For its third season, NBC’s “Heroes” got an 25-episode order. For its fourth season, the episode count is likely to be reduced according to Advertising Age. The series will get an episode order between 18 and 20 episodes for next season.
It appears NBC is following the trend established by other serial dramas like “Lost” and “24.” While “24” can’t have a reduced episode count because of the nature of the show, “Lost” has seen a reduction in the episodes produced per season in the past several years. Both shows have been scheduled in an un-interrupted block during the winter and spring seasons, allowing both to gain momentum in the ratings and make each series feel more like an “event” for fans.
“The serialized action-adventure dramas, if you think about ‘Lost’ and especially ’24,’ making it once a year makes it that much more special — and it also saves you money if you have fewer episodes,” said Shari Ann Brill, senior VP-director of programming at Aegis Group’s Carat.
Of course, NBC has other reasons to cut the episode order for “Heroes.” While it’s still the network’s highest rated scripted series, “Heroes” continues to set new lows for viewership with each passing week.
The writers strike and “story-line issues” have contributed to the program’s decline, Brill said, but the current story arc “really has picked up a lot. I don’t know if the audience has followed.”
The current season of “Heroes” wraps up Monday night at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.
18 is still too much.
Most TV show Series that I enjoyed only had 13 episode Series – Firefly, Battlestar Season 1, Doctor Who, Pushing Daisies,
Those shows that I like that had more than 13 episodes generally had filler episodes; Season 2 of BCG had 20 episodes; at least one was filler and 10 more were slow-paced. Same with Season 3.
As compressed as Charlie Jade and Journeyman were they also had filler; they should have been split into two seasons of 13 and a few more episodes added.
Once a production schedule goes past a certain point, the Writers and Production staff start to get a bit crazy; thats when the filler starts.
This was already announced a few months ago, by the way.
I hope next season is one volume and not two, because 9 episodes each doesn’t seem like enough.
Save Chuck; Dump Heroes.
I agree with Bill, dump Heroes and save Chuck. Heroes had it’s chance and it has only gotten worse. Chuck has been consistently excellent.
The networks have been heading this direction for several years now. Seeing the success of shows with shorter seasons — the Showtime, AMC, and BBC productions spring to mind — I can’t say I’m terribly surprised. Personally, I’m fine with it as long as the quality remains the same (or possibly even gets better). Shows like Dexter, Mad Men, Doctor Who, and Torchwood continue to impress and entertain. If that caliber of programming can be made viable on bigger networks, I’m all for it.
This could actually help with Heroes. This season started off pretty strong, but has meandered a lot since then. As for 24, maybe they should change the name of the show to 12. Not nearly as exciting a title as 24 perhaps, but it would be a lot easier for the writers to maintain the tension and suspense for 12 episodes than 24.
Between the two shows, Heroes is by far more realistic than 24.
But, Heroes has always tried to be a show with two major story arcs each season. Each half tends to start strong, meander and get saggy in the middle, and then rush to wrap things up in the end. I don’t know if a shorter season will help that problem. What they really need to do is stop trying to televise every comic book cliche ever and find a unique voice.
The whole “two volumes per season” idea was supposed to fix this problem by essentially having two seasons of Heroes per year. This is the first year they’ve been able to implement the idea properly.
Don’t know what relevance that has on the discussion, but thought I’d throw that in.
Sorry, but 24’s brilliant, HEROES is seriously sucking on its own oxygen, and CHUCK? I’m honestly surprised that made it outta its first season, it’s such a one-note premise and execution.
Heroes is an interesting and timely program. Television is another way for consciousness to flow and make contact. Just another form of energy exchange.
A TV program takes a theme off paper. It allows for taping and transferring to disk. Many people have great trouble reading and dealing with print media. Many conditions which lead to that also open doors to deep, ancient layers within and different heightened abilities.
I grew up without TV, when comics were being born and popularized. Certain things weren’t taken for granted. A theme was open to individual interpretation and visualization by each person’s imagination. Visual media can be a guide, and inspiration. This is how I view it. Visual media can also serve to trigger things – images, memories, dreams, etc. I learned early to get out of the way of what comes along. I get out of the way of Heroes, it goes deep, and serves a purpose. I enjoy it, am stimulated by it, and will continue to look for it. The show has its own destiny. I can see that, when I refrain from criticism and wanting it to be other than what it is. It is more than what meets the eye, as many things are.