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March 03, 2006
Is NBC's Heroes the Next Lost? (Superhero Hype)
Just as Lost isn't really a show about a haunted island, Heroes isn't a show about crusaders, caped or otherwise. It's about people — albeit ones with extraordinary quirks. "I kind of want to stay away from the superhero aspect," says Kring. "It's about very ordinary people all over the world who literally discover that they have special powers, and it's their dealing with that." The superheroes, er, ordinary people include a 30-year-old male nurse who believes he can fly — and, unlike R. Kelly, really can; a 28-year-old junkie who has the ability to paint images of the future; a 33-year-old Las Vegas showgirl who can do incredible things with mirrors; a 24-year-old Japanese comic-book geek who literally makes time stand still; a 31-year-old inmate who can transport himself through walls (eat your heart out, Michael Scofield); and a 17-year-old cheerleader who defies death at every turn (think of Bruce Willis in Unbreakable, only with blonde hair and big pom-poms).
[I am not getting my hopes up for this one because it seems like ever since reality shows became a television genre, all other genres suffer, which is evidenced by screenwriters for dramas not getting jobs as they once did. The only network I believe is still giving drama its credit is The WB. However, The WB is merging with UPN to form CW next fall, but hopefully things will not change. Nevertheless, survival on television is only a sure thing if that program is a reality show or a game show. BK]
Posted by kuechebj at March 3, 2006 12:52 PM
Comments
Beth, All good calls and I appreciate you calling me out. I am unaware of any details about Heroes beyond this article.
I actually love The Shield and hear people talking about Lost, Battlestar Galactica, The Sopranos, Deadwood and all the other dramas. However, I limit myself to Smallville and The Shield, partly because of how much time my graduate studies take and also because my parents only get basic cable back home in Wisconsin.
Never fear, though! "Building a Better Bobby" will eventually make the jump to TV and film.
Posted by: Bobby Kuechenmeister at March 10, 2006 04:44 PM
Hey, Bobby, I wondered if you'd heard about this. I don't think we can predict success of television drama based on early plot sketches. Success lies in execution. I'm just wondering how this is going into production without any reference to X-Men. Did you know there's going to be a shadowy government figure trying to steal the Heroes' DNA?
Also, I wonder why you don't give credit to ABC, HBO, and especially F/X for taking television drama to heights not seen since the 1950s? Lost, The Sopranos, Deadwood, The Shield...these shows are unequalled, and SciFi's Battlestar Galactica rules them all. Despite the consistently high quality of shows like Gilmore Girls, Smallville, Supernatural, or Everwood, drama has become something new and more exciting elsewhere, not on the WB.
Posted by: Beth at March 10, 2006 02:39 PM