Being an insurer in a world populated by super-powered heroes and villains is perhaps the worst.
Imagine having to handle a damage claim every time the good guys and the bad guys level a part of the city.
That is the premise of NBC’s upcoming dark comedy series,
Powerless, which follows the story of claims adjuster Emily Locke (Vanessa Hudgens) as she helps those whose lives and properties were ruined by such fantastic and destructive battles.
Powerless was developed by writer and producer Ben Queen, using the DC Universe as a backdrop for the story. Despite this, DC Comics has confirmed that big name heroes such as Batman and Superman will not make an appearance on the show.
NBC’s new series shifts the focus away from superheroism to the ordinary people whose lives have to adjust to account for the occasional supervillain-induced disaster.
In
Powerless, Emily works for the cleverly-named Retcon Insurance Company; an insurer that often deals with claims related to superheroes and villains. Her new superior, Del Heller (Alan Tudyk), demands that the company increase its claim denials rate by 25%—a move that does not sit well with Emily and her genuine desire to help her clients.
Emily is not alone in her misadventures; joining her is her colleague and “sidekick” Teddy (Danny Pudi), who calls Emily a superhero for standing up to Del’s new rules. Her other coworkers have also been shown to be quite eccentric in the preview, with their antics making much of the show’s comedy.
“The good people of Retcon Insurance are just trying to help others like themselves, one check at a time. By dialing the stakes all the way down,
Powerless adds a sweet human touch to the superhero genre,”
slashfilm.com said in a review of the first episode.
Not all heroes wear capes, but who would have thought that insurers would still end up saving the day in a comic book-setting?
The pilot of
Powerless was green lighted in August 2015, and has been ordered to series on May 11.
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