You'd think a British series about a group of young adult ne'er-do-wells getting struck by lightning during their mandatory community service and as a result developing superhuman abilities would peak at "watchable." But you'd be wrong: it's super good. Good enough to warrant jokes like that. Good enough to rake in substantial ratings on Hulu. And good enough, still, to inspire writer/producer Josh Schwartz to remake it for American audiences.
The series in question is called
Misfits. So far, it has aired for two short seasons in the United Kingdom, and will begin its third on Oct. 30. The U.S. got a taste for it through Hulu, where the series proved to be a huge hit. And now, it is being remade for American TV by Schwartz: creator of
The O.C. and executive producer on
Chuck and
Gossip Girl. Fans of the original will be pleased to know that Schwartz is teaming up with
Misfits creator Howard Overman to write the pilot script.
Misfits has been praised for both its clever wit and its sincerity in the portrayal of the "gritty" side of young adulthood, as well as for its intriguing and approachable science-fiction themes.