While we live in an era where there’s an abundance of live-action and animated superhero content on TV, back in 2010, ABC delivered a sci-fi dramedy that was like “Heroes,” “The Incredibles,” and “The Fantastic Four” tossed into a blender.
That show was the one-season wonder “No Ordinary Family,” which starred Julie Benz and Michael Chiklis as Stephanie and Jim Powell, suburban parents who — along with their two teenage kids — develop superhuman abilities after surviving a plane crash in the Amazon. After the accident, Jim develops super-strength and near-invincibility, while scientist mom Stephanie acquires super-speed. Their children, Daphne (Kay Panabaker) and JJ (Jimmy Bennett), check off the rest of the superpower boxes by gaining telepathy and super-intelligence.
The one-hour series premiered in September 2010 with a modest 3.2 rating in the 18-to-49 demographic and 10.69 million viewers, per TV Series Finale. It even scored a 73% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In a positive review, E! News ranked it as the No. 3 new show of the fall, highlighting its action, humor, and charming cast. Vulture described the series as a lively action-comedy that cleverly mixed the premise of Pixar’s “The Incredibles” with the tone of 1980s favorite “The Greatest American Hero.” On the more negative side, Entertainment Weekly pointed out in its finale review that the show took a nosedive once it steered too far from its family-focused roots and put the spotlight on bland villains, comparing it to the inferior seasons of NBC’s “Heroes.”
Julie Benz felt No Ordinary Family delivered a great show
The show couldn’t maintain its viewership either, and ratings gradually declined after a promising start. ABC trimmed the 22-episode order down to 20 before canceling the series in May 2011, not long after the Season 1 finale aired.
During a candid interview with NY Daily News, it seemed star Julie Benz saw the writing on the wall. “I think we created a great show,” Benz told the outlet just ahead of the finale. “We’re on a very tough night and we’re up against three monsters [‘American Idol,’ ‘The Biggest Loser,’ and ‘NCIS’].” As for the looming threat of cancellation, Benz took a realistic approach to the show’s fate. “I can’t make the decisions happen,” she told the outlet. “I just try to be very Zen about it.”
Those looking to revisit “No Ordinary Family” aren’t going to find it streaming on subscription platforms. You’re going to have to shell out some money to watch the underrated superhero series. The show did get an official DVD release, which is still available. Unfortunately, it’s only in standard definition. But not all is lost: The complete 20-episode season is available in HD for digital purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV.