"No Ordinary Family" Makes Less-Than-Powerful Debut
NEW YORK (CBS) "No Ordinary Family," the drama about a family grappling with newfound super powers, debuted Tuesday night on ABC.
The show focuses on the Powell family - Jim (Michael Chiklis), a failed artist who does police sketches and is in the midst of a midlife crisis; his wife Stephanie (Julie Benz), a distracted research scientist; and their kids, text-happy Daphne (Kay Panabaker) and learning-disabled JJ (Jimmy Bennett).
When a plane they're on crashes in the Amazon, the family survives but comes home with newfound abilities. Jim suddenly can leap tall buildings in a single bound and catch speeding bullets in his bare hand, Stephanie has super speed, Daphne can read minds and JJ becomes a genius.
Critics seem to be undecided on whether the show will succeed. While some extol the talents of Chiklis ("The Shield") and Benz ("Dexter"), they also wonder if the show can sustain itself past the pilot. Some seem to think if the show focuses on crime fighting, supervillans and special effects, rather than the personal stories within the family, it won't do well.
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