2001’s The Tick delivered a spot-on superhero parody with Patrick Warburton as the perfect actor to play the lead role, but it may have been ahead of its time.
[Updated]
What Is It?
Based on the Ben Edlund comic book character (who had previously appeared on the small screen in an animated series in the 90’s) this superhero spoof followed the dimwitted Tick who is super strong and invulnerable and who springs into action with the battle cry “Spoon!” Also onboard in the live-action series were the Tick’s sidekick Arthur, who sports a moth suit, as well as Batman parody Batmanuel and the female Captain America known as Captain Liberty. Together, they must deal with the many threats that endanger the safety of their city while also trying to keep from driving each other crazy.
Aired: FOX, 2001, 1 Season Totaling 9 Episodes
Created By: Ben Edlund
Starring: Patrick Warburton, David Burke, Nestor Carbonell, Liz Vassey
Why Was It Cancelled?
If there was ever an actor destined for a part it was Patrick Warburton with his gleefully oblivious portrayal of the Tick, and his performance is one of the highlights of the show. But the other characters as well as the procession of super villains held their own next to Warburton and made this into a delightful and raucous meta-parody. Unfortunately, superheroes were not quite as big then as now and this show may have been several years ahead of its time. Hitting the air just two months after the September 11th attacks may not have helped either, as this wacky and quirky comedy probably did not fit well with the somber mood of the nation at that point.
Still, the show received critical and fan acclaim upon its debut in 2001, but that was not enough to draw in viewers. The series only produced nine episodes and FOX only aired eight of those. Warburton blamed the network for the show’s failure saying that they never supported it (it was their sacrificial lamb thrown against ratings juggernaut Friends that season) and rarely promoted it because it was owned by an outside studio. There were hopes that the DVD release of the show would lead to the character jumping to the big screen (similar to what happened with Firefly) and Barry Sonnenfeld (who directed the pilot and executive produced the series) expressed interest in doing the movie. But nothing ever came from it, leaving us with only the nine episodes of this fun and witty superhero spoof.
Should It Be Rebooted?
This one did get the reboot treatment from Amazon’s Prime Video in 2016, though with a whole new cast. That version had a much different tone than the 2001 series, possibly because Warburton was not available to reprise his role as the title character (though he was onboard as executive producer). It had a two-season run but ended up getting cancelled itself and never quite developed the cult following that the previous live version enjoyed.
Considering that over twenty years have passed since the series aired on FOX, it seems unlikely that a live-action revival with the original cast could happen. But it is possible that they could carry it on as an animated series with Warburton returning to voice The Tick. The entertainment industry is experiencing somewhat of a superhero overload these days, though, so there may not be much interest in an animated revival. But then again, this may be just what we need at this point!
Where Can You Watch It?
The complete series was released on DVD and is still available at a very reasonable price. It is also available for streaming on Prime Video.
Read about more Sci Fi TV shows cancelled too soon at this link.
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
I never had a chance to watch the 2001 version of “The Tick.” However, I am ABSOLUTELY loving watching the current version that Amazon has been producing and think the cast in it is nothing short of spectacular!!! Peter Serafinowicz as The Tick and Griffin Newman as Arthur are great in the way they play the primary characters. The supporting cast is excellent as well. I also thought that the 2001 version of “The Tick” lasted longer than it did. Having just looked it up on Netflix prior to coming to your website, I was surprised that it didn’t last long even with the rave reviews it got and I had heard that it had gotten. Having found out what it is that I found out through what you wrote about the 2001 version of “The Tick,” made me decide that as much as I would’ve loved to have seen it, it just doesn’t make it worth my while to do so, especially after finding out that the ninth episode never received air time.