The Invincibles: live action edition...

...a.k.a. ABC's upcoming No Ordinary Family.

Looks like the superhero related television is coming out of the shadows for the upcoming season as--in addition to NBC's The Cape--ABC's new offering about a family who develops superpowers takes its turn in the spotlight. The show follows a typical nuclear family who in a moment of desperation go on a vacation to try and spend some quality time together. After their plane crash lands in a freak storm they return home only to find that they may have more in common than they thought.

The show stars Julie Benz (of Dexter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) and Michael Chiklis (most notably of The Shield and the Fantastic Four films) as Stephanie and Jim Powell, a couple who's marriage and family life could use a kick in the pants. The family is rounded out by Kay Panabaker (a veteran of television guests spots) and Jimmy Bennett who is probably most well known for playing "young James T. Kirk" in the recent Star Trek adaptation from J.J. Abrams. Also starring Weeds' Romany Malco as Jim's friend and confidant, No Ordinary Family hits your television set next season.

On review of the trailer, I think it may fare a little better than The Cape but we'll have to wait and see. It's certainly on my list of things to give a shot...will it be on yours?

Betty for Humpday!

I've been saying this for years but Ugly Betty is a highly underrated show. Are there more finely crafter shows on television? Maybe, but the key with Ugly Betty has always been the heart, something that many other programs either over or undersell consistently. The show's audience understands that on occasion dramatic instances need to be humorous and are comfortable with the silly tactics sometimes employed by the writers to undercut any seriousness inherent in dramatic plots. Recently I haven't been overjoyed with the series (read: last week's episode is still in my queue) but I'm still not ready to jump off the band waggon just yet...even if ABC has recently made some decisions which could easily have doomed the series for good.

That said, E Online has stated that "According to sources, ABC higher-ups are considering moving Ugly Betty to Wednesdays at 10 in January as part of a flashy relaunch of the show in an effort to save it. The thinking is that Betty would complement new hits Modern Family and Cougar Town nicely, and make ABC a solid destination for comedy on Wednesday night" (Ugly Betty May Steal Eastwick Slot From Lost, E! Online). This is welcome news to me as I'm hoping it will give the Ugly Betty writers the kick in the pants they need to bring the series back to where it found its niche.