On the subject of former Seinfeld actors getting their own shows, did anyone see last night's series premiere of The Tick, starring Patrick Warburton ("David Puddy" on Seinfeld)? I loved the animated Tick show, and this live action version is as good, if not better. I was a bit concerned they'd screw it up, but I was pleasantly surprised!
The dialogue is hilarious, and I suspect that's due in part to writer/producer Ben Edlund working on both versions of the show. And Warburton is an excellent choice as The Tick: slow and uncomprehending much of the time, goofy and heroic the rest. And he incorporates a bit of Puddy's personality when fighting villains--I heard an irritated "hey, knock it off!" a couple of times.
David Burke is perfectly cast as the pudgy, milquetoast accountant-turned-superhero Arthur, displaying just the right amount of intelligence, exasperation, and uncontrollable fear. And you may recognize supporting star Nestor Carbonell as Batmanuel from his role as Luis on "Suddenly Susan".
Other names you might recognize: executive producer Larry Charles was a writer on Seinfeld and director on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and producer/director Barry Sonnenfield is of course famous for directing Men in Black and Get Shorty, as well as being the cinematographer on Misery, When Harry Met Sally, Big, Raising Arizona, and Throw Momma from the Train.
You can see The Tick on FOX at 8:30pm ET (7:30pm CT) on Thursday nights. There's a lot of rough competition on Thursday nights, but that's typically a "dead zone" for NBC between Friends and Will & Grace, and Survivor III will end in a couple of months, so hopefully this show will survive.