You can’t say NBC isn’t trying to win back viewers to “Heroes.” If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you probably saw at least half a dozen commercials promoting the return of “Heroes” for its foruth volume. (It also served to confuse casual viewers by touting the return as a season premiere instead of its mid-season return).
Seven weeks ago, the third volume “Villians” came to a close. Now the fourth volume opens and the cast and crew are promising the show is returning to its roots and (this time) will recapture the magic that made audiences fall in love with the show in its first season. That means a greater emphasis on the characters and less emphasis on confusing gimmics like time travel. It also means making the show open for new and returning fans to jump back in without feeling overwhelmed if they’ve missed an episode or four.
“This is rooted in the real world. Everybody’s relationships and wits play just as much of a role as their powers,” creator Tim Kring told USA Today.
Many of the show’s stars are heralding the new arc as a “creative rebound” for the last year and a half.
“When you have something this big that grows so quickly … it has to learn how to control its movements. We were a little unwieldy at first,” said star Adrian Pasdar. But “we’ve gotten back on our feet.”
For one of NBC’s most expensive, scripted shows the stakes have never been higher. With Jay Leno inheriting the 10 p.m. EST block for Monday through Friday next year, NBC’s prime-time output will be cut. Shows are now fighting for airtime against other estabished shows and new pilots. Several NBC series got an early vote of confidence last month with early renewals. “Heroes” was not one of them. (Neither was companion piece, “Chuck.”) In the new busines model, “Heroes” could be put out to pasture if volume four doesn’t deliver the ratings NBC deems necessary. And with NBC looked to rebrand itself, “Heroes” could also be in trouble.
Fans will find get thier chance to see if the show’s quality has improved tonight when “Heroes” returns to NBC at 9 p.m. EST.
I hate it when networks say season premiere, when they actually mean MID-season premiere. They do it quite often on the Sci-Fi Channel and USA Network. It just confuses people. Just say that the series is returning with new episodes, that’s good enough.
So…does Elway really have powers? 🙂
I agree with the new season mid season premier thing but with Heroes they have at least a little more of a leg to stand on. This is a new volume of Heroes and as such the beginning of a new storyline. Most shows would call that a season premier.
As a Coloradoan, I can say authoritatively…
Yes, yes he does. 😉