SERIES PREMIERE: For a goofy, spoofy comic-book superhero, the Tick is surprisingly persistent. First there was an animated TV show based on the comic book in 1994, then a very funny live-action version of
The Tick, starring Patrick Warburton in the title role, in 2001. And now, on Amazon, comes a new live-action version, in 2017. That’s one TV series version of
The Tick per decade, for three consecutive decades. Which begs the question: Huh? Regardless, this version – six episodes of which are unveiled on Amazon today – is fun enough to watch, and, like the others, is overseen by the original cartoonist, Ben Englund. So all these series hit the right tone, though this new one shifts focus to the human sidekick, Arthur (Griffin Newman), who teams up with a bullet-proof, none-too-bright costumed hero known as The Tick (Peter Serafinowicz). Their major nemeses, first time around, include the Terror (played by Jackie Earle Haley with a Joker-like relish) and his henchwoman, Ms. Lint (Yara Martinez from
Jane the Virgin). Of all the
Tick iterations to date, this is the one with the biggest budget and most visual flair – and Serafinowicz plays the hero, no doubt intentionally, with more than a small nod to the playful posturing of Adam West, TV’s original campy
Batman. For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.