Misfits - Series 1 and 2 Box Set [DVD]

Judging by the trailers you could easily mistake this show for a missable E4 cross between Heroes and Skins. I'm so glad I gave this programme a chance.

The show follows five ASBO teenagers on community service. However, the characters are all "Misfits" in another way: each is a uniquely social misfit, too. One boy can't help offending everybody he meets; another is a disgraced former athlete; one girl has an unhealthy obsession with sex; the other girl is a misunderstood and at times aggressive chav; the final character is an uncomfortable nerd.

Naturally, these characters don't form the most cohesive group. However, a thunderstorm in the opening episode gives four of them superpowers and inextricably binds the group together. The natural frictions between them result in great comic/dramatic effect, but it's also a joy watching this unlikely bunch slowly become friends over the two series.

Each characters' superpower reflects an aspect of their personality. The nerdish one can turn invisible, for instance. The superpowers aren't uniformly super-awesome, though: one girl's power is that anyone she touches becomes uncontrollably horny for her. This power becomes very burdensome, very quickly. This makes the show all the more "real" for me, despite the supernatural setting. Sometimes, life just sucks like that. (The other girl's power is similar: she can hear peoples' thoughts, which mostly consist of them calling her a chav.)

The former athlete can turn back time, showing his deep regret at how things have turned out for him. This power is used as a great dramatic device -- utilised to seamlessly fill out each characters' back-story in one episode -- as it's something he has less than perfect control over (otherwise, things would be too easy). This power leads to an incredibly inventive story arc over series two which had me applauding by the conclusion.

The final character (the gobby offensive one) doesn't have a power at all. This is also appropriate, as this character would be far too annoying if he had a superpower to boot. Again, this just makes the show all the more real, as each character is flawed in their own unique way (the sex-girl is incredibly annoying to begin with, a stereotypical "pretty girl", but somehow you manage to sympathise with her by the end of series two).

Each series is a narrative masterpiece -- unfurling over six episodes like a novel. The writing is at times clever, funny, and serious too. It's all thanks to the show's writer, Howard Overman. This show gains a lot from being one writer's work; it's a great pity when other drama/comedies farm each individual episode out to a separate writer, sacrificing quality for quantity (such as how Shameless now does). I'd much rather have six brilliant episodes a year than 16 mediocre ones.

If you needed yet another indication that this show is more than the standard E4 fare, all you need do is look to the fantastic soundtrack, covering genres from the blues, to dubstep, and everything in-between. Some great artists are there: The Velvet Underground, UNKLE, Joy Division, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Kraftwerk, and Aphex Twin to name just a few of my favourites. The music is used to brilliant effect, with the two versions of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" touching me every time I watch S1E2.

This is a very original British comedy drama with great acting & writing to produce an unbeatable level of entertainment. Definitely on a par with Californication Californication - The First Season [2007] [DVD] and The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners - Series 1-3 - Complete [DVD] for original comedy.

Misfits is about 5 teenagers who are doing community service, who are struck by a supernatural storm and develop superpowers - a cross between Heroes & Skins. But they are not conventional heroes battling evil, they are more likely to be trying to sort out their own personal issues.

In Series 1 there are just 7 episodes of about 45 minutes with each one focusing on a different charactor, and a finale climax. In each episode they are basically trying to keep out of trouble and cover up the secret that unites them all. I love Episode 4 where we discover why Kelly, Simon, Nathan , Curtis, & Alisha are on community service.

Series 2 continues straight on from the first series and adds a few new interesting characters and twists. I can not say more than this in case you have not watched Series 1. Nevertheless Series 2 is just as funny, more sexually explicit, and very addictive.

DVD extras include: Behind the scenes interviews with cast and crew, Simon's films, & The making of Misfits.

Do not miss out on the hottest comedy drama series in an ordinary town with extraordinary charactors!

Let's hope that there is a Series 3 commissioned. Update: series 3 is being filmed from the 25th April for an Autumn release, but one character does not return...

It wasn't clear from the product description if the Christmas special that ran after the end of series 2 was included - it is. Misfits - pure genius.