A superhero series that transcends its genre and format to become one of the greatest TV programs ever. The first episode is rather ordinary, making it feel like it’s going to be a mystery-of-the-week type of program, but the series takes off in Episode 2. Instead of having the origin story occur in one episode, the entire 13-episode season is essentially an origin story as its main character, blind attorney Matt Murdock, gradually discovers the crime-fighting hero that he wants to be. His only real-superpower is his radar-like sensing capabilities; all his fighting prowess comes through training. A superhero movie or program is only as good as its villain, and this series has a great one in a criminal mastermind called the Kingpin—excellently portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio (who looks like he was born for the role). The fight scenes are among the best you’ll see, combining both amazing choreography and artistic drama.

Not for Kids

Extra:

• Just because something is a superhero program or movie doesn’t mean that it’s OK for children. Many entries in the superhero genre these days are not for kids, including this one. Several episodes in this series have ultra-violent scenes that you would normally see only in more extreme horror movies.