The Tick is the big blue crime fighter that never takes anything seriously
Amazon will be bringing the satirical superhero the Tick back to life on the small screen. The Tick series is about a big blue crime fighter that never takes anything seriously. Arthur is his sidekick. Together they fight the forces of evil. It is a comic series that was meant to be the ultimate satire of superheroes. This show is meant to mimic and poke fun at the seriousness of comic book characters as a whole.
The Tick was a cartoon series in the mid-90s. Because of the success of the cartoon series, they attempted a live-action TV series in 2001. The series starred Patrick Warburton as the Tick, but unfortunately because of low ratings, as a result it never got past nine episodes.
Showrunner and creator Ben Edlund seems to be confident that the new show will learn from the mistakes of the first incarnation. Where any adaptation of The Tick has always taken a campy approach and taken the satire up to the maximum, this new Amazon pilot will be more grounded.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that The Tick will be dark and brooding; quite the opposite. After watching the pilot I can tell you that this show is standing right on the edge of campy satire. The first episode has silly moments and comedy to make you smile, but it is also grounded by a dark backstory for Griffin Newman’s Arthur. Arthur suffers from schizophrenia after his father was killed by the show’s main antagonist, The Terror. It gives The Tick a lot of heart and makes you fall in love with Arthur and his tragic life. Arthur seems to represent the dark tone of the show, and The Tick played by the talented Peter Serafinowicz. Who you will recognize from Guardians of the Galaxy — is there to bring it back to its satirical roots.
The Tick was a cartoon series in the mid-90s. Because of the success of the cartoon series, they attempted a live-action TV series in 2001. The series starred Patrick Warburton as the Tick, but unfortunately because of low ratings, as a result it never got past nine episodes.
Showrunner and creator Ben Edlund seems to be confident that the new show will learn from the mistakes of the first incarnation. Where any adaptation of The Tick has always taken a campy approach and taken the satire up to the maximum, this new Amazon pilot will be more grounded.
That being said, it doesn’t mean that The Tick will be dark and brooding; quite the opposite. After watching the pilot I can tell you that this show is standing right on the edge of campy satire. The first episode has silly moments and comedy to make you smile, but it is also grounded by a dark backstory for Griffin Newman’s Arthur. Arthur suffers from schizophrenia after his father was killed by the show’s main antagonist, The Terror. It gives The Tick a lot of heart and makes you fall in love with Arthur and his tragic life. Arthur seems to represent the dark tone of the show, and The Tick played by the talented Peter Serafinowicz. Who you will recognize from Guardians of the Galaxy — is there to bring it back to its satirical roots.