Based in part on the fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics retail chain in the Boston area, The Tick has since become a well known, cult spoof of the superhero archetype and narrative genre as a whole. Going on to spawn an animated series in 1994 and a short-lived live-action comedy show on FOX in 2001, Edlund’s absurdist satire has found a life of its own numerous times over over the years, and has become something of a counter-cultural icon in the process.
For those in the know, Amazon Studios recently announced its reboot of The Tick was currently under production, and that the studio has already cast noted British comic actor Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) in the lead role. Whether or not the program will come together in a way that serves to do justice to what executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) initially strove to achieve with the nine-episode series for FOX in 2001 remains to be seen. On that note, the first look at the new show is finally here.
Courtesy of Comic Book Resources, the first look at Serfinowicz in costume is finally here, and the British actor looks fit to play the part. In addition, viewers can glean their first look at a supporting member of the program’s cast in character on what appears to be the real-life daytime talk show The View (with the program’s actual co-host Whoopi Goldberg in tow).
Check out the official synopsis for The Tick below:
“In a world where superheroes have been real for decades, an underdog accountant with zero powers comes to realize his city is owned by a global super villain long-thought dead. As he struggles to uncover this conspiracy, he falls in league with a strange blue superhero. The Tick stars Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy), Griffin Newman (Vinyl), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), Valorie Curry (House of Lies), Yara Martinez (Jane the Virgin) and Brendan Hines (Scorpion). The Tick is executive produced by Ben Edlund (Supernatural), Barry Josephson (Bones) and Barry Sonnenfeld (A Series of Unfortunate Events), directed by Wally Pfister (The Dark Knight), and written by Edlund. The Tick is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television.”
Check out the exclusive images from The Tick below:
With Sonnenfeld and Edlund returning as executive producers on the new show, The Tick reboot might yet win more fans than the original show managed to do after only nine episodes on the air. It will be something of an uphill battle to win enough good word of mouth from viewers when the pilot episode premieres later this August as a part of Amazon’s 2016 comedy pilot season, though with any luck the property’s cult-following will give it the boost it needs for a full season order.
Much of what made the original The Tick such a subversive success posthumously came in the program’s irreverent take on the superhero genre, which certainly appears to be the case once more as far as the producers are concerned in making the new show. Amazon can be more difficult than the likeminded Netflix Studios when it comes to securing a full season order for a new program – but with any luck, Edlund, Sonnenfeld, and company will have little trouble getting a full season order on their quirky comic book TV show.
The Tick will premiere on Amazon on August 19, 2016.
