Misfits (TV series)
| Misfits | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Action Drama Science fiction Dark comedy Supernatural |
| Created by | Howard Overman |
| Written by | Howard Overman Jon Brown |
| Directed by | Jonathan van Tulleken Nirpal Bhogal |
| Starring | Iwan Rheon Robert Sheehan Lauren Socha Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Antonia Thomas Joseph Gilgun Karla Crome Nathan McMullen Matt Stokoe Natasha O'Keeffe |
| Opening theme | "Echoes" by The Rapture |
| Composer | Vince Pope |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 27 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Petra Fried Murray Ferguson |
| Producer | Kate Crowe |
| Production location | London |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | Clerkenwell Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | E4 (UK and Ireland) |
| Release | 12 November 2009 – present |
Misfits is a British science fiction comedy-drama television show about a group of young offenders sentenced to work in a community service programme, where they obtain supernatural powers after a strange electrical storm. The first series started broadcasting on 12 November 2009 on E4, and was produced by Clerkenwell Films. The show aired in Australia in 2010 on ABC2, and in New Zealand, it screens on FOUR, where its fourth season is currently running. In June 2011, it was made available online in the United States via Hulu,[1] where it became one of the service's most-watched series.[2] Misfits can currently be viewed in the United States on the Logo channel.
Recording for the second series began on 24 May 2010, next to Southmere Lake, Thamesmead, Bexley, Southeast London.[3] The second series aired from 11 November 2010 to 16 December 2010 on E4. A Christmas special, written by Howard Overman, featuring the whole main cast of the first series was broadcast on E4 in December 2010.[4][5] The first series won the 2010 BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series.[6] The third series began airing on 30 October 2011,[7] and ended on 18 December 2011. The show was later renewed for a fourth series which premiered in October 2012. Two months later, Misfits was renewed for a fifth season.
Antonia Thomas, Iwan Rheon, Lauren Socha, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Robert Sheehan are introduced as Alisha Bailey, Simon Bellamy, Kelly Bailey, Curtis Donovan, and Nathan Young respectively. Sheehan left the series after the second series, replaced by Joseph Gilgun as Rudy Wade. After the third series it was announced Rheon, Thomas and Socha had left their roles and would be replaced by new characters. Karla Crome and Nathan McMullen joined the series as Jess and Finn respectively. Stewart-Jarrett left mid way through the fourth series while Natasha O'Keeffe joined the cast as his replacement for the second half.
Production
Filming locations
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2012) |
The show is filmed in South East London, mostly on location around the Southmere Lake in Thamesmead, including the signature shot of the four multi-storey buildings from the roof of the Lakeside Centre. Many interiors were filmed in sets built in the old Runnymede campus of Brunel University. The scenes under the flyover are in Boston Manor Park in Brentford, London. The bar featured from the second series on is not located in South Street, Brunel; it was a set built specifically for the show.
Marketing
The first series was accompanied by an online viral marketing, on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter. For example, in a British first, the characters Simon and Kelly tweeted during the initial transmission of each episode, with the content of the tweets provided by writers Sam Liefer and Ben Edwards, under the direction of lead writer Howard Overman and executive producer Petra Fried. These tweets and other website postings provided additional narrative material, and amongst other things did not ultimately reveal the identity of a key character who appeared only in episode six. Since then other characters have appeared, such as Rudy Wade and Alisha Bailey, as well as a fan-based "observer" character named "That Guy".[8][9] Additional strategic components included direct-to-YouTube video clips and an online game based on the show.[8]
Main cast
| Character | Actor | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Rudy | Joseph Gilgun | 3—present |
| Jess | Karla Crome | 4—present |
| Finn | Nathan McMullen | 4—present |
| Abbey | Natasha O'Keeffe | 4—present |
| Alex | Matt Stokoe | 4—present |
| Nathan | Robert Sheehan | 1—2 |
| Kelly | Lauren Socha | 1—3 |
| Alisha | Antonia Thomas | 1—3 |
| Simon | Iwan Rheon | 1—3 |
| Seth | Matthew McNulty | 2—4 |
| Curtis | Nathan Stewart-Jarrett | 1—4 |
Episodes
The first series comprised six episodes, airing from 12 November to 17 December 2009 on E4. The second series started filming in May 2010[10] and aired on E4 from 11 November to 16 December 2010. This series had seven episodes, including a Christmas episode.
An exclusive short film, "Vegas Baby!"', premiered on E4's official website on 15 September 2011, focusing on Nathan's departure.[11] The third series began airing on 30 October 2011 on E4. It introduced new character Rudy (Joe Gilgun) and was eight episodes long. Unlike the first two seasons, Howard Overman did not write all the episodes, instead writing six of the eight with Jon Brown writing the other two.[citation needed]
Plot overview
Series 1 (2009)
Misfits follows five young delinquents on community service who are caught outside during a supernatural thunder storm and who acquire special abilities. Initially, the show focused on five young adults. Kelly Bailey (Lauren Socha) gains the ability of telepathy, Curtis Donovan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) can rewind time after experiencing an immense sense of regret, Alisha Bailey (Antonia Thomas) sends people into a sexual frenzy when they touch her skin and Simon Bellamy (Iwan Rheon) can become invisible. Nathan Young (Robert Sheehan) appears unchanged.
The group are attacked by their probation officer, Tony, who acquired strange powers in the electrical storm, and is accidentally killed by Kelly in self-defence. The main plot of the first series is the five trying to stop anyone else finding out about the murder. Tony's replacement Sally is revealed to be Tony's fiancée, and she suspects that the gang know more than they claim to. Sally's suspicion grows and she forms a relationship with Simon, secretly pretending to like him in order to get information from him about Tony's disappearance. She steals his mobile phone, which has the video of Nathan saying they killed Tony, sees it, and tries to convince Simon to go to the police. When she tries to get away, Simon turns invisible, intentionally unnerves her while doing so, and then accidentally kills her in the struggle for his mobile. Other subplots of the series involve Nathan living in the community centre after his mother kicks him out of her house, Alisha and Curtis becoming involved in a relationship, Curtis accidentally changing time so he never split up from his ex-girlfriend Sam, Nathan trying to figure out what his power could possibly be, and Simon's sense of loneliness and isolation from the rest of the group. Each episode also follows its own self-contained plot, including the first series' finale in which a cult-like group begins to brainwash youths into adopting ultra-conservative behaviour. The episode ends with Nathan's death after a struggle with Rachel, the cult's leader. As his friends mourn, Nathan's power is finally revealed to be immortality as he awakens unharmed in his coffin.
Series 2 (2010)
In the second series, as the gang are approaching the end of their community service, they are stalked by a mysterious masked man who had previously saved Nathan from the Virtue cult. He assists them through dangerous situations and is seemingly aware of events that take place before they happen; he saves members of the group on multiple occasions such as saving Curtis from being strangled to death by a shapeshifter, saving Nathan from a car explosion when taking drugs makes him temporarily mortal, and saving Alisha from a mugger. When Alisha is attacked a second time, she falls down a flight of stairs and is taken back to the masked man's safe house. It is revealed that he is a time-traveling, future Simon, whom Alisha falls in love with and learns she is to fall in love with the 'present' Simon. Future Simon warns of an unspecified, upcoming crisis and shows that the superpowers will soon become public knowledge – which eventually occurs, only for that timeline to be erased. Future Simon sacrifices himself to save Alisha, prompting Alisha to reveal the truth to present Simon. Throughout the series, sub-plots include Nathan discovering his immortality extends to mediumship, Nathan and Kelly's abortive attempt at a relationship, Curtis and Alisha breaking up, Simon slowly becoming more assertive and comfortable with himself, and Curtis starting a relationship with a girl named Nikki, who obtained her teleportation power from the heart transplant of a guy named Ollie who originally had the power.
Three months later, the Misfits give up their powers by selling them to Seth, a former drug dealer with the ability to transfer powers from one person to another. Elliot, a disillusioned priest, purchases several powers from the same dealer including Alisha's and Nikki's, and uses them to pose as a reborn Jesus Christ. While the Misfits are celebrating the fact that they are free from their powers, a follower of "Jesus" holds up the bar where Curtis and Alisha are now working, robs them, and kills Nikki. The Misfits steal the money that Elliot has gathered from his followers so they can purchase their powers back, accidentally killing him while doing so. The Misfits use the money to buy new powers from Seth, with Kelly being the first to volunteer.
Series 3 (2011)
Simon, Kelly, Alisha and Curtis acquired new powers following their encounter with Seth; Simon can glimpse into the future, Kelly has complete knowledge of rocket science and mechanical systems, Alisha has a form of clairvoyance which allows her to see through the eyes of others and Curtis can change into a woman at will. Nathan is absent, having gone to Las Vegas in the hope that his new ability of magic will make him a millionaire. A young man on community service named Rudy, with the ability to create a duplicate of himself, meets the gang when he upsets a woman, causing her to use her power to freeze time in order to wreak havoc on Rudy. Rudy's actions accidentally put Simon, Kelly, Alisha and Curtis back into community service. Major subplots include Simon and Alisha's relationship, Simon's progressive transformation into his 'future self', Rudy's womanising and philandering, Curtis's experimentation as a female, Kelly's infatuation and eventual relationship with Seth, and Seth's obsessive search for a mysterious power.
Seth eventually finds what he was looking for, the power of resurrection, giving it to Curtis in exchange for his sex-change power after Curtis accidentally impregnates himself. Curtis uses his power to resurrect Seth's ex-girlfriend, Shannon, who died of a drug overdose that Seth takes responsibility for. Seth breaks up with Kelly and returns to Shannon but quickly realises that anyone resurrected has an all-encompassing desire for blood, essentially rendering them a zombie. Seth and the gang manage to defeat Shannon and the others infected by the power, resulting in Seth and Kelly restarting their relationship, eventually deciding to travel in order to escape the mayhem of the community centre.
A medium uses his power to inadvertently bring the spirits of Tony, Sally and Rachel back to haunt the gang, with the spirits unable to move on due to having unfinished business. Sally and Tony move on to the afterlife after they reconcile, and Rachel tries to fit in with the culture that she despised by swearing, drinking, trying drugs and having sex, but is unsuccessful. She comes to the realisation that she is back for revenge, slicing Alisha's throat with a Stanley knife and moving on. After Alisha's death, Seth helps Simon go back in time, allowing Simon to help the gang in the past and resulting in Simon's eventual death in Alisha's arms.
Series 4 (2012)
After Alisha's death and Simon's departure to the past, Kelly and Seth travel to Africa, where Kelly uses her knowledge of mechanical systems to defuse landmines, and ends up staying. Curtis and Rudy continue with community service, joined by Finn, an anxious telekinetic, and Jess, a snarky, reserved girl with x-ray vision. Major subplots include Rudy and Finn moving into the community centre together, Finn's one-sided infatuation with Jess, Curtis's encounters with Lola, a mysterious woman who claims to be a trainee probation worker, Finn's search for his father, and Jess's relationship with Alex, a mysterious bartender who spends most of his time looking for his penis, lost as a result of a mysterious power. As a result of his encounters with Lola, Curtis ends up using his resurrection power again, leading to his own infection. In order to stop his increasing thirst for blood, Curtis commits suicide, emotionally affecting Rudy as a result. After Curtis's death, the gang encounters Abbey, a girl who suffers from amnesia as a result of the storm, and Nadine, a nun with a mysterious secret whom Rudy falls in love with.
Reception
Critical response
British reviews have been very positive. The Times gave it four out of five stars, calling it "a new union — salty British street humour with whizz-bang special effects" which should "keep E4's core audience happy".[12] An online review by The Guardian said that it was "confident enough to operate in its own universe and set up something new" and that it was aimed at showing us "real people" rather than the stereotype of the "ASBO teenager".[13] The Guardian's print reviewer was also enthusiastic, saying: "Misfits is indeed silly — sillier, even, than it sounds — but it's also brilliant: sharp, funny, dark and, in places, quite chilling. Both the writing and the performances ensure that everything but the preposterous central premise remains entirely believable."[14] The Daily Telegraph drew special attention to Howard Overman's script which, it said, "sparkled from the off, introducing his posse of social outcasts as a bunch of total losers, but each one distinctively and memorably so."[15]
The Irish media have also been impressed with the show. The Evening Herald called the debut episode "dark, hilarious, exciting and beautifully produced". It went on to say that "the spark comes from Overman's razor-sharp script, yet a lot of the credit also has to go to the well-chosen young cast, who are uniformly superb."[16]
Television ratings
Series 1[17]
The first series averaged 707,500 viewers per episode.
| Episode | Airdate | Viewers | Rank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E4 | E4+1 | Total | E4 | E4+1 | ||
| One | 12 November 2009 | 574,000 | 213,000 | 787,000 | No. 4 | No. 9 |
| Two | 19 November 2009 | 569,000 | 169,000 | 738,000 | No. 2 | No. 11 |
| Three | 26 November 2009 | 592,000 | 88,000 | 680,000 | No. 1 | No. 11 |
| Four | 3 December 2009 | 632,000 | 78,000 | 710,000 | No. 5 | No. 11 |
| Five | 10 December 2009 | 598,000 | 72,000 | 670,000 | No. 8 | No. 21 |
| Six | 17 December 2009 | 592,000 | 68,000 | 660,000 | No. 6 | No. 21 |
Series 2
The second series averaged 1,462,000 viewers per episode – more than twice up from the first series.
| Episode | Airdate | Viewers | Rank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E4 | E4+1 | Total | E4 | E4+1 | ||
| One | 11 November 2010 | 1,185,000 | 238,000 | 1,423,000 | No. 1 | No. 5 |
| Two | 18 November 2010 | 1,055,000 | 250,000 | 1,305,000 | No. 1 | No. 2 |
| Three | 25 November 2010 | 1,119,000 | 251,000 | 1,370,000 | No. 1 | No. 4 |
| Four | 2 December 2010 | 1,075,000 | 341,000 | 1,416,000 | No. 1 | No. 2 |
| Five | 9 December 2010 | 1,074,000 | 355,000 | 1,429,000 | No. 1 | No. 1 |
| Six | 16 December 2010 | 1,201,000 | 392,000 | 1,593,000 | No. 2 | No. 1 |
| Christmas Special | 19 December 2010 | 1,420,000 | 278,000 | 1,698,000 | No. 1 | No. 3 |
Series 3
Series 3 averaged 1,484,000 viewers, which is slightly more than season 2.
| Episode | Airdate | Viewers | Rank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E4 | E4+1 | Total | E4 | E4+1 | ||
| One | 30 October 2011 | 1,471,000 | 323,000 | 1,794,000 | No. 1 | No. 2 |
| Two | 6 November 2011 | 1,329,000 | 296,000 | 1,625,000 | No. 4 | No. 4 |
| Three | 13 November 2011 | 1,176,000 | 322,000 | 1,498,000 | No. 1 | No. 3 |
| Four | 20 November 2011 | 1,142,000 | 300,000 | 1,442,000 | No. 1 | No. 3 |
| Five | 27 November 2011 | 1,050,000 | — | 1,050,000 | No. 2 | — |
| Six | 4 December 2011 | 1,246,000 | 252,000 | 1,498,000 | No. 1 | No. 6 |
| Seven | 11 December 2011 | 1,178,000 | 284,000 | 1,462,000 | No. 1 | No. 6 |
| Eight | 18 December 2011 | 1,227,000 | 276,000 | 1,503,000 | No. 1 | No. 7 |
Series 4
| Episode | Airdate | Viewers | Rank | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E4 | E4+1 | Total | E4 | E4+1 | ||
| One | 28 October 2012 | 777,000 | 239,000 | 1,016,000 | No. 2 | No. 6 |
| Two | 4 November 2012 | 619,000 | 208,000 | 827,000 | No. 5 | No. 9 |
| Three | 11 November 2012 | — | 256,000 | 256,000 | — | No. 4 |
| Four | 18 November 2012 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Five | 25 November 2012 | — | 251,000 | 251,000 | — | No. 9 |
| Six | 2 December 2012 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Seven | 9 December 2012 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Eight | 16 December 2012 | – | – | – | – | - |
Awards
Both the series and its writer Howard Overman were nominated for RTS Awards in March 2010.[18] The series won the 2010 BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series.[6] Lauren Socha has won "Best Supporting Actress" for her part as Kelly. The show was also nominated for "Best Comedy Drama" at the British Comedy Awards in 2011, but lost to Psychoville.
Film
The show's creator Howard Overman has revealed that he is planning a film spin-off. He let slip during Alex Fitch's Panel Borders podcast: "I've written the first draft of the script and we'll see what happens."
Popular Misfits characters Simon and Alisha - played by Iwan Rheon and Anthonia Thomas - left the show at the end of series three. However, Overman hinted that they could be poised to return, adding: "Whether or not you've completely seen the end of Simon and Alisha, if our movie has its way, is another issue…"
When asked whether the film will be set before the TV series, in order to make their return smoother, Overman kept coy, saying: "I'm not going to give that away! If it happens it will involve past and present characters, [but] I'm not allowed to give away anything more than that."
References
- ^ "The hipper side of Hulu". Chicago Tribune. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ "An imported black comedy in orange jumpsuits". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ E4 announce the return of ‘Misfits’ Blogomatic3000, 28 May 2010
- ^ Wightman, Catriona (17 June 2010). "'Misfits' Christmas special to be made". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Misfits: Christmas Special". Sky.com. News Corporation. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
- ^ a b "Television Awards Winners in 2010". BAFTA. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
- ^ "They're back". E4.com. E4. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ^ a b Dowell, Ben (28 October 2009). "E4's Misfits characters to post on Twitter". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ Emmerson, Keith (5 November 2009). "TV Preview: Misfits, E4". hecklerspray.com. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ "Misfits – Power Changes For Series Two". SFX. Future Publishing. 8 March 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
- ^ "Misfits: VEGAS BABY!".
- ^ Teeman, Tim (13 November 2009). "The Restaurant; Wonderland; Misfits; Octomum: Me and My 14 Kids". The Times. London. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ Vine, Richard (13 November 2009). "Misfits: Series one, episode one". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ Dowling, Tim (13 November 2009). "Misfits and Wonderland: Seven Pups for Seven People". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ O'Donovan, Gerard (12 November 2009). "Misfits, E4, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ Stacey, Pat (13 November 2009). "Ideal superheroes for the 21st century". Evening Herald. Dublin, Ireland: herald.ie. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ Weekly Top 10 Programmes. Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved on 18 June 2010.
- ^ French, Dan (1 March 2010). "'Inbetweeners', 'Misfits' land RTS nods". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
External links
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