No Ordinary Family

After their plane crashes into the Amazon River, each member of the Powell family starts to show signs of new, unique and distinct super powers.

No Ordinary Family (2010-2011) is an American broadcast superhero family drama created by Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman for ABC. Michael Chiklis plays Jim Powell, a father whose household is thrown into upheaval after a plane crash in the Amazon River leaves each member with unexpected abilities. Julie Benz co-stars as his wife Stephanie, alongside Kay Panabaker as their teenage daughter Daphne and Jimmy Bennett as younger son J.J., who each wrestle with their new powers. The engine of the show is simple and domestic: the Powells want to keep their suburban California life intact while hiding what they can now do from neighbors, school, and work. Each episode tends to combine a self-contained power-of-the-week problem with ongoing family tensions, and the single season of twenty episodes was never extended beyond its initial run. Its register is light and warm, with comic moments around awkward adolescence and marriage, though the stakes remain grounded in family loyalty. Fans of Heroes and The Incredibles will find resonance in its blend of ordinary life and extraordinary gifts, and viewers who like family-friendly superhero comedy-drama will feel at home in its gentle, hopeful atmosphere.

Audiences found the family superhero premise lighthearted and watchable but the series was mixed overall and was canceled after one season.

• Heroesfamily centered superpowers, lighthearted domestic superhero tone
• Ordinary Familyfamily sitcom warmth with superhero premise, teen and parent dynamics
• Smallvillefamily drama with suburban domestic stakes and secret powers
• The Incrediblesfamily superhero comedy with ensemble of powered relatives

Created by

Greg Berlanti, Jon Harmon Feldman

Release Date

2010-09-28

Episode runtime

42 min

Rating

6.9 / 10 (361)

What is No Ordinary Family about?

After a plane crash in the Amazon, the Powell family of California discovers that each member has gained a different superpower.

What is No Ordinary Family like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of No Ordinary Family as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is No Ordinary Family violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in No Ordinary Family as mild.

What did critics think of No Ordinary Family?

Audiences found the family superhero premise lighthearted and watchable but the series was mixed overall and was canceled after one season.

Which shows are like No Ordinary Family?

Shows with a similar feel include Heroes, Ordinary Family, Smallville, and The Incredibles.

How long is No Ordinary Family?

No Ordinary Family: 1 season, 20 episodes.

Is No Ordinary Family still running?

No, No Ordinary Family was canceled.

Where can I watch No Ordinary Family?

In United States, No Ordinary Family is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home.