Unnecessary Tribute: 15 Reasons the Internet Needs to Remember The Critic

I've been told there's nothing the internet loves more than things the internet has forgotten. And if you think about that long enough, it eventually starts to make sense.

So for absolutely no reason whatsoever, here's an Unnecessary Tribute: 15 Reasons the Internet Needs to Remember The Critic. Why 15? Why not? Let's get started.

1. GROUNDBREAKING COMEDY

The Critic was a prime time animated series revolving around the life of New York film critic, Jay Sherman, voiced by beloved comedian and comedy club owner, Jon Lovitz. When it debuted on ABC in 1994, it was actually the "first major non-family sitcom animated program to appear in primetime." Pretty neat, huh? I could totally tell you love statistics.

Apparently, Seth MacFarlane has even "borrowed" whole scenes from The Critic for one of his 14 hit series, Family Guy.

2. FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

Sick of all the no good, recycled movie ideas Hollywood pushes out and calls "art" these days? Well, so was The Critic ... 20 years ago. What can you do about it? As Jay Sherman suggests, "If the movie stinks, just don't go!"

3. IT'S LIKE, EERILY PROPHETIC

When watching The Critic, you'll need to keep reminding yourself that this show came out in 1994, because it still feels REAL current. Jokes that I'm sure seemed hilariously far-fetched at the time, now couldn't possibly feel more accurate. For more examples of what The Critic predicted, check out Ten Frighteningly Prophetic Parodies from The Critic.

4. TIMELESS MOVIE PARODIES

When writing the show, creators Al Jean and Mike Reiss made a conscious decision to find the right balance between current pop culture, and references that would stand the test of time. And whether they considered it a current reference or a timeless classic at the time, there's no denying that Home Alone jokes hit just as hard now as they did in 1994.

5. THIS IMAGE OF JAY IN BED WITH PIZZA

I don't want to mislead you. This show isn't ABOUT pizza. This is just a great image that everyone needs to see and share. YOU'RE WELCOME, INTERNET!

6. SO MANY GIF-WORTHY MOMENTS

7. TOTALLY RELEVANT GUEST STARS

You'd think a show that directly parodied movie critics like Gene Shalit and Siskel & Ebert, wouldn't be able to get them to make fun of themselves on prime time television, right? WRONG, IDIOT! I thought you were a big fan of the internet. Don't you know Siskel & Ebert were the FUCKING BEST? (I apologize for yelling.)

Interestingly, early on in its run, Siskel and Ebert reviewed The Critic on their syndicated review show, At the Movies. It was the only television series they ever reviewed. They said the show didn't have as many memorable characters as The Simpsons, and actually encouraged the show's writers to focus on that. What do they know?

Here's a cool compilation of all their appearances on the show and, yes, there were many.

8. KEANU REEVES

Keanu's been so much fun to make fun of for well over two decades, but it's important to know your roots.

9. THIS DANCING BEAR

10. POKES FUN AT 20-YEAR-OLD SITCOMS

If you love to laugh at sitcoms, then you'll definitely love laughing at this sitcom poking fun at sitcoms.Home Improvement jokes FTW! Amirite?

11. THE CRITIC GOT SWAGGER ON A HUNDRED THOUSAND TRILLION

12. NOTHING'S GONNA STOP HIM

In total, there were only 23 episodes of the series ever produced, first a season on ABC, then a second one Fox. But with today's binge-viewing habits, you could tackle that on a Wednesday night and not even think twice. So don't let anything stop you.

Plus, isn't it our job as fellow interneters to rally around things that have been cancelled a long time to try and get them renewed? Of course it is! Call your local congressmen today and tell them you want more episodes of The Critic. Let's do this.

13. THERE WAS A SIMPSONS CROSSOVER EPISODE

FYI: Matt Groening hated it, but that doesn't nessarily mean you will.

14. PUNS

Honestly, if you don't love this, then this show probably isn't for you. Also, I doubt we could be friends.

15. WE LEAVE YOU WITH THIS

Hopefully, this will inspire someone to dig into The Critic, or perhaps better yet, spread peace and love throughout the world.

Hachi Machi!

We hope you enjoyed this Unnecessary Tribute. Be sure to pick up a copy of Jay Sherman's book, "What I Do in the Dark," wherever books are sold.