Then again, if such were part of everyday life, maybe the luster would wear off after a spell and become at best, a weird commonality. This is the premise of NBC's new comedy series, "Powerless".
The sit-com (not to be confused with the 2004 Marvel comic-book series) is rooted in the DC universe, but it appears that we'll only get glimpses, or more precisely hints, of any primary superheroes or their foes.
Vanessa "High School Musical" Hudgens stars as working girl Emily Locke, who occupies the directorial spot of Research and Development at Wayne Security (an offshoot of Wayne Enterprises), located in Charm City. Her boss, Van (Alan Tudyk), is Bruce Wayne's cousin. Alas, Van generally has tough time reaching his crime-fighting relative: an ongoing joke on the series. Ron Funches, Christina Kirk and Danny Pudi also participate in the office-based shenanigans.
Wayne Securities' competitor is LexCorps, but at this point, it's unclear if any other DC backdrops or furnishings will be featured on a regular basis, particularly with such mythology already established on CW. It appears that the series will cater mostly to extraordinary good and bad guys who fight beyond the realms of their more stellar counterparts, such as the mysterious and sexy Crimson Fox, who's identity on and off screen is being kept (for now) a secret, though if one looks hard enough, one can figure it out.
NBC has a terrible track record with superhero programs, to the point where one has to wonder why its snobbish executives even bother. "The Cape" died a premature death at the network and "Wonder Woman" never made it past the pilot phase or for that matter, an official airing.
The odds don't favor that a DC inspired sit-com will go very far, therefore, but while it lasts (and let's hope it's for a decent stretch), it should present an interesting, if not unorthodox, take on the hottest genre now going.
("Powerless" premieres Thursday, February 2 at 8:30 pm.)
I thought the first episode was pretty good. If better exposed, the show could attract the "Big Bang" crowd. Didn't think Bruce Wayne would fire all those folks, though. That didn't jive in the least with me, but the Jack O'Lantern (for what little we saw of him) was pretty cool: a DC spoof of Marvel's Green Goblin/Hobgoblin.
ReplyDelete"Emily Dates a Henchman" was a fun episode--good Batman one, anyway. It was funny, not insulting: done just right. Liked the Robin/Riddler elements, particularly so. Would like to see more along these lines.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Green Fury and Olympian are quasi-regulars now on the show. That's a wise move: keeps the superhero element placed in the forefront.
ReplyDeleteWas sure hoping that NBC would show the final three episodes of this season. That the series has been cancelled is no surprise. NBC launches imaginative material only to kill it.
ReplyDeleteI blame the superhero fan base, as well, for not supporting the series. Then again, when has a fan campaign to keep a show on NBC ever worked, beyond "Star Trek"? Even with "Trek", we only got one more season before cancellation, as opposed to the promised five.
Current NBC is much worse than the '60s version. Those in charge seem intent on only wanting to be politically slanted and above all, lackluster. "Powerless'"s demise is just another case in point.
So glad that I was able to see "Win, Luthor, Draw" through comicbook.com. Adam West, of course, is featured in the episode as Chairman West: a bittersweet cap to his passing last week.
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