Stan Lee’s Superhumans features only a meager dose of the comic medium’s foremost impresario and all-around geezer. The show is held together by the flimsy premise of Stan Lee letting loose Daniel Browning Smith - “the world's most flexible man” – to scour the globe for “superhumans”. Their powers (and our interest) fluctuate between "Ultra Marathon Man," whose body subverts fatigue and keeps him on the go permanently, and "Future Man," a purported future-seer whose segment is frustratingly inconclusive.
These are two of the thirty-two individuals (all male – it’s true, there’s no female superhumans in the world, I checked) we meet across eight episodes in Season 1 of this History Channel-produced show. Stan Lee shows up to bridge gaps and introduce where Smith will be heading to next, and to close out the segment. That’s all well and good, but beside these essential cameos, what does the man whose name is plastered on the DVD cover have to offer to the show? Color commentary is where the buck stops and Smith has to carry the narration the rest of the way.
Luckily for us, Smith is adventurous and open in front of the camera. When he shuffles into an unbearably hot sauna with Timo Kaukonen, or “Heat Wave” – a world sauna champion whose skin allows him to withstand temperatures that boil water – Smith comments on how as a contortionist, the ice cold forest surrounding the sauna is rough on him. He also shivers uncontrollably and bolts from the sauna when he can stand no more – hey, he’s just like us! I’m sure that everyman quality led to Smith being cast as host and watching his personal wonderment at the variety of powers investigated during the first season 1, you can definitely get with it.
I definitely have to commend the show to taking an analytic approach to these superpowers – there is the occasional hiccup that has scientists admitting that there’s no explanation they can fathom, but otherwise its smooth sailing. Many of the powers are attributed to unique genetics and the first thought that crossed my mind is as long as these people can undergo the proper examination, we may someday be able to replicate what makes them unique and use it to our advantage. Only time will tell.
On the not-so-bright side of things, Superhumans frequently falls prey to the absent-minded antics that plague reality TV. Especially unfortunate is the 2-3 minute episode recap that would have come after the commercial break, but on the DVD we are forced to either fast forward through or listen in. Certain other head shake worthy endeavor abound, ranging from the over-dramatic introductions to some of the superhumans to artsy shots that nice to look at but clearly suggest multiple takes of the event. Well, that’s reality television for you and its all well and good as long as the show holds our interest, which does in earnest and for a good 25 minutes at a time.
If I sound lukewarm when writing about it, you’ve hit the nail on the head. This is not quite quality entertainment, more along the lines of a sideline diversion when you’ve grown tired of watching something like The Third Reich, also from The History Channel. I’m not saying that all reality shows are bad or that the only thing worth watching are in-depth historical docs, but Superhumans doesn’t take itself too seriously, nor does it delve into the cause/s behind the powers for longer than each segment would allow. The beauty of the show is that you are not left wanting more – 32 men, 4 segments an episode, 30 minutes of your life, that’s pretty solid all together. What do you think?
DVD Bonus Features
Well, if you behave, there’s some bonus clips featuring more superhuman feats. And that’s it. Considering the show plays like a collection of special features, putting more in might be redundant.
"Stan Lee's Superhumans: Season One" is on sale April 26, 2011 and is not rated. Television. Starring Daniel Browning Smith, Stan Lee.
