Its been a strong year for new genre shows from the States. Granted, some didn’t survive their first season, but still Journeyman, Terminator and Chuck have all been really solid offerings.

Coming a bit later than the others is The Middleman, originally conceived as a television show, before being launched as a comic series, things have come full circle with the show finally being made.

Wendy Watson is enjoying a normal day at her temp job at the genetics factory when a monster escapes from the lab and attacks her.  She tries to fend it off but is rescued by a mysterious man, who goes on to recruit her as his new assistant.  It turns out that the kind of alien warlords and insane scientists that comic books love also exist in real life, and its his job to stop them.   He’s supplied with an impressive array of advanced technology, but he doesn’t know where it comes from.   He’s just the Middleman.

This is a brilliant show.   Daft as a brush and not afraid to show it.   The show follows Wendy as she goes into training to become the next Middleman, working alongside the current one.  This involves her dealing with the aforementioned insane scientists and alien warlords, as well as dealing with the impact her new job has on her personal life (her friends think she’s working for a temp agency), while receiving training from the likes of Sensei Ping in the art of being a Middleman.

If I had to compare this show to another, its probably the closest (and most successful) we’ll get to an American version of the Avengers.  There’s a very similar vibe coming off of it (although this show played more for straight out laughs than the Avengers was).

Definitely one to check out.  I hope this enjoys a long run.