POWERLESS: New Series Preview

One of the coolest things about Comic Con (and there are many!) is getting to see and talk about new shows long before they air for the general public. This past summer I saw a lot of new pilots, but only one of them really stood out in my mind – a new comedy on NBC called Powerless. I’ve been eagerly awaiting it’s premiere date and it’s finally been announced – Thursday, February 2nd, at 8pm.

So, what made this pilot so memorable? The first is that it has a very unique premise – it is a workplace comedy (think The Office) but the twist is that the company they work at helps normal people survive living in a world with superheroes. If you’ve ever watched a DC Comics movie and wondered about the poor people who live in the city that the superheroes/villians are destroying and what their lives are like, this show is for you! When the two worlds – normal people and superhumans – collide, the results are both relatable and very funny!

Powerless stars Vanessa Hudgens (Grease Live and High School Musical) as Emily Locke, a decidedly un-super, but dedicated employee of said company. She is joined by the typical office-comedy troupe of crazy coworkers, including Danni Pudi (Community) as Teddy, Emily’s best friend, Ron Funches (Undateable) as Ron the computer guy, and Alan Tudyk (Firefly) as Del, their insufferable new boss.

Interestingly, the new trailer (above) is quite a bit different from the pilot that was made available this summre – in that version, they all worked at an insurance company, not at a security company, so I have to wonder how much else they changed and why. One big change is the departure of creator and showrunner Ben Queen in August, which may explain both the creative changes, and the delay in announcing a premiere date. NBC has not yet made the updated pilot available for press screening, but I have high hopes that these changes will only make a fun show better.

UPDATE: It turns out that the new pilot is a pretty much near total rewrite of the original – almost every scene is different and the character’s relationships to each other are different. I prefered the original pilot, but am intrigued to see where they go with the new set-up.

Stay tuned for our interviews with the cast.

Powerless premieres on Thursday, February 2nd on NBC.