Misfits (2009)

Misfits makes move to US TV screens

British sci-fi drama Misfits is to be shown in the US for the first time via an online and digital TV service.

American Misfits remake still possible...

The possibility of a US remake of E4's fantastic superhero drama Misfits has never been popular with fans of the show. While the USA is the birthplace of the comic-book superhero, Misfits was by its very nature a fresh spin on the American tropes of the genre. A raucous, violent, profane, anarchic take on the simple premise of young offenders being given super-powers after a freak storm.

'Misfits': Q&A with Robert Sheehan

Hurrah, it's finally BAFTA day! Yes, the Philips British Academy Television Awards are being held tonight, and one of the nominees crossing their fingers will be Robert Sheehan, who's been recognised for his role in Misfits. When Robert announced that he'd decided to leave the show earlier this year there was a little bit of an uproar, so we gave him a ring to chat about the BAFTAs and why he decided to hang up his community service jumpsuit for good...

We're halfway through its second series, and Misfits doesn't appear to be taking a break from its status as the best-looking, funniest show on TV. Alisha finally gets a more interesting plot, with the soon-to-be-unmasked crusader taking a special interest in her, while Curtis starts to see glimpses of the future he jumped into last week. And there's an amusing subplot involving an unscrupulous tattooist who invokes the wrath of Kelly: "You can't make people gay just 'cos they're dickheads." Brilliant.

For those who missed the second series of this fantastic - and fantastically weird - superhero comedy drama when it went out on E4 last year, it's being repeated on Channel 4. In tonight's episode, the second in the run, Nathan (Robert Sheeham) discovers that he's got a half-brother, and the gang unintentionally reverse their superpowers.

The first series scooped a Bafta and this second, saucier, frequently hair-raising series - shown on E4 last autumn - deserves to do the same. The Misfits are potty-mouthed but oddly lovable young offenders cursed with superpowers after a freak storm. In this opening episode, the smart-aleck of the group, Nathan (played by Robert Sheehan, who's announced he won't be returning for a third series, to the dismay of many female fans), is buried alive. Even his impudent quips can't get him out of this hole. Geeky Simon also has a problem: a creepy ex-girlfriend from his stint in a psychiatric hospital. Oh yes, and there's the matter of the probation officer he bumped off, leering up at him from the freezer.

A terrestrial showing for the second series of the E4 hit. Our gang of asbo superheroes are still on community service, though their habit of disposing of probation officers is starting to get out of hand - and there's the pesky problem of Nathan's immortality to deal with. Full of killer lines and gruesome scenes that wouldn't look out of place in a Hollywood horror, it really is in a class of its own.

A series about a group of young offenders with special powers might sound silly. And certainly elements of this critically acclaimed comedy-drama are preposterous. But Howard Overman's script is deliciously dark, and the sassy young cast expertly combine comedy and pathos. The second series comes to Channel 4 tonight, having previously been shown on E4. Following a tip-off, the gang returns to Nathan's grave.

Misfits leads Bafta TV nominations

Sci-fi drama Misfits is leading this year's TV Bafta nominations, with recognition in four categories.

Misfits series two review

Rude, violent, sexy and superpowered- Britain's gritty superhero show does not feature truth, justice, or the American way.