Extraordinary In More Than Its Name

The hidden gem of 2023 you probably haven't started yet.

Despite the early 2000s Disney Channel-looking poster, Extraordinary is anything but your run-of-the-mill flat-share comedy. Set in a world where people gain superhuman abilities on their 18th birthday. Unfortunately for lead Jen (Máiréad Tyers), she's now 25 and still powerless, living with her best friend Carrie (Sofia Oxenham), a conduit for the dead, and her boyfriend Kash (Bilal Hasna), who can rewind time.

This British superpowered comedy is an absolute blast, and it's probably the most I've laughed all year. Whether that be the pilot episode showing Carrie acting as a conduit for Hitler, just for the group to tease him about there being mixed race couples, or the ridiculous range of powers from super speed to a 3D printing Arsehole, it's all really inventive and brilliantly funny.

The show doesn't just rely on its superpowered concept either; it's really a flat share comedy at its core, and the group's dynamic is where the show excels. Jen feels ordinary and bitter with the world because she's the only one without power. Meanwhile, her best friend Carrie tries her best to help Jen unlock her powers, whilst putting up with her boyfriend Kash, who mooches around the flat not wanting to get a job, that is, until he decides he wants to become a crime fighter. It's a concept you've seen a hundred times before, but these characters are so well-written, and the super-altered situations they find themselves in make it all the more enjoyable.

I'd certainly say it's the best TV series I've seen this year (Though I don't tend to watch many TV shows, so that's probably not saying much). If you haven't given this short series a watch just yet, I'd highly recommend you head over to Disney Plus (Or HULU in the States) and give the first episode a go. Worst case scenario, it's half an hour you've tried on something you don't fancy, best case you've got a brilliant 8-episode series to sink your teeth into, one that's got real heart, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.