TV Review: Who Wants to Be a Superhero?

By Kari Croop

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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the usual reality show shenanigans (like excessive drinking and co-ed hot tub parties) are noticeably absent from this series, due in part to the influence of grandfatherly judge and executive producer Stan Lee. With the aid of stern lectures delivered via video conferencing, Lee -- who is most famous for co-creating Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Incredible Hulk -- makes it clear to contestants that this is a competition about virtues, not vices.

Families can talk about a few of the classic superheroes this show pays tribute to -- and whether good guys are becoming a dying breed. Is Superman still relevant to kids who have been raised on a new strain of anti-heroes like The X-Men? And is fighting evil with compassion and integrity any less exciting than using bombs, blades, and guns? Families might also have fun grilling each other about their superhero fantasies: If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself? What would your costume look like? And what would your secret powers be?

In WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO?, a group of otherwise-normal adults leave their day jobs and don tights so they can compete against each other as outrageous superheroes of their own creation. Among the show's 12 superhero wannabes are Chelsea Weld (aka Cell Phone Girl), a leggy interior designer who saves the world one call at a time; Mary Votava (aka Monkey Woman), a tree-climbing financial investor who sounds a lot like Tarzan's sidekick, Cheeta; and Nell Wilson (aka Fat Momma), an overweight single mom with a serious donut habit.

In theory, the show sounds like it could be fun. But in reality, Superhero is just too ridiculous to amount to anything that's actually worth watching. Despite the show's noble aims to find a real-life action figure in the flesh, most of the contenders are so painfully mortal that it makes the competition seem kind of sad. Try as they might, these hopefuls don't reveal themselves to be superheroes, just people in costumes -- and that's all.