Join us, staunch allies, pudgy and thin! Don MacPherson and Randy Lander, comics reviewers over-easy, plunge into the depths of deepness as they share their thoughts on the latest foray into televised entertainment based on a comic-book property: the live-action hilarity of The Tick! Don: Don't ask us how, but Randy and I have managed to score a preview of the pilot episode of The Tick, slated to premiere on the Fox network on Nov.8. No, it's not a relaunch of the cartoon based on Ben Edlund's loveable blue lug (which also first debuted on Fox, lasting three seasons in the mid 1990s). It's live-action TV... a super-hero sitcom that's very much in keeping with the spirit and fun of the comics and the cartoon. Randy: Super-heroes don't often work in live action, because the costumes just look goofy in real life. This makes The Tick perhaps the ideal vehicle for a live-action super-hero property, since the goofiness helps to build on the atmosphere. While I don't see this version replacing the cartoon in my heart, I was surprised and pleased to see how well it turned out, and equally surprised and pleased that Fox gave the show a shot in primetime. The Tick starring Patrick Warburton, David Burke, Nestor Carbonell & Liz Vassey Don: So why is Fox taking another kick at the can with Edlund's Tick property? I mean, if it didn't fly as a cartoon, what makes them think it'll enjoy life in primetime. One minor reason might be that it enjoyed a second life on Comedy Central in primetime, but the real key to the live action show lies in two words: Patrick Warburton. The name may not be familiar to many, but the voice and the face will. Best known as Puddy from Seinfeld, it is with his comedic delivery in which the potential success of the show lies. Randy: You're not kidding. Warburton is someone whose talents are definitely geared toward this type of comedic role, whether it's eccentric boyfriend Puddy or genial-but-evil station mogul Johnny Johnson on Newsradio. He's an ideal fit for the Tick, giving him the earnest goofiness that made the animated and comic-book versions so enjoyable. It's not every actor who can gaze lovingly into the camera and utter lines like "Your toast will never go bare again" as if it was a solemn promise. It is the response to him that will determine whether or not this version of the series lives on. This episode gets the Tick from a bus station where he keeps the patrons safe from a stingy vending machine (whether they want his help or not) and into The City, which he will choose as his new home. As he bounds about and bonds with his new home, an accountant named Arthur loses his job because of his desire to wear a moth suit and become a super-hero. When these two meet on a rooftop, along with resident super-heroes Bat-Manuel and Captain Liberty, it may be destiny bringing them together, just in time for them to save Jimmy Carter from a marauding communist robot. Don: The basic plot and tone of this new TV show will be familiar to fans of the cartoon. There are entire scenes that are reproduced from the animated version. Fortunately, there are new elements as well, keeping things fresh for fans. Let's be honest, though... the fans are going to dig on this anyway, as it boasts the same goofy dialogue and character interaction as previous incarnations in other media. What people are really wondering is how the uninitiated will take the whole thing. There's potential for a warm reception, but certainly no guarantees. The first half of the show is rather slow in pace, and the introduction of Arthur, the title character's sidekick, takes too long, thanks to a lackluster cameo by Christopher (Taxi, Back to the Future) Lloyd. Randy: To be fair, I thought Lloyd did a decent job with the material he had, but it did seem as if the writers landed a good choice for the cameo role of Arthur's boss and then forgot to write him any really compelling dialogue. The purpose of the scene was to get Arthur out of the accounting firm and into the super-hero business, and so it felt like it was dragging on. As you note, the entire first half does seem to be a bit slow in pace. There are some fun gags, such as the Tick's patrol of the bus station or Arthur's gung-ho scene in the bar, but it generally feels like we're waiting for them to get on with it already. Don: The Tick cartoon featured Der Fledermaus and American Maid as supporting characters, but they've been tinkered with for use in this new show. Now, we have Bat-Manuel (Carbonell) and Captain Liberty (Vassey). These two were the variables this time around, and to my relief and delight, they are two of the show's greatest strengths. Vassey, perhaps best known for roles on ER and Maximum Bob, and Carbonell, instantly recognizable as the Cuban photographer from the always irksome Suddenly Susan sitcom, bring a laughingly bawdy quality to the world of the Tick. They make for an entertaining contrast with the ever-innocent blue hero. Randy: Despite only having about five minutes of screen time, Carbonell steals the show as the amusingly-named Bat-Manuel, bringing across the mix of outward arrogance and inner cowardice that made the character such fun in the other incarnations of the stories. He and Vassey play quite well off each other, and their love-hate relationship makes for some fun gags, especially as the hapless Tick cheerfully fails to comprehend any of the double entendre going on. Don: David Burke, as the level-headed Arthur, performs well as the voice of reason among the knee-jerk reactionary heroes, but he comes off as rather ordinary, despite the moth suit. Of course, that's Arthur's role... he's the straight man in a twisted world. Burke reminds one of a restrained Rick Moranis. Another change of pace in this new version of The Tick is its look. It's much darker than what we've seen before. The producers, which include Edlund and Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld, are obviously riffing on the new super-hero movie look initially developed by Tim Burton for the 1989 Batman feature film. The darkness is in contrast with the goofy tone of the series, and the juxtaposition adds to the comedic effect, surprisingly enough. Randy: In watching this, I was reminded of a mixture of The Tick cartoon, Ghostbusters and Mystery Men. The creators have clearly drawn influences from a wide variety of sources, and my big worry is that many of those sources are cult favorites or mainstream failures. While I quite enjoyed the show, I'm not entirely certain how it's going to play to a mainstream audience, even the one that has embraced fare like Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Don: The Tick is either going to be a huge hit, or a major flop. There's no middle-of-the-road for this series. It's extreme in nature, and I suspect reactions will be as well. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.