Every fall television season, there are a few new shows that look like the next big hit. Last year, ABC had “Modern Family,” one of the best new shows of the past few years. It somehow managed to make the stale, overused family sitcom format funny and, even more surprisingly, original. “FlashForward” also premiered on ABC last fall, which many people expected to be a huge hit and a worthy successor to “Lost.” Flash forward one year and it rests in a graveyard of canceled TV shows doomed to be forgotten.
This year, one of the most anticipated new shows is ABC’s “No Ordinary Family.” The basic premise is that an ordinary family (see what they did there?) goes on a trip to South America. Things get interesting when their plane crashes into the Amazon River and each member of the family gains superpowers. It combines the family-centered premise of “Modern Family” and the science fiction twist in the vein of “FlashForward”.
Based on early previews, it seems to resemble a live-action version of “The Incredibles,” which, most people should agree, sounds awesome. It has the potential to reach a large audience. Everyone from kids and parents to sci-fi nerds have a reason to watch this show. Many critics are comparing it to “Heroes,” which was extremely good television until it went completely off the rails in season two.
“No Ordinary Family” also uses the “characters speaking to the camera” format of “Modern Family” and “The Office,” which could either help or hurt the series. It will most likely take a few episodes to decide if the conceit works in a show with such science fiction context. Talking head interviews with characters were considered cutting edge a few years ago, but it just seems kind of stale and expected at this point.
Despite that potential setback, “No Ordinary Family” does have a great cast. The leading man and patriarch of the Powell family is played by Michael Chiklis. He is probably best known for is role in the (not spectacular) “Fantastic 4” films. He has carved out quite an interesting niche of typecasting — apparently he is fantastic (see what I did there?) at playing regular people who gain superpowers after a freak accident. Chiklis was also the lead in “The Shield” on FX, one of the better dramas of the last few years. Chiklis certainly has the charisma to carry a show, but it will be interesting to see him play a softer character since his well-known roles have been much tougher than a suburban father of two.
Julie Benz plays Stephanie Powell, the mother of the family, whose power is super speed. Most of the audience will recognize Benz from the TV show “Dexter,” where she played the eponymous character’s love interest. A small, but very vocal, portion of the viewers will know her for her portrayal of Darla on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel.” Between those two roles, she has really proved her acting abilities and has the potential to be an engaging female lead.
The Powell family has an older daughter, Daphne (played by Kay Panabaker), who is in high school and can now read minds after their accident. This plotline fits well with her age and could lead to some great character development. High school kids can be vicious and hearing their thoughts sounds downright horrible. Panabaker is most well known for her hugely successful and critically acclaimed Disney Channel original movie and future classic, “Read It And Weep.” Well… “hugely successful” might be a bit of an exaggeration, but her sister was in the superhero kids movie “Sky High!” (That must give her some kind of superhero cred, to someone, somewhere … maybe.)
The final member of the Powell family is the younger brother, JJ. He was always a poor student until the family’s accident in the Amazon. His super power is less clear, but it seems like he has some kind of heightened intelligence. Jimmy Bennett plays JJ and the science fiction fans in the audience might recognize him as the young James T. Kirk from the most recent “Star Trek” movie. Other than that role, he is a fairly unknown child actor. It will be interesting to see how well he does on a major network show.
The real question will be if “No Ordinary Family” flounders like “FlashForward” or becomes a hit like “Modern Family.” Either way, the show appears to be an intriguing entry on the fall schedule. It is definitely worth tuning to ABC to watch at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
