18 January 2023 , 11:45
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We're counting down the days to new Disney Plus superhero comedy Extraordinary, which swoops onto the platform at the end of this month.
This intriguing eight-parter is unlike anything you've seen before, with its tantalising premise revolving around everyone in its world gaining superpowers on their 18 th birthday … everyone, that is, except for Jen.
She’s turning 25 and is still waiting to get hers.
She’s not even fussy about what that could be: super speed? Laser eyes? The ability to plug in a USB the right way every single time? She’ll take it!
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An Extraordinary line-up, from left, are Mairead Tyers as Jen, Sofia Oxenham as Carrie and Siobhan McSweeney as Mary. (Natalie Seery/Disney+)Like a caterpillar surrounded by butterflies, Jen feels unable to move forward, stuck in a dead-end job in a party shop and occasionally hooking up with Luke, a flaky young man with the irritatingly cool ability to fly.
Luckily, Jen has Carrie to stop her from wallowing in her own self-pity.
Inseparable since school, their relationship cycles between sister, parent, and wingman. Together they share an East London flat with Carrie’s long-term boyfriend, Kash.
Carrie has the power to channel the dead but feels she’s been overshadowed by her own party trick: doesn’t anyone care about what she has to say?
Kash takes his power – the ability to turn back time – very seriously, but he’s not above using it to undo minor embarrassments, or moments when he says exactly the wrong thing to long-suffering Carrie.
The fourth member of the flat is a stray cat, who’s harbouring a surprising secret: turns out even cats have more power than Jen.
Adrift in a big, confusing world and armed with nothing but a bit of hope and a lot of desperation, Jen begins her journey to find her maybe-superpower. But in doing so, she might discover the joy of being just kind of ok .
Extraordinary is led by a cast of rising UK talent, including Máiréad Tyers (Jen), Sofia Oxenham (Carrie), Bilal Hasna (Kash), and Luke Rollason (the cat). Additional cast members include Siobhán McSweeney (Jen’s mum, Mary), Robbie Gee (Jen’s stepdad, Ian), Safia Oakley-Green (Jen’s half-sister, Andy), and Ned Porteous (Luke).
Mairead Tyers as Jen in Extraordinary - coming soon to Disney Plus. (Laura Radford/Disney+)Written by series creator and writer Emma Moran, a stand-out debut writer with an utterly distinctive voice, and directed by Toby McDonald ('Ragdoll'), Jennifer Sheridan ('Rules of the Game'), and Nadira Amrani ('On the Edge'), this is a fresh, innovative comedy about being young and finding your feet in a confusing world, where chances are you’ll simply have to embrace being ‘ordinary’.
The show is executive produced by Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris and Charles Dawson for Sid Gentle Films, the BAFTA, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Peabody Award-winning production company behind Killing Eve. The series is produced by Charlie Palmer and executive produced by Johanna Devereaux, vice president, scripted content, for Disney+.
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Extraordinary is the latest Disney+ UK Original series to launch on the platform, following rom-com action thriller Wedding Season and docu-series Save Our Squad with David Beckham, available to stream now.
*All eight episodes of Extraordinary are available to watch at once from January 25.