Customer Reviews

My Hero - Season Two

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I introduced my family to this hilarious comedy by taping shows from PBS in 2003, which was a turbulent year for us. This show brought a welcome respite from the troubles. The biggest laugh of all came from the last episode on this disc, where the couple are forced to marry before the birth of their child.

What a fantastic surprise to find that all 7 episodes are in widescreen format (despite the packaging on the box and printed on the disc itself declaring full frame format).

So, keep 'em coming. Let's have season 3 already!

Brilliant stuff! MY HERO keeps on with its hilarious lampooning of the superhero mythos. This is the second season (or series), and while I've already had repeat viewings of these episodes on PBS, I must say that, even now, they are still never less than marvelously entertaining. I just saw them again on this dvd, and again laughed myself silly. Our superhero from the planet Ultron, Thermoman, is still haplessly befuddled by Earthly customs, and still tends to take things too bloody literally. Translation: Thermoman is still pure gold when it comes to the funny bits.

Thermoman doesn't really have a gallery of evil masterminds, although he does get a supervillain of sorts in the form of an old classmate (in "Nemesis"). Instead Thermoman can be found averting natural disasters and fetching take-out meals for himself and Janet from all over the globe. The fun thing about MY HERO is that its premise is all about how an all-powerful superhero copes with mundane, everyday stuff. The show wallows in a Douglas Adams-ian sense of the ridiculous, specifically in the series's introduction of bizarre Ultron traditions. However, the themes touched on are universal enough to draw in everyone, while keeping very much within its British sensibilities. And, thru all the jokes and the poking fun of, the show never falters in its presentation of George and Janet as a couple truly in love. Yep, he's a costumed alien crimefighter and she's a normal girl from Northolt, England, but, amidst the wacky shenanigans, the show reveals a relationship being constantly worked on by these two, despite their innate differences. Or maybe I like this show so much, I'm reading stuff into it, giving credit where it isn't due? I dunno, except that I really dig George and Janet.

One thing is clear: even tame insults such as "prat" and "git" and "pillock" carry more weight by virtue of being uttered with a clipped British accent. Having said that, I must say that George's cousin Arnie, who has an American accent, in his war of putdowns with the acerbic and ever nasty Mrs. Raven, seems to deliver the more incendiary barbs ("Oh, it's your perfume. I thought it was the drains."). These two have some venomous, howlingly funny exchanges.

The excellent cast is spearheaded by the very deadpanned Ardal O'Hanlon as George Sunday (aka Thermoman) and Emily Joyce, delightfully down-to-earth, as his lovely, long-suffering nurse girlfriend Janet Dawkins. Meanwhile, two very funny standouts from the supporting roles are Geraldine McNulty and Hugh Dennis as, respectively, the aforementioned receptionist Mrs. Raven and the self-infatuated Dr. Piers Crispin ("I am always here.").

So watch MY HERO, not just this season, but all the seasons. Learn the third law of the superhero code. Witness Ultron's sacred stance. See the desperately perilous and ancient Chang Ching challenge (which is strangely reminiscent of a children's game), and also what Ultrons do when they get depressed (Okay, they face into a corner and howl mournfully). The special effects may be on the shoddy side, but the show's not really about smoke and mirrors as much as it is about characters you grow to love, yes, even and especially characters who sniff the air a lot and then spends ages of time in the loo.

For those who care, the following has possible episode SPOILERS:

- Episode 1 - "Christmas" - George tries to get into the swing of Christmas, but is it really a surprise that he gets it all wrong?
- Episode 2 - "Parents" - Weary of her unpleasant parents constantly putting down George, Janet reveals to them that he's Thermoman. This is a horrible move.
- Episode 3 - "Girlfriend" - Just as Janet complains that her relationship with George has fallen into a rut, George's Ultron fiancee pops in, wanting to get married.
- Episode 4 - "Car" - George's dodgy cousin Arnie pleads with him to intercede with the Ultron High Council to reinstate his superpowers, but George is reluctant to do so ("Arnie, I trust you about as far I could throw you - if I was someone who couldn't throw people really well.").
- Episode 5 - "Nemesis" - Janet accompanies George to his school reunion, held at a sci-fi convention. There, George runs into an old school mate harboring a personal, deep-seated grudge.
- Episode 6 - "Pregnant" - Janet is pregnant. And so, to protect the baby, George temporarily grants Janet super powers, but then being more than human goes to her head.
- Episode 7 - "Wedding" - The episode title says it all, with an ending that had me in hysterics.

My Hero Series Two is the further development of the characters in the First Series. The acting by Ardal O'Hannon fits perfectly in his alterego "Thermoman." He uses his understated style to create many very funny and clever situations. The supporting cast fits well into the overall picture and helps focus the comedic style of all included. It's my wish that Series Three and Four will be available soon in the USA.

George Sunday is really a Superhero from the planet Ultron. This sitcom follows his adventures with his girlfriend trying to understand earth culture and customers. George is curious and innocent and so very funny. A great britcom for your collection.

I laughed so hard I cried! This is a very funny show in the spirit of Mork and Mindy with that classic British Humor. I can't wait for Season 3!

Great fun. All those serious comic-book hero stories over the last 20 years or so get knocked down a peg by this silly British comedy. Sort of like seeing Superman with his tights around his ankles.

Series Two of My Hero has started to hit its stride. While series one is great, the comic writing in series two is really coming into its own. Lots of clever jokes and great timing on part of the cast.

A few reasons why I won't give it five stars: While in the first series, the plots were centered around Thermoman adapting to life on Earth, the second series has more farfetched plots and characters. I personally enjoyed it more when the storyline was centered around every-day occurances.

The audio on the DVD is a bit dodgy as well. There were some scenes where the sound fluctuates so much so, you have to keep raising and lowering the volume to be able to hear the dialogue correctly.

Also, and this is what bothers me most: No extra features!!! There is closed-caption and there is a section devoted to only three of the cast member's biographies, but the print on these biographies (mind you, I'm watching My Hero on a 42-inch plasma), is so small, I found it more rewarding looking up the cast on IMdB than trying to make out what the DVD said. It would have been absolutely great to have bloopers and deleted scenes bonus footage...after all, it is a comedy, so there's bound to be some outtakes. Director and cast commentary would have been great, too. It's a shame that no real extra features come with this series.

Just the same though, keep My Hero coming out on region one for us Yanks, BBC!!!

As I wrote in my review of Series One:

Ardal O'Hanlon is in classic form in My Hero. I can only describe his style as "Father Dougal McGuire Meets Superman" in that he has many of the same traits as his classic role in the hilarious "Father Ted" series - a gormless but lovable simpleton.

In this series, he is somewhat brighter than his classic role as Dougal, but due to his unfamiliarity with Earth customs (due to being a REAL alien!) and an apparently native "Ultronian" tendency towards telling the unvarnished truth at all times, or (in the case of having misunderstood instructions from his cousin Arnie or someone) getting the wrong end of the stick, he is screamingly funny in his miscues, inadvertently insulting or discomfiting all and sundry -- including his long-suffering girl-friend, her mother, and co-workers.

There are interesting and zany elements of other "space alien" comedies, including the "Mork and Mindy" series, but Ardal and his colleagues bring their own brand of charm to the mix.

I unreservedly recommend this to all lovers of British (and Irish!) comedy. Ardal is brilliant!

I have just finished watching the second season of My Hero. It is very funny and at least as, if not funnier than, the first season.

The writers do a great job in how the dialog is presented so that George can misunderstand what is being said in hilarious ways. This is not exactly sophisticated comedy and is sometimes a little silly, but it is always very funny.

Two of my favorite characters in the series are Tyler and Mrs. Raven. Tyler is a real nutcase, but harmless. That Mrs. Raven is amusingly wicked, and her hair is so bizarre - is it a bad wig from a clothes dummy from the 1960's or do they do that to her real hair? The British always put in details like this that just work so well.

There are further seasons, but I don't think they have been released - hope that changes very soon.

Great fun. Release the next two years already. Lots of laughs and silly moments.