Mission Hill and The Critic

[on:]

Aside from Futurama, these are 2 other great but cancelled shows by simpsons alumni.  The Critic by Al Jean and Mike Reiss was totally ahead of it's time because the shitty looking movies they parodied look a lot like the garbage that hollywood's making today.  Mission Hill by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein was one of the few good comedies about generation x type slackers.

[Reply #1 on:]

I liked Mission Hill, even bought the DVD. I also liked the critic, though I thought the secound season was weaker.

Too bad neither show lasted, they were both good enough to last a little longer at least. I remember that the Crittic seemed to just disapear, and I didn't watch Mission Hill until it came on Adult Swim.

[Reply #2 on:]

I thought it was a damn shame Mission Hill got cancelled. It only lasted 13 episodes and really didn't even get a chance to shine.

The Critic was pretty good, but I kinda thought the second season was a little weak. It was revived for a few short episodes as a web cartoon.

[Reply #3 on:]

I just started watching Mission Hill on [AS] it is a shame it only last one season. I really like it. It's hard to like something so short. I went to the website and it had like 4 ideas for 4 more episodes. Even an actual season finale. I wish I could have seen them.

[Reply #4 on:]

Yeah, the scripts for the last 5 episodes were finished but never recorded or animated

[Reply #5 on:]

I think they were recorded and partially animated, as animatics are on Youtube of some of them.  I love MH to bits, but I was never that big on the Critic.

[Reply #6 on:]

Mission Hill rules

[Reply #7 on:]

I like the Critic a lot, it showed on Paramount Comedy Channel back in about 1997, I've only just got the DVD's, it's still as good as I remember 

[Reply #8 on:]

I saw the pilot of Mission Hill earily today. It was really funny. I really liked the crack about everyone in their mother having an animated series these days.

[Reply #9 on:]

As much as I liked The Critic, it had it's chance. Once on ABC and once on FOX. It could have been supported better, but when all is said and done, people just didn't respond to it like they did The Simpsons.

Mission Hill totally should have been a hit, though. It's just so darn likeable! It was funny, it was emotional, it was smart. It was everything, man! And it still had potential for even more!

I'd never heard of it until it came on Cartoon Network. Shame on the WB for never promoting it. Stupid decisions like that are why it's now a stupid hybrid network with UPN.

[Reply #10 on:]

I love Mission Hill. It's funny, written well, and I enjoy the voice acting. I wish that it had lasted longer. Maybe Cartoon Network will try to pick up some episodes.

The Critic was awesome. Enough said.

[Reply #11 on:]

Is it just me or does Andy from Mission Hill remind you of Fry?

[Reply #12 on:]

The Critic may not mean a lot to some people, but for me, it was one of the main TV shows I enjoyed as a kid. 

Right after purchasing the first couple Simpsons DVD sets, I wondered why the Critic didn't have one.  Sure enough, a set was announced in '03, and I purchased it upon release.

The humor of the show is, quite honestly, too smart for the average viewer and might have survived had it been a cable show. 

I also believe the second season to be great in its own right, despite it's FOXed image.  After all, it contains Planet of the Dogs, D.T. the Drunken Terrestrial, Duke running for president, Alice's sister, International House of Kous Kous, etc.

The show, in essence:  Dukelicious.  The cancellation was a duketastrophe.

Mission Hill, of course, was a well crafted piece of cult art that deserved more airtime.  In the words of Forest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."