Super-duper shows: a look at the big heroes lighting up the small screen

The CW, Cate Cameron / AP photo

Jordan Nuttall / The CW via AP

The CW, Cate Cameron / AP photo

Photo by FOX

Photo by FOX

Mitchell Haaseth / ABC via AP

Kelsey McNeal / ABC via AP

Barry Wetcher / Netflix

Myles Aronowitz / Netflix

Steve Sands / GC Images / Getty Images

Disney XD via Getty Images

Heidi Gutman / Disney via Getty Images

Quantrell Colbert / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank

Get out of the way, fairy-tale show. Hordes of comic-book super heroes are arriving to claim your high ratings and turf you out of prime-time telly, with stars from the DC and Marvel universes and elsewhere materialising in smartly scripted, witty and action-packed episodes. From the upbeat Supergirl and The Flash to iZombie, with its brain-eating woman zombie detective, and a supremely bored Lucifer, who decides to help the cops, it’s clear Hollywood showrunners have set their graphic imaginations free to soar like never before, with crossovers and combos galore.

The Flash

The skinny Unburdened by the usual superhero doom and gloom, actor Grant Gustin successfully delivers a light-hearted incarnation of Barry Allen/The Flash as he blazes through Central City like a guardian angel.

The buzz One of the CW network's most watched and highest-rated series since The Vampire Diaries (2009), fans have come to love the show even more now that the focus has shifted from Barry's dorky ways in favour of his keen scientific mind.

Broadcast info 11pm, Wednesdays on OSN (second season).

Arrow

The skinny Stephen Amell portrays Oliver Queen, the billionaire playboy of Starling City, who returns home with a full quiver and crime-fighting finesse after spending five years shipwrecked on a mysterious island.

The buzz By respecting its characters, this show, now in its fourth season, satisfies viewers with witty, well-written scripts and quality production values. And let's be frank, Amell's rugged good looks also make the ladies quiver with each arrow he fires from his mighty bow.

Broadcast info No date yet for UAE

Legends of Tomorrow

The skinny Rip Hunter, inventor of the Time-Sphere, travels back in time to the present day to recruit Arrow and The Flash, among others, in an attempt to prevent the immortal techno-wizard/supervillain Vandal Savage from destroying the world and time itself.

The buzz What could be cooler than Arrow and The Flash getting together as a dynamic duo for their very own spin-off series? Yes, it's really happening on The CW network.

Broadcast info Debuts in January 2016.

iZombie

The skinny Rose McIver stars as the overachieving medical resident Liv Moore, who winds up joining the ranks of the living dead, only to discover that the consumption of fresh human brains – at her new job in the coroner's office – allows her to absorb memories of the dead. So she poses as a psychic and helps to solve crimes.

The buzz Now in its second season for The CW network, this casual, refreshingly different take on zombie lore dazzles with its humour and humanity – even if the bloody, brain-eating bits gross us out.

Broadcast info No date yet for the UAE.

Lucifer

The skinny A loose adaptation of the character created by Neil Gaiman for his Sandman comic-book series, Tom Ellis (EastEnders) stars as Lucifer Morningstar, The Lord of Hell, who battles his eternal boredom by helping out the Los Angeles Police Department.

The buzz A pilot episode, screened at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, drew praise for its sharp dialogue and flawless delivery by Ellis, whose Lucifer refuses to take anything seriously. This Fox series promises to be a devilishly amusing hoot.

Broadcast info Debuts in 2016.

Gotham

The skinny Rising detective Jim Gordon, played with brass knuckles by Ben McKenzie, fights to clean up the filth in Gotham City as he shares in the origin stories of young Bruce Wayne as Batman, as well as supervillains The Riddler, The Penguin, Catwoman, The Joker, Poison Ivy and more.

The buzz With corrupt characters and atmospheric visuals to die for that are infused with a 1920s gangland vibe, Gotham is a monster hit, now in its second season.

Broadcast info No date yet for the UAE.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The skinny The popular Clark Gregg reprises his big-screen role of Agent Phil Coulson to assemble a small, highly select group of agents from the worldwide law-enforcement body known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division). Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, "protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary".

The buzz Three seasons in, this better-than-average superhero show continues to evolve, much to the delight of both critics and fans.

Broadcast info 10pm, Wednesdays on OSN (third season).

Marvel’s Agent Carter

The skinny Hayley Atwell delightfully slips back into her iconic Peggy Carter role from Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier to take up spying and detective work for Howard Stark. Let those silly overgrown boys under­estimate her at their own peril in postwar America.

The buzz Despite declining viewership in the United States, this cheeky, exciting and stylish 1940s drama won critical acclaim and has been renewed for 10 more episodes.

Broadcast info Second season coming in early 2016.

Daredevil

The skinny Charlie Cox rocks hard as Matt Murdock, attorney by day and vigilante by night. Blinded in an accident as a boy, Murdock uses his super-heightened senses as Daredevil, busting crooks on the streets of New York after the sun goes down.

The buzz The website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 98 per cent approval rating. This show delivers nail-biting drama, true grit and oodles of action.

Broadcast info All 13 episodes are now available on Netflix. Season two is coming in 2016.

Jessica Jones

The skinny Krysten Ritter, the sultry star of Don't Trust the B___ in Apartment 23, will be first to hit the airwaves as a major female character with genuine super powers, unlike Captain America's old flame Agent Carter and the The Avengers's Black Widow, both mere mortals who have none. Jones is a former superhero who opens her own detective agency.

The buzz Comic-Con fans who recently saw the first episode in New York overwhelmingly loved Ritter's performance, the series' noir tone and its approach to sexuality and darker topics.

Broadcast info All 13 episodes debut on November 20 on Netflix.

Luke Cage

The skinny There's nothing nastier than an ex-con who, thanks to a sabotaged experiment, winds up a fugitive with superhuman strength, unbreakable skin and an appetite to fight crime. Enter Luke Cage, portrayed by Mike Colter, well-known to fans of the Halo game franchise. Luke will also pop up in Jessica Jones before his own series gets off the ground.

The buzz Darker than Iron Man or Thor, Cage is a hush-hush kind of guy and a Harlem hero, where he grew up in a gang called the Bloods, with dreams of becoming a major racketeer. Filming began in September in New York City. Looks like a winner.

Broadcast info To debut on Netflix in 2016.

Iron fist

The skinny Marvel and Netflix are rumoured to be having headaches casting an actor to portray Danny Rand, a stunning martial arts expert with super­natural abilities.

The buzz "Iron Fist is challenging to develop for Marvel as he is just plain weird relative to the other three Netflix headliners [Jones, Daredevil and Cage], because he's essentially magical" and explaining his power source is tricky, writes Rob Keyes of screenrant.com.

Broadcast info Neither production nor broadcast date have been announced.

The Defenders

The skinny After the previous four superheroes have starred in their own Netflix show, they will all appear in The Defenders, a crossover mini-series where they combine forces to clean up the rotten core of the Big Apple.

The buzz Kapow! Blam! We can hardly wait.

Broadcast info At the earliest in 2017 on Netflix.

Hoping for a comeback

Constantine

The skinny Viewers who tuned in adored Matt Ryan as demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine, whose soul belongs to the netherworld. Sadly, due to iffy ratings, NBC cancelled the series, but in hopes another network might give it a chance. But it was not to be. RIP.

The buzz The good news is that in a November 4 crossover episode, titled Haunted, Arrow reached out to Constantine for help in dealing with his love, Sara Lance, who was recently brought back from the dead.

Broadcast info Series is dead; fans still trying to resurrect it.