'The Simpsons' writers on rebooting 'The Critic'

Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who were among the first writers hired on The Simpsons and later created the animated sitcom The Critic, say the long-discussed revival is closer than ever. The original show, about movie critic Jay Sherman voiced by Jon Lovitz, ran briefly on ABC and Fox before cancellation but kept a devoted following and even produced a few webisodes.

Jean says the main hurdles have been cleared with him signing a deal, and that Lovitz is eager to return though his agreement isn’t finalized. Jean is already sketching episode ideas, imagining Jay at a Mets game falling for Mrs. Met. Reiss expects to stay involved but not lead the project, describing himself as “on the sidelines” while keeping a hand in the effort.

The first big obstacle remains getting a network or streamer to order the reboot. Reiss doubts it will be hard to sell, noting the steady appetite for revivals, but stops short of saying the show is confirmed; for now, the signs point in a promising direction.

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