Who Wants a Bank Holiday TV Treat?

When is reality TV not reality TV? In the case of Who Wants to be a Superhero, it’s when you apply the rules of reality TV to a totally unreal subject – such as comic-book heroes. Perhaps one of the most inspired examples of TV inanity, this dose of American buffoonery saved an otherwise mundane bank holiday from total ruination thanks to Sci-Fi’s decision to shoehorn the entire series into three days.

Presided over from afar by Marvel guru Stan Lee, this series challenges everyday people to create a superhero alter-ego and then undertake a host of bizarre tasks to prove they have what it takes to be a Force For Good. A task such as sending the heroes to pick up breakfast was really designed to see whether any would give up their secret identity while being chatted up by comely café-staff, and when asked to nominate which of their rivals should be dumped from the contest, those who nominated themselves were saved as it was a test of self-sacrifice. Both of which are fine traits for superheroes. One challenge which didn’t really make a lot of sense involved the contestants having to hug a chain-gang convict three times without the guard noticing. Now when would that come in handy?

The contestants themselves tread a very fine line between total twisted genius and utter insanity. Cell-phone Girl’s only real gift was her ability to make phone calls, while Fat Momma is simply a chubby matriarch – whose role as a mother prepared her incredibly well for a challenge involving a crying child. The men are equally nutty: The Iron Enforcer walked around with a tin-foil gun on his arm emitting terrifying B.O. while Major Victory’s superpower appears to be an uncanny ability to mimic the hospital radio DJ talents of Neil “Not really a doctor” Fox. As for the bizarrely named Feedback – he has the Sunset Beach trademark quizzical look down to a T and if he doesn’t land a role in a US soap soon, I’ll be very disappointed.

The most exciting moment of the series has to be when The Iron Enforcer was finally chucked off the show, only to be told by Stan: “As a superhero you stink, but you’re perfect as a super-villain”. Thus the Dark Enforcer was born and many cheers resounded from my flat.

The casting is faultless. None of the contestants seem to be taking the proverbial, revelling in the opportunity to do good and potentially become a comic-book star. The fact that no one involved is taking it as a joke gives proceedings a sense of heart-warming humour rather than the nasty stench of bullying that hangs around most British reality TV. Channel Five, make a British version of Who Wants to be a Superhero now!