The success they have can largely be attributed to their pilot model, which finds the studio making a small handful of episodes and then allowing their audience to vote on which they want to see. Several years on, this method still feels like a bold and innovative approach to content production, ensuring that audiences get what they want and that the studio isn’t wasting time with duds. While it’s not a perfect method, it has led to some wild pilots and some intriguing pickups for the coming season, including The Tick and Jean-Claude Van Johnson. Fans who were excited about one of these series won’t have to wait too much longer.
The Tick first hit popular consciousness as a result of a cartoon series that debuted in 1994 and ran for three seasons. Audiences were drawn to the absurd satire of superhero tropes and the popularity of the comics increased. Later, FOX debuted a live-action series starring Patrick Warburton (A Series of Unfortunate Events) as the titular hero.
This iteration brings British actor Peter Serafinowicz (John Wick: Chapter 2) to the iconic role, alongside Griffin Newman (Vinyl) as his sidekick, Arthur. The buzz surrounding the series has been steadily building since its pilot debuted back in October, leaving many longtime fans of the character hopeful that this time The Tick can stick around for a while.
While that remains to be seen, the pilot was a fantastic, madcap portrayal of the hero that succeeds largely on the strength of Serafinowicz and Newman’s performances and their chemistry together. The Fight Club-esque narrative will probably be just a red herring, but either way both actors charmed their way through the pilot and directly into the hearts of fans who have longed for a resurrection of the series for years.
