DC Comics’ Powerless, a workplace comedy set at an insurance company in a world of superheroes, has been given a series order.
We previously reported that NBC had given Powerless, a half-hour single camera comedy, a pilot production commitment. Now the comedy has been given a series order, reports THR.
The synopsis for Powerless reads:
“In the first comedy series set in the universe of DC Comics, Vanessa Hudgens (Grease Live, High School Musical) plays Emily, a spunky young insurance adjuster specializing in regular-people coverage against damage caused by the crime-fighting superheroes. It’s when she stands up to one of these larger-than-life figures (after an epic battle messes with her commute) that she accidentally becomes a cult ‘hero’ in her own right … even if it’s just to her group of lovably quirky co-workers. Now, while she navigates her normal, everyday life against an explosive backdrop, Emily might just discover that being a hero doesn’t always require superpowers.”
Besides Hudgens, the cast includes Alan Tudyk as Del, Danny Pudi as Teddy and Christina Kirk as Jackie. Ben Queen serves as writer and executive producer. The pilot’s director, Michael Patrick Jann, also serves as executive producer.
Check out a few photos from the pilot below:
With Constantine having been canceled, NBC was the only broadcast network without a superhero series, as Fox has Gotham, CBS has Supergirl, ABC has Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter and The CW has Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.
Though some may worry about superhero saturation in both film and television, a half-hour comedy will set NBC’s series apart from the hour-long dramas on the other four networks. It’s a positive to see something different.
In January, NBC executives Robert Greenblatt and Jennifer Salke spoke about the series, explaining “DC came in with a pitch” for Powerless. “This is a world where superheroes are not only just on green screen out the window of this insurance office, but they’re also running into you on the street and wreaking havoc,” Salke said.
“The idea isn’t that it’s the creme de la creme of the superheroes. It’s a world where there’s a whole population of superheroes with all sorts of all challenges themselves. So you’re seeing quite a range of characters in that realm in addition to our great, kind of grounded human ensemble.”
Greenblatt added that the superheroes are “in the background.” In other words, the superheroes aren’t “the main characters in the show.” Where does that leave them? According to Greenblatt, “you may see them blowing up a building out the window or something.”