Tag Archives: Heroes

Comic Con: ‘Heroes Reborn’ aims to reinvigorate the old-school superhero series

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Following those two initial teasers, Heroes creator Tim Kring unleashed an extended trailer at Comic Con for his upcoming NBC event series Heroes Reborn. And I’ve got to say, it looks pretty damn good to me. I consider the first season of Heroes, which aired way back in 2006, one of the most exciting and gripping debuts for a TV series (even with the somewhat anti-climactic conclusion with Sylar slithering away). The show wavered in its ability to remain creatively charged over the course of its next few seasons, and it eventually fizzled out and was cancelled after its fourth batch of episodes aired in 2010. Now, Kring is back with a truncated 13-episode count and a tight story promising a beginning, middle, and end to wholly satisfy viewers. Kring is pushing for Reborn to harken back to the series’ season 1 roots, featuring a new cast of characters discovering extraordinary abilities for the very first time and dealing with the ramifications. Tying Reborn to Heroes proper are returning characters such as Noah “HRG” Bennet (Jack Coleman), among others. They all get nods in this trailer.

At the Heroes Reborn panel at Comic Con, Kring confirmed that the event series takes place 5 years after the conclusion of season 4 when–spoiler alert–it was made public that “EVOs” or evolved humans have powers. “The world knows about these people, so it changes the story considerably,” said Kring. “When you discovered you had a power, it was mystical journey of discovery. Now, if you wake up with a power, you know it’s a very bad thing because you’ll be exploited.”

Longtime viewers will find out what happened to fan-favorite characters, even the ones who aren’t returning to reprise their roles, such as Hayden Panettiere (who played cheerleader Claire Bennet) and Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli). “The universe that we’re building around the show does all that,” Kring said. “We do unpack what happened in the previous years. By the time you watch the finale, you’ll have a big chunk of that answered for you.”

While you’re waiting for Heroes Reborn to premiere this fall on NBC, there’s a digital web series that servers a prequel for what’s coming up. It actually stars Henry Zebrowski as Quentin Frady, a character who also has a major role in the event series. To watch the multi-part Dark Matter series, download the free Heroes Reborn app.

“Dark Matter tells a story that connects up with the show in a really unique way,” says Kring. “I don’t think anybody’s ever quite done a series that connects up to the show in the way this does.” Sounds to me like Heroes fans know what they’re going to do tonight.

[Via Deadline 1, 2; TVLine]

HRG & Hiro return in new ‘Heroes Reborn’ teaser

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Where are the heroes? That’s the tagline used in the freshly minted teasers for NBC’s upcoming event series Heroes Reborn. Five years after the Peacock network axed Tim Kring’s sci-fi series about ordinary people discovering super-human abilities, it’s reigniting the spark again for a new 13-episode run. Prior to releasing the preview embedded above, NBC started airing a rather lackluster teaser featuring the aforementioned tagline scribbled throughout a city in rubble. It did little in the way of building any sort of tangible hype since it held too much back. This more pronounced preview, however, certainly does the trick. After borrowing imagery and Scala & Kolancy Brothers’ haunting track “Nothing Else Matters,” it finally gives fans a peek at some actual Reborn footage. There’s the return of HRG and Hiro, as well as a smattering of new characters with all kinds of awesome abilities, including mastery of auroras. And of course, fans of the series’ original run will no doubt beam in elation when Shankar’s iconic strings close the clip out. Hunting for plot details? Look no further as NBC provides this:

A year ago, a terrorist attack in Odessa, Texas, left the city decimated. Blamed for the tragic event, those with extraordinary abilities are in hiding or on the run from those with nefarious motives.

Two such vigilantes include Luke (Zachary Levi, “Chuck”) and Joanne (Judith Shekoni, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”), who are seeking to avenge a tragic loss.

Noah Bennet, aka H.R.G. (Jack Coleman, “Heroes”), has gone off the grid but conspiracy theorist Quentin Frady (Henry Zebrowski, “A to Z”) finds him and opens his eyes to the truth behind the Odessa tragedy.

While in hiding, some are discovering their newfound skills. Awkward teen Tommy (Robbie Kay, “Once Upon a Time”) just wants to be normal and win the girl of his dreams, Emily (Gatlin Green, “Criminal Minds”), but normalcy is virtually impossible after learning of a new ability that terrifies him. Coming from a very sheltered upbringing, a bold and ethereal teenager, Malina (Danika Yarosh, “Shameless”), has been told she is destined for greatness. In Tokyo, a quiet and unique young woman, Miko (Kiki Sukezane, “Death Yankee 3”), is trying to track down her missing father while hiding an extraordinary secret that will make her a force to be reckoned with. Elsewhere, a different type of hero is emerging through former soldier Carlos (Ryan Guzman, “The Boy Next Door”).

Heroes Reborn premieres this fall on NBC. Confirmed returning characters include HRG (Jack Coleman), The Haitian (Jimmy Jean-Louis), Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), and matriarch Angela Petrelli (Cristine Rose).

Update (6/30): Two cool “motion posters” featuring HRG and new hero Malina (played by Danika Yarosh) hang after the break. Continue reading HRG & Hiro return in new ‘Heroes Reborn’ teaser →

NBC revives ‘Heroes’ with new arc & characters in ‘Heroes: Reborn’

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Save the cheerleader, save the world. But it didn’t stop there…

Like FOX is doing with 24, NBC is bringing back one its most popular and lucrative series back to the air with Heroes: Reborn. And just like 24: Live Another Day, Heroes: Reborn is being labeled as an “event series” that will produce 13 episodes for a shorter-than-normal broadcast season. Mostly everything is being kept under wraps for now; all we know is that the new season of Heroes will be shepherded by series creator and executive producer Tim Kring and it will tell a brand-new standalone story-arc with new characters. NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke shares that existing characters introduced during the show’s original four season run may show up in the revival; her statement in full:

“The enormous impact Heroes had on the television landscape when it first launched in 2006 was eye-opening. Shows with that kind of resonance don’t come around often and we thought it was time for another installment. We’re thrilled that visionary creator Tim Kring was as excited about jumping back into this show as we were and we look forward to all the new textures and layers Tim plans to add to his original concept. Until we get closer to air in 2015, the show will be appropriately shrouded in secrecy, but we won’t rule out the possibility of some of the show’s original cast members popping back in.”

Heroes, an imaginative series about ordinary people who discover they have superhuman abilities, premiered to much fan-fare in 2006. Viewership was high and so was critical acclaim. Watching ordinary people like Peter Petrelli, Mohinder Suresh, Hiro Nakamura, Niki Sanders, and Claire Bennet discover their respective abilities and eventually all coming together to work towards a common goal of destroying the compelling villain Sylar was more than entertaining to watch. While many shows suffer from growing pains in their first seasons on air, Heroes managed to shine creatively from the get-go; in my opinion Heroes season 1 is one of the best premiere seasons of any show out there. Unfortunately, things went quickly downhill from there; though season 2 is manageable the plot and the characters get seriously bogged down in season 3 and if I’m being honest I’ve never even felt compelled to watch the fourth and (then) final season. Without getting into the nitty gritty details of it all the show simply lost itself creatively and the Heroes introduced in season 1 started to feel tired and without the same purpose they shared across the brilliant first 23 episodes. The original idea behind Heroes was to intro a new crop of characters to follow each season, but following Sylar’s quick getaway at the end of season 1 it was decided that our Heroes were here to stay. Though fans of the series may be divided on the return of the show, perhaps we can all have some faith that a new series reborn featuring all-new Heroes might finally inject some excitement and fresh storylines into a show that once carried incredible potential.

NBC aired a brief 21-second promo announcing Heroes Reborn during the Olympics on Saturday and you can watch it after the break. It teases a 2015 launch, and fans can also look forward to a digital web series that plans to introduce the new characters before the show premieres in earnest. Continue reading NBC revives ‘Heroes’ with new arc & characters in ‘Heroes: Reborn’ →

Heroes TV movie is a no-go; it’s over folks

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Heroes fans–where are you, oh there you are.  According to EW, a “key source” from the NBC series claims that the potential Heroes TV movie to wrap things up is not happening.  After the show was officially cancelled after a four-year run last May, there was chatter about creator Tim Kring possibly working on a two or four hour TV movie to give a definitive ending to the series for devoted fans.  With the actors moving on to other projects and NBC’s aim to let go of the dying, low-rated series it doesn’t come to much surprise that Heroes the TV series is over.  Back in June Kring talked with EW and inadvertantly spilled that even if the TV movie was not to be made, the franchise might live on in some other form.

“…the Heroes brand is an extremely broad premise. It was a premise about ordinary people, an undisclosed number of people all over the world, who were waking up to these extraordinary abilities. Any number of stories could happen around that. We never posited a single ending or a single premise.  It wasn’t about getting off of an island or stopping something from happening. We told stories in volumes that had a beginning, a middle, and an end. Those volumes could go on and on and on with many different characters. As a result, that Heroes universe is something that can be tapped into again in many ways.”

Interesting, huh?  Heroes is no stranger to the comic book and web series worlds.  Perhaps we may see the characters one last time in either (or both) of those mediums.  It’s unfortunate the creative path that Heroes decided to take.  In the end, though, we can always think back to season one–an exciting, intense character-driven ride that very much played out like, well, a movie.

[Via EW]

Glee, Modern Family renewed; what about Fringe, Heroes, FlashForward, 24, & V?

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It’s great to be a fan of TV these days.  So many great shows to watch and discuss.  This past week the TSA (Television Critics Association) Press Tour brought out TV’s stars, showrunners, and executives who talk to the press about what’s to come in the future.  Below is a list of a handful of shows and clues to how their futures will pan out.

Gleeks rejoice!  Glee has been renewed for a second season.  FOX’s President of Entertainment, Kevin Reilly: “We’ve loved Glee ever since it was a pilot script, so it’s been an incredible thrill to watch the show take root and see audiences embrace these characters in such a huge way this season. The show is a true and rare gem in television. We couldn’t be more proud of what Ryan Murphy and the Glee team have created so far, and can’t wait to see what they come up with for Season 2.”  In related news, the Glee execs will be holding a nationwide audition to fill in three new roles for season two.  “Auditions will be open to amateur individuals as well as professionals between the ages of 16-26, and all hopefuls will be able to submit auditions online.  Additional details will be announced soon [via] fox.com/glee.”  Reilly adds that “the winners will be revealed in the first episode of the season.”

Glee returns Tuesday, April 13 on FOX.  (Celebrate the news by watching a Glee flashmob after the break.)

Modern Family, the funniest new comedy of the season, has been given the green light for a second season!  ABC also renewed Cougar Town and The Middle.  Ugly Betty, Better Off Ted, and Scrubs are still in limbo.  ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson says “I’m not going to lie.  The numbers are not encouraging.”

Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9PM on ABC.

What’s going on with Fringe?  Last we heard ratings dropped due to its competitive timeslot.  It airs at the same time as Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, The Office, 30 Rock and Supernatural.  FOX’s Reilly on the matter: “I wish the ratings were higher, but frankly, we’re going to keep it right where it is, because it’s doing a job for us.”  On the future of this season: “We’re going to bring on Past Life, give this a breather, then going to play I think ten episodes in a row in the back half of the season, to really try and blast this when the other guys are in repeats.”  So he definitely feels a good vibe around the show.  But what does the future hold beyond season 2?  “They’re in a creative groove with it. We have a great relationship with the producers.  They’re delivering a quality show and it’s got an audience…The audience hasn’t entirely left it behind; they’re just watching it on their DVR.  So I don’t know.  We’ll just have to see what happens in May.”  Fringe resides in the wait-and-see category, but I have a strong feeling it will be coming back for many more seasons.

Fringe returns Thursday, January 14 on FOX.  (Look after the break for an exerpt from an IGN interview with Fringe creator J. J. Abrams.)

Oh, Heroes.  Season 1 was fantastic.  I even enjoyed watching seasons 2 and 3 on DVD.  Unfortunately most of its original audience lost interest by season 2 due to lack of creativity, among other criticisms.  Though the outlook for a potential season 5 looks bleak, Greg Grunberg (Heroes’ Matt Parkman) is very confident that the show will get renewed.  “We wrapped yesterday and the [final episode] is nowhere near a series finale.  It is cliffhanger-y and exciting, but it is nowhere near an end to a series that people are so invested in. It does not tie everything up in a neat bow… I don’t have any doubt that the show will be back.”  He adds, “We will wrap it up properly in the next season and get to 100 episodes.  At least that’s what I would like to see happen.  They take so much care in writing the show that I would hope we get the chance to end it right.   Lost announced an end [date] and I think that helped both the people working on the show and the people watching it.  They see the finish line and I think it gives them something tangible to invest in and be excited about.  It’s like it’s a movie and they want to see the end of it.  That’s what I hope happens with our show.”  Heroes is one of two “DVD shows” for me.  I watch every season on DVD when it comes out.  It’s the DVD sales and the international popularity of the show that keep it alive, so we will wait and see how it all plays out soon.

Heroes airs its season finale February 8 on NBC.

FlashForward’s long hiatus has just gotten a little longer.  Its return is being moved from March 4 to March 18 so that it does not have to compete with TV juggernaut American Idol.  When it does return it will air back-to-back episodes in a two hour event.  It will run straight to its finale on May 27 with new episodes every week.  Note that the finale will also be two hours in length.  And we are all looking forward to the April 29 episode, aren’t we?

FlashForward returns March 18 on ABC.

As we all start getting pumped for 24 season 8 to begin, talk about a potential season 9 is already making waves.  Keifer Sutherland (24’s Jack Bauer) told reporters that he is  “absolutely open” to making another season if the fans want it.  Sutherland: “I’ve always said that as long as people wanted us to make it , and people were really interested in watching it, I would be interested.  There are a lot of components involved.  Right now my focus is on finishing season 8.”  FOX’s Reilly: “Collectively, we just made a decision to launch the season [first] and then sit down in the next four to six weeks.  But my sense is Kiefer will want to keep it going.”  Executive producer Howard Gordon: “The way I’ve looked at it is that every single season [finale] could have been a series ender.  We just want to take it across the line credibly and then let the [other part] take care of itself.  As long as Jack’s not dead, anything is possible.”  Hell yeah!  Sounds like season 9 is a definite possibility.  And don’t forget a 24 movie is in the works after the show ends.

24, Day 8 premieres Sunday, January 17 on FOX.

As for the future of V…no one knows yet.  ABC’s McPherson was not keen on running such a short first “pod” of episodes this past fall, but due to production issues the show was forced to limit itself to four initial episodes.  ABC plans on airing uninterrupted episodes of V starting in March which will run to its finale in May so that they can “turn [it] into an event.”  As long as there’s more Ana, I’m hooked!

V returns March 30 on ABC.

Check back here for the latest news in popular network TV series; I’ll make sure to update when they are renewed or cancelled and when their premieres and finales are televised.

[Via EW, here, here, here, here & here; IGN, here, here, here & here]

Continue reading Glee, Modern Family renewed; what about Fringe, Heroes, FlashForward, 24, & V? →