The Tick (live action TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Tick is an American
sitcom based on the character Tick from the comic book of the same name
. It aired on FOX
in late 2001
and was produced by Columbia TriStar Television
. With a pilot airing on November 8, the series only lasted nine episodes on broadcast television. Due to its cult popularity
and critical praise, however, the series was released to DVD
in 2003.
based on The Tick which had a successful run from 1994 to '96. This gained the character mainstream popularity and a cult following throughout the decade. In May 2000, Tick creator Ben Edlund
completed the pilot episode for a Tick live-action series in hopes that FOX would include it in their fall schedule. The project involved director Barry Sonnenfeld
, production designer Bo Welch
, and the four main Tick animated series writers, Randolph Heard, Richard Liebmann-Smith, Chris McCulloch, and Edlund himself. Due to budget constraints, additional episodes were shot with several months gap in between filming. FOX had initially wanted to premiere the series in early 2001 as a mid-season replacement but opted for their prime time
schedule both due to its ratings success and the network's fear of a strike that could have delayed the fall season.
Over a year and a half after its development, The Tick was finally picked up by the network for an 8:30 p.m. prime time slot on Thursday nights. Cast, crew, and journalists expressed early concern over the high stakes slot, with FOX's Sunday night comedy schedule looking more favorable. Nevertheless, Fox Television Entertainment Group
president Sandy Grushow assured that promoting The Tick during the World Series
would work and that "Baseball is a terrific promotional platform for a show like The Tick." Grushow also noted that if the series were to perform well, the network would have until December 2001 to order new episodes, though they would not likely be ready until late spring or summer at the earliest.
Executive producer Larry Charles
sought to create a character camaraderie similar to that of Seinfeld
. He discussed this approach at a July 2000 press conference:
The 2001 sitcom was the first and only attempt at a live action
incarnation of The Tick and debuted five years after a successful, 3-season animated series. While working on the pilot episode, Ben Edlund
described the series as "closer in tone to the comic book, favoring character over action, painting a superheroic portrait of genuine human lameness." It features a parody
style similar to the animated series and the bulky Patrick Warburton
in the title role. Guest appearances
include Ron Perlman
, Christopher Lloyd
, and Dave Foley
. However, obvious changes had to be made for such a diverse format.
The Walt Disney Company
inherited FOX's previous children's programming lineup and therefore owned the rights to many of the show's names and trademarks. For this reason, American Maid
and Die Fledermaus
, two major characters in the animated series, were unable to be written into the new show; they were replaced by Captain Liberty
and Batmanuel
. Disregarding the back stories given in both the comic books and animated series, the sitcom has The Tick being tricked into moving to (and protecting) The City
after irritating employees of a remote bus station he had sworn to protect. It is also more adult oriented, including more sexual innuendo and adult situations. As such, the series virtually eliminated action scenes and significantly reduced emphasis on extravagant supervillains, both of which were often featured in the animated series. Regarding the mature tone, Edlund expressed his desire for less vulgarity, particularly in a moment of the pilot where The Tick said "Java devil.You are now my bitch." However, Edlund lacked the authority to remove such phrasing.
The Tick's costume, designed by Colleen Atwood
, bore a notable difference from previous incarnations in that the Tick's face would be entirely exposed. This eliminated the large pupil-less eyes seen in previous incarnations and allowed Warburton to utilize his expressive face; according to Edlund, "There was no way to cover his eyes and get the same range, intensity, and specificity of emotion. With face unfettered, Patrick has created a three-dimensional, hilarious, totally convincing Tick." The antennae of Tick's mask were also remote-controlled by puppeteer Mark Setrakian for comedic effect. The production design is by Emmy-nominated Michael Wylie.
While FOX has been criticized for its lack of investment in the series, N2Toys produced a line of action figures based on it. The live action Tick ultimately failed to recapture the success of its animated predecessor; however, its popularity was strong enough that the series would be released on DVD
in 2003. The series was also responsible for Christopher McCulloch
, who wrote for the Tick comic book, animated series, and sitcom, meeting Patrick Warburton during filming. Shortly after, he would cast Warburton as the voice
of Brock Samson for his Adult Swim
series, The Venture Bros.
Tick creator Ben Edlund
would also write for The Venture Bros. on occasion.
and 24
. Therefore the network rarely promoted it in the face of popular shows like Survivor: Africa
and NBC
's Must See TV
lineup. Warburton added that despite fan and critical praise, the high production costs further discouraged FOX from giving The Tick a chance. The costs were increased by overtime pay due to a shortened filming schedule. This comprised a six or seven day shooting of each episode shortened to five days. Warburton has repeatedly criticized FOX's mismanagement of the series, reiterating that the network "apparently didn't have a clue."
named The Tick a Sci Fi "A Pick" and shared both praise and concern over its longevity:
Entertainment Weekly
s Dalton Ross gave the series' DVD release an A- rating and commented, "It was too smart. Too funny. Too weird. So, of course, it failed." While not overtly positive, Noel Murray of The A.V. Club
commented, "For all The Ticks failings, it was better than most of its broadcast competition two years ago, and it was improving right up until it was yanked off the air."
Upon its DVD release, the series also received praise from DVD Talk, Digitally Obsessed, and Genre Online. Marginally positive reviews came from TV DVD Reviews and DVD Verdict.
In 2002, the series' Victoria J. Auth was nominated for a Costume Designers Guild Award
for Excellence in Costume Design for Television - Period/Fantasy
.
Reflecting on his time on the series, Patrick Warburton commented, "That, to me, was an honor: To get into the blue suit and get to be The Tick. I loved that. I just wish that our beloved Fox network had actually given us a shot instead of killing off the show as they did." In a 2009 interview, Warburton also noted that he still owns one of the Tick suits as a souvenir, and he expressed interest in playing the character in a feature film.
In a 2009 interview, when asked what project he's worked on that did not get its deserved appreciation, Nestor Carbonell
named The Tick:
Director Barry Sonnenfeld
called the Tick pilot "the best thing I've ever directed." He has also expressed interest in making a feature film based on the character. Both Sonnenfeld and Barry Josephson have stated that if DVD sales of The Tick were sufficient, they would push for such a project.
release). When they were originally aired on FOX in the United States
, they were aired out of order.
through Sony Pictures Entertainment
on September 30, 2003. Tick creator Ben Edlund
states on one of the DVD commentary tracks that he hoped the sales of the DVD might spur development of either a revived series or a movie, similar to the fates of other cult
TV series such as Firefly
(for which he was a writer and producer).
, or streamed for free in the US on Netflix
, Joost
, Hulu
, and Crackle
.
In January 2011 the show began its first showing on UK TV on the Syfy Channel.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sitcom based on the character Tick from the comic book of the same name
The Tick (comic book)
The Tick was a comic book series created by Ben Edlund in 1988 and originally published in black-and-white by the New England Comics store in Boston, Massachusetts. The series provided modest beginnings for its title character, who would later feature in his own television programs and merchandise...
. It aired on FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in late 2001
2001 in television
The year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
and was produced by Columbia TriStar Television
Columbia TriStar Television
Columbia TriStar Television was the third name of the television studio Screen Gems, named after its then-current 1991 home video division....
. With a pilot airing on November 8, the series only lasted nine episodes on broadcast television. Due to its cult popularity
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
and critical praise, however, the series was released to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2003.
History
In the early 1990s, FOX picked up an animated seriesThe Tick (animated TV series)
The Tick: The Animated Series is an American animated television series adaptation of the New England Comics superhero, The Tick. The series debuted September 10, 1994 on the Fox network's Fox Kids block and was responsible for introducing the satirical comic book character to a mainstream...
based on The Tick which had a successful run from 1994 to '96. This gained the character mainstream popularity and a cult following throughout the decade. In May 2000, Tick creator Ben Edlund
Ben Edlund
Ben Edlund is a comic book artist and writer and television screenwriter. Prior to his involvement in TV, he was best known as the creator of the satirical superhero character The Tick. He is currently an executive producer and staff writer for The CW series Supernatural.-Background:Edlund was...
completed the pilot episode for a Tick live-action series in hopes that FOX would include it in their fall schedule. The project involved director Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld is an American filmmaker and television director. He worked as cinematographer for the Coen brothers, then later he directed and produced big budget films such as Men in Black.-Life and career:...
, production designer Bo Welch
Bo Welch
Robert W. "Bo" Welch III is an American motion picture production designer and director.Welch was born in Yardley, Pennsylvania. He worked as a production designer on the Tim Burton films Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, and Batman Returns, as well as A Little Princess and Men in Black, among...
, and the four main Tick animated series writers, Randolph Heard, Richard Liebmann-Smith, Chris McCulloch, and Edlund himself. Due to budget constraints, additional episodes were shot with several months gap in between filming. FOX had initially wanted to premiere the series in early 2001 as a mid-season replacement but opted for their prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
schedule both due to its ratings success and the network's fear of a strike that could have delayed the fall season.
Over a year and a half after its development, The Tick was finally picked up by the network for an 8:30 p.m. prime time slot on Thursday nights. Cast, crew, and journalists expressed early concern over the high stakes slot, with FOX's Sunday night comedy schedule looking more favorable. Nevertheless, Fox Television Entertainment Group
Fox Entertainment Group
The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...
president Sandy Grushow assured that promoting The Tick during the World Series
2001 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...
would work and that "Baseball is a terrific promotional platform for a show like The Tick." Grushow also noted that if the series were to perform well, the network would have until December 2001 to order new episodes, though they would not likely be ready until late spring or summer at the earliest.
Executive producer Larry Charles
Larry Charles
Larry Charles is an American writer, director, and producer. He is best known as a staff writer for the American sitcom Seinfeld for its first 5 seasons, contributing some of the show's darkest and most absurd storylines...
sought to create a character camaraderie similar to that of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. He discussed this approach at a July 2000 press conference:
The 2001 sitcom was the first and only attempt at a live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
incarnation of The Tick and debuted five years after a successful, 3-season animated series. While working on the pilot episode, Ben Edlund
Ben Edlund
Ben Edlund is a comic book artist and writer and television screenwriter. Prior to his involvement in TV, he was best known as the creator of the satirical superhero character The Tick. He is currently an executive producer and staff writer for The CW series Supernatural.-Background:Edlund was...
described the series as "closer in tone to the comic book, favoring character over action, painting a superheroic portrait of genuine human lameness." It features a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
style similar to the animated series and the bulky Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
in the title role. Guest appearances
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
include Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
, Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
, and Dave Foley
Dave Foley
David Scott "Dave" Foley is a Canadian comedian, writer, director, and producer best known for his work in The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, A Bug's Life, and Celebrity Poker Showdown...
. However, obvious changes had to be made for such a diverse format.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
inherited FOX's previous children's programming lineup and therefore owned the rights to many of the show's names and trademarks. For this reason, American Maid
American Maid
American Maid is a fictional superhero from the animated series, The Tick. Voiced by Kay Lenz, she is largely a parody of both Captain America and Wonder Woman....
and Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus (The Tick)
Die Fledermaus is a fictional superhero in the animated television series, The Tick. Voiced by Cam Clarke, he fights crime in a place simply called The City....
, two major characters in the animated series, were unable to be written into the new show; they were replaced by Captain Liberty
Captain Liberty
Captain Liberty is one of the main characters in The Tick live action show, played by Liz Vassey. She is apparently a parody of mainstream superheroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, much like American Maid from the animated series. However, unlike American Maid, Captain Liberty is just as...
and Batmanuel
Batmanuel
Batmanuel is a fictional character from The Tick live action series.An obvious parody of Batman, the character was similar to Die Fledermaus of the animated series....
. Disregarding the back stories given in both the comic books and animated series, the sitcom has The Tick being tricked into moving to (and protecting) The City
The City (The Tick)
The City is the principal setting of The Tick , The Tick , and The Tick .Little information is given about the origins of the city. It also acts as a parody of the vagueness of cities in most comic books. From the little information given it can be said that the city is an urban area that resembles...
after irritating employees of a remote bus station he had sworn to protect. It is also more adult oriented, including more sexual innuendo and adult situations. As such, the series virtually eliminated action scenes and significantly reduced emphasis on extravagant supervillains, both of which were often featured in the animated series. Regarding the mature tone, Edlund expressed his desire for less vulgarity, particularly in a moment of the pilot where The Tick said "Java devil.You are now my bitch." However, Edlund lacked the authority to remove such phrasing.
The Tick's costume, designed by Colleen Atwood
Colleen Atwood
Colleen Atwood is an American costume designer.Atwood has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design nine times and won Academy Awards for the movies Chicago in 2002, Memoirs of a Geisha in 2006, and Alice in Wonderland in 2011. Atwood has collaborated several times with...
, bore a notable difference from previous incarnations in that the Tick's face would be entirely exposed. This eliminated the large pupil-less eyes seen in previous incarnations and allowed Warburton to utilize his expressive face; according to Edlund, "There was no way to cover his eyes and get the same range, intensity, and specificity of emotion. With face unfettered, Patrick has created a three-dimensional, hilarious, totally convincing Tick." The antennae of Tick's mask were also remote-controlled by puppeteer Mark Setrakian for comedic effect. The production design is by Emmy-nominated Michael Wylie.
While FOX has been criticized for its lack of investment in the series, N2Toys produced a line of action figures based on it. The live action Tick ultimately failed to recapture the success of its animated predecessor; however, its popularity was strong enough that the series would be released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2003. The series was also responsible for Christopher McCulloch
Christopher McCulloch
Christopher McCulloch , also known by the pseudonym Jackson Publick, is an American comic book and television writer, storyboard artist, and voice actor known for his work on several Tick properties and for the animated television series The Venture Bros. He authored the comic book miniseries The...
, who wrote for the Tick comic book, animated series, and sitcom, meeting Patrick Warburton during filming. Shortly after, he would cast Warburton as the voice
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
of Brock Samson for his Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
series, The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series that premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their...
Tick creator Ben Edlund
Ben Edlund
Ben Edlund is a comic book artist and writer and television screenwriter. Prior to his involvement in TV, he was best known as the creator of the satirical superhero character The Tick. He is currently an executive producer and staff writer for The CW series Supernatural.-Background:Edlund was...
would also write for The Venture Bros. on occasion.
Cancellation
Concerns regarding the show's time slot were manifested in early 2002 when The Tick was canceled after eight of the nine episodes had aired. According to Patrick Warburton, The Tick performed poorly because FOX did not own the series as they did The Bernie Mac ShowThe Bernie Mac Show
The Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom featuring comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Bryana and Vanessa. The show aired for five seasons , concluding with a half-hour series finale on Fox....
and 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
. Therefore the network rarely promoted it in the face of popular shows like Survivor: Africa
Survivor: Africa
Survivor: Africa is the third season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed during 2001 and aired from October 11, 2001 - January 10, 2002 on CBS. It was set in Kenya's Shaba National Reserve on the African continent....
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Must See TV
Must See TV
"Must See TV" is an advertising slogan used by the NBC television network to brand its prime time blocks of sitcoms during the 1990s, and most often applied to the network's Thursday night lineup, which featured such popular sitcoms as The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, A Different...
lineup. Warburton added that despite fan and critical praise, the high production costs further discouraged FOX from giving The Tick a chance. The costs were increased by overtime pay due to a shortened filming schedule. This comprised a six or seven day shooting of each episode shortened to five days. Warburton has repeatedly criticized FOX's mismanagement of the series, reiterating that the network "apparently didn't have a clue."
Reception
Despite its short television life, The Tick has been heavily praised by fans and critics and fondly reminisced by cast and crew. Kathie Huddleston of SciFi.comSci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
named The Tick a Sci Fi "A Pick" and shared both praise and concern over its longevity:
- "The Tick is extremely well written and produced, with enough special effects to make one a believer in this odd world of superheroes. But can a series that's daring, ingenious, silly and fearless actually make it on network television? We can only hope."
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Dalton Ross gave the series' DVD release an A- rating and commented, "It was too smart. Too funny. Too weird. So, of course, it failed." While not overtly positive, Noel Murray of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
commented, "For all The Ticks failings, it was better than most of its broadcast competition two years ago, and it was improving right up until it was yanked off the air."
Upon its DVD release, the series also received praise from DVD Talk, Digitally Obsessed, and Genre Online. Marginally positive reviews came from TV DVD Reviews and DVD Verdict.
In 2002, the series' Victoria J. Auth was nominated for a Costume Designers Guild Award
Costume Designers Guild
The Costume Designers Guild , IATSE LOCAL 892 was founded in 1953 by a group of 30 motion picture costume designers. In 1986, the Costume Designers Guild joined the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and added Local 892 to its name...
for Excellence in Costume Design for Television - Period/Fantasy
Costume Designers Guild Award for Best Costume Design - Period or Fantasy TV Series
The Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Period or Fantasy Costume Design for Television Series was awarded for the first time in 2000, honouring 1999 filmmaking.-2000s:...
.
Reflecting on his time on the series, Patrick Warburton commented, "That, to me, was an honor: To get into the blue suit and get to be The Tick. I loved that. I just wish that our beloved Fox network had actually given us a shot instead of killing off the show as they did." In a 2009 interview, Warburton also noted that he still owns one of the Tick suits as a souvenir, and he expressed interest in playing the character in a feature film.
In a 2009 interview, when asked what project he's worked on that did not get its deserved appreciation, Nestor Carbonell
Nestor Carbonell
Nestor Gastón Carbonell is an American actor, known for portraying Richard Alpert in ABC's drama Lost and Mayor Anthony Garcia in the film The Dark Knight...
named The Tick:
- "I think it’s gotten the love now, on DVD, from people who’ve discovered it that way, but it obviously didn’t last long. . . LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
is certainly a show that I love, and it’s definitely gotten a lot of love, but I think The Tick is one that really could’ve been nurtured a little bit more. I always love it when people bring it up. It was really a special show."
Director Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld is an American filmmaker and television director. He worked as cinematographer for the Coen brothers, then later he directed and produced big budget films such as Men in Black.-Life and career:...
called the Tick pilot "the best thing I've ever directed." He has also expressed interest in making a feature film based on the character. Both Sonnenfeld and Barry Josephson have stated that if DVD sales of The Tick were sufficient, they would push for such a project.
Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Patrick Warburton Patrick Warburton Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect... |
The Tick |
| David Burke David Burke (American actor) David Burke is an American television actor. He attended the College of William and Mary where his most famous role was that of Eugene Morris Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs.-Career:Burke has appeared on many television shows in guest roles... |
Arthur Arthur (The Tick) Arthur is a fictional character, a vigilante in the Tick comic book series, animated series, and live action series. He serves as The Tick's sidekick.-Overview:... |
| Nestor Carbonell Nestor Carbonell Nestor Gastón Carbonell is an American actor, known for portraying Richard Alpert in ABC's drama Lost and Mayor Anthony Garcia in the film The Dark Knight... |
Batmanuel Batmanuel Batmanuel is a fictional character from The Tick live action series.An obvious parody of Batman, the character was similar to Die Fledermaus of the animated series.... |
| Liz Vassey Liz Vassey Liz Vassey is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Emily Ann Sago on All My Children, Captain Liberty in The Tick, and Wendy Simms in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.- Career :... |
Captain Liberty Captain Liberty Captain Liberty is one of the main characters in The Tick live action show, played by Liz Vassey. She is apparently a parody of mainstream superheroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, much like American Maid from the animated series. However, unlike American Maid, Captain Liberty is just as... |
List of episodes
The episodes are listed here in their intended order (according to the DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release). When they were originally aired on FOX in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, they were aired out of order.
| # | |Original air date | |
|---|---|---|
DVD release
The complete series was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
through Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
on September 30, 2003. Tick creator Ben Edlund
Ben Edlund
Ben Edlund is a comic book artist and writer and television screenwriter. Prior to his involvement in TV, he was best known as the creator of the satirical superhero character The Tick. He is currently an executive producer and staff writer for The CW series Supernatural.-Background:Edlund was...
states on one of the DVD commentary tracks that he hoped the sales of the DVD might spur development of either a revived series or a movie, similar to the fates of other cult
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
TV series such as Firefly
Firefly (TV series)
Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
(for which he was a writer and producer).
Syndication
As of February 2009, the show can be downloaded on iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, or streamed for free in the US on Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
, Joost
Joost
Joost is an Internet TV service, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis . During 2007-8 Joost used peer-to-peer TV technology to distribute content to their Mozilla-based desktop player; in late 2008 this was migrated to use a Flash-based Web player instead.Joost began development in 2006...
, Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
, and Crackle
Crackle
Crackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
.
In January 2011 the show began its first showing on UK TV on the Syfy Channel.