The Amazing Extraordinary Friends facts for kids

The Amazing Extraordinary Friends is a cool superhero TV show from New Zealand. It's all about a teenage boy who discovers he has amazing powers! He teams up with his friends to fight bad guys and save the day.

Quick facts for kids The Amazing Extraordinary Friends
The Amazing Extraordinary Friends Intertitle
Created by	Stephen Campbell
Starring	Carl Dixon, Hannah Marshall, David McPhail
Country of origin	New Zealand
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	40
Production
Executive producer(s)	Stephen Campbell
Producer(s)	John Harris, Matt McPhail
Running time	30 minutes (including adverts)
Release
Original network	TV2 (TVNZ)
Picture format	PAL (576i) (2005-2010) HDTV (1080i) (2010- present)
Original release	2006 (2006) – 2010 (2010)

Meet the Heroes

The main character is a teenager named Ben Wilson. His life changes when he finds a special superhero sign, called an insignia. This insignia gives him incredible powers!

Ben's Amazing Powers

At first, Ben has trouble controlling his new abilities. Flying and using eye lasers are tricky for him. But soon, he gets much better at using his powers. He learns to be a true hero.

Family of Heroes

Ben's grandfather was also a superhero, which is how Ben gets the insignia. His mom worries about the dangers of being a superhero. But his dad and stepfather both encourage him. Ben's dad was the superhero before him, known as Captain Xtraordinary, or Captain X. His stepfather is even the son of a supervillain called The Comedian! Many heroes have held Ben's position over time.

The Villains

The main bad guys in the show are a group called Nemesis. This group is led by an old villain named Renfield. He is helped by Ice, who used to be a hero named Blaze. She worked with the old Captain X.

Nemesis Headquarters

The Nemesis group works from a tall office building called Nemesis Headquarters. They use computers and modern tools to plan their evil deeds. This shows they have updated their methods over time. They also have special soldiers called stormtroopers. These soldiers wear skull-like masks and breathing gear.

Renfield's Plan

Nemesis has many other villains working for them. Renfield's main goal is always to get the powerful insignia. Ice helps him with this constant plan. The show often talks about a "new age of superheroes" starting.

School Life

Ben Wilson and his friends go to City Central College. The principal of the school is Principal Locum. Ben and his friends sometimes get bullied at school. Many stories in the show happen at the school or involve school events.

The Insignia's Secret

The insignia is very important because it's what Nemesis wants most. This special sign gives people powers. It actually merges with a person's chest. For Captain Xtraordinary, it even created his superhero costume!

Unobtainium

The show reveals that the insignia is made of a rare material called Unobtainium. This material is very unstable. An exiled university scientist created it. Unobtainium can also power special suits that are already made. This unique material only existed naturally for a short time after the universe was created. Aliens even claim they made it! These aliens look like humans and speak English.

Setting and Style

The series takes place in a made-up place called City Central. The show was filmed in Auckland, New Zealand.

The show uses classic superhero and supervillain ideas. For example, it shows tags like Nemesis Headquarters or Ben Wilson's House. These are like the location changes you see in comic books. The background music and sounds also feel like animated superhero shows.

Where to Watch

The show has been shown on ABC television in Australia. In America, it airs on Universal Kids.

Season 3 was filmed in 2008 but was not shown until 2010.

There are also online mini-series based on the show. The Wired Chronicles can be watched on tvnz ondemand. Another mini-series called Origins is also planned.

Characters