X

Stan Lee gets lucky with new superhero TV show 'Lucky Man'

The Marvel comics legend and "Hobbit" star James Nesbitt bring the new series to Sky in the UK.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read

stan-lee-iron-man.jpg
Comics legend Stan Lee at the premiere of "Iron Man 3". Kevin Winter / Getty Images

As luck would have it, comic book legend Stan Lee is bringing "a different kind of superhero show" to television. Produced by UK broadcaster Sky, "Lucky Man" sees a troubled cop given the power to control chance.

92-year-old Lee is the face of Marvel comics, having co-created such luminaries as Spider-Man, the Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and X-Men. He has collaborated with various artists including Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and can be seen cameo-ing in most of the Marvel movies of the last decade or so.

bofur-james-nesbitt.jpg
James Nesbitt as Bofur in "The Hobbit" trilogy. Warner Bros. Pictures

The new show is conceived by Lee and stars James Nesbitt, previously seen as Bofur the dwarf in " The Hobbit" movies and as the titular split-personality in Steven Moffat's "Jekyll". He plays DI Harry Clayton, a troubled detective with a gambling problem and a wife and kid who've left him -- how novel! Into this innovative set-up comes a mysterious woman who gives Harry an ancient bracelet that controls luck, with no doubt exciting consequences.

28 new TV shows to geek out over in 2015 (pictures)

See all photos

"Luck has always been a fascinating subject to me," says Lee, "and I am excited to finally share that fascination with audiences around the world. With all the creative projects I have worked on, I sure am a lucky man myself".

Sky describes the series as "mysterious, thrilling, energetic" and "visually striking". Executive Producer Richard Fell calls it "a different kind of superhero show... a twist which brings the whole superhero genre right back down to earth."

Smilin' Jimmy Nesbitt is joined by Eve Best from "Nurse Jackie" and "The Honourable Woman", Sienna Guillory from "Fortitude" and "Luther", Omid Djalili from "Pirates of the Caribbean" and Amara Karan from "The Darjeeling Limited" and "Doctor Who". The show will be written by Neil Biswas, writer of "The Take" and "Bradford Riots".

The ten hour-long episodes will be screened on Sky 1 in the UK in 2016. NBC Universal has the global rights to the series, but at this stage no US broadcaster is on board so it's yet to be confirmed how you'll see it outside the UK.

Watch this: Marvel Experience turns you into an Avenger