Until I saw Misfits, my favourite series from the UK were the typical comedies - Spaced, Black Books, Ab Fab, Blackadder - but this has replaced them as the reigning king of black humour, plus having the added bonus of genuine drama and at least a few deep moments to balance it all out. If you're a fan of any of the above, give this a watch. It's as hard to do justice to in words as any of the above as well, so just try it out and see what you think.
Unfortunately, a lot of the best television I've seen in the UK flagged after the first two seasons, and all the previews I've seen of season three suggest that's about to happen with Misfits. Ba humbug. Granted, the Simon story arc was a bit over-egged, but the ensemble and their intersecting tangents have maintained an almost perfect balance all throughout the first two seasons.
Edited later to add:
Okay, I've now watched season 3 and the beginning of 4 and I have to lower my original rating. The end of 3 and beginning of 4 are pants, and not because of the Alisha/Simon 'plot twist'. It's the writing - it's gone totally downhill, the characters seem to have a lot less dialogue and what they do have is blunt and un-witty. Did they change the writers or something? What a mistake.
Another issue is the rank misogyny of the end of season 3 and beginning of season 4. In the last few episodes I've watched, I've seen an episode where a dozen cheerleaders, an old lady, a long lost girlfriend and a female black social worker were all killed off in ever-more gruesome ways.
In another episode, a woman with the power to control people's minds used her power to 'pussy whip' (their word, not mine) her boyfriend and had to be punished by having her power taken away. WTF writers, did you have a bad breakup with your GF or something? What's worse, there is only one female Misfit left and she's a sulky grump who says nothing except to gripe about men. And the 'funny' character makes a lot of cracks that amount to rape jokes, which really isn't funny. Ever.
They really should have hired a woman to help them with the writing but with the attitudes on display in these episodes, I'm not surprised that they didn't bother trying. It just comes off as a show written by (and for) total w*nkers.
I'd give this part of the series about 1/10 and the first part of the series about a 9/10 so overall, it's only a 5/10. I don't watch TV to be reminded what a lot of hatred there is for women in English society, personally. The latter half of this show displays utter contempt for its female viewers by expecting us to find it entertaining.
Unfortunately, a lot of the best television I've seen in the UK flagged after the first two seasons, and all the previews I've seen of season three suggest that's about to happen with Misfits. Ba humbug. Granted, the Simon story arc was a bit over-egged, but the ensemble and their intersecting tangents have maintained an almost perfect balance all throughout the first two seasons.
Edited later to add:
Okay, I've now watched season 3 and the beginning of 4 and I have to lower my original rating. The end of 3 and beginning of 4 are pants, and not because of the Alisha/Simon 'plot twist'. It's the writing - it's gone totally downhill, the characters seem to have a lot less dialogue and what they do have is blunt and un-witty. Did they change the writers or something? What a mistake.
Another issue is the rank misogyny of the end of season 3 and beginning of season 4. In the last few episodes I've watched, I've seen an episode where a dozen cheerleaders, an old lady, a long lost girlfriend and a female black social worker were all killed off in ever-more gruesome ways.
In another episode, a woman with the power to control people's minds used her power to 'pussy whip' (their word, not mine) her boyfriend and had to be punished by having her power taken away. WTF writers, did you have a bad breakup with your GF or something? What's worse, there is only one female Misfit left and she's a sulky grump who says nothing except to gripe about men. And the 'funny' character makes a lot of cracks that amount to rape jokes, which really isn't funny. Ever.
They really should have hired a woman to help them with the writing but with the attitudes on display in these episodes, I'm not surprised that they didn't bother trying. It just comes off as a show written by (and for) total w*nkers.
I'd give this part of the series about 1/10 and the first part of the series about a 9/10 so overall, it's only a 5/10. I don't watch TV to be reminded what a lot of hatred there is for women in English society, personally. The latter half of this show displays utter contempt for its female viewers by expecting us to find it entertaining.