The premise of James D. Parriott’s 1985 superhero/comedy series “Misfits of Science,” which featured a young Courteney Cox, will sound very familiar to fans of Marvel Comics’ X-Men titles.
The series follows a human scientist named Dr. Billy Hayes (Dean Paul Martin), who has taken an interest in what he called “human anomalies,” which are people who have been born with a variety of unpredictable superpowers. In the show’s pilot episode, he assembles the main cast of powerful castoffs with the intention of studying them, but also helping them come to terms with their supernatural abilities.
The team was small but mighty. It included Dr. Hayes’ lab partner, Dr. Lincoln (Kevin Peter Hall), who can shrink for a limited period. Additionally, Mark Thomas Miller plays “Johnny B” Bukowski, a rocker who can suck up electricity and who wears shades to cover his glowing eyes. He can throw lightning bolts.
Most strikingly, Courteney Cox, future star of “Friends” and “Scream,” plays Gloria, a troubled teen with “Carrie”-like telekinetic powers. “Misfits of Science” wasn’t Cox’s first credit: She had appeared in an episode of “As the World Turns” back in 1975, when she was still a kid, and famously danced with Bruce Springsteen in the “Dancing in the Dark” music video in 1984. “Misfits of Science,” though, was the first time Cox starred in a TV series.
“Misfits of Science” is not currently available to stream, but resourceful media hunters will be able to find episodes online easily enough. It’s a whimsical, lighthearted show that prodded at the conventions of superheroes as much as it vaunted them. It’s definitely worth a glance.
Does anyone remember Misfits of Science?
“Misfits of Science,” it should be noted, only lasted for a single 16-episode season, so it’s okay if you don’t remember it.
The series does have something of a superhero legacy, as R. Timothy Kring, a.k.a. Tim Kring, wrote an episode of “Misfits of Science,” and he would go on to create the hit series “Heroes,” the first season of which remains a must-watch (the later seasons, though, less so). Kring’s “Misfits” episode, called “Twin Engines,” is about a young man (Joel Polis) who is plagued with uncontrollable visions. It’s eventually revealed that he was sharing the visions of his long-lost twin brother.
Indeed, the entire show was based on a long series of super-powered shenanigans and investigations. Mostly, the protagonists get involved in run-of-the-mill spy plots. The main characters aren’t costumed vigilantes, but they do seem to operate as freelance spies. Famed drummer Mikey Jones appears in the show’s pilot as a character with freezing powers named Ice Man. According to Giant Freakin’ Robot, that character was abandoned after Marvel Comics “raised objections” over its own Ice Man character. And speaking of Marvel, Courteney Cox’s character was very similar to the X-Men’s Jean Gray.
Misfits of Science was a failure, but helped propel Cox’s career
Some fun trivia: Shortly after the time “Misfits of Science” was being made, Dr. Lincoln actor Kevin Peter Hall (who played the original Predator in John McTiernan’s sci-fi action classic) was in contention to play either Data or Geordi La Forge on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” /Film has previously talked about all the finalists for the roles, and Hall eventually lost the roles to Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton, respectively.
As mentioned, “Misfits of Science” was not successful. Thanks to low ratings, the series was canceled before all of its episodes could even air, leaving one of them unaired in the United States.
Courteney Cox continued to work undeterred, of course. In 1987, she appeared in the low-budget, high-profile Cannon adaptation of “Masters of the Universe,” a movie so goofy, it has been subjected to a “How Did This Get Made” oral history. That same year, she began playing the recurring role of Lauren Miller on the hit sitcom “Family Ties.” By 1994, she was appearing in the comedy “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and began playing one of the six lead roles on “Friends.” “Misfits of Science” was her first starring role, but it certainly wasn’t her last.