Misfits is a British teen sci-fi drama that first aired in 2009. It follows 5 delinquent teenagers doing community service who gain special powers after a strange thunderstorm. Each episode finds the teens dealing with personal problems and misdeeds while developing their extraordinary abilities. The relatively unknown cast appeals to a teenage audience. The show is set in a dreary urban London and keeps viewers engaged through cliffhanger endings and the characters' development as both people and beings with supernatural powers.

1. Drama Presentation
Misfits

2. Broadcasting and Narrative
• Misfits is a teen sci-fi drama first broadcast at
10pm on 12th November 2009 on E4.
• It follows the lives on 5 delinquent teenagers
during a community service. They are hit by a
thunderstorm and attain special powers. It
follows their misdeeds and personal problems
and we watch as they develop as both people
and extra-ordinary beings.

3. Credits
• Misfits was directed and written by Howard Overman Joe Brown also
helped write it
• Starred - Lauren Socha, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Iwan Rheon, Antonia
Thomas, Robert Sheehan and Joseph Gilgun. All relatively unknown actors,
which would draw in a teenage audience rather than an adult audience.
• Executive producers - Petra Fried, Murray Ferguson
• Producer - Kate Crowe
• Production company - Clerkenwell Films

4. Conventions and Characters
• Kelly Bailey
• Curtis Donovan
• Nathan Young
• Alisha Bailey
• Simon Bellamy
• There are a few conventions that we can pick up from the first 5
minutes.
• There is a small group of characters (soon 6 becomes 5)
• The location is pretty much always the same place.
• And the drama is kept fresh as they keep killing people and have to
hide it
• Also the story doesn’t end like in a sitcom, you have to keep up and
each episode ends with a cliffhanger and a preview of what is to
come.

5. Mise en scéne
• The setting of the series is in urban London.
We can say how grey and dingy it is and how
the characters with their different traits and
iconic looks (especially their orange jump
suits) stand out. Possibly a metaphor for how
these teenagers stand out in their lives
compared with the boring adults and law
abiders.

6. Sound and Dialogue
• In order for us to differentiate clearly and categories who these
characters are we can listen to how they talk, how others talk and how
others talk to them.
• Their probation worker speaks very clearly but very condescending
towards the teenagers.
• They speak to each other with aggression and with poor attitude.
• They also use slang words for instance Curtis says “Is that for real”
which is very informal you wouldn’t find adults talking like that.
• There are also the sound of the thunderstorm arriving and peoples
accents which draw in interest.
• The songs are also popular songs in the charts which a teenage
audience can relate to.

7. Icons
• There are a few icons which are a constant throughout the
series and which help define the characters
• Alisha has her sexual underwear and clothing.
• Kelly has her pushed back and chavvy earrings.
• Nathan has his loose fitting jumpsuit and his hair which
helps define him.
• Curtis uses his t-shirt and lower half jump-suit combo to
help define him and he also has his faith expressed in his
cross necklace.
• And Simon has his mobile phone and pristine appearance
to help us understand a bit about him.
• Other icons include cigarettes, mobile phones and the
electronic tag they wear on their ankles.