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Misfits

Apologies if this is becoming TV central these days, but this is in large part due to being the parent of a small child who can't get out very often, and of course being a big geek,as was pointed out to me on Twitter yesterday when I started talking randomly and enthusiastically about Babylon 5 before I realised nobody was paying any attention.

Last night saw the debut of E4's new sci-fi/horror/comedy/drama Misfits.  Centred around a bunch of asbo-collecting teens doing community service who become endowed with a collection of rather naff superhero powers, this was a very strong start, full of dark Dead Set horror and Skins-esque humour.

The episode kicks off with the aforementioned idiot children tormenting their affable probation worker as they studiously avoid work at all costs, until giant car-sized hailstones start to slam down all around them.  The group are hit by lightning and hey presto - wackiness ensues.

What makes this stand out from the other X-men lite superhero shows (I'm looking at you here Heroes) is the sense of darkness that is present throughout. For instance, one of the kids is imbued with a power that sees her become instantly and violently attractive to any man who touches her, which as superpowers go is pretty rubbish unless you want to become raped on a continual basis.

The cast, largely unknowns (I recognised one from an excellent drama earlier this year about the foster case system but I can't remember the name of it) are tremendous, and the writing is razor sharp and witty, and offensive enough to propel the average Daily Mail reader to headbutt the television in despair.

Taking its cues from low budget horror (almost the whole pilot is set in one abandoned looking warehouse) this knows how to utilise its strengths and play down its weaknesses.  When the violence comes, it's in short brutal and kinetic scenes which are genuinely shocking. 

But what really makes the whole thing work is the fact that this is a group of very real teenagers, rather than, for instance, the hyper-attractive cast of Skins. You would walk past them on the street without ever paying attention (you might grab your bag a little tighter at the sight of Nikki, pictured above) to them, and it is this grounding in reality that sells the admittedly silly premise.

The only problem with this show is that it now means one more night of the week where I can't make any plans, at least not until its run ends in 5 weeks time. Cheers E4.