Rare is the time when a superhero comic book from a publisher other than Marvel or DC makes it to television. Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were nearing the end of their first network run on CBS around the time that Ben Edlund's The Tick made the transition to television.
The Tick debuted on Fox in 1994 and hung around until November 1996, two months into the 3rd season. Sunbow Entertainment, which had adapted a number of Hasbro properties (i.e. Transformers, G. I. Joe) since the 80's, landed the license to bring Edlund's satire of the superhero genre to the small screen. Comedian Townsend Coleman was cast in the title role, but they went through two actors as Tick's generic sidekick, Arthur, who dressed in a white moth suit, but opted not to use a secret identity. Arthur was originally voiced by ex-Monkee Micky Dolenz, but Rob Paulsen took over the role in season 2 for unknown reasons.
Macka8 uploaded the open to YouTube:
After its Fox run, the series wound up on Comedy Central, where it became a cult favorite. Disney owns the rights to the series, and had it airing on Toon Disney (now DisneyXD) a few years ago, but it currently languishes in the vaults. The series is available on DVD, however.
Rating: B.
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