Misfits

Where DID this show come from? Though it's not the most original concept (freak lightning storm strikes and gives a ragtag bunch of community service workers special powers) this show rises above Heroes and the many clones by bringing enough freshness to the table. Now I'm judging this show having just watched the first two episodes. At first it looks like your average Skins type rip-off but it very quickly establishes an intriguing plot with lovable characters and unexpected twists aplenty. The script is sharp like a razor and offers laugh-out-loud moments and witticisms to rival the best episodes of Friends or Fraiser. All the misfits are perfectly cast and brilliantly acted with just the right amount of cynicism and pathos and the situations don't seem forced like Heroes often does but emerge logically and organically from the characters. Even the powers themselves extend from the character's personas. Fantastic show. I cannot recommend it enough!

Misfits has been described in a lot of reviews as a cross between Skins and Heroes, however, in my opinion, it doesn't contain the biggest flaws of these shows- pretentiousness or unoriginality. I'm *not* slating these shows, I'm just saying that as quite a comic-book fan, it's difficult to watch or read something about characters with superpowers without ripping it apart- getting irritated by the plot lines that are taken, or 'influenced' from other sources and neither does it have an impossibly good looking set of people living a life you can't help but envy, no matter what drama has unfolded in their life due to partying too hard. Misfits is very unique and while you can guess some plot lines of the show, you can never guess what'll happen next episode.

What Misfits provides is a group of interesting, likable and believable characters involved in well thought-out stories that are not over-complicated but still challenge the audience.

To complete the show, the episodes are also full of thick, dark humour.

Overall, it is an excellent show.

I came to the reviews here to work out whether I should carry on as S4 ep 1 was rough to put it politely. Other reviewers have confirmed that the door should be closed at the end of S3. The loss of major characters and intro of new (less interesting) ones was an error of judgement.

So anyway, seasons 1 to 3 a brilliant ride of madness and crazy adventures, really worth a watch if you like this type of show.

I must admit that not once did I think of 'Heroes' when watching this programme, although now the point has been raised I can see why people would compare the two. What this programme does is show what a fertile ground British TV still is as not only is it very well cast, but the writing, direction and production design match anything that out US friends can do. Along with Skins and The Inbetweeners Channel 4 have now got another great programme that is 'yoof' but also appeals to an older audience. It is very dark, very twisted and quite often very very funny.

Initially I found Robert Sheehan's character 'Nathan' to be really irritating to the point that I thought he would ruin the programme, but as the show progresses he really is the heart of the whole thing and by the end of it I realised he was far and away the best thing in it !

Sheehan is certainly a face for the future, so too Lauren Socha who as 'Kelly' again initially seems like a real 'Chav' before blossoming into a very rounded character who you can sympathise with. Following her work in the Arctic Monkey's 'Scummy Man' promo she could also be one to watch.

If this was US produced I dare say we'd have had a minimum of 12 episodes to season 1, but the six we do get are excellent.

It would be a real crime if this doesn't reappear for a Second Series by the end of the year.

Series 1 and 2 of Misfits are outrageous and far more entertaining than the synopsis suggests. The production values are sky high, and it can do horror and thrills as well as almost any other TV programme. Much more importantly though, it surprised me... because it made me roar with laughter. The credit for that goes almost exclusively to Nathan, who takes one look at all the cool haircuts and pouts before tearing it all apart with filthy sociopathic charm. He leaves at the end of Series 2, and the show misses him badly. Rudy tries to fill the hole, but he is increasingly alone in trying to provide some charisma and laughs. By Series 4, the characters who populate the show have become entirely forgettable. Get in, get your fill, then get out while you're ahead.