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Courteney Cox is a household name thanks to her time as Monica Geller on the legendary sitcom, “Friends.” But like most actors, Cox got her start in less memorable roles. After appearing in the 1984 music video for Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” she co-starred on the NBC series, “Misfits of Science.” This short-lived sci-fi show had a premise that would be at home in a modern Marvel series, but with only a fraction of the budget, and even less of an audience.
“Misfits of Science” followed a team of superhumans, assembled by research scientist Dr. Billy Hayes (Dean Paul Martin). Employed by a defense contractor, the Humanidyne Institute, to front their Human Investigation Team, Billy provided safety for individuals with superpowers from those who would exploit them. When Billy learned that the Institute’s new boss wanted to weaponize the Human Investigation Team, he took matters into his own hands. Billy formed the Misfits of Science to expose Humanidyne and put a stop to their destructive plans.
The Misfits of Science were eccentrics with unusual powers who seemed like rejects from the X-Men. Cox played Gloria Dinallo, a teenager who could move any object with her mind. Kevin Peter Hall, who would later star as the titular monster in “Predator,” played the 7-foot-tall Dr. Elvin “El” Lincoln, whose desire to become shorter led to experiments that allowed him to briefly shrink to 11 inches in height. “Johnny B” Bukowski (Mark Thomas Miller) was a musician who could throw bolts of lightning and run at superhuman speeds but was extremely vulnerable to water. The pilot episode also starred Mickey Jones as Arnold “Beef” Beifneiter, who, after thawing out from a cryogenic deep-freeze, could encase objects in ice. Beef allegedly sparked a threat of legal action from Marvel Comics due to his similarities to Bobby Drake, so Beef vanished from the series after the pilot episode.
The madcap history of Misfits of Science
“Misfits of Science” was co-created by James D. Parriott whose previous credits included similar sci-fi and superhero fare including “The Bionic Woman” and “The Incredible Hulk.”
“Misfits” was decidedly comedic, emulating the tongue-in-cheek tone of “Ghostbusters,” which had dominated at the box office the year before the show premiered. Storylines included a search for lost Mayan treasure buried under Beverly Hills, a gang of drug smugglers attempting to find a lost stash of cocaine with the help of a marine biologist who claimed he could talk to dolphins, and an episode in which radioactive hamburgers give three older folks superpowers.
Sixteen episodes total of “Misfits of Science” were filmed but the series was canceled before the final episode was broadcast. The forgotten superhero series is not officially streaming on any platform and has received only limited and now long-unavailable physical media releases.
