
Carter by a dormant Soviet robot that's been awakened, the heroes must work
together to thwart this menace. See? His way of speaking can be infective.
Other episodes in the series took all kinds of turns. And
rather than be kid friendly like the animated series, this one often had sexual
innuendo on display throughout, especially when Bat-Manuel tried to bed Captain
Liberty. Or the episode where she went to bed with The Immortal only to have
him die there.
For the most part though this series didn't dwell on those
topics. They were background noise to the real focus which was just how
dedicated the Tick was to justice while at the same time causing as much damage
as the bad guys did in an attempt to apprehend them. And yet at the same time
you had to love this big galoot who just wanted to do good.
I can't say enough how the best part of this series was
Patrick Wharburton. This is not to short change the rest of the cast, but he
stood out so much here. To this day when I hear his voice in anything he does,
this is what pops into my head. He's a great voice actor and a wonderful live
actor and deserves not only more work but more credit as well.
The series may not have lasted that long. Looking back the
Fox network didn't promote it all that well and placed it up against SURVIVOR
and NBC's must see shows on Thursday nights. Fortunately it can still be
enjoyed on DVD and watched again and again. For me it's not a DVD that I'd part
with. I can still watch the episodes and enjoy them as much today as the first
time. If you love super heroes or comic books or just want to enjoy something
funny and different, then pick this up. You won't regret it.
Click here to order.
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