There have been plenty of superhero live-action shows over the years that had an impact on viewers. Some of them are well-made and well-written, but there are shows with low budgets, bizarre story ideas, and writing that creates more questions than it answers.
All these things can cause a series to become “cringey” to watch, especially as years go by. After all, it’s hard for a show to age well when it was cringe-inducing from the start. Of course, just because a series has obvious problems, doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of fans who love them, with some shows going on to become cult classics.
10 Automan: This Series Has A Superhero Hologram
In Automan, police officer and computer programmer Walter Nebicher develops a crime-fighting hologram, the titular Automan, who posed as “Otto J. Mann,” a government agent. Nebicher could merge with Automan when the situation needed it, and the duo had a sidekick called Cursor, a floating polyhedron that could “draw” items, like a car, into the physical plane.
Because of his frequent use of electricity, Automan endured power shortages during the day, causing him to usually be active at night. Due to low ratings and the show’s expensive effects, the series only lasted a season, with the final episode initially unaired.
9 The Greatest American Hero: Even The Network & The Showrunners Couldn’t Agree On The Direction Of The Show
In The Greatest American Hero, the main character, Ralph, is given a powerful alien suit that transforms him into a superhero. Unfortunately, he loses his instructions almost immediately, meaning that he has to learn how to use his powers by trial and error.
The series endured a variety of issues. At one point, the main character’s last name had to be changed after a failed assassination attempt on the president was carried out by an assailant with a similar surname. Behind the scenes, the showrunners and the network fought over whether the show should be a light comedy or a more fantastic series. In pop culture, the series is best known for its theme song, “Believe It Or Not.”
8 Manimal: Jonathan Chase Can Transform Into Animals
Manimal revolved around Jonathan Chase, a man who has the power to become any animal he wishes to be, which more often than not turned out to be a hawk or panther. Naturally, Chase uses this power to fight crime after teaming up with Brooke Mackenzie, a police officer.
Interestingly, the series never really explained how Chase obtained his powers beyond the opening credits implying he was from a long line of shapeshifters. The series only lasted around eight episodes and endured low ratings, but has since been deemed a cult classic.
7 Legends Of The Superheroes: This Was A Series Of Specials
Legends of the Superheroes technically wasn’t a television show as much as a series of specials. The first story involves the Justice League having to deactivate a doomsday device from the Legion of Doom. The second story involves the heroes being subjected to a roast by Ed McMahon.
Superman and Wonder Woman don’t appear, and many of the characters don’t get to showcase their powers thanks to budget issues. That said, Adam West, Burt Ward, and Frank Gorshin reprise their roles from the Batman live-action series. Captain Marvel and Dr. Sivana also managed to appear despite legal issues keeping them from Super Friends.
Also known as The Adventures of Superboy, this series lasted from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. In the series, a teenage Clark Kent attended journalism school with Lana Lang and Lex Luthor. The series was quickly retooled, complete with recasting the main character, to revolve around Clark and Lana investigating the paranormal.
Despite a low budget, the series garnered decent ratings, but was ultimately canceled in part thanks to legal debates over the rights to the Superman franchise. Many obscure DC characters appeared in live-action for the first time in the series, like Metallo and the Yellow Peri.
5 Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: This Superheroine Duo Came From Sid & Marty Krofft
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl came from the minds of Sid and Marty Krofft, airing as part of The Krofft Supershow. They were later edited as standalone episodes for syndication and home releases. In the show, Lori and Judy, whose surnames were never revealed, were reporters who could transform into the titular superheroes, aided by scientist Frank Heflin.
The series was known for adding “Electra” as a prefix to various things associated with the duo, from their “ElectraCar,” their “ElectraBase,” and the “ElectraComs” they use to communicate with each other. The “ElectraComs” also came with a variety of “Electra”-themed powers, like the “Electra-Beam” or the “Electra-Freeze.”
4 Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills: The Name Only Gets Used In The First Episode
Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills was a children’s show made to cash in on the popularity of Power Rangers, although it was not based on a preexisting tokusatsu series. In the series, four teenagers are given the power to become masked superheroes to fight evil aliens with the help of celestial tattoos.
The series was known for its low budget, with it being recorded on videotape instead of film. Allegedly, villains were recurring on the series in an attempt to cut down on the costume budget. The series’ infamously long name was also seldom used in-universe. The four heroes were usually called the “Galactic Sentinels.”
3 The Secrets of Isis: Filmation Worked On This Series, Complete With PSA Epilogues
In The Secrets of Isis, science teacher Andrea Thomas is able to transform into the titular superheroine with a magic amulet once owned by Queen Hatshepsut. The series was known for its tendency to break the fourth wall, and each episode also originally ended with an epilogue where Isis addressed the audience and explained a moral lesson. These epilogues were later cut from the master reels and a few are believed to be lost.
Filmation developed the series, originally pairing it with an adaptation of Shazam. DC would later incorporate an Isis-themed character in its media, although she bears little resemblance to the character in this series.
2 Wonderbug: Even A Car Can Become A Superhero
Also originally part of The Krofft Supershow, this series revolved around an old, beat-up car, dubbed the “Schlepcar,” that could transform into the titular Wonderbug thanks to a magic horn. Reminiscent of Herbie, Wonderbug was alive and could drive itself, in addition to having superpowers like flight.
Wonderbug was discovered by and became friends with three teenagers. Together, they join forces to take on criminals and other villains. The series was also influenced by the animated television series, Speed Buggy.
1 She-Wolf Of London: A Female Werewolf Fights The Dark Forces, Then It Became A Comedy
At first glance, She-Wolf of London seems more like a horror series, but after the main character Randi is turned into a werewolf, she often draws the attention of, and has to fight, various supernatural threats. Aided by Ian, a professor of mythology, Randi is often seen as a prototypical Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Originally a UK-US co-production, after the UK financial backers pulled out of the series, it was retooled into a comedy series set in Los Angeles. Plots went from a necromancer killing Ian and raising him as a flesh-hungry zombie in order to take over the world to trolls scheming to get better television reception.